Jump to content

Shakin', Bakin' and Mario Makin': the Mario Maker levels topic


polishgenius

Recommended Posts

Making a topic for the Mario Maker club so we don't drown the main games topic in levels and discussion.

 

 

5 hours ago, Caligula_K3 said:

I'd say the only part that felt unfair was the jump you have to make onto the platform with all the koopas, which you can't see and so can be an auto-death, at first because you don't know where to go and then because you can fall between two koopas and die. Otherwise, it was the good kind of hard!

Fair point. I never once fell into the gap but since it is possible I guess next time I do something like that I should fill that whole segment with koopas so there isn't one (since that area isn't really there for the challenge, it's there for the satistfaction).

I have no qualms about the blind jump though. :P I definitely designed all my levels so far that there's an element of learning from the fall, so they're mostly not that tricky once you know what's coming but you'd have to be really on point the first time in the section.

Mind you, it is a little difficult for me to judge my own standards. Sometimes things I tihnk are a piece of pish are clearly catching people out whereas things I think are tough as fuck are not.



I tried your last level, and I really  enjoy it but find it really fiddly-tough... A lot of the kind of fine timing while concentrating on more than one thing that is what I'm worst at. That's not a knock on the level, it just means I might not ever get to completing it... If there is one thing I would say in the section with the jump up the alternating switch blocks while the shell does its work, it might be better to offset the columns so your blocks aren't directly above each other? I know it's about timing on the jump but sometimes it's hard to get into the gap in the first place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Invision is an incredible piece of shit. I think I have to remake that post. I made two separate quote blocks and it will not stop nesting them, and it is extremely difficult to edit them once they're there. So, no quote blocks I guess.


Westerosi Makers

polishgenius - DLL-396-HXG
Inigima - S4B-227-G8G
Rumham - 3CH-610-LQF
Caligula_K3 - 1VF-YR1-1YF

 

Previously posted levels

Inigima:
Fire Swamp - PRC-YXY-CRG
Sno' Money, Sno' Problems - TWL-NS4-QQG

Rumham:
First Cave - 3QK-6B7-NYG
Basic SMW - N4V-C71-0XF
Airship Bombing Run - NXL-TC9-JCG

Caligula_K3:
Piranha Lake Invasion - 272-GJ4-DTG
Sunshine and Moles - Q1L-B61-GHF

polishgenius:
8NR-2B5-3WG - Dry Run

Is it worth keeping this updated? Might get unwieldy. I definitely wanted to get these in here early so that all the ones already posted in the regular video game thread were in here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Inigima said:

Again, I'll edit in course names when I can. Is it worth keeping this updated? Might get unwieldy. I definitely wanted to get these in here early so that all the ones already posted in the regular video game thread were in here.

 

Another forum I go on did it via google docs. I'm not the person to create it because I keep breaking google documents by accident but if somoene makes a table with columns for all the relevant info I'll edit the link into the first post.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Inigima said:

 

I can't delete my quote box on mobile because, you guessed it, Invision is a piece of shit. 

Anyway, more level reviews:

Rumham:

Airship Bombing Run - NXL-TC9-JCG

I enjoyed this, but it's quite hard with the autoscroll. I would maybe suggest spreading stuff out more so you have more time to deal with some of the challenges? Doable within a few though. Does the Night theme do anything important here? It makes moving stuff like the springboard difficult because they're so floaty, and because of the autoscroll you don't have a lot of time to correct your placement. 

polishgenius:
8NR-2B5-3WG - Dry Run

I finished this but it's too technical for my taste. Mario is floatier than something like Hollow Knight so precise jumping is a bit of a pain. Slopes look like an invitation to slide, but early on if you do so you will die on spike blocks. Right after that there are a couple of (I think accidental) kaizo blocks, where you try to make a jump and hit a hidden block, knocking you into a pit. I also died immediately after the checkpoint — I just laughed, since I had just hit the checkpoint, good placement there — when a lava bubble appeared as soon as I jumped. Which brings up a bit of a theming question. It's a desert, why are there lava bubbles? For that matter, why are there ice blocks? Weirdly, I didn't question the ice blocks until I saw the lava bubbles. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, Inigima said:

Right after that there are a couple of (I think accidental) kaizo blocks, where you try to make a jump and hit a hidden block, knocking you into a pit.

 

 

I debated with myself over this a bit because clearly they can catch you but I did want something that was a little bit trap-y but workoutable (ie you can't make that gap without something in that gap and the coins were supposed to be a clue). I suppose it's a question of the balance between the freer running parts of the level and those fiddlier parts though, still perfecting that (I love a good momentum change), but it's been an element in all my levels that they're much easier once you've died on a section once or twice which I guess just isn't a design method for everyone.


