Chocolatey Shenanigans! - SMWC's Chocolate Level Contest

[Classtoise]

What?!

Well, not for me! I get some decent 'wow' sometimes, but in the end all that matters is level design.

For example, today's Choco. The graphics are really nice, but god this is a chore to play.

And to watch!

And trust me. It's not your fault.

[StarkMaximum]

I've just finished today's second video and I'm going to go right ahead and say this is the worst level I've seen in this entire contest.

First of all, using a level for a hack you've already made is a bit of a dick move. I understand if you've already done something that works, you should be able to use it, but that's the least of the problems.

Second of all, ONE OF THE FINAL LEVELS!? Well, nice job completely showing off the endgame of your hack to anyone who hasn't played it before. Also, the final levels are supposed to be the hardest. Why submit the HARDEST LEVELS to a contest where the goal is "make a good level with everything changed and new", not "make a really hard level"? The judges shouldn't have to fight through half an hour or more of exploration just to give you a shitty place.

On top of all THAT, NOTHING is explained. There's clearly some plot going on, because who is your character? Why is he going through a temple devoted to MONEY? Why are the enemies cent symbols with dollar sign shells? Why aren't ALL the enemies money, just some of them? Nothing is explained because all he wanted to do was submit one of his last freaking levels to help him win and that just reeks of pretentiousness.

This is the worst level. It's worse than the early levels made by ten-year-olds with bad level design, glitchy graphics, and even the one that couldn't be played. Because those levels were bad. But they were charmingly bad. They tried their best, and it didn't go too well for them, but they can learn. They had heart. This level, and the person who made it, is downright malicious. This level is spiteful, hateful, and I don't like the person who made it solely because of this level.

Basically, I don't like it.

[kilon]

Now tat it's up, I can give my comments on the level:
it is the last level of his hack which is stupid in my opinion for several reasons, first of all, it's from a hack and second, the last level is usually the hardest and best one so there is no need to play the rest anymore as that is just the same to a lesser extent (okay, not really)

The graphics are nice but also really busy. I personally didn't quite like them for no other reason then that. But how do you figure out you can destroy those blue munchers with throw blocks? I assume it gets mentioned earlier in the hack but we don't have that knowledge.
Other things weren't that hard to figure out. I give him that.

The music doesn't quite fit and given the size of the level I would have preferred more variation.

It's a good thing that you took another path in the beginning with the springboard, because now I know what is on the other side of those turnblocks. It would have made things easier if I had that feather earlier.

The level itself has great potential. I don't mind backtracking to much and it has it's right to be confusing. But I have the feeling that some things just don't really work out the way they should.
And for some reason it just gets tedious and irritating.
I could see how some people would like this kind of levels, but I'm unfortunately not one of them.
It comes close to what I like though.

But I don't think this level deserves a "I don't care" kind of approach. Until you get to the spike run that is.

Oh yeah, those graphical glitches from the turn blocks are just terrible. No excuses given how the rest looks.

[rubberfishy]

I don't know if it's because I'm tired or if it's youtube, but graphics in that level really hurt my eyes.
On top of that the level really sucked, I hope you burned it to disc an threw it out the window.

[Kles]

Yeah, that was trash. As I said in the comments, the level design had many bad elements, and not many good ones. Backtracking needs to not be a headache. It works in a game like Metroid because so many of the paths are connected and you have a map to refer to. I have not seen a good backtracking level yet in Mario (though I can conceive of one). It takes a lot of creativity to do right. This doesn't do it at all. The massively repetitive sections were terrible, and a lot of the areas looked just the same as all the other ones. It was hard to tell where you were.

Am I the only one who got a headache from the near mono-colour graphic design? I love gold as a colour, but I could not handle all that.

[AirPump]

This is the worst level. It's worse than the early levels made by ten-year-olds with bad level design, glitchy graphics, and even the one that couldn't be played. Because those levels were bad. But they were charmingly bad. They tried their best, and it didn't go too well for them, but they can learn. They had heart. This level, and the person who made it, is downright malicious. This level is spiteful, hateful, and I don't like the person who made it solely because of this level.

Basically, I don't like it.

I agree with you there, Stark. Sure, the graphical swaps are neat, and the addition of a health meter, despite being a cheap tack-on, works nicely here.

