Chocolatey Shenanigans! - SMWC's Chocolate Level Contest

[StarkMaximum]

HO

LY

SHIT.

I cannot mince words. This was the single most amazing level I've seen in this contest so far. The background were absolutely beautiful, the puzzles were ingenious and interesting, the difficulty was challenging but never unfair, the new additions to gameplay worked quite well, and I could only pick out a few minor errors (Chomp Rock, as awesome as he is, being my best friend from when I played Yoshi's Island, didn't work too well, the snow thing raocow mentioned, and the flickering in Spaceland although that seems like something he couldn't fix). On top of THAT, this video had raocow saying "All I wanna do is have some fun and I cannot believe I am the only one", and I can't BELIEVE it because I was singing that to myself yesterday and wondering why it's been so long since he said it last (I remember it being used last in VIP4 - Where The Greenery Is Kept, which is one of my favorite videos for some reason). Plus, raocow was so happy throughout the whole thing, which just made everything so much better.

Just...

Wow.

I must meet this Jimmy. I have to shake this man's hand.



You know, back when this whole thing started, I was kidding when I said this, but I'm starting to grow more serious when I say I really believe the person who won 1st place just submitted the ROM for an entirely different game.

[Coco Yagami]

I'm confused why Jimmy isn't first place.

[kilon]

You know, back when this whole thing started, I was kidding when I said this, but I'm starting to grow more serious when I say I really believe the person who won 1st place just submitted the ROM for an entirely different game.

You are close

Man this level was just godlike.
So many things and everything worked well together.
And according to the judges there are 3 hacks better? Oh my..

[rubberfishy]

wow, that level is leagues and leagues above all other levels in this contest that I've seen so far, I can't see how the 3 above it could top this.

[Caracc]

Today's Galaxy Region Music brought to you by Sonic Unleashed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq-ELvU8jho

Jimmy's level certainly was very very well done, but you could see the graphical issues caused by some of what he did.

EDIT: Or it might be this theme http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oshktPq ... re=related

Sonic Unleashed uses tunes like this throughout the game.

[Kil]

I can't see how the next two levels are going to be better than the third place level.

[HarmfulGravemind]

There will be better levels then this one? Is that even possible?

I can not wait!

[FRK]

After watching today's videos, I am speechless.

[supercharizard64]

Has there ever been a part E before? I really liked the little puzzles with being able to pass from one side of the screen to the other. Along with the infinite death koopa

[Chelf]

Just for reference, the three songs used in the levels:

Ice Area--Winter Wonderland

Fire Area--SM64 Bowser's Domain

Space Area--Super Mario Galaxy Purple Coin Comet

[Thissa]

Has there ever been a part E before? I really liked the little puzzles with being able to pass from one side of the screen to the other. Along with the infinite death koopa

The archive has an 8-parter, but that's really a 4 part video mirrored across 2 hosts. This is the first actual 5-part episode.

And adding my vote to the "wow, this is amazing, and there's still three levels better?!?!?" crowd.

[gamefreakzach]

Guys I think Jimmy broke Gaurocks.

And his scale.

[Crimson]

Today's Galaxy Region Music brought to you by Sonic Unleashed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq-ELvU8jho

Jimmy's level certainly was very very well done, but you could see the graphical issues caused by some of what he did.

EDIT: Or it might be this theme http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oshktPq ... re=related

Sonic Unleashed uses tunes like this throughout the game.

It was supposed to be from Unleashed? I would have thought that I'd have recognized it as I love that melody.

God, now I have to watch the last few parts again.

---

After listening to it again, I'm pretty sure it's not. Unless it's supposed be a very loose adaptation.

[Chernobog]

What you guys said.

5 videos long but I loved pretty much every second of it.

except for the ending...I feel like after all that work making it and all that time playing it SOMETHING should have happened.

[Gibberling007]

Something changed on the map after he got the 3rd key, but what...?

edit: oh yes also: omfg this level was amazing.

[kaijyuu]

Jimmy didn't win for 3 reasons:

Graphical glitches.
Couple places you can get stuck permanently.
Requires waaaay too precise jumps in some places, to the point that rewinding and/or savestates are pretty much necessary.


Conceptually each section stands on it's own as a very good level. It really is three levels using 1 level tile, though. I would've marked him down for not giving it a more natural flow between each section (why couldn't the elemental cookies... I mean, keys, not set you back to the hub world?). Having to return to the overworld is blah implementation.

[GauRocks]

Guys I think Jimmy broke Gaurocks.

And his scale.

I just got up and haven't watched the videos yet. Give me an hour or so and we'll see. After reading the comments in here, I almost expect that I'll have to invent a new word for chocolate.

[megamario]

Death by Chocolate w/too much Whipped Cream

It's a mixture of a variety of chocolatey goodness that goes so well together and is so delicious.
But there's a bit too much whipped cream that, while still enjoyable, can even briefly detract from your imminent delicious heart attack.

