Vanilla Level Design Contest X - 1he First place entry...well d0ne to all.

[Grounder]

[raekuul]

so I'm a bit confused, does someone have a brief explanation for how fake water works?

[SAJewers]

so I'm a bit confused, does someone have a brief explanation for how fake water works?

h/t xfix in the spotzone

okay, for explanation how Faux Water works: it's actually quite a funny thing
see, for whatever reason, out of level bounds there is water
Mario cannot interact with it, and sprites can interact with only when liquid interaction is enabled
this is why when a sprite is above the level, sometimes it falls very slowly back, this is due to water slowing down falling (you can actually see that in Yoshi's Island 4 with its hidden 1UP mushroom)
in this specific level, Layer 2 is placed in a very specific way so that it is in out of bounds area with its fake water
this is why there is no visible Layer 2, it's displaying blank tiles due to displaying an out of bounds area, the author couldn't really have a different Layer 2 in this particular level
the background in this level is on Layer 3

[Nimono]

h/t xfix in the spotzone

okay, for explanation how Faux Water works: it's actually quite a funny thing
see, for whatever reason, out of level bounds there is water
Mario cannot interact with it, and sprites can interact with only when liquid interaction is enabled
this is why when a sprite is above the level, sometimes it falls very slowly back, this is due to water slowing down falling (you can actually see that in Yoshi's Island 4 with its hidden 1UP mushroom)
in this specific level, Layer 2 is placed in a very specific way so that it is in out of bounds area with its fake water
this is why there is no visible Layer 2, it's displaying blank tiles due to displaying an out of bounds area, the author couldn't really have a different Layer 2 in this particular level
the background in this level is on Layer 3

I'm a little confused about what is meant by "out of level bounds" here- is the water placed in screens 10-1F, then the level changed to layer 2 level, keeping the water data but removing the ability to scroll to them, thus all the enemies think the water's on screens 00-0F?

[Sixcorby]

so I'm a bit confused, does someone have a brief explanation for how fake water works?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MMlw8A3RiY

Kaizoman666 did some research, and found out that, for this to happen, the following criteria must be met:
- Sprite buoyancy has to be on (does not matter which).
- Level mode must have layer 2 with interaction.
- Horizontal layer 2 scrolling must be set to "none".
It also only works if mario enters the level from a different level:
- Horizontal layer 2 scrolling in the previous room must be set to anything but "none"
- Screen number of door in previous room must be 04 or more.
- Previous room must be horizontal.

Also, it turns out that the earlier in the previous level you enter the door, the shorter the glitched level can be
It seems that you can have no more than half the screen number the door in the previous room is on.
screen 04's limit is screen 02, while screen 1F's limit is 0E.

this is how it was executed in every entry that uses it but theres another method that involves placing a layer 3 tide above the screen or some shit i dont remember exactly

[Sugar]

h/t xfix in the spotzone

okay, for explanation how Faux Water works: it's actually quite a funny thing
see, for whatever reason, out of level bounds there is water
Mario cannot interact with it, and sprites can interact with only when liquid interaction is enabled
this is why when a sprite is above the level, sometimes it falls very slowly back, this is due to water slowing down falling (you can actually see that in Yoshi's Island 4 with its hidden 1UP mushroom)
in this specific level, Layer 2 is placed in a very specific way so that it is in out of bounds area with its fake water
this is why there is no visible Layer 2, it's displaying blank tiles due to displaying an out of bounds area, the author couldn't really have a different Layer 2 in this particular level
the background in this level is on Layer 3

I'm a little confused about what is meant by "out of level bounds" here- is the water placed in screens 10-1F, then the level changed to layer 2 level, keeping the water data but removing the ability to scroll to them, thus all the enemies think the water's on screens 00-0F?

It has nothing to do with tides, rather behaviour of tiles that aren't in layer bounds. I suppose it may be better shown by a picture.

layers.png (1.75 KiB) Viewed 3148 times

Let's say that red on this picture is Layer 1, and blue is Layer 2 (yes, I know, they are usually the same size, but eh). When there are multiple layers sprites can interact with, the interaction code is essentially ran twice: once for Layer 1, once for Layer 2.

As it happens, outside of intended layer area, there is "water", and each layer has its own "water", so I marked fake water with cyan.

layers2.png (1.77 KiB) Viewed 3148 times

Some of that "water" comes from Layer 1 out of bounds area, some comes from Layer 2 out of bounds area, and there is even double "water" (doesn't behave differently however).

[Sugar]

40th: Snakes and Ladders by Morsel

Koopster
DESIGN: 43/50
CREATIVITY: 29/30
AESTHETICS: 16/20
TOTAL SCORE: 88/100

I was sold by the second half, much more than the first. The first half has setups with really little reaction time towards the end, some of which I'm not entirely sure if I even did right. They hurt the level a lot for being an autoscroller. The second half is really really cool and in contrast is super careful to be fair in the first try. I'm not too big on the wiggly saw under a muncher ceiling, though, it felt out of place and was very finicky. But that's kind of nitpickying at this point.
THE MINI MARIOS ARE ADORABLE

lolyoshi
DESIGN: 44/50
CREATIVITY: 28/30
AESTHETICS: 14/20
TOTAL SCORE: 84/100

Minor issues with conveyance (visually) and things being overwhelming are my primary problems. Other
than that, this level is fun in a sadistic way, with the way it presents itself and all.

