VIP 4 2018 - That was fun

[morsel/morceau]

^wow, that level is for true maskoists only.

While I agree in general with lampooning raocow, the barrel level is indeed fairly janky. You can enter a barrel at a variable altitude, so you will not always be at a good height for shooting. There are cases were if you tap A, you die, and if you hold A, you also die. Fortunately, it is possible to raise Mario by holding B (you will see him popping out the top once he's as high as he can go). But even then, there can be strange issues: even if you position yourself high at the part where you bounce on the para koopa, you can hit the koopa in such a position (because sprites move through a tile) that you miss all the barrels. The level has some other problems (e.g. it easy to miss the mushroom depending when you scroll at the first R). Basically, a flawed level where you have to make lots of mental calculations based on your absolute knowledge of how things are working in it. What raocow did that was inexcusable was to complain about the brambles hurting yoshi, as though he had no awareness of the donkey kong levels this was an analogue to.

[ano0maly]

Regarding Oyster's translation: maybe he didn't know DKC at all (I doubt it), or maybe he just translated the text dump of this hack without ever looking at the levels of the hack. But aside from those two possibilities, I almost feel like he knew it was a DKC2 brambles level and intentionally chose not to bother with the reference, and instead just translate the meaning of the title. You don't need the reference to see DKC2 - you can see (and hear) Stickerbrush when you enter the level.

[kitikami]

In raocow's defense, a tutorial saying "To fire, hold down the A button" is not necessarily the clearest instruction that in order for the level to work properly, you have to keep holding the A button after firing the cannon. It looks like it is just telling you how to fire the cannon.

[Paragraph]

I think this level shows quite clearly that (given a certain baseline of player experience) a lot of jank can be excusable if you just give enough powerups to compensate. It's not elegant in the slightest, but at least it turns a level that's hard for kind of the wrong reasons into something reasonable to beat instead of a nightmare of endless frustration.

[Zach808]

Ugh, Ghosts n’ Goblins. I’m pretty sure every single level in that god-awful game took me longer to beat than even Stickerbrush Spikery. I am so thankful that this level was a reference in aesthetics only, because that game is basically the commercial version of Way of the M.

That tree level was so silly. Is it supposed to be swaying back and forth? Anyways, it would’ve been great if not for janky vine physics. Fortunately, here they’re just a minor inconvenience.

Hey Vip, Mario 64 called. It wants its camera back. :D

[Dragon Fogel]

Oh hey, one of my favorite rambling sessions was from the Ghouls and Ghosts level (and another one was from the Green Switch in the same video).

"The abyss is not necessarily bad. Just because it's a dark empty void of nothingness, probably filled with monsters, doesn't mean you must fear it. You must embrace it, and stuff your face down with it and filling your yummy little cheeks as preserves for the winter."

[Ashan]

Man, I did not know that joke with the camera level until now. That's hilarious

[Whimsical Calamari]

Maybe I should start playing ahead of raocow, just in case I get stuck on a difficult level for a while.

working ahead so you can keep up with the thread in case something comes up? amateur
now let's see how quickly i can catch up with seven episodes

episode 9

DailyMotion Run
run! the sky is made of ropes! (continued) - March 11, 2008
4:40 - Thank you for saving me!

dragon bullet!! - March 12, 2008
0:00 - Dragon Quest 5
3:41 - sky place dangerous

YouTube Run
popcorn (continued) - January 11, 2009
4:17 - Thank you for saving me!

cloud cloud world - January 12, 2009
0:00 - Dragon Warrior
4:15 - clouds

Takeaways:

• what a good place to start this again. some really entertaining bad play from both oldcows in a level that newcow made trivial.
• The accidental level name swap that Oyster did in the first run lets us see a pretty neat development: the more rao understood the "Thank you for saving me!" joke, the less frustrated he was with the level. First with no context, then the proper level name, then finally the full translation. If I knew anything about psychology, I would maybe be able to say something cool and insightful about the nature of jokes or something.
• Add "And just like in Dragon Quest..." to the list of eternal jokes.

Oyster -> 2018
Not Forgetting Our Gratitude For You For All Eternity -> I'll Never Forget my Gratitude to You
Air's Bridegroom? -> Hand of the Heavenly... Groom?
On Top of the Exhausted Crying Cloud -> Atop the Endless Clouds

[Dragon Fogel]

YouTube Run
popcorn (continued) - January 11, 2009
- Thank you for saving me!