However, I really, really hate when people think it's a good idea to make final levels in games frustrating mazes that take over 30 minutes to beat. Might make more sense in a Metroid or Zelda game (although this kind of thing is the reason I don't like either), but in an action platformer like Mario... No. It simply does not work and is hellish to play through. Not to mention using a level you made before the contest is lazy like hell.

At least it feels like a game when you play some 10-year-old's glitchy hack.

[Caracc]

SCORPION takes the people over at SMWc a bit too seriously and a bit too far. Everyone will always say "Make non-linear levels and use lots of gimmicks and graphics. It's cool :thumbs up:" SCORPIOn then goes "I'll use so much graphics and back tracking that it'll be better than great!"

Also

When I saw the name "Temple of Dollar" in the submissions list, I was expecting ANOTHER level based around that leaked "money is life" gimmick.

[Daarkbuu]

SCORPION takes the people over at SMWc a bit too seriously and a bit too far. Everyone will always say "Make non-linear levels and use lots of gimmicks and graphics. It's cool :thumbs up:" SCORPIOn then goes "I'll use so much graphics and back tracking that it'll be better than great!"

Also

When I saw the name "Temple of Dollar" in the submissions list, I was expecting ANOTHER level based around that leaked "money is life" gimmick.

I thought smwcentral was against gimmicks. Just look at the way they treat the vips.

[Argumentable]

I didn't like this level when I randomly tried it, and I didn't like this playthrough. I'm glad to see that I was right in not bothering with it what with it being confusing and buggy apparently

I thought smwcentral was against gimmicks. Just look at the way they treat the vips.

I thought SMWC put a focus on custom graphics and music over gameplay. You know, something like this level

[kilon]

SMWC doesn't mind gimmicks, but you need to explain everything that is even 1% different from the original game mechanics. That is what annoys me most.

[Argumentable]

Oh yeah, you have to have reset doors everywhere and no you're not allowed to die (but you're not allowed to hand out 1-ups either)

[HarmfulGravemind]

Wow, I don't like that scorpion level at all. I mean the last one wasn't perfect, but still way better then this one.

I wonder how the judges on SMWC work. Maybe like: "Oh it has one tausend custom graphics so it is awesome, it does not matter if the level it self sucks as long as there are millions of custom graphics it is awesome."

Ok it didn't rank that high, it is still on the lower rankings. But at my opinion it is worse then the last one.

[Norpser]

It should not have been 23rd but definetly not last. It kept up with the idea of the contest - None vanilla stuff. Sure it has the worst design EVER and I personally think that the graphics weren't all that great, especially the scorpion? coulda just been the recording but it looked like a weird bird for the longest time. But it followed the rules, a lot better than some others.

It should have been farther down the list, at around.... 27 maybe. Or not even in at all because it sucks so much

[HarmfulGravemind]

It should not have been 23rd but definetly not last.

I did mean the one before the scorpion one, not the last in the ranking.

[kilon]

You guys are to negative. It sure was better then the first couple of levels. I think it is at its rightful place.

[raocow]

But according to everyone ever it's impossible to beat because it's glitched.

SHouldn't that be disqualification?

Or does it just show that the judges didn't even bother finishing it?

[Daarkbuu]

Well, I just finished playing the level for myself. I got up to the part that raocow got up to.....but it sure as hell IS broken. The level takes itself waaaay to seriously. I mean, there is NOTHING wrong with a puzzle level, but when said level takes itself to the point of being overly tedious and glitchy, then we got a problem.

[GauRocks]

Chocolate.

There are several non-vanilla elements that are required for beating the level, and they are an integral part of the level. Taking the chocolate out would significantly change the flavor, for the first time ever. So say what you will about the level design, the length, submitting a final level, submitting a level with a huge bug, and whatever else you don't like about this one. It's the first level where the chocolate feels like an essential part of the level, so it gets the first pure chocolate rating.

[LightSlei]

But according to everyone ever it's impossible to beat because it's glitched.

SHouldn't that be disqualification?

Or does it just show that the judges didn't even bother finishing it?

Both.

Honestly, I don't understand it. Wouldn't you test a level before submitting it for a contest to make sure it works? And I think the Judges just got lazy, this really was a big letdown on Scorpions part. Second the graphics are way overly used, sure, gold can be a nice color and used, but honestly at the point that my eyes hurt from seeing the amount used and the slight variations just makes it seem unfair to play.