Noivern
DESIGN: 50/50
CREATIVITY: 30/30
AESTHETICS: 17/20
TOTAL SCORE: 97/100

Usually my comments end up being specific problems I had with the level. But I don't really have anything negative to say. Everything was introduced exceptionally well. The vine resprites bought a smile to my face. The first half is probably the best use of 1F0 I've ever seen (late judging edit: not the best, but still very good). The level is really difficult, and I died--a LOT--but there were no cheap tricks; it was always my fault. I don't see anything beating this.

Sinc-X
DESIGN: 4/50
CREATIVITY: 14/30
AESTHETICS: 2/20
TOTAL SCORE: 20/100

This is incredibly frustrating. Not only is it insanely visually confused and hard to look at, but it's thrown together so haphazardly it's hard to believe somebody could look at this or play this and be like "Yeah. That's a level people will want to play". The concepts could potentially be done well, the vine gimmick in particular, but the execution is terrible, and the first half is almost unplayably bad. I have no positive words for this, really.

Rameau's Nephew
DESIGN: 17/50
CREATIVITY: 23/30
AESTHETICS: 6/20
TOTAL SCORE: 46/100

Conceptually, this level has some rather interesting ideas, but in terms of actual execution, I'm afraid it's just not very enjoyable. The first half is ugly, somewhat repetitive, and not all that much fun; While the use of the sumo lighting here is honestly something I can't say I've ever seen before, it makes for an exceedingly annoying obstacle in practice, being obscenely difficult to dodge, especially without several rounds of learning-by-dying. The saw-based obstacles are a bit better, but also feature a heavy ambush factor, which severely reduces the fun.

The ladder--er, latter half is more varied, and the wee Marios were cute. Unfortunately, this part, though mercifully shorter on the lighting, kicks up the learn-by-dying factor even further; there's some -very- unorthodox (though undeniably original) setups here, yet they require fast reaction times, and are usually located over a pit or other deadly situation, giving the player very little opportunity to assess the situation. This is not a level known for its mercy, and it punishes the player most sternly for the sin of not knowing what's coming. Again, creative concepts, no doubt, but the end product does not make for an enjoyable playing experience.

+ Really creative concepts
+ Mini-Marios are fun
- Lightning traps are annoying as potatoes
- General focus on ambushes and learn-by-dying

Other: The ancient lake has seen better days.

39th: Bubble Trouble by E-man38

Koopster
DESIGN: 21/50
CREATIVITY: 20/30
AESTHETICS: 15/20
TOTAL SCORE: 56/100

Cute concept, but the level is really long and has almost nothing going for it. The first half is almost completely stale in obstacles and difficulty. Only in the second half the platforming (between water bubbles) starts to get a little tighter, but the gimmicks are super underdeveloped, and it's a shame cause I see a lot of potential in water bubbles and platforms and spinies being slowed down, etc. Yeah...

lolyoshi
DESIGN: 26/50
CREATIVITY: 18/30
AESTHETICS: 13/20
TOTAL SCORE: 57/100

Although it's pleasant in presentation, it drags on for too long and just rides on it's bubble novelty
than the gameplay aspect of it, which is lacking.

Noivern
DESIGN: 39/50
CREATIVITY: 22/30
AESTHETICS: 17/20
TOTAL SCORE: 78/100

Super cute. The bubble idea is really cool (especially the bubbles coming out of pipes) and implemented well. Loved the spinies being used as water mines. There are issues with the green bubbles, most notably that they act like munchers. This was probably a conscious choice so players don't immediately die, but it doesn't act like a liquid at all. Aside from a few areas toward the end of the level, the green bubbles are mostly out of the way and could have acted like lava without much problem.

Sinc-X
DESIGN: 39/50
CREATIVITY: 25/30
AESTHETICS: 17/20
TOTAL SCORE: 81/100

Normally I would say that the bubble concept is overdone and not interesting, but you've completely overthrown that mindset here. I love the twists you've put onto that concept--the death bubbles and use of spinies are super well executed, and I think I can safely say this is the best bubble-centric level I've ever played. I don't really have much to complain about.

Rameau's Nephew
DESIGN: 38/50
CREATIVITY: 17/30
AESTHETICS: 15/20
TOTAL SCORE: 70/100

A simple yet pleasant level. The visuals are fairly low-key, yet the execution is well-done. The way the bubbles overlap in masses or emerge individually from pipes is pleasing, and the latter is used in a gameplay-relevant fashion, insofar as bubble chains are used both as ladders for Mario as well as slow-down serums for Spinies. The interactions with bubble fish were interesting as well. On the other hand, I sort of wish the level had bit more of a buildup in the second half, and pushed some of the concepts introduced earlier on a little farther.