You forgot to put in the timestamp, which also means there's nothing between the URL tags.

[LunarRainbowShyGuy]

Maybe I should start playing ahead of raocow, just in case I get stuck on a difficult level for a while.

working ahead so you can keep up with the thread in case something comes up? amateur
now let's see how quickly i can catch up with seven episodes

I find it funny that you bring this up. I was busy and missed a few days and now I'm having to catch up myself. Anyway, here's my comments on levels from days past.

Bishing Foo Forest: So far this hack hasn't used fishing boo in the obnoxious way that it has a bit of a reputation for, which is rather nice. Although in this case fishing boo (or rather "bishing foo") might be placed a bit too high to really be threatening at all. Though I'd much rather have that than have it constantly harassing you so I'm not going to complain about it.

Mushroom Mountain: A neat little level based around the rarely seen mushroom elevators and their block eating powers. The level may be pretty easy, but I like the ideas in some of these puzzles. I particularly like the one at the end, though I did die here the same way raocow did. (I also had a death where I didn't even touch the goal sphere; I just managed to fall while trying to maneuver the platforms.)

Daytime World, Nighttime World: This is another interesting level, although it's also pretty easy. It looks like the secret exit can be a bit tricky if you do it the intended way, but I didn't. I found the P-switch, but I didn't go far enough to see the staircase leading to the hidden door, so I just rode an eerie from the midpoint all the way to the key.

Haunted Forest: The main path of this level is alright, but I have a few issues with the secret path. I do like the fact that the eerie generator isn't just tacked onto something that's hard enough as is, but I did encounter a few situations that seemed a little unfair. There's the fact that you can die almost immediately, though fortunately the midpoint is right next to the pipe so it doesn't really set you back at all. I also had a moment when I tried to spin jump on an eerie, but it was actually two eeries stacked on top of each other and they ended up killing me. Overall though it's still alright but I feel it could use some improvement.

Stickerbrush Spikery: Enough people have reprimanded raocow for not holding the A button so I'll just get right to commenting on the level. It is pretty long though, so as with some previous long levels I'll be splitting my comments into sections.

Barrels: While the barrels do feel kind of wonky they do at least work properly if you hold the A button... except for that one part where you have to hold left and NOT hold A, despite the fact that the message box to "hold left as well". I'm also not a fan of the fact that you can get hurt while inside the barrels. Also, at the part where you have to get a star, if you scroll the screen to see what's ahead (which seems pretty natural to me considering there's other parts of the level where you're supposed to scroll the screen) you'll end up despawning the star leaving you no choice but to die.

Going Up: I really feel like there should have been a midpoint at the start of this section, and the end of the level at the end of this section, with the other sections being their own level. As it is though, I'm not really a fan, to the point that I would clone the box at the start to get multiple powerups. I feel like this section would have actually been alright if you didn't have to replay the first section each time you died.

Going Down: I think I only died once here? Regardless, this seems like the easiest section by far, which is probably a good thing considering the section that's after it.

Wind: While this section may not use wind as obnoxiously as some other wind levels I've seen raocow play, but I still think there are too many problems here for me to really like this section. Though I don't even dislike it all that much. I think just having to go through the previous section each time I died, despite how easy it is, had a negative effect on me.

Overall I feel like each individual section here is alright, but the level as a whole is far too long. I think it would have been better if it was split into two levels (or maybe even more than two, with some sections being expanded on).

And here's my comments for today's levels.

The Big, Tall, and Worrisome Tree: Not much to say other than I liked this level. I almost got all the VIP coins, but I missed out on the last one; I spent some time falling down in the first section, and by the time I got to the end I had to run straight to the goal tape to finish with just one second left.

Quit Slacking, Cameraman! lol: This is another level that I really liked. It's easy for vision obscuring levels to go wrong, but this one actually uses it well. There are a lot of things to help you figure out what's off screen, and you can really tell that it was designed around the gimmick. Also, while I found the secret exit almost immediately (when I heard a (green) mushroom come out where the VIP coin was I jumped up to look for it and just wandered into the secret exit). I like that there's an arrow hinting toward it at the end (and if you scroll the screen you can even see the key and keyhole).

