A2XT: It's Over

[AUS]

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[Doctor Shemp]

Fun Fact: the KGB wasn't actually established a couple of years after Stalin died. The secret police under his reign were called the NKVD (until 1946) and the MGB (1946-53). In fact the KGB only existed for a year or two before De-Stalinization began.

And if you didn't find that fact fun, the NKVD would like a word with you, comrade.

Anyway,
Stakhanovite Level: Johnson McCain and the Communists
This was the first highly difficult level I came to in testing that was still fun to play all the way through. I think it's a great example of atmosphere created well without being overbearing on the actual gameplay of the level. The gameplay itself is pretty fun too. I especially liked the up/down switch layers in the lava.

Soon to be Removed from the History Books Level: Just Another Screen
I've never liked this gimmick, even in its original Flash form.

[Crow]

The level is slow-moving and not particularly demanding, except in 2 or 3 spots. Whether or not a level is too long depends very much on what it asks of the player. For example, fast or hard autoscrolling sections in my episode 2 levels last only about 40 seconds.

if it's even remotely possible to die in the second half, 4 minute long autoscrolling is way too long. Nobody wants to sit through a big section of gameplay they already beat -- exactly as it is.

To be fair this exactly is why I'm not a huge fan of SMW/SMBX games in general; I like demanding challenges but with frequent checkpoints, and mario's inability to do the latter tends to put a damper on the former as well.

[Leet]

SMW hacks totally could and yet I haven't seen a single one that really takes advantage of the multiple midpoints patch

ive seen like maybe 3 midpoints max in smw levels when apparently the patch allows up to 17.

[ano0maly]

SMW hacks totally could and yet I haven't seen a single one that really takes advantage of the multiple midpoints patch

ive seen like maybe 3 midpoints max in smw levels when apparently the patch allows up to 17.

The bigger problem is that most hacks only use multiple points in very few levels.

[Ditocoaf]

The level is slow-moving and not particularly demanding, except in 2 or 3 spots. Whether or not a level is too long depends very much on what it asks of the player. For example, fast or hard autoscrolling sections in my episode 2 levels last only about 40 seconds.

if it's even remotely possible to die in the second half, 4 minute long autoscrolling is way too long. Nobody wants to sit through a big section of gameplay they already beat -- exactly as it is.

How many times did you die in the second half?

I'm just speaking on principle (I haven't actually played past world 3 yet). If anyone died even once and had to re-play 3 minutes of locked-scrolling landscape that they already proved they can beat, the level has done something bad.

[Voltgloss]

oh god i laughed so hard at 2:26

[Maiku Wotaharu]

oh god i laughed so hard at 2:26

You're not alone.

[Unaniem]

Can I join the club if instead of laughing I facepalmed so hard I nearly knocked my glasses off my nose?

[Maiku Wotaharu]

Can I join the club if instead of laughing I facepalmed so hard I nearly knocked my glasses off my nose?

I'd let you in.

[Bryux]

Me too.

Also city is a pretty cool world theme.

[WiiRool]

Ooh that's right! I'm an npc!
I have now said more in this game than on the forums.

[sedron]

Oh God, the elevators.

Only one real level today, so let's talk about it.

Dyin' For An Electrifyin'- Hey there, difficulty spike! The game probably could have eased the player into this a bit more elegantly. All things said, though, I really like this level. A lot of levels that have come before this used Metroid graphics in bland, uninspired ways, but they look really good here. Mixing them with the brick walls and floor gives it a more unique identity. The level's gimmick makes for a very tense level with a sense of urgency and danger. It's music perfectly complements that feeling, though the loop is a bit janky. The gimmick is utilized really well and makes for cool challenges. My only real complaint is it's not exactly clear when the electricity is going to start flowing. Better sound or visual queues may have been possible. I think this level will garner some flak simply for it's placement, but honestly I really enjoy it.

[Voltgloss]

I can only recall one change made to Dyin' for an Electrifyin' during beta testing: instead of just hurting you, the electrified water was originally an instant kill.

[SAJewers]

I remember playing this level when testing the Overworld. Had about 40 or so lives, and lost them all on this level.

Outside the postgame, this world was the hardest for me.

