A2XT: It's Over

[Leet]

Man, that was probably one of my favorite levels in the game. Between the awesome gimmick rooms, the fact that they stay defeated, the final boss that fits danmaku to a platformer better than anything else I've seen (although it could stand to be a bit harder)

and then the ending.

I know the postgame is still a thing, and it's awesome can confirm, but now I'm really just excited for the eventual episode 2 because I'm really getting into the plot haha

[Vergalon]

Poor Green Demo...
Anyways, episode 2 hype!
After seeing what LunaDLL can do to A2XT, I really want to give it a spin

Considering the implications of the ending, should I make a level titled Dense Life of a Jungle Ladder, to further sully the paradox stew?
To be honest, I think I may be doubting myself

[Darkonius64]

The final boss coud've been a little bit harder, but the danmaku aspect was great, and the credits roll was great!

lookin' forward episode 2!

[Quadro]

: )

[Ometeotl]

Fun Fungus Faction

That name certainly makes more sense, but it doesn't quite have the syllable alliteration (of which I am sure there is an actual word for) that the actual name does.

[sedron]

Can't forget those World 8 Favorites and not Favorites!

Favorites- I think Dark Side of the Sun was the best normal level here. It's just really well designed. This world also had standout bosses, though. Custom C++ Code, Example 3 is really phenomenal, and while I don't think the entirety of A Final Thing (Name Pending) reaches the quality of either level I just mentioned, the final boss is absolutely up there.

Not Favorite- Castle of the Above and Elsewhere, for being a total mess of a level. It's just all over the place and I didn't have fun with it.

[Leet]

I think I have to agree with the sentiments echoed earlier of Calleoca should have been placed later in the world. I think she shouldve appear somewhat close to the final level, simply because it's very climactic when a game piles a lot of bosses near eachother near the end. (see: ASMT, big time)

[Granix]

Too bad that Thwomps are broken in John Madden John Madden, it would be pretty cool sub-level.

Final boss is really well made, instead of endless hard-to-dodge steam of bullets, there are some nice pattern. Cool thing with bullets going away after taking hit.

Also the last cutscene before ending is hilarious and I love Sheath even more now.

[Oddwrath]

Anything about the last level, EoW7 and the credits have already been said(aside from the fact that credits gave me goosebumps and punched me with emotions), so I'm just going to say this:

postgame doubles demos.

I had about 400 demos before the postgame. That number became 800 after it.

[Leet]

^^I'm pretty sure they're just weird, not broken

^can confirm

[10204307]

That's because Demo is double-dead.

[shaman]

hey raocow



Thanks

[Zygl]

So hey how about that Air Fortress music? No idea how it got there, considering last I checked no more than like 6 people have even heard of that game, but it sure was there.
Also the final boss, while perhaps not the best-executed SMBX danmaku thing I've played, was still pretty great.

Looking forward to seeing how raocow handles the postgame.

I'm especially curious to see if he'll immediately hit the easy mode switch in Transcendental Dimension or if he'll try to do it without it a bit first.

[Xirix]

So I assume lunaDLL is behind making Science's projectiles all fly away on getting hit? It was a neat addition to the battle.

[docopoper]

Yup. :D That was me. I also did having different hurtboxes to hitboxes... Which given what I could do with the engine at the time was actually a much bigger deal than you'd think with me having to implement an entirely separate collision system and teleport a firebar into the player to hurt them.

[Crow]

I had about 400 demos before the postgame. That number became 800 after it.

I had nearly 700 or so when the postgame hit and came out of it with 1000+ so, maybe not doubles but CERTAINLY is a huge difficulty spike.

Also right favorites and not. I kind of already said mine but.

Favorite: Peculiar Night. DEAR GOD. YES.

Least Favorite: Pavlov Gold, which could've been a bit more enjoyable with a few small tweaks. Above of the Elsewhere and Castle is probably a runner-up here though.

[Doctor Shemp]

Yup. :D That was me. I also did having different hurtboxes to hitboxes... Which given what I could do with the engine at the time was actually a much bigger deal than you'd think with me having to implement an entirely separate collision system and teleport a firebar into the player to hurt them.

It's a very welcome addition. I'm against danmaku in platformers generally, but at least this includes the part of danmaku that actually makes it playable (the smaller hitboxes).

Favourite World 8 Level
This is kind of tricky for me. There's not really a World 8 level I can think of that didn't have some drawback to it, so several levels kind of clump together in the "I quite liked this" category with no distinct winner.
So guernseys to:
Peculiar Night
Pavlov Gold
Everyone Has A Starman Except You
Monty Mole's Aerial Extravaganza
John Madden John Madden

Least Favourite World 8 Level
Castle of the Above and Elsewhere for being too big for its own good and too thematically disparate between sections. Castle felt like a dream to me: it cuts between different ideas without linking them. The boss out of nowhere is the prime example of this. Whenever you're making anything, including a level, everything should have a reason for being there. If there's no investment in the boss from it just appearing without warning or set-up, there's no emotional payoff for beating it besides the emotional challenge. Look, we're all playing videogames for dopamine hits, and you need to know how to dope correctly.