Following in Arthur's Footsteps: Ah yes, I remember when Arthur abandoned his trusty steed in a pit in order to cross a gap. Seriously though, that seems like a strange thing to put into a level themed around Ghosts 'n Goblins, and it's the only real noteworthy thing about this level (other than the Ghosts 'n Goblins theme, of course).

[This Eye o' Mine]

The next few levels...

...will be a thing.

Whenever raocow refers to the information symbol as "'i' sphere" or just 'i' it feels like he's addressing me specifically.

Three Oyster names to comment on here. He was really on fire in world 4, which was unfortunate due to it being a forest and all.

Oyster's Pearls:
"The Tree The Big Guy Worries About"

His name for: "The Big, Tall, and Worrisome Tree"

The original Japanese is basically just one big subordinate clause that gets appended to the word 'tree', basically how you see it in our translation. I don't know where he got the idea that there's a specific guy that's doing the worrying. My best guess is that he (or Babelfish) understood the word that we put as the adjective 'tall' ('noppo', or のっぽ) as actually being a noun referring to a person, and I mean in slang you can use an adjective as a name for somebody who fits that adjective (think like calling somebody 'Lanky'). He then figured that the word 'big' applied to that person. The way he put the stage could technically be a grammatically valid translation. You'd have to pass up simpler alternatives and force it into the context to see it as a valid translation though; there is after all no 'the big guy' in the actual stage that would be relevant to this kind of title.

"Cameraman's Castle LOL"

His name for: "Quit Slacking, Cameraman! lol"

This mistranslation is pretty simple, but very thorough. The original title is "kameraman shigoto shiro" (カメラマンしごとしろ), which can be more literally read as "Do your job, cameraman!". Oyster simply took 'shiro' to be the noun 'castle', rather than the imperative form of the verb する (suru), 'to do'. He also for some reason just completely dropped the word しごと (shigoto), which means 'work' or 'job'.

"Chasing After Asa's Back"

His name for: "Following in Arthur's Footsteps"

Couple of things wrong with this one. First of all, he didn't catch on to the G&G reference somehow, and just transliterated Arthur's name literally (because he totally took the effort to look at the levels you guys). Secondly though, he didn't catch that the original Japanese phrase is a saying, which does literally mean "to chase [somebody]'s back", but which actually means "to try to emulate [a great person]'s behavior". This is admittedly not a very common saying, and the only reference I could find was in Japanese-Japanese dictionaries. Still changes the meaning quite dramatically though.

[Whimsical Calamari]

i know it's late but please, you all NEED to see at least this:

Remember the fireball death in the FruiTea level? Keep that in mind when you watch this moment from ten years ago.

DailyMotion Run
dragon bullet!! (continued) - March 12, 2008
7:47 - blocks
SKIP

okay and oh god - March 14, 2008
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcKjmi-OgOw#t=3m53s3:53 - afraid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcKjmi-OgOw#t=7m39s7:39 - fruiTea

YouTube Run
cloud cloud world (continued) - January 12, 2009
7:54 - blocks (normal)

well this just ain't fair - January 13, 2009
0:00 - blocks (secret)
SKIP

DONT BE AFRAID - January 14, 2009
0:00 - afraid
6:10 - castle (demo)

The Sharp Tear Giggle - January 15, 2009
Part 1 - Part 2

"freakin" has ceased to sound like a word, but I'm glad I watched this anyway, because of that death I linked at the top. My god, what a moment.

I feel real bad about the second run of FruiTea, though. Just watching that ordeal was draining. Without that run, and having just seen VIP4 2018, I probably would've thought nothing of the bullet segment. But here it really shows its teeth.

[raocow]

this moment from ten years ago.

amazing

[Blue]

Following in Arthur's Footsteps: Ah yes, I remember when Arthur abandoned his trusty steed in a pit in order to cross a gap. Seriously though, that seems like a strange thing to put into a level themed around Ghosts 'n Goblins, and it's the only real noteworthy thing about this level (other than the Ghosts 'n Goblins theme, of course).

Well, how else were they to emulate the super ghosts and goblins double jump? I mean, yes, this isn't a reference to that game, but don't worry about the details.

