New SMWC contest thingy: the 9th Door: the series.

[Alice]

I'm a bit surprised there was nothing too overly cruel in today's video. Although that fishin' boo thing seemed little bit annoying.

[Money]

Why are we forgetting the obvious answer?
Why not strawberry?

Strawberry is vanilla with chocolate drizzled on it, basically. Some minor ExGFX, for example, added to an otherwise vanilla level, is strawberry.

That would make more sense as Chocolate Chip I'd think
and oh god that giant Pinkamina was the best thing

[S.N.N.]

That dark room would have been ranked higher, but there were actually several invisible sprites that glitched out due to a bad sprite memory. It doesn't look like raocow bumped into any of them in the level though (though you can see how badly some of the Ball'n'Chains cut off if you look carefully).

[ano0maly]

Today was full of freakouts. I loved it.

[Ashan]

I don't think I'll ever understand the MLP meme(s). I've even watched the Know Your Meme video on it, and it still makes no sense whatsoever.
Although, I have to admit -- raocow's reaction to the horse thing did make me laugh pretty hard.

[heycallmeZe]

I don't think I'll ever understand the MLP meme(s). I've even watched the Know Your Meme video on it, and it still makes no sense whatsoever.
Although, I have to admit -- raocow's reaction to the horse thing did make me laugh pretty hard.

I think it requires watching more TV. In which case...I'm proud of you. (No wonder raocow thinks you're special)

[Oracle of Wuffing]

I know Fishing Boo is all kinds of annoying, but I kind of liked the subversion that, most of the level, you were more afraid of Fishing Boo himself rather than the ectoplasmfiretorchybait thing.

Although, I have to admit -- raocow's reaction to the pony thing did make me laugh until I was a little horse.

Fixed.

Made even better.

[Test Pilot Monkey]

It was a horse-type-thing that was bigger than him and he couldn't drop down a hole.

Of course he ran away from it.

[Sebby19]

So ferret111's level is so far the only level in a long time that got the concept, but was just boring. And it tied with a super difficult level.

Why?

[ano0maly]

What was up with the layer 2 in 63th? That was incredible.

Also the boss fight in the 62nd had a different BGM.

[OverHyped]

I don't think I'll ever understand the MLP meme(s). I've even watched the Know Your Meme video on it, and it still makes no sense whatsoever.
Although, I have to admit -- raocow's reaction to the horse thing did make me laugh pretty hard.

http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videol ... pective-g4

Give that a whirl for a better take on the phenomenon. It's much better than the Know Your Meme video.

Uh, to make this post on topic, I always enjoy these little contest over romhacks nowadays for some reason. The hilarity of seeing shitty levels makes it feel like the good ole days.

[McGack]

I don't think I'll ever understand the MLP meme(s). I've even watched the Know Your Meme video on it, and it still makes no sense whatsoever.
Although, I have to admit -- raocow's reaction to the horse thing did make me laugh pretty hard.

http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videol ... pective-g4

Give that a whirl for a better take on the phenomenon. It's much better than the Know Your Meme video.

or you could.. I dunno watch an episode

Anyways looks like the levels are getting better, eXcavator probably wanted you to use the p switch where it was in that level... maybe i dunno
That layer 2 stuff was insane, was that all vanilla? I guess it lost points because it was longer than a room would be?
Dotted boy made a level, looks nice too, but its a level, heck he isnt even hiding it
Boo room was nice, I like boos :D
and the coin thing was interesting but kinda hates people

[eXcavator]

Anyways looks like the levels are getting better, eXcavator probably wanted you to use the p switch where it was in that level... maybe i dunno

Yes, you were supposed to hit the switch and run to the left for a 1-Up. Still, the room PROBABLY shouldn't have had a bonus thing like that.

[S.N.N.]

That level gained points for having a super creative vanilla gimmick (which, to be honest, I didn't understand when I first tried it). However, as others have guessed, it was a relatively poor and sloppy implementation of it that could have been done -so- much better.

[limepie20]

That level gained points for having a super creative vanilla gimmick (which, to be honest, I didn't understand when I first tried it). However, as others have guessed, it was a relatively poor and sloppy implementation of it that could have been done -so- much better.

I really wish it was because it was developing into something really cool.

I thought that scrolling enemy kill room area was cool, too.

[The Doctor]

I'm enjoying this contest more now that the levels are actually interesting and it's moving at a good pace. The problem with most of these contests is that they overstay their welcome, but if this gets wrapped up by the end of the month all should be good.

[megamario]

I don't get the gimmick

I'm guessing it had something to do with controls but videos make that hard to convey

[S.N.N.]

I'm guessing it had something to do with controls but videos make that hard to convey

It's actually incredibly hard to understand without playing, but basically, one of the layers moves up and down with the camera to give the illusion that part of the level is "static" and the other part is "dynamic".

[Alice]

Doesn't that have something to do with putting Mario on layer 2 or something? Or am I thinking of something else?

[Bean]

I don't get the gimmick

I'm guessing it had something to do with controls but videos make that hard to convey

I think by climbing the vines either up or down, you can manually move the Layer 2 background.

[hyreforgling]

I think I get it.

Layer 2 horizontal scrolling is set to move as much as Layer 1, while vertically Layer 2 doesn't move at all. The moving parts are actually Layer 1 (meaning the static parts are actually Layer 2), and the level is set to scroll only when climbing the vines. This creates the effect that you are moving parts of the level by climbing vines.

The moving parts had to have been Layer 1, otherwise the bullet shooter sprites would not have been able to move with the shooter blocks.

I'm guessing the level lost points for being very sloppily made (being built out of cements blocks and cutoff everywhere etc.), although it had a very creative vanilla gimmick and wasn't much longer than a standard Bowser's Castle room.

Man, that gimmick was so ingenious I might just steal it and make something awesome out of it.

[Muncher]

I think I get it.

stuff

Yep, this is how I've pictured the level as well.
However, I don't really understand how Mario's jumping is unaffected by this, but then again it might have been but isn't really visible while watching, but rather is something that you can "feel" while playing.

@raocow: can you confirm this, like, at all?

[BenSanAZ]

I don't think I'll ever understand the MLP meme(s). I've even watched the Know Your Meme video on it, and it still makes no sense whatsoever.
Although, I have to admit -- raocow's reaction to the horse thing did make me laugh pretty hard.

It's a pretty good cartoon that some people like to watch, you don't really gotta overthink this one. The only thing is that since it's a girls' cartoon (which traditionally don't really get a whole lot of effort put into making them good) adult fans feel an extra need to justify why they like it, which is why it gets talked up as some kind of magical messiah of animated perfection.

It's just a pretty good cartoon is all, if you like good cartoons you might like it. I cracked up pretty hard at raocow's reaction too.

[LUE Andy Richter]

Hey

It's a cartoon for "everyone", according to the author.

I can respect that, honestly, even if I do not like the ponies. Finding a non-sexist person is refreshing.

[AUS]

I feel like the Layer 2 gimmick should've been at least like 10 levels lower on the contest. (lower meaning closer to 1)
But maybe I just have a soft spot for Layer 2 levels.

I think I get it.

stuff

Yep, this is how I've pictured the level as well.
However, I don't really understand how Mario's jumping is unaffected by this, but then again it might have been but isn't really visible while watching, but rather is something that you can "feel" while playing.

@raocow: can you confirm this, like, at all?

Uh, maybe vertical scroll at will wasn't set on?