Ho-Hum Forest

[Quantix]

Under the risk of this possibly getting panned, I've made a forest level. There's not more to add, apart form that it has steep slopes, some that you can't climb.

Obligatory screenies:

Spoiler: show

You know the drill:http://www.mediafire.com/download/dwt9c ... Forest.zip
Updated ver:http://www.mediafire.com/download/nhptd ... st+1.5.zip

Changelog:

Spoiler: show

-Greatly reduced the level length
-Added extra flowers and such
-Turn blocks are now scattered throughout the level
-Got rid of the glitchy slopes(ONLY the glitchy slopes)
-Lowered the checkpoint a bit
-Hopefully fixed some graphical inconsistencies

Graphics by:
-h2643
-SilverDeoxys563Probably butchered the name.
-Valterri

[as303298]

My Review:
Note- Quit using that tiny text, it is nothing but annoying to read. If it is so important for it to not be read, don't type it then.

Atmosphere [5/5]
The world's longest and most dull forest ever. Complete with the worlds most active tectonic plates too....for some reason.
Really couldn't care less about this level's multiple problems in relation to this field, since the atmosphere was spot on.
Everything matched with the main BG, so I have no complaints.

Level Design [0/5]
-Dude, like seriously, why is this level 7 minutes long (with cheating)? There is absolutely no reason to make a player endure such a long level like this. As I tell Mechdragon constantly: A designer needs to learn when to simply stop placing blocks.
-Let alone, the midpoint is four minutes into the level, despite the fact the remaining part of the level consists of the same design choices of the rest of the level...but for two minutes or so.
-I have absolutely no idea why the level is not only ridiculously flat, but is doubled with the world's spikiest hills.
-The flat portion of this level is so dull that I had to kick shells in hopes that it would come back to me and actually pose a threat. Simply placing a few enemies and muncher plants every few decameters and making the player just run right doesn't dictate a good level.
-Let's touch more on this irritating ground-spikes. These things are clearly broken, yet you insisted on using them anyway. When I say broken, I mean the following:

Spoiler: show

