ISRIERI'S PROFILE

Because Mother Brain takes 10 hits to kill and is a pain in the ass. I even disliked the Mother Brain fights in Talking Time Bros*. They add nothing for me personally except to look amazing, some of 'em are just extended cut-scenes when you think about it.

You have to realize that Mario bosses aren't like RPG bosses: You shouldn't necessarily make "fights" out of them the same way you would in other games. The boss itself shouldn't be the focus, it should be the terrain you fight the boss in, the hazards that accompany the boss. Look at the original Super Mario Bros, Bowser was just a dragon over a bridge. That's it, and that's perfect for a platformer like Mario because it adds a sense of tension, feels like an event, and is satisfying to overcome. Without making a huge ordeal of it that went against the grain of Mario's established gameplay. It was a simple bridge in the first castle, and each time you encountered him, a new hazard or obstacle was added to the bridge setup to make a simple boss a little trickier. It's also important to make boss fights short and simple to beat: Mario includes fast-paced platforming and you shouldn't make the player stop for too long. Which is another reason I don't want Mother Brain. Most importantly though, boss fights need to be short cuz Mario can only take 2 hits. Think about Bowser at the end of Mario 3. Think about how that was the final boss. It shouldn't be anything more complicated than that.

Treat bosses more like glorified roadblocks than fights. They're just another hazard that's part of the overall castle, instead of a ball-to-the-walls fight to the death. If they go on too long they become boring.

*I could just be an old codger who doesn't know "awesome" when he sees it. But thems the breaks.

You realize the importance of making this a good game right? We've struck out 3 times. In a row. If we mess up a fourth time RMN Bros is going to be dust. I don't think we should discount any ideas just because we have plans for more games in the future (Plus, have you any guarantee that all of us will be on board for the next game? :P)

Part of the beauty of events like this (to me, at least) is how a developer can really cut loose and let their imagination run wild.

I agree with you there. That's why I'm willing to compromise and not have themed worlds. The developers can make up any kind of level they want without having to adhere to specifics, and as long as they have a good sense of design it should turn out alright quality-wise. That's not the issue: I'm saying that we still need to plan out a general idea of how the hub world will work, what kind of progression we want, and do our best to ensure that the levels flow well from once to the next. That's what this blog should serve as. I think the art gallery simply needs 6 or 8 floors, depending on how many levels we get. We could still have themes to the galleries but, since they're paintings, why not make them purposefully vague then? No reason not to.

Sorry, evil Mario world me still has one more lesson to learn, and this art gallery is intended to be his apology for his misdoings in SRB3 and All-Stars. I swear, though, it's the last time I'm getting involved personally.

Would you mind sharing what you have in mind for that then? It would be a bit unfair not to. Also, you totally reminded me of that Adventure Time episode.

I should probably add that I don't agree with the idea of having one judge be in charge of submissions in particular worlds. Everyone should be looking at everyone's levels and offering feedback on all. It may be good for certain judges to have more "clout" on certain worlds though, as we're all are lenient on some design aspects and more contentious with others.

Maybe it's just me, but the difficulty curve in a Mario game is a very nebulous thing

I'll grant you this. I agree that worlds needn't necessarily obey consistent difficulty: It inevitably fluctuates, even in the official games. But it should nevertheless be our goal to make it as even a curve as possible, as that is good design. We're working together this time, so we all can help place the levels properly when we compile it. In fact I demand we do it together. :P

Honestly I see nothing wrong with planning ahead and having people claim particular levels but...yeah, Contentious Blog is Contentious.

Boss levels are too important not to be highly regulated.

He's right you know. Do you really want Boom Booms dropped into levels they don't belong? Or three more arduous and pointless Dr. Toadly fights? Trying to avoid restrictions on people's level making? Okay. But there is no reason to not impose this one. No one should be dropping bosses as it is! Mario bosses are not RPG bosses and should not be treated as such!

I agree, but I'd be careful with that ban hammer.

I said this before: We shouldn't so much deny levels off the bat for bad design choices as much as be tougher with Deal Breakers. If we know something needs to be changed, or if it changed it will result in a better level, make it a Deal Breaker, not a Nitpick. If the devs want their level denied, they may simply ignore them.

Also, think of the time limit (2-4 minutes) as a guideline than an actual rule. That's what the devs should be aiming for: It's better for us to make this known that's what we're looking for than for someone to submit a 6 minute level and have to scrap it because it can't be cut without ruining everything. Lets avoid such tragedies!

It's a Castle Contest! Open to all! Even if you don't know a thing about SMBX! In fact, that's kind of the point!

Said tutorials are these tutorials. But it may be faster just to post your question here, I'm an encyclopedia of knowledge.

The plan as it stands* is to have everyone begin making their levels after the sign-up week. During which I'll look at all the levels posted and offer critiquing and feedback. Others may do this as well, but I have the final word on if something needs to stay or to go. Why is that exactly?

Because after the levels are all completed I will judge them! I guess we'll have a 1st place 2nd place and 3rd place winner, maybe consolation places too. Other people may volunteer to help judge the entries. After that, I will attempt to compile the castle levels into a game-page for posterity and for the rest of the community to admire enjoy.

*Rules are subject to change.