Also, 900 Place De Ormeaux

I can only recall one change made to Dyin' for an Electrifyin' during beta testing: instead of just hurting you, the electrified water was originally an instant kill.

IIRC it was nerfed slightly as well.

[ztarwuff]

Oh geez. This is the world that made me stop beta-testing. I just didn't enjoy the levels at all. I remember Dr Shemp beta-testing my level angry because of all the levels prior to it.

Trivia time: Dyin' for an Electrifyin' made me call for the spike urchins to be made pinkish red. All those blue graphics made me realise the urchins just blended too much with the water graphics of any level that it could potentially be placed in.

[pholtos]

I don't know guys I didn't find that level that hard in my playtesting...

In other news oh boy I can't wait for tomorrow. :3

[Sturg]

I can only recall one change made to Dyin' for an Electrifyin' during beta testing: instead of just hurting you, the electrified water was originally an instant kill.

Yeah, so I didn't know how to make it to just hurt you until the winner of MaGLx was played. So I just copied that and changed it.

This level was strange when it came to testing, since like half the people said that they had no trouble playing while the other half complained on how hard it is.

[KobaBeach]

Serac

OH GOD I CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEMOVERSE CANON (AND SO DID TERRY VAN FELEDAY)

I DON'T KNOW HOW I SHOULD FEEL

also raocow forgets Nevada's gender for a few minutes there

[jayScribble]

World 5 starts off with a shock, and plenty of it. Also, that's one long elevator ride (luckily there is an alternative way to get to the top).

The world intro is certainly a "another side, another story" situation along with the level being a copy of the intro level in "What The Hell".

"Dyin' For an Electrifyin'" is one difficult level, and certainly adds to the difficulty spike the entire world is represented by. Swimming, water, and periodic electricity is what the level's theme is, and it is certainly a deadly combination when you're forced to swim. The lack of warning before the shock happens is one attribute that makes the level harder.

[Ditocoaf]

"Dyin' For an Electrifyin'" looked like an amazing level! Super difficult, but amazing!

Also, the world maps continue to be mind-blowingly impressive.

[KingTwelveSixteen]

This level was strange when it came to testing, since like half the people said that they had no trouble playing while the other half complained on how hard it is.

I was one of the first group, and watching raocow play makes me think I've figured out the problem.

He kept trying to predict when the lightning would stop and jump before that to get the maximum amount of time in non-electrified water; usually he failed and was injured when he tried it. Except that you don't need to do that, ever. There's like a second and a half of let on even the trickiest part; enough time to wait until the lightning actually stops before jumping in.

[Crow]

Dyin' For An Electrifyin' is just about the hardest level outside of the postgame, really, IMO. I think it's pretty fine from a design standpoint (though maybe another power-up somewhere along the way would help) though the random secret leek is just... there. And yeah glad it did get nerfed because it's *still* pretty tough and I don't know what I'd have done if it would've been tougher.

[Validon98]

Serac

OH GOD I CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEMOVERSE CANON (AND SO DID TERRY VAN FELEDAY)

I DON'T KNOW HOW I SHOULD FEEL

also raocow forgets Nevada's gender for a few minutes there

I didn't think of all people KobaBeach would have been the one to name Serac, but there we go? It's also weird that she shows up here of all places, but I guess since she's in

a Zebraspace area of the Castle of No Significance

, it sort of foreshadows

her appearance in the postgame

.

Regardless, World 5! It's not quite "Montreal" as much as it is "Mantreol," but eh, the pun is there. ^^;
World 5 is where the focus in the intro stays away from Demo and company and moreso on the siblings, but at least the outros actually do focus on our ragtag bunch of armless cycloptic alien demon minions, koopas, Canadians, and weird humans from other realities. Indeed, suddenly Nevada.

Dyin' for an Electrifyin' I thought was a decently hard level, but I didn't consider it the hardest in the game, although it was up there sorta kinda? I don't know, I got a little frustrated with it but it was alright in my opinion, definitely more so than a certain level in World 7 whose name I shall not mention that possibly made me the most frustrated ever in the main game.

[Kil]

bit too much gameplay in today's video for my tastes