I stand by the spikes by the slopes at the beginning though, coz I didn't hide anything there. Though my next level has no such encumberances on a similar bit so hopefully that'll be more to your taste (though I am currently stuggling to find the balance in the later section because I didn't realise when setting it up that you're so limited in checkpoints).

This comparison amused me though:

 

42 minutes ago, Inigima said:

. Mario is floatier than something like Hollow Knight so precise jumping is a bit of a pain.

because I adore Hollow Knight for the most part but the White Palace segment made me genuinely angry coz they'd introduced a precision platforming element into a game that had thus far not really been about that and I really didn't think it suited. It didn't help that I played that section about a week after finishing Celeste, which is obviously all about that life, but yeah, basically Hollow Knight is like the last thing I'd look to as an example of precise platforming. :P


I do take the point about needing to take Mario's movement into account when creating the precise bits though. I think judging by the death marks on my three levels so far I've tended to err on the side of too hard when deciding over make it one block or two on back-and-forth upward sections.





Anyway, I played Fire Swamp, that was fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with you about the White Palace, I have cleared it but I don't really care for it. The "regular" section of the game has a lot of optional precision platforming bits with rewards, though. Mario has inertial momentum the Knight doesn't, so tricky jumps are harder to pull off. In general I don't think precision like that is what Mario is about, so I will never really like it in Mario games.

The block I'm thinking of is before the hidden ones to climb up the blocks, I agree that the coins are a good clue there (though I did accidentally bump my head on the second one not realizing it was there). I can't remember exactly where but it's right after the slopes. As a rule, if you put a hidden block anywhere near a pit, people will fall into the pit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

New level up! 

Let's Talk About Hex, Baby - Q3M-JWJ-4SG 

Magikoopa-themed castle level. Magikoopas are always dangerous but I tried not to have more than one or two on screen at once. I tried to provide adequate power-ups that it wouldn't be too nasty. There are several small hidden secrets as well. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the feedback, @RumHam abd@polishgeniusThe secret after the first checkpoint on the unstable blocks is a hidden block with a one up- I was already thinking of just making that into a normal block, because it did seem hard to find. I also think it's a good idea to make the on/off switch part of that section of the level less punishing (for drunk and sober players) by having a platform under it so you don't die when you fall.

There is in fact a secret in the level that lets you skip over that entire middle section- right above the first warp pipe, there's a hidden block with a one up, which you can then jump on to get over the wall, right to the third section of the level and the final checkpoint. That one I think I'll keep hidden, though I will definitely consider tinkering with some other things before I reupload.

The kaizo blocks in your level definitely did kill me a bunch, but I didn't mind them because they were right next to a checkpoint. I think I'm also more ok with precision platforming in Mario than others. Inigma brings up a good point with the ice blocks though... fire and desert can go together, but ice is out of wack thematically.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Inigima said:

The block I'm thinking of is before the hidden ones to climb up the blocks,

The one the Koopa comes out of? I don't think I included any other hidden ones apart from at the very end before the plants, if I did it was a total accident.


 

 

3 hours ago, Inigima said:

In general I don't think precision like that is what Mario is about, so I will never really like it in Mario games.


Fair enough. I'm of a different mind* though it's definitely something I have to bear in mind to factor his momentum into the timing.


*This will also factor into why, although I definitely enjoyed it, I could comfortably have had you up the difficulty on the Magikoopa level by an order or two. It might be a slightly odd criticism that I didn't die enough (and really it's not a criticism just a difference in style) but I definitely prefer more sections that I can apply myself to figuring out.


It definitely is tricky to do this here though with the limit on checkpoints, which is the one thing that makes me unsure of this level:

Walking in the Air

6CH-G7M-RBG

It probably isn't quite as tricksy in any individual section as any of my previous (except maybe the second boss) but it's much longer and there's a loong wait till the first checkpoint.



eta: on the ice blocks- that was actually deliberate as an idiosincracy and very small nod to Mario Oddyssey, so there's that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I checked and yes it's the one the Koopa comes out of. Which, the tutorials talk about this, but you should have a really good reason if you put an enemy in a block. Players expect blocks to be a good thing. Anyway, yes, because of its positioning, my first time through I tried to make the jump, hit my head on the block I didn't know was there, and was bounced back down into the pit.

3 minutes ago, Caligula_K3 said:

Ahh, as a reference to Mario Odyssey, that does make sense.

Question: does anyone know how to change the music for a level? I've managed to create a spot where the musical cue changes, but that only lasts a few seconds.