The backtracking is difficult and considering it's difficult to tell which key is which like you said, I'd be tempted to just throw it out the window, and it might of been better using the approach Buried Treasure took with color coding the keys. At least then it wouldn't be so much of a headache.

@Gaurocks: Whilst it may be chocolate, it's the type of chocolate that leaves you with a severe bitter aftertaste, a type you don't want again.
:/.

[TiMeMaSTeR]

My motto is, in a platformer, when your player has four things he has to keep track of (Doors he hasn't entered, objects, things he has to remember), he's remembering to many things. Even 3 is a little much.

[FPzero]

For those of you curious about the judge's results:

Title: SCORPION's Ravage - Temple of the Dollar
Author: S.C.O.R.P.I.O.N.
SCORE: 61%
ST's comments: To be honest, this level became far too frustrating to be very fun. While I liked
some of the graphics that were made, many felt a bit on the messy side, such as lots of black
outlines for the BG. The music really didn't suit the level either. A long level is one thing,
but one that requires heavy backtracking and blocks that do things that aren't even explained
(such as breaking via a fireball) kept this from being as fun as it could've been.

Title: SCORPION's Ravage - Temple of the Dollar
Author: S.C.O.R.P.I.O.N.
SCORE: 73%
Comments:
+Wonderful graphics. Very smoothly drawn and fitting to the atmosphere.
+Decent overall level design.
-Absurdly difficult. Even the first part where you have to survive the room with the Fire Flower
to continue is ridiculous.
-Couple of graphical glitches in it (i.e. the vertical net Koopas turn into walking dollars when
they flip).

Title: SCORPION's Ravage - Temple of the Dollar
Author: S.C.O.R.P.I.O.N.
SCORE: 69%
Comments:
+- You made a huge puzzle of your level, but because of the traps you placed in it, it is rather hard to beat.
Nonetheless, your ideas are quite original.
+- Custom music is okay, but it has a few quirks at a few points.
- I'm not a huge fan of the outside background (especially that gradient) and the overall palettes. IMHO, they're a big eyesore.

I'm surprised they ranked it as high as they did, considering what raocow went through with this. I think SNN was being especially lenient on it, noting it for good level design. Maybe he managed to choose the right path every time? All I know is that it looked tedious as hell when raocow was playing.

It was not fun to watch.

[TheChrisD]

That was a pain to watch, and I'm sure it was even more of a hell of a pain to play.

While it is chocolate, it's not in the spirit of the contest seeing as it was taken from a hack...

[Chdata]

Basically, I don't like it.

I don't agree that it's a bad level, but it is a bad level all alone to someone who's never played it. Although at least it was taken from his own hack.

But the graphics are exceptional to me. I can't figure out palette exanimation at all.

[megamario]

Submitting a hack hack level for a contest like this is so lame I can't even venture forth into new words for it.
I mean I guess it's within the rules and all, and it is very chocolatey, but really?

Much less a final level
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT

Especially if the purpose is to advertise your hack (which it so was). At least choose an early level.

If this level was chocolate it would be baker's chocolate.
It's technically chocolate, it looks like chocolate, maybe even smells like it, but it tastes horrible and overall can sour your experience of other chocolates. Who knows where baker's chocolates could be hiding?!

[GanonTEK]

I was looking forward to the Choco hack of the day and was über excited to see three vids but boy was my excitement short lived.

Ok, first the positives. Some of the graphics I liked. Money symbols, thwomps, thwimps [which did look like the mines in SML that took 10 shots to kill but it said in the instruction booklet that it would take 5...I believe...I might need to check that].
The keys looked a bit...odd...and the feather powerup. Personally I didn't like the main sprite, I liked the idea but not the actual images. I did like the background but some of the foreground confused me. I was never sure if you could walk through it or not.

RIght, the negatives. First, too damn long! These levels are meant to be a 5min level - simple, fun and new. I can see why the person took a level from his hack but, like others have said, why one of the last levels, one of the hardest levels? Also, some blocks were not explained which is a pain sometimes.The actual complexity of the level is too complicated to be fun. Maybe after playing through 50 odd levels of this persons hack you get the feel for the puzzles but it was way to awkward.

I really didn't like it overall though, I can easily see why it was 23rd but not why it wasn't 25th. Maybe all the custom graphics and music was the clincher.
Using a level from the middle of a hack is usually not a good idea but why not make a level based on your own hack. That would make sense.

Alright, that's my rant over. All I can say now is, raocow wont be LPing this hack when it's finished.