Evening Climbing(Fixed)

[Bowser is ded]

A Sky tower level

Update

Spoiler: show

-Fixed the checkpoint ploblem
-Changed SMW shell to SMB3 shell
-Removed Some bomb-omb bubbles
-Removed a line of windows
-Fixed a Missing piece of the conveyer
-Fixed a Misplaced piece of the conveyer

Screenshots

Spoiler: show

Credits

Spoiler: show

-SMB3 sky background: Thunder Dragon (made orange by Chad)
-SMB3 complete conveyor belts, gray door, tan torch, pipes, question blocks and bricks, chasing Banzai Bill: Chad
-SMB3 alternate pillars, gray Bob-omb: Redigit (pillars recolored by Chad)
-SMB3-styled NSMB castle tileset, bridge tile, sideways cannons: SilverDeoxys563 (recolored by Chad)
-SMB3 chasing Bullet Bill: Shocker
-SMB3 revamped Dry Bones: Z-Master
-SMW Banzai Bill cannon: Elbow (recolored by Chad)
-Sky tower , Grape garden - Kirby return to dreamland

DOWNLOAD

Spoiler: show

http://www.mediafire.com/download/852vp ... imbing.rar

[HeroLinik]

OK then, let me review this level. Within this review I'll also try to explain the reasons for your broken checkpoint.

Level design: 6.1/10
This was quite a nice level with a perfect length to keep things enjoyable. The tower theme in the level is demonstrated very well with the majority of sections being vertical, and I like the way you use different ideas in a very cohesive manner to create a cool level which has some variety to it, such as defeating Switch Goombas to access further into the tower and taking a key with you throughout a section. In fact, half of the level was based on trying to do something in one section to change something else in a previous section. As we get further we are introduced to a hint of danger with the crushing spikes and floor, and they were very neat additions. The bit at the end of the level where the tower blasts into the sky was adorable, but I don't really get why it's being powered by lava. Also, with your broken checkpoint, having gotten to the point where you entirely didn't include it altogether, you may think that adding a pipe that leads to the checkpoint room was a wise choice. It isn't, because it's accessible from the start. All it does is allow the player to skip half of the level, even if they haven't played through the level properly. But then again, it's unavoidable because your checkpoint wasn't working, so your level was doomed to this fate when you realised that. The windows in the tileset were placed in very strange formations, and you seem to have a tendency to put too many in one place, which doesn't always look pleasant. Spacing them out will make it look more pleasant.

Graphics and music: 6.7/10
I feel that the Kirby tracks you used fit with the high-paced action of the tower climb, especially when bullets and bombs are being thrown at you as you ascend, and the relief felt at the end of the level can be captured very well by the more mellow track used. In terms of graphics, you did an overall good job, and the sunset background is beautiful, going well with the overall gold palette of the blocks, which fit together seamlessly to create a lovely experience, and the addition of clouds bring forth the sky feel. There are no cut-offs either, which is great. However, this screenshot here manages to capture two jarring graphical flaws:

Spoiler: show

First of all, the blue corner fences don't go with the gold fences, almost as if clashing (it probably is), and so it would be a better idea if you recolored the corner ones gold to go with it. Secondly, while the rest of the level is SMB3-styled, and almost everything else is SMB3, the shells being shot out from the pipes are SMW-styled, and don't fit. Using SMB3 shells would be a better idea here. The same can sadly be said for the Banzai Bill and Banzai Bill Blaster just a little way down from the screenshot. Also, there are random Nightmare Machine BGOs scattered around the level which look random and out-of-place.

NPC placement: 6/10
I've gotten this far into the review and I still haven't explained why your checkpoint isn't working. I've tried testing your checkpoint in various parts of the section, and the reason why is because you've placed it underneath the ceiling blocks, and the game assumes that there's nothing above the checkpoint. If there is, then you'll end up in the ceiling when you restart the level, so always leave an open space when placing your checkpoints. With that, the lack of checkpoint hurts the level as mentioned in an earlier section because the player can just skip half the level. The next thing to talk about is the ride on the upside-down Rainbow Shell. It was executed very well and there aren't any complex twists and turns considering not many people are skilled at using it. However, should you fall off and try to jump up again you will possibly lose the shell and die on the spikes. The powerups were decently placed and shared throughout the level as well, and the amount of uses you could get out of the Bullet BIll were cool. and the climbs on the ladders, with the Bombs trying to take you down, was a neat concept, along with having to use the bombs to jump up to higher ground. While the bubble Bob-ombs were interesting, there were too many of them and so popping all of them would make the area too crowded, and also difficult to get up.