One element I was a little less certain about were the green poison bubbles. The concept seems a little out of place in such a peaceful place, but one can see how they might have a certainly gameplay utility. And yet...they barely play a relevant role in the level until the very end. If you do get hit by them, it's as a result of not noticing them, which brings me to the latter point--if one bubble type in particular is going to be harmful, it should probably be the most conspicuous-looking of all--certainly a bright color, possibly glowing. Yet the green bubbles are the most inconspicuous-looking of all, and the ones most likely to blend into the (also largely green) background. In this respect, it's probably a good thing that they're just sort of there for most of the level; otherwise, the player's ability to trip over them without noticing by put a damper on this otherwise pleasant stroll through the bubbly hills.

+ Pleasing, gentle atmosphere.
+ Pleasing, gentle gameplay.
- Could push things a bit more in the second half.
- Green bubbles far too inconspicuous

Other: This weren't no toil or trouble at all.

[BobisOnlyBob]

40th: Snakes and Ladders by Morsel

TOTAL SCORE: 88/100
TOTAL SCORE: 84/100
TOTAL SCORE: 97/100
TOTAL SCORE: 20/100
TOTAL SCORE: 46/100

Which contest was it that had the * mark for levels with radically diverse opinions between judges? I think 20 vs 97 might be the widest gulf I've seen yet.

[Nimono]

-all the details on how it works-

I didn't really understand it, but then I re-read what SAJewers posted and I THINK maybe I understand it now? My confusion has been with "how does out-of-bounds stuff get interacted with at all if it's only supposed to be possible to remain in-bounds?"

Is the idea basically that on a sublevel with Layer 2 scrolling set to None, it locks in relative to the layer 2 position from the prior sublevel? I recall that being a thing, that sometimes you'd need methods to reset layer 2 scrolling because otherwise everything on layer 2 gets misplaced. Is that the gist of what's happening here? Scrolling happens in a way that when you go to the sublevel, the layer 2 is displaced to where out of bounds is what's checked for?

[Reecer7]

But I don't really have anything negative to say.

I have no positive words for this, really.

if you combined these two, you would get absolutely nothing

[Kilgamayan]

One day I feel I'm on top of the snake
And the next it's crawlin' 'way from me
I can get back on, I can get back on
One day I feel I'm ahead of the wheel
And the next it's grindin' over me
I can get back on, I can get back on

[Sugar]

-all the details on how it works-

I didn't really understand it, but then I re-read what SAJewers posted and I THINK maybe I understand it now? My confusion has been with "how does out-of-bounds stuff get interacted with at all if it's only supposed to be possible to remain in-bounds?"

Is the idea basically that on a sublevel with Layer 2 scrolling set to None, it locks in relative to the layer 2 position from the prior sublevel? I recall that being a thing, that sometimes you'd need methods to reset layer 2 scrolling because otherwise everything on layer 2 gets misplaced. Is that the gist of what's happening here? Scrolling happens in a way that when you go to the sublevel, the layer 2 is displaced to where out of bounds is what's checked for?

Yeah, pretty much.

[morsel/morceau]

The only thing raocow missed in my level was that the snake at the end returned you to the start, as in the game snakes and ladders.

This was an ancient game of India, and since we're versifying in this thread, the first snake in the level could be considered Nag and the second his mate.

When Nag the basking cobra hears the
careless foot of man,
He will sometimes wriggle sideways and
avoid it if he can.
But his mate makes no such motion where
she camps beside the trail.
For the female of the species is more
deadly than the male.

[Sugar]

37th: The Death Star by Eevee + Katerpie

Koopster
DESIGN: 24/50
CREATIVITY: 22/30
AESTHETICS: 20/20
TOTAL SCORE: 66/100

This level looks absolutely gorgeous, the palettes and the tileset are on point!
The first half lacks focus. A lot of different ideas and setups are used in the first room, sadly not very cleverly. The trapped bombs would be neat if they were more of a menace most of the time. The fires are much more annoying to deal with than anything around them. The second room also seems unsure about what it's about, not developing the concept of rope turtles (supposedly the central theme) much at all. The second half is solid, but also quite simple and it doesn't do much with the concept of layer 2 other than being a waiting game. I think this level could've been executed a lot better design wise, but I really dig the flavor and thematic progression, so there's definitely something going for it.

lolyoshi
DESIGN: 38/50
CREATIVITY: 22/30
AESTHETICS: 18/20
TOTAL SCORE: 78/100

The level has a lot of flavor. The gameplay is alright, and it has it's moments, but I believe it got
too restriced from it's presentation.

Noivern
DESIGN: 32/50
CREATIVITY: 22/30
AESTHETICS: 16/20
TOTAL SCORE: 70/100

I don't really like the rendition of this theme. The compactor segment was really cool, but the lava enemies don't really work with water all that well. A lot of the level felt cramped and needed to be opened up a bit. The environment needed more contrast.