In this case the "too much whipped cream" would be the little graphical glitches, such as the snow, and cut off, like the lava going up and the snow's line, and then things like precise jumps.



god this is harder then it looks.


Uh, anyway, wow amazing etc. If this is just #4, I can only imagine the next 3.

Also raocow I'm surirpsed you didn't note that the lava world kind of did that thing where you go to one end of the level and then auto scroll to the other end. I recall you asking once if that sort of thing was possible?
Granted it was on a raft, and both ways were "auto" but still!

[Kristian]

I'm confused why Jimmy isn't first place.

You haven't seen the next levels, though.
Also, the music in the fire area is Lethal Lava Land, and the Space area is from Super Mario Galaxy.
Jimmy's Score:

Supertails:
SCORE: 90%
ST's comments: This wound up being a very hard level to judge. There was a lot of things I liked about it, but some I didn't. First of all, this was an enoromous level, and really three in one big package. Thankfully, the automatic midway points were extremely helpful and kept you from having to backtrack excessively. There was a lot of ASM in this, such as hourglass powerups that slow time, and red stars that make you immune to lava. The numerous puzzles in the fire level that used vertical and horizontal wrapping were especially ingenious, and easily my favorite part of the level. Unfortunately, though, there wound up being a couple minor glitches, such as bad GFX when the On/Off switches were hit. The level also heavily focused on backtracking, to the point that it was confusing and frustrating to have to go back and get a switch or trampoline you may have missed. This was a great level, and really showed some serious time and effort, but some issues ended up hampering its true potential.

SNN:
SCORE: 86%
Comments:
+Probably the most immense level I've seen in quite some time. I just love the quality that each of the three areas shows.
+Your music skills never cease to impress. Each song is fitting and appropriate.
+The difficulty seemed a bit rough in parts, but overall it was very balanced.
-Sadly, while the level itself was designed very well, there were quite a few glitches and cutoff areas. The snow in the second area of the ice region was very borked, for instance. Also, in the first area of the galaxy region, it was possible to get permanently stuck if you jumped over the wall above the starting pipe.

Roy:
SCORE: 88%
Comments:
+ The ice / fire powerups and their blocks make for nice puzzles, the screen warp effect in the third lava room was a nice idea as well.
Nice level design.
+ Cool custom music, I also like how you adjusted the sound effects. The 'coin get' sound sounds like YI's, quite nice there.
+ Little details: nice fading effect at start of level, good use of HDMA, layer 3 snow (even though it's a bit cut-off).
+ Nice ExGFX, I like them, especially that ice region background.
In the second lava room, it's a bit hard to tell which lava flows are BG or FG, though.
On the topic of ExGFX, the ON/OFF sprite was messed up in that room, also.
- Status bar palette is messed up in a number of rooms.
- Considerable slowdown in the second lava room, at the spinning line guide part.
- You get warped to a seemingly incorrect spot in the third lava room, allowing you to get stuck in walls and killing yourself. And even in small parts of the chamber, which means you have to reset, because there is no way to get out.

OVERALL SCORE: 88.0%

And StarMaximum, I get to talk to all these guys on the IRC all the time.

*Jimmy52905 hugs Kristian :3
^IRC quote.

[megamario]

Today's Galaxy Region Music brought to you by Sonic Unleashed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq-ELvU8jho

Jimmy's level certainly was very very well done, but you could see the graphical issues caused by some of what he did.

EDIT: Or it might be this theme http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oshktPq ... re=related

Sonic Unleashed uses tunes like this throughout the game.

What?
No.

It's this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx-fZ7ws29M

It always seemed a bit weird that Unleashed's title theme sounded so much like Galaxy music.

[GauRocks]

Today's chocolate rating... Now with pictures!



I think that pretty much speaks for itself.

[FRK]

Today's chocolate rating... Now with pictures!



I think that pretty much speaks for itself.

God this made me hungry
Hungry for SMW hacks!

[dk382]

Today's Galaxy Region Music brought to you by Sonic Unleashed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq-ELvU8jho

Jimmy's level certainly was very very well done, but you could see the graphical issues caused by some of what he did.

EDIT: Or it might be this theme http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oshktPq ... re=related

Sonic Unleashed uses tunes like this throughout the game.

What?
No.

It's this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx-fZ7ws29M

It always seemed a bit weird that Unleashed's title theme sounded so much like Galaxy music.

Well, close enough, I think it's supposed to be Gusty Garden Galaxy, which Purple Coins is a remix of.

Super Mario Galaxy had some amazing music. Really, a fantastic game. raocow, you should find yourself a Wii and play it sometime.

[LightSlei]

I disagree Gaurocks, this is more appropriate:

[AirPump]

Today's chocolate rating... Now with pictures!



I think that pretty much speaks for itself.