[Zach808]

Yeah, I needed youtube to figure out the green storehouse. I have no idea how anyone would figure it out without the translations.

Man, that bullet bill trap never gets old. I know it’s bad design, but I can’t hate it.

I’m usually too lazy to bring external powerups into levels, but I’m thinking the swamp was made for that purpose, kinda like GAY SH!T, but not as egregious since the powerups actually make the level playable rather than just barely possible. I’m guessing they put the storehouse right there on purpose.

[Kilgamayan]

M O O N W A L K P I P E

[LunarRainbowShyGuy]

I don't really have anything to say before going into my comments, so here I go.

Green Storehouse: I like the puzzle here. It did take me awhile before I thought to bring a feather in my reserve box; before I was trying to do a weird thing where I would grab a mushroom with Yoshi's tongue and go down the pipe before he ate it so I would be big when I got out the bottom (which I did manage to do, but it was ultimately pointless). Once I figured out that first step it didn't take me too long to figure out each of the other steps.

Dive and Rush! Green Switch: I don't really have much to say here. My experience here was pretty much exactly like raocow's, except that I didn't think to use the pipe at the beginning as a reset pipe and died to reset the level instead.

Mangrove Forest 2: I was fully prepared to say some positive things about this level until I got to the second half. I don't mind generators as long as they don't feel like they're tacked onto a level that would be adequately challenging without them, but that's exactly how it feels in this level. After a few tries I just went to the storehouse and grabbed some powerups since it was right there (though even if it wasn't I probably would have found somewhere to get powerups). Even then it took me awhile to beat the level (I might have managed to finish in relatively few tries if I didn't die at the blind jump right at the end). I also want to give a special mention to how absurd the end of the first section is. I only managed to get through there unscathed once, and when I came out of the pipe I stomped on a fish that jumped into my feet, causing me to panic and squander my opportunity.

[Whimsical Calamari]

ok wow, white cruise was a Thing. i don't have much to say about it but I'm still posting the links in case anybody's watching along with me

DailyMotion
also featuring: gambling! - March 13, 2008

YouTube 2009
well this just ain't fair (continued) - January 13, 2009
3:30 - demo

White Cruise - January 14, 2009 - finished run

Every time, the complexity increases. Savestates, no savestates, VIP Coin run. Incredible what had to be done to stay within the 11 minute limit of old.

[Whimsical Calamari]

now let's see how quickly i can catch up with seven episodes

made it through four episodes, two of which were half an hour. could be worse!

DailyMotion
okay and oh god - March 14, 2008
0:00 - htoooomS
SKIP

guest starring geno's woods! - March 15, 2008
0:00 - rice ball

YouTube
Ee-! Switzerland! - January 14, 2009
SKIP

welcome to the forest
0:00 - rice ball

names for the rice ball:

• kleenex
• some weird sorta... thing
• tofu (reportedly)
  
  good to get back to romp levels. seeing three videos of lots-of-deaths-and-savestates in one sitting gets exhausting

[raocow]

I appreciate these posts!

[Super Maks 64]

[FourteenthOrder]

welp

[10204307]

The funny thing is, he did it the "right" way on his last playthrough of the game...

[LunarRainbowShyGuy]

Again, I don't really have much to say before my comments. I could always just go straight to them but I feel like I've gotta at least say something beforehand. Anyway, here are my comments for today's levels.

Night of an Unseen Horror: A pretty alright level. The fact that the enemies are invisible might seem frightening, but it's not that bad if you just take it slow. Though you might want to go faster than I did if you don't want to die from time up after the midpoint.

Larry's Green Castle: I really like this level. It doesn't do anything amazing that's never been seen before; it's just a really well designed level. It's challenging, but also completely fair. I had several deaths in this level but I still enjoyed it the whole way through, which is more than I can say for some other levels in this hack. Also, when I was playing through the level I had a feeling raocow would have trouble at the part with the shell, and it turns out I was right. One last thing I have to say here is that I'm considering going back to the midpoint here as a good place to figure out how the heck those homing bullet bills work, considering that this hack is the first time I'm experiencing them firsthand, and I have a feeling the worst of them is yet to come.

[FPzero]

You know, I figured that was probably the answer.