Sinc-X
DESIGN: 32/50
CREATIVITY: 20/30
AESTHETICS: 18/20
TOTAL SCORE: 70/100

Pretty solid. The æsthetic is very well done, and it's not bad in design either. The throw blocks are used better here than in a lot of levels, though they do feel a bit tacky in parts. The last section is definitely my favorite and I wish it was expanded upon a bit more.

Rameau's Nephew
DESIGN: 29/50
CREATIVITY: 15/30
AESTHETICS: 19/20
TOTAL SCORE: 63/100

This looks pretty neat! I especially like the backgrounds, which, in addition to a certain simple elegance, are remarkably true to the films and instantly recognizable as such. The one thing that kinda looks out out place are some of the sprites: wooden stakes, fire breathing stone statues and skellingtons seem a bit strange in these high-tech surroundings. Perhaps these could have benefited from a bit of modding to make them look more natural in their environment...?

The first part of the stage is put together well-enough, but suffers a bit from its powerup stinginess; aside from the mushroom at the start, there's nothing, which becomes quite noticeable in the second half. And while it isn't necessary to cart the P-switch all that far, you do have to take it through some awkward places, like up the rope with the Thwomp; a net here would have made a significant difference. The second half of the level is similarly competently put together (and more powerup balanced), but actually feels significantly easier than the first half, to the point of being a bit of an anticlimax. The Blarggs-in-shallow-water are also a touch on an awkward enemy, due to their odd hitbox and ability to damage you while invisible. The ending is nice, though--it's always fun to see a level with a bit of a narrative conclusion.

+ Snazzy terrain and BGs
+ Competently designed obstacles
- Powerup drought in the first half
- Second half notably easier with weird Blargg interaction.

Other: I still don't understand the logic of calling something moon-sized a "star".

37th: Hotdog Aerials by Roykirbs

Koopster
DESIGN: 29/50
CREATIVITY: 19/30
AESTHETICS: 13/20
TOTAL SCORE: 61/100

I don't know what this meme had to do with the level at all, but it's certainly adorable. This level relies on spinjumping and 1F0 gimmicks alone, which I don't feel was a very good choice. I mean, having to keep your slide and such was cool, but the setups can only get so creative when you aren't mixing a good amount of things together. I think you could've integrated a wider variety of enemies and obstacles around the level and in your setups. It's overall alright, but it feels a little dry due to that, if that makes any sense. The yoshi bit was interesting but perhaps a little too short, and as a consequence felt underdeveloped as well.

lolyoshi
DESIGN: 28/50
CREATIVITY: 19/30
AESTHETICS: 13/20
TOTAL SCORE: 60/100

Charming, but flawed in it's design every so often.

Noivern
DESIGN: 33/50
CREATIVITY: 22/30
AESTHETICS: 14/20
TOTAL SCORE: 69/100

Bizarre is probably the best way to describe this level. It certainly looks like hot dogs good job, but the random words and purposely poorly written message blocks drag down the atmosphere.

I'm not a big fan of how the secret exit boils down to reaching the normal exit with a p-switch, but it's not too bad since you have to "unlock" it with the 1-up checkpoint blocks. This is one of the better uses of 1F0.

Sinc-X
DESIGN: 43/50
CREATIVITY: 24/30
AESTHETICS: 16/20
TOTAL SCORE: 83/100

This is, um, something else. I was really confused at first, and kind of hated it, but it quickly grew on me and I really appreciate it now. Clever use of enemies and mechanics in general and the "true ending" (can't tell which exit it's intended to be so I'll call it that) made me grin real big. The true ending path is a bit odd in the way that getting one of the dragon coins prevents the getting of the P-switch for that exit, but otherwise it's fantastic. The only other major gripe I have is that the main line guide section (with the 4 lines) is very unpredictable and hard to manouevre until you know exactly what's coming when. Strong level overall.

Rameau's Nephew
DESIGN: 36/50
CREATIVITY: 22/30
AESTHETICS: 16/20
TOTAL SCORE: 74/100

A strange and grotesque level, but by no means in a bad way. Basing the level around fuzzies, rocks and and jumping Piranha Plants was an unorthodox choice, to be certain, but it actually works out reasonably well in practice, making for a fairly entertaining round of spin jump dancing. The level layout is bizarre, with lots of dead ends, new paths which only open after the level has been cleared, and then loop back in to the old paths. That the P-switch is very conspicuously -not- in one of these paths, but instead on a new platform on the old path which can only be accessed by ignoring one of the new paths is a curious choice indeed. As for the secret path itself, the idea of working Yoshi and his unique interactions with the Fuzzy variants in there was an inspired choice, but unfortunately this section ends a little too quickly, before this idea can really be used to its full potential.

