ISRIERI'S PROFILE

You are correct. But that doesn't mean we have to do it!

I got finished with the first three worlds last night, and I'm writing up another big review for the game with more thoughts on how to polish things up (and to find bugs, but I've not found very many).

author=Solitayre
-Can we please make the tutorial optional?

Hali knows from the last game that I've got issues with mandatory tutorials, and I would offer the same complaints here. Its nice that Agent Toad tells you how to skip the obvious stuff, and go right to the more advanced tricks, which is easy enough to just run through. I STILL wish it didn't have a star and all, because a forced tutorial doesn't make a good first impression for your fangame. However the information on duplishrooms and the checkpoint system is important need-to-know information. If I had my way, players would be better off learning that in Hillside Streams, and you could change the map so players can just go around the intro. If we did that though, then the information would be broken up and kind of negates the purpose of a tutorial. We don't want players to play the stage and get more tutorial in the next one.

Most of my nitpicks with the stage itself boil down to how dry the explanations are. For instance, making the Luigi jump once you're down in the hole might prove to be a bit of a wall if players are brand new and haven't gotten used to long-momentum jumps yet. The tutorial makes it clear how you do it, but its a pretty tight jump that might take them a while if they haven't had any practice. Its mostly because you have to leap onto the blocks and then leap off them while running and that's an acquired skill if you're brand new, and brand new people are who this tutorial is for. We do not want even the smallest chance of players getting stuck on the very first level, and the tutorial no less. I would rather get rid of those walls and put in coin blocks. Luigi can make all the coins fly out, and that's a better way of showing that Luigi is different. Running around with him and hitting coin blocks higher up than Mario can hit is something that players will try if they're interested, and won't if they aren't, which is far more suited for such an early stage.

author=Solitayre
-Can we switch the first level to be Colorful Playground or Autumn Lake? Would like the first level of the game to be one with a bit more visual pizazz.

I agree that Hillside Streams doesn't make the best 1-1 as it is now. But I think it can be made into a good first level. The main issue is that it just lacks visual polish. The comments I wrote down mostly have to do with looks, and the way you get the flowers:

Hey now, this is the first level! Do we really need enemies on the first screen? I understand that they're completely harmless, but its the principle of the thing: We just got through a stage that assumes you've never played an SMBX game before, and now we've got foes right in level 1. OK, I'm not actually that upset about it, but I do think that the first real screen of the game needs to make a strong impression. This is a fine level but it lacks something to give it polish.

I think I know what we can do. The first two flowers gave me some pause. The first one, you need to jump off that Yoshi to reach. The second, there's an invisible coin block. That's not exactly the best design – we just got finished establishing that leaping off of Yoshi is advanced tactics, and it feels weird to me that you have to do it right at the start of the game. I think we should have vines do the job instead. Not necessarily coming out of blocks but just in the ground as decoration. I don't recall seeing info like that in the tutorial either, so this would be a great place to play around with how SMBX handles climbing. Then those first two flowers (although it may seem really easy) are a lot more appropriate for the first stage and they tie into the stage's theme of vines. Plus, you could clue players that they have to go over the top at the last flower by hiding a vine in a block, and that lets you know there's gonna be vines in blocks.

I'd also maybe add some more decoration, like some sizeables going up to the ceiling to make some more waterfalls, and maybe take out the fish to make this a safe level to swim in freely. Otherwise, its a pretty good stage. Its been a while since I playtested all of these, and it feels different than the first time. I'm not sure if this is the best 1-1 candidate we had, but it definitely makes a serviceable one.


I had similar misgivings about most of World 1 since its the most important world to get "right", but after that the game has begun to even out for me.

They speak the truth. I just went out today and forget it was Easter.

I was like "Its backed up three or four miles down the highway, and its still noon!"

Its not like its gonna be a life-changing experience or anything. Its not the greatest game you'll ever play.

But it is very good. Being able to climb any surface on the overworld and go where you please with no pathing trails or constant pushes to go here or there is very refreshing for an open world game. If you haven't spoiled yourself too much on the game's content then yes, definitely give it a shot. This is an actually good open world game for once. I don't know if it has a ton of replay value though so maybe rent it if you can?

author=LockeZ
It's impossible for an open world game to be good.

Nonsense!

The story sucks ass though. Even more than other Zeldas. So I'll grant you that.