For example, with the final two battles with Science, we know who Science is, we know why he's there and we know why we need to fight him. When we beat him, all those things pay off emotionally and it's a far bigger hit than if none of it was set up.

Also token mention in Least Favourite to Twinkle Tower solely for reminding me of some of Sandy Peterson's contributions to Doom II.

[Kil]

I think I have to agree with the sentiments echoed earlier of Calleoca should have been placed later in the world. I think she shouldve appear somewhat close to the final level, simply because it's very climactic when a game piles a lot of bosses near eachother near the end. (see: ASMT, big time)

More Calleoca in general would've been nice considering she's clearly the best sibling right up there with Demo.

[Ditocoaf]

Fun Fungus Faction

That name certainly makes more sense, but it doesn't quite have the syllable alliteration (of which I am sure there is an actual word for) that the actual name does.

Not to correct you or anything (because I know what you're saying) but in case you want to know the word, it's "assonance". It's a pretty cool thing.

[Septentrion Pleiades]

The end game ended up being a indistinguishable when it comes to difficulty which is why it's hard to believe you've at the end of the game. Sometimes, you have to kick the player's butt or else there is no real since of conflict or accomplishment.

And usually, you want the player to enjoy the final boss, so they don't end their experience on a sour note and curse the game out.

I was talking more about the overall difficulty of the endgame. More than just the final boss ended up easier than it should be. A good place to start endgame difficulty is the world 7 castle like in SMW. There was never a transition into endgame difficulty, just a few hard levels scattered throughout the second half of the game. A difficulty curve did exist for the first half.

Episode 2 is probably going to bring the difficulty curve back. There is also talk of a mercy powerups.

[Doctor Shemp]

I think I have to agree with the sentiments echoed earlier of Calleoca should have been placed later in the world. I think she shouldve appear somewhat close to the final level, simply because it's very climactic when a game piles a lot of bosses near eachother near the end. (see: ASMT, big time)

More Calleoca in general would've been nice considering she's clearly the best sibling right up there with Demo.

The best sibling is clearly Garish.

Official Doctor Shemp sibling tiers:

BEST TIER
Garish
Iris

GOOD TIER
Calleoca
Science

AVERAGE TIER
Demo
Mishi
Nevada
Pandamona
Pily

BAD TIER
Serac

[docopoper]

Yeah. Actually having Calleoca be the penultimate level would have worked pretty well in hindsight. Though it does also work where it is to create an intense moment at both the beginning and end of the world. I mean setting the tone for the world is pretty important too.

Also I'm not sure if this was posted anywhere but here's a cool picture I found:


I personally think Calleoca and Garish look really cute in this picture. xP Though I know Garish is a jerk so that kind of ruins it.

[Kil]

I think I have to agree with the sentiments echoed earlier of Calleoca should have been placed later in the world. I think she shouldve appear somewhat close to the final level, simply because it's very climactic when a game piles a lot of bosses near eachother near the end. (see: ASMT, big time)

More Calleoca in general would've been nice considering she's clearly the best sibling right up there with Demo.

The best sibling is clearly Garish.

Official Doctor Shemp sibling tiers:

BEST TIER
Garish
Iris

GOOD TIER
Calleoca
Science

AVERAGE TIER
Demo
Mishi
Nevada
Pandamona
Pily

BAD TIER
Serac

- Opinions/10 tier list -

<Absolutely glorious tier>
Calleoca
Demo

<A tier>
Pily
Pandamona
Mishi

<9/10 "They're OK" tier>
Garish
Green Demo

<Literally who tier>
Nevada
Serac

<Absolutely dropped tier>
Science

<Please delete tier>
Kood

[KobaBeach]

GOD TIER
Nevada

DEMI-GOD TIER
Mishi

OKAY TIER
Everyone else

I CAN'T REALLY JUDGE HER BECAUSE SHE ONLY APPEARED LIKE ONCE IN THE ENTIRE ASMT CANON THUS FAR AND HASN'T HAD ANY TIME TO ESTABLISH A PERSONALITY SO YEAH TIER
Serac

So hey how about that Air Fortress music? No idea how it got there, considering last I checked no more than like 6 people have even heard of that game, but it sure was there.

I played that game once (didn't get very far though)
It's okay

[Leet]

-faves-
Demo
Pily
Serac
Mishi

-between faves and hella i cant decide-
Calleoca

-hella-
Garish
Nevada

-oh ok-
Science
Iris

e: i cant really figure how to structure this list into tiers properly so i'll just summarize it by saying "i love demo, pily and serac and everyone else is either really cool or just cool. except iris" (kinda ironic though since i based my silly "demonsona" sprite in SDS off of iris', but whatever)

It's a very welcome addition. I'm against danmaku in platformers generally, but at least this includes the part of danmaku that actually makes it playable (the smaller hitboxes).

The fact that you can also stand on top of the bullets really makes it fit with a platformer really well, since they're not only projectiles, but also platforms. In other words, it's not danmaku in a platformer, its danmaku as a platformer.