The æsthetics are...quite a thing in themselves. I'm legitimately surprised that this level of grotesque is possible in vanilla SMW, and turning all the enemies into the creepiest-looking sprite in SMW matches well. What really gets me, though, are those...things the Fuzzies get caught in. Those are the stuff of nightmares. The strange text messages seem inconspicuous at first, but the more you play the level, the more they start gnawing holes in your brain, and the bizarre conclusion leaves one feeling decidedly ambivalent. I just wish the main terrain (as unpleasantly fleshy as it is) looked a little less rough, as then this would be a true masterpiece of the grotesque.

+ Surprisingly skilled use of an odd combination of sprites.
+ Good use of the grotesque
- Layout somewhat baffling
- Yoshi bit could be better developed.

Other: The enduring popularity of sausages is an interesting concept considering they're literally the grossest thing in pretty much all respects.

[AUS]

[Voltgloss]

One day I feel I'm on top of the snake
And the next it's crawlin' 'way from me
I can get back on, I can get back on
One day I feel I'm ahead of the wheel
And the next it's grindin' over me
I can get back on, I can get back on

One day I climb up the rungs in the sky
And the next there's lightning upon me
I can get back on, I can get back on
Whoa
I can get back on, I can get back on

[Kilgamayan]

\m/

[HatKid]

My favorite EU novel was the one where Mario defected to the Rebellion and followed Luke and friends and stowed away on the Millennium Falcon, then fought in the Battle of Yavin.

[Grounder]

[Ashan]

I think star wars is a pretty cool guy. Eh kills goombas and doesnt afraid of anything

[Sugar]

35th: Hydromagmatic Fort by Cyphermur9t

Koopster
DESIGN: 38/50
CREATIVITY: 22/30
AESTHETICS: 16/20
TOTAL SCORE: 76/100

This starts off rad! But loses focus as well as its appeal as it goes, notably so by the second half. The level introduces "layer 2 only passable by sprites", but that's only used literally once. It then takes the line guided platforms gimmick, but after the midpoint that starts to give place to slower setups of waiting for the layer 2 to line up, and it finally just turns into a plain layer 2 level. The difficulty isn't balanced very well either, with a harder and more energetic first half than the second. The part where the platform dips into the lava 2 tiles down is probably the hardest bit of the level, and some setups around that part demand for much more attention and fast reaction time than anything in the second half. I also wouldn't mind if the level was longer - which should tell you that I don't think it is a bad level regardless - it just lacked better direction and progression. The first dragon coin is really mean... that's a good spot for a moon in my opinion, not for a dragon coin.

lolyoshi
DESIGN: 43/50
CREATIVITY: 22/30
AESTHETICS: 14/20
TOTAL SCORE: 79/100

Fairly well designed. I have a few issues with it, mostly the claustrophobia and the flow isn't
consistent sometimes (like one particular part). I also feel the visuals like the FG is a bit too dark, as it makes
it harder to decipher obstacles.

Noivern
DESIGN: 39/50
CREATIVITY: 14/30
AESTHETICS: 11/20
TOTAL SCORE: 64/100

This level was short, but it got some good mileage out of it's layer 2 usage. It's nothing I haven't seen before, but for what it is it's fun to play. Personally, I think the first dragon coin should have been moved down since it's not visible; I can easily see people missing it and getting frustrated. The main castle tile palette is honestly pretty ugly.

Sinc-X
DESIGN: 32/50
CREATIVITY: 19/30
AESTHETICS: 15/20
TOTAL SCORE: 66/100

This starts out pretty neat with the translucent blocks, and I wish that concept was expanded upon more since it only shows up a couple times. There are some interesting uses of the water in the first half but a fair amount of it is pretty frustrating due to the timing of some of the saws being difficult to get right, especially with water physics. Some of the line-guide platforming is a bit too tight as well. The second half with the layer 2 was done very well, on the other hand--some really neat setups. It's æsthetically simple but there's nothing noticeably bad, and the colors have a nice contrast.

Rameau's Nephew
DESIGN: 31/50
CREATIVITY: 20/30
AESTHETICS: 14/20
TOTAL SCORE: 65/100

A solid castle level. There's some fun uses of non-interactive-for-sprites in the first half, though it's pretty much strictly for bonuses. The second half is a more traditional "ribbon of water/lava" section, but not badly executed. That said, there's generally some part where elements can randomly end up synced badly, and it's often unclear which platforms you're intended to retain or abandon. The safe spots in the ceiling crush section could probably be better indicated, too. Still, not a bad level on the whole.

+ Solid obstacles for the most part
+ Interesting (if perhaps underdeveloped) layer 2 interactions in the first part
- Some weird syncing and lack of intuitive direction with line-guided elements

Other: I'm not too sure about the Podo-jumping for the first dragon coin, but if you absolutely -have- to have Podo-jumping, I guess right at the start's probably the least offensive place.

