Which exit do you go for first?

[SilverDeoxys563]

So, you see an obviously red marker on the world map, indicating a secret exit in the level. What will you do? Will you go after the normal exit first, thinking you'll go after the secret later, or do you get the normal exit first as to not forget about the secret exit? What's your preference of play style?

I personally tend toward secret exits first so I can take a little break from the main path. I also don't like waiting until later to find them all.

[Danny]

I usually look for the secret one first, since getting the items in the secret area might help me complete the normal exit and any levels ahead of it.

[Exiled Bowser]

Depends which is easier and if you can do it on the first time through. Unlike some hacks where you need Yoshi or something for it.

[Squishy Rex]

Personally I like to hunt out the secret exits first, but usually I end up just going for the standard exit first because you're going to get to it by just playing the level. It's nice to get it out of the way so you can focus on the secrets. As far as secret exits go, I like ones that are either well hidden or require the activation of a Switch Palace, a particular item or mount to get to, although sometimes many of these exits are basically impossible to miss, which I feel sometimes takes away from the "secret" part of secret exit. I think Ghost Houses though, are my only exception, sometimes it's just a case of seeing which exit I blunder into first in those mazes of doors.

[Alagirez]

i'm usually go to normal exit first, because i'm lazy to find the secret exits

[bossedit8]

I am oftenly aiming for secrets first so I don't have to find them again in the future while playing the same Level again but once I can't find it I aim for the regular Exit first and then check on everything else.

[Squishy Rex]

but once I can't find it I aim for the regular Exit first and then check on everything else.

Though on that point, I don't know if anyone else noticed, but secret exits, mainly in the later games of the NSMB series, are much easier to find than in previous games like SMW for example. Many secret exits in more of the latest platformers are almost too easy to find in most cases. The last secret exit that I actually found challenging to find was in NSMBDS. Is this because they are predictably placed to fit with older Mario themes such as SMB1's 1-2 secret exit or are the platformers just being "dumbed down" for younger players?

[Choco]

but once I can't find it I aim for the regular Exit first and then check on everything else.

Though on that point, I don't know if anyone else noticed, but secret exits, mainly in the later games of the NSMB series, are much easier to find than in previous games like SMW for example. Many secret exits in more of the latest platformers are almost too easy to find in most cases. The last secret exit that I actually found challenging to find was in NSMBDS. Is this because they are predictably placed to fit with older Mario themes such as SMB1's 1-2 secret exit or are the platformers just being "dumbed down" for younger players?

I think they are being dumbed down. Take NSMBWii for example. Look at 1-3's (I think it's 1-3, if not, the first one with the Yoshis) secret exit. It looks hard to find at first, but as you get farther, it's practically telling you "backtrack for a secret exit" But think about this; they're easier to find, but it doesn't say what levels have them.

Anyway, I try to go for the secret exits. If I can't find it or I need an item that I don't have, I'll just complete the level and go back to it later.

[Shidomaru]

So, you see an obviously red marker on the world map, indicating a secret exit in the level.

Is it a standard in this community to use the red levels to mark secret exits? O.o I ask this because in a couple of episodes I used the red levels to indicate the presence of a boss instead. My "Cirno the Fairy" episode does just that.

Is this because they are predictably placed to fit with older Mario themes such as SMB1's 1-2 secret exit or are the platformers just being "dumbed down" for younger players?

The platformers are being dumbed down for non-gamers, casual gamers and little kids, since they're the big majority of the market and thus they yield the largest amount of money.

[bossedit8]

Is it a standard in this community to use the red levels to mark secret exits? O.o I ask this because in a couple of episodes I used the red levels to indicate the presence of a boss instead. My "Cirno the Fairy" episode does just that.

Well, that doesn't matter as of what you design inside your own game but if there's no indication (like no messages what so ever of what it does) as of what the dots are actually doing in the first place in a new game, that can be a bit tricky to figure out.

[MECHDRAGON777]

I tend to get the secret exit at first! I tend to do it in a OECD run fashion as well! Blind, 100% speedruns are annyoing when yet have a lot of secret exits however!

At first glance, I thought this asked: what toe of exit so you place in your levels most offten, and recently, I started doing a flag-pole exit...

My question is, when a level has three or four exits, how do you know what each exit is?

[bossedit8]

My question is, when a level has three or four exits, how do you know what each exit is?

This really depends if a specific Exit is different like for example:

- SMB3 Roulette Exit; SMW Gate Exit; SMW Secret Exit
- SMB3 Roulette Exit; SMB3 Boss Goal; SMB3 Star
- SMB2 Boss Goal; SMB3 Boss Goal; SMW Gate Exit; Warp Exit
...

A message that indicates surely helps on that but if there's no indication for that, this will be tricky for the first time Players.

[RudeGuy]

Is it a standard in this community to use the red levels to mark secret exits?

It's not even a thing started in this community, the red dot levels where used to mark secret exits in Super Mario World too.

---

I go for the main path first, then I try to find the secret exit. If the secret exit leads to some other levels, then I follow those levels until I found every exit there. Then I back.

[Exiled Bowser]

if a level is to have 3 to four exits I always put it at an 3 or 4-way intersection on a world, or have a pipe nearby that isn't directly connected. I make sure the world map itself clues into what to expect.

World 1-2 in my episode is such an example.

[Gobenstraff]

@Shidomaru As far as I remember red dots serve to indicate an alternative way to finish the level and this has been introduced in Super Mario World on the super nintendo entertainment system. So it isn't unique to smbx the invasion 1 & 2 and other smbx episodes nor is it unique to smw and smb3 hacks. But nothing says that you should follow this unwritten rule, like bossedit8 said, as long as it's clear enough what purpose they serve then it won't pose any problem.

@Choco As a casual gamer with little talent, I'm glad that the difficulty of games have been toned down, however I think games should always have a hard mode for the others who might find that aspect of some modern games boring.

[DarkMatt]

Anyway the wind blows.
Doesn't really matter to me.

Though due to my code of honor, I tend to go do all the standard levels first before warping around and doing bonus stuff.