 

I keep forgetting to put special music in my levels, but I think you can just attach them to Mario if you want them to play the whole level. If you want it to play one thing and then another you can just place them spaced appropriately for the rest of the level where you want it to change. This is all hearsay, I haven't done music stuff myself. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

It definitely is tricky to do this here though with the limit on checkpoints, which is the one thing that makes me unsure of this level:


Walking in the Air

6CH-G7M-RBG

It probably isn't quite as tricksy in any individual section as any of my previous (except maybe the second boss) but it's much longer and there's a loong wait till the first checkpoint.
 

Quite liked this actually, it's not that bad getting to the first checkpoint. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Inigima said:

Rumham:

Airship Bombing Run - NXL-TC9-JCG

I enjoyed this, but it's quite hard with the autoscroll. I would maybe suggest spreading stuff out more so you have more time to deal with some of the challenges? Doable within a few though. Does the Night theme do anything important here? It makes moving stuff like the springboard difficult because they're so floaty, and because of the autoscroll you don't have a lot of time to correct your placement. 

the night theme is mostly just for the atmosphere. The idea that the Koopas bombed some town off the map is pretty dark. I haven't tried it without the floatyness I suspect I'd have to redesign a lot. As I said making auto-scroll levels that are fair seems hard. I think I used up the whole map but I will look at where people have been dying and move some stuff. The thing with the springboard is if you throw it against that wall and are quick enough while it floats down you can get on top of that wall and get a hidden star. 

I have a lot of levels to catch up on! thanks for gathering them all in one place. Definitly have to try caligula's again sober because I could not finish it last night. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, RumHam said:

 

I have a lot of levels to catch up on! thanks for gathering them all in one place. Definitly have to try caligula's again sober because I could not finish it last night. 

 

I changed and reuploaded it with feedback in mind! And also to stress the mole theme more. Always more moles. The new version is NXQ-7WL-4GF. It should definitely be less punishing now.

I played @Inigima's and @polishgenius's new levels. Both were great- your best levels yet. I'd agree that Inigma's wasn't super hard, but that's fine by me. I would say the most frustrating part wasn't before the first checkpoint, but after the first boss fight. The platforming after that seems simple, but it was deceptively tricky and led to some frustration as I kept having to redo the boss fight. Adding another checkpoint or even a mushroom might help there. Anyway, minor stuff- they're really both great levels.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Caligula_K3 said:

Adding another checkpoint or even a mushroom might help there. Anyway, minor stuff- they're really both great levels.

Sadly I couldn't, that was another point I did worry about actually. Could only do one per section.


Cheers though. Thanks for the play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I see Inigma already found it, but here's a new level I made last night:

0LL-1KQ-9JG

It's my attempt to make a course based on hopping from winged koopa to winged koopa with some degree of a safety net to keep it from being frustrating. It took me a while but I finally cleared it without touching the ground after jumping on that first koopa. 

This other one is basically just me playing around with tracks, it's short and not especially inspired but here it is:

DX2-8KN-3XG

There's a hidden alternate path that's basically my early experiment with koopa hopping that inspired the above level. The thing I've come to realize about hidden alternate paths is while they were awesome in Super Mario World they're mostly pointless here. Since they can't actually unlock new courses and no one is going to be poring over your levels looking for secrets, just play them and move on. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like secrets, but they have to contain relevant rewards for players to bother. In standalone levels, that's harder because they're one and done; not much is really meaningful besides power-ups, and you may or may not want to require players to find your secret to be equipped with that power-up. (That's a case by case decision, my ghost house level does it, some others don't.) A lot of players like to speedrun levels, too, so an alternate path that shaves significant time off a run can be valuable to players also. There's also the thrill of finding them, and some levels split their paths so players can choose which set of obstacles they'd like to negotiate. 

In Endless Mode, you start to have more "simple" options. 1-Ups are valuable, and to a lesser extent so are coins since each coin is 1/100th of a 1-Up, because extra lives let you mess up more and still keep your run alive. Puzzle levels where you have to find all the pink coins can benefit from them too, although you have to be careful not to make something required for completion too hard to find.

The harder to find, and/or the harder the challenge it leads to, the better the reward should be. I like to use the big 10-coins, or 30 or even 50, for easier stuff. 

I'm working on an airship level that's almost done. Had to step out and didn't have time to finish playtesting and tweaking just yet. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

New level up:

High-Flying Havoc

D8B-K3K-R7G

It's an airship level, no autoscroll. I've had some feedback that my previous levels were too easy, so I tried to take that to heart, but I hope I haven't gone too far the other way. There can be a lot going on, but if you go slow it's safer. There are a ton of secrets hidden throughout, and some shortcuts for speedrunners. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...