35th: Fuzzy Heights by RZ1 (RZIBARA)

Koopster
DESIGN: 40/50
CREATIVITY: 14/30
AESTHETICS: 14/20
TOTAL SCORE: 68/100

A nicely focused and developed level, although the difficulty fluctuates a bit near the end (the part with the muncher ceiling is a bit too difficult to time). As far as creativity goes, it doesn't push the gimmick very far at all, what with never really requiring or encouraging spin jumping other than the first and last screens. I thought it was a bit dry overall as it used glaringly few elements. Could've been more interesting, but what was done was done decently.

lolyoshi
DESIGN: 44/50
CREATIVITY: 22/30
AESTHETICS: 14/20
TOTAL SCORE: 80/100

Satisfying level to play, nothing really feels missing besides some spice, but what it is
currently is competent and fun.

Noivern
DESIGN: 42/50
CREATIVITY: 17/30
AESTHETICS: 13/20
TOTAL SCORE: 72/100

A solidly designed level. Really lands that vanilla athletic feel. Some minor nitpicks are that the muncher section requires considerably better timing then the rest of the level, and you can drop down to the first bonus pipe and ignore the split path right before it. The vertical scrolling in that section and the last note block section is somewhat awkward and can lead to cheap hits if the player isn't moving slowly. The moon is placed well, but I don't know how I feel about needing the switch block to get it.

Sinc-X
DESIGN: 36/50
CREATIVITY: 10/30
AESTHETICS: 14/20
TOTAL SCORE: 60/100

Solidly designed, it's nothing that hasn't been seen before but it serves its purpose. The Fuzzies are used well, and provide a suitable challenge. Pretty straightforward, not much else to say.

Rameau's Nephew
DESIGN: 40/50
CREATIVITY: 22/30
AESTHETICS: 8/20
TOTAL SCORE: 70/100

A pretty good athletic sky level which delights in throwing Fuzzies about. The Fuzz-setups start out fairly simple, but increase in complexity over the course of the level, culminating in some tricky (but by no means frustrating) footwork towards the end of the level wherein one needs to time one's noteblock jumps with various revolving Fuzzies, providing an interesting counterpoint to the more spinjump-based antics throughout most of the level. I was perhaps a touch less keen on the setup wherein one has to sneak between two Fuzzies patrolling a narrow passage with Munchers on the roof, and one or two of the Dragon Coin rooms required a somewhat awkward task for completion, but on the whole the level is well-designed with a nice sense of coherency, continuity and flow.

+ Sticks to a simple theme and executes it with creativity and elegance.
- Could stand to be a little more æsthetically interesting.

Other: I don't care what the tourist board says, calling a bunch of mushroom platforms and rails with a small number of sawed-off logs strewn about a "bridge" is stretching the definition to the the breaking point.

[Kilgamayan]

Sword Man music! Don't hear that every day. I also liked the second entry doing all that custom sound work all over the place and then just using the vanilla athletic theme for the actual stage.

It probably has been a while since you were in a body of water because North America went right from winter to death-by-the-'Rona-so-you-better-shelter-in-place. Anyone in the Northern US or Canada that isn't (a) rich enough to own their own pool/jacuzzi or (b) Florida Man in disguise has likely not been in a body of water in many months.

[Ashan]

I own the ocean

[Sugar]

33rd: Koopa Koal Ko. Line by Nimono

Koopster
DESIGN: 29/50
CREATIVITY: 26/30
AESTHETICS: 20/20
TOTAL SCORE: 75/100

This level has an incredible setting, and it takes advantage of it to pull off some really neat design ideas. The execution was okay, if not a little lacking, but also often flawed. The autoscroller rooms felt a little wasted (first one moreso) and the inner segments in specific had a lot of awkward spots, like that volcano lotus you had to have there for no reason. My biggest issue is the second half, which presents a really awesome "mole holes" gimmick, but barely takes advantage of it. You only need the holes they make twice, making the existance a lot of the spots you can end up at redundant, and letting you very easily just rush through almost the entire room. The way to the final dragon coin is really cramped and much harder and more annoying than anything in the rest of level.

lolyoshi
DESIGN: 27/50
CREATIVITY: 17/30
AESTHETICS: 17/20
TOTAL SCORE: 61/100

Not much to say about the level, besides that it's alright. It's enjoyable, but in the same
way that listening to noise music while drunk is enjoyable.

Noivern
DESIGN: 37/50
CREATIVITY: 24/30
AESTHETICS: 17/20
TOTAL SCORE: 78/100

Accidentally got the secret exit first, and it was hilarious. The special autoscroll in the first half seemed like an afterthought, as the shape of the level didn't really fit. The coal hid enemies without being obnoxious about it, and I liked moving through the holes in the coal to get one of the dragon coins.

Sinc-X
DESIGN: 21/50
CREATIVITY: 18/30
AESTHETICS: 16/20
TOTAL SCORE: 55/100

A decent autoscroller. There is very clear visual effort, though it is sometimes difficult to distinguish solid objects from nonsolid ones, and the colors could have used a bit more variety. Not sure what's up with the whole Waluigi thing, either. The design itself is nothing special; not terrible, but not good, either. The enemies in places feel a bit mindless, and some spots could have toned down the enemy use. The second half in particular is just not interesting to play through at all.