Overall result: 6.3/10
If the checkpoint problem didn't hurt this level, it would be really good. In order to fix your checkpoint flaw, don't put it under a ceiling, and fix that flaw first before fixing the others mentioned in this review.

[Bowser is ded]

Thanks for that. i'll fix my level immediately.

[Emral]

Reviewed on request.

I've watched someone else play this level before and the opinion everyone who watched came to in the end was "this is like that one level Chad made but in less cool". Interestingly enough, this can be applied to about 75% of levels made by the community, so that statement is absolutely worthless.
Anyways, to the review!

The more and more I play these levels the more and more I believe there are only two types of levels that exist:
-levels that try too many things
-levels that don't do anything

Good news, I like the former more than the latter, and this level belongs to the former category. It's far easier to give feedback on levels which at least try something beyond a palette swap.
That being said, visually this level is like that one level Chad made but in less cool. Gameplay-wise however it feels a lot different. The ideas you put down were all interesting in their own right, but felt underutilised and a bit chaotic. I'll get to that in a bit. (This feels like the fifth time I've written this sentence in a review in the past month). The structure of the level felt good for the most part, with each area feeling unique and progression being very clear.
Quick sidenote: You know those levels where everything looks the same to the point where you forget that you collected a midpoint? Alright imagine that and form your opinion on it. And now, never ever even try to do that.

I feel like I'm not really focused. Instead of trying to sing praises to the ideas this level puts down before getting to the criticism, I'll try to do both at once.
So remember when I said "underutilised" and "chaotic"? The end of the level especially threw a completely different light on the level as a whole for me. It felt like the further you get into the level, the more random and "slapped down" the gimmicks felt. Especially the rainbow-shell ride at the very end felt unnatural.
Aside from that, the array of different and good ideas you laid down was of fair size, however it all felt very secluded. You gave each gimmick their own little section and then never touched on it again. I would've liked this level to have taken a more athletic turn, with moving ladders and bullet/bomb-jumping in the main focus. Other ideas such as the key rush and switch goombas (props for using them) could be combined with the main gimmicks of the level.

I'd also like to address the two instances of backtracking in this level. I think the level would benefit from having a more linear path of progression, and, say, putting the wall at the end of each goomba segment. The 2nd half of the tower segment could be flipped and put at the right end of the green goomba side area.

I've saved the main flaw of this, and many other levels, for last. And an array of images and gifs that go with it. This one issue is so crucial it's unbelievable people don't actually take action against it. This level suffers from a lack of testing.
This isn't strictly adressed at you, though taking this level is a good example for just telling everyone who reads this that they should test their level more:
When designing a level, you are not in the role of a player who knows what's coming. You have the power to adjust and perfect the areas you're testing. If something doesn't quite click or you have an idea on how to make it even cooler, you should make it cooler/fix it! I've collected a few examples where I was able to come up with ways to make that specific segment more engaging or immersive.

First off, the rainbow shell ride seemed poorly planned out and overly precise. Zones weren't placed in a way where they compliment the player's time jumping and lack of speed control. It's very easy to fall off because one of the blocks ended for some reason. You could argue this is to add additional challenge, but challenge can be more engaging if it's something else than the same jump over again with an awkwardly specific timing.

http://i.imgur.com/84ASFpI.webm
While testing your level you should've noticed that this structure doesn't work out the way you intended it to. With a bit of testing and experimenting you can find shapes which are a step up from the previous one and actually work out.

http://i.imgur.com/H3zrbpP.png
New Windows update.

http://i.imgur.com/TPrx3Xz.webm
This area isn't challenging. At all. It's the same jump over and over. With a bit of brainstorming while testing (combining ideas, expanding upon ideas), this area could be more interesting. A bottomless pit and a bomb jump or two would be enough.

http://i.imgur.com/0EtYexf.webm
These coins block the bomb shooters, rendering them pretty much useless.

I think I'm done talking here. While this level is enjoyable, it does feel rather clunky and unpolished. There are a lot of weirdnesses that are easy to fix, and quite some potential which hasn't been realised.

5.7/10, Average.