Rameau's Nephew
DESIGN: 43/50
CREATIVITY: 23/30
AESTHETICS: 17/20
TOTAL SCORE: 83/100

Not too shabby by any means! I'm always fond of a level which works its geographic theme into the design itself, and this level does a particularly good job of it. And not merely the train cars themselves--a concept which we've seen in various other games, like Wario Land 3, or Bubsy, if we admit to playing Bubsy--but also the kargo, eponymous Koopa Koal. In addition to a bit of flavor with the Chucks' rocks, Mario and enemies burrowing through the koal piles actually becomes a central motif of the level, blending æsthetics and design in a very pleasing way. On top of that, the setups themselves are all quite solid, and although the level makes frequent use of oft-maligned enemies such as kicking Koopas and Pitchin' Chucks, it handles them in such a way that they feel natural and not at all unfair or annoying. My one complaint is the large stretches of the tunnel section which use only Monty Moles--while this plays fine if you take you time in these sections, it's quite possible just to run on past and ignore everything entirely in these parts. Some other sort of more rush-resistant enemy here might have added a bit of balance. The secret exit is very unorthodox and took me quite a while to find, but it's hilarious and clever once you figure it out.

The æsthetics of the level are for the most part marvelous, though the one thing that looks a bit off is the train's cargo itself. It took me rather a while to realize that this was indeed intended to be koal, being, as it is, square and stacked in a grid-like pattern. And since it plays such a prominent role in the level, this was a bit distracting. Beyond that, though, the train itself, the wheels, the sunset desert background, the little minecart, and the tunnel with the lights speeding by behind; the level is truly an experience. The gameplay and visual appearance work together well to give the level a strong sense of progression and make for an enjoyable and satisfying experience.

+ Great integration of gameplay and æsthetics.
+ Solid setups and strong sense of progression
- Koal heaps themselves look komikal
- You can run if you want to, you can leave your moles behind.

Other: Not sure why the Koopas were carrying all those boxes of gammas around...

33rd: Night Ruins by Pink Gold Peach (G.D.)

Koopster
DESIGN: 33/50
CREATIVITY: 19/30
AESTHETICS: 19/20
TOTAL SCORE: 71/100

Really charming level, and the placement of obstacles is quite well thought out (despite some of them being a little too hard to react to). But it's very short and as a consequence it lacks a little bit of more development. Even the secret exit was just barely an expansion of the main level's ideas (+ a random bullet generator) and it also ended too quickly. I could've had much more of it!

lolyoshi
DESIGN: 28/50
CREATIVITY: 15/30
AESTHETICS: 14/20
TOTAL SCORE: 57/100

Underuses it's elements, but has a good vibe (particularly the bonus room).

Noivern
DESIGN: 40/50
CREATIVITY: 23/30
AESTHETICS: 19/20
TOTAL SCORE: 82/100

Props for making a level with generators that isn't obnoxious about it. It's a really pretty, really fun romp that shows that you don't have to break out of the traditional Mario design philosophy to make a good level. Encourages exploration, with well placed dragon coins and good use of switch blocks.

Sinc-X
DESIGN: 38/50
CREATIVITY: 16/30
AESTHETICS: 17/20
TOTAL SCORE: 71/100

It doesn't stick out too much from the pack, but this level is overall well designed and fun, and not to mention very nice-looking. Some of the projectiles (bullets/eeries) are a bit quirky to avoid, but that's my only major gripe.

Rameau's Nephew
DESIGN: 37/50
CREATIVITY: 17/30
AESTHETICS: 17/20
TOTAL SCORE: 71/100

A pleasant, well-made yet unpretentious level. It doesn't really aim for wacky and super-unique setups, but it executes the ones it has well, the interactions between the Eeries and various platforms keeps the player on their toes a bit, the introduction of bullets in the second half adds a bit of progression, and the secret path provides a slightly more difficult and frenetic variant on the concept. The bonus room is also unexpectedly weird and trippy. If I had one notable complaint, it would be that all the Diggin' Chuck setups are almost exactly same; I think it would have added a touch more variety and improved the flow of the level as a whole to mix them up a bit.

The æsthetics similarly go for a non-flashy (bonus room excepted) but tasteful style which pays quite a lot of attention to detail without any single element calling out for attention to itself. Everything here fits together nicely and harmoniously, it it honestly looks as though the graphics would fit seamlessly in a real Mario game. It gives a pleasing effect, like a nighttime stroll through some moss-covered seaside ruins should.

+ Well-executed if non-flashy setups
+ Tasteful and well-constructed æsthetics
- The Chucks are incorrigible trend-followers.

Other: Tender is the night.

32nd: Deja Vu-lley by Grugi

Koopster
DESIGN: 41/50
CREATIVITY: 23/30
AESTHETICS: 17/20
TOTAL SCORE: 81/100

At first I was doubtful of how well you could pull this off, but it was great! The first half or so of the first room is kind of boring and slow, but you slowly introduce new interesting concepts for each of the rooms - jumping on moles above munchers, red lines, going behind stuff with nets - and I think all of them were really nicely executed. Not to say that I couldn't see some of the gimmicks being used a bit more interestingly, especially the net stuff in the castle room that for some reason you dropped. But that's just me nitpickying, I think the level as-is is perfectly reasonable, especially for such a risky concept! Good colors, although the grassland looked a bit too desaturated to me. The effect in the final room is just amazing, though.

lolyoshi
DESIGN: 34/50
CREATIVITY: 20/30
AESTHETICS: 17/20
TOTAL SCORE: 71/100

I like the remix of SMW's levels; it's an interesting idea. But I feel the butter bridge part
has some irritating issues. The rest is sort of fine. The level might go on for a little too long too.

Noivern
DESIGN: 39/50
CREATIVITY: 14/30
AESTHETICS: 18/20
TOTAL SCORE: 71/100

Stitching a bunch of vanilla levels together isn't really the best choice for a level design contest. You did a good enough job of it, but it's rather disappointing, since the parts of the level that were completely custom were easily my favorites. Really good secret exit and aesthetics.

Sinc-X
DESIGN: 29/50
CREATIVITY: 20/30
AESTHETICS: 15/20
TOTAL SCORE: 64/100

Pretty decent level with a neat concept, but it suffers from having way too much going on (the first part in particular), generally in the form of enemies. Being frank, I wish you had expanded the castle section and made it the whole level, as it's easily the best part.

Rameau's Nephew
DESIGN: 32/50
CREATIVITY: 19/30
AESTHETICS: 15/20
TOTAL SCORE: 66/100

I honestly wish this level had forgone the "revisit old SMW levels" gimmick; its initial effect is to cause the player to view the level as a glorified Youtube level, which it doesn't deserve, and in any event the overt references to the original geography become fewer and more abstract as the level goes on, so the gimmick ends up feeling a bit superfluous in the end, anyway.

The first section, though by no means bad, is essentially mole spam: the motion picture, sometimes to the point where it seems haphazard in its excess. The setups where you have to time a bounce off a mole to clear a Muncher patch were pretty neat, but effectively repeated several times with level variation. The second section feels fairly annoying, to be honest; it's hard to gauge where the best place to hang out is, and the coin guides are only semi-accurate. The red, 1F0-based rails don't really add anything aside from making the rope move jerkily and unpredictable, causing unavoidable collisions with saws. And indeed, such a collision frequently results in one being dislodged from the rope and falling to one's doom with a single hit, powerups be damned. I honestly think the level would benefit immensely in terms of both length and quality consistency if this section were removed; the level feels about 50% too long to begin with, so excising the least fun part would easily be to its benefit.

The third section is by far the most interesting and enjoyable section; there are some fun uses of vines, and I liked the setup where one has to grow a vine to fill a gap and cross behind a barrier in particular. The final section initially tries to give the player a heart attack by implying that they will have to face a far more difficult version of the ballooning section in Tubular (though what is every ballooning section in every SMW hack but a far more difficult version of Tubular?) but this is over quickly, and it proves to be a suitable cool-down before the goal.

The idea behind locating the secret path is pretty neat, although the path itself feels sort of so-so, if non-objectionable. More questionable is the fact that completing said secret path unexpectedly shunts the player back to the main path, and one must instead move a springboard a short distance to ascend an inconspicuous shaft. This feels like making things one step more complicated than they need to be, and is a less interesting form of hiding than the entrance to the path itself, so I can't but feel the level might not be improved if the keyhole were not double-hidden.

The visuals of the level are low-key but tasteful, and executed with a simple elegance. The sunset palettes in particular are quite pleasing, and the dusk-to-night transition at the end is very unexpected and quite groovy indeed. On this front, at least, the level knew precisely where to exercise restraint for maximal effect.

+ Some neat setups, particularly in the third section
+ Simple yet elegant æsthetics
- Second section is woefully unfun
- Overdoes the length of the main path and complexity of the secret path a bit.

Other: In the non-reloaded version, this level was known as "Déjà Yu-lley".

[Nimono]

So the reason Waluigi's on the map for my level is because originally this was Waluigi Express. Originally it was also going to just plain be a sequel to my VLDC9 Judge level, where it's kinda Castlevania 3-inspired- you'll have some short levels, then after some other levels, a branching path that determines what level you go to next, all culminating in Waluigispace. But I quickly decided that was *way* too ambitious for a VLDC level (GOOD CHOICE) and went with a train. The WA-boxes are remnants of the level being owned by Waluigi- even the alert at the start was in Waluigi's tone. If you exited the train then, there would've been a message box with Waluigi thanking you for obeying.

Though it was an unnecessary secret exit, I really wanted to give SOME kind of reward for obeying the alert and leaving the train, so I put a secret exit there. (When I saw raocow deciding to play the levels of VLDCX, I just KNEW he'd obey the alert~)

Also I ran out of ideas on how to make use of the coal theme, so the tunnel portion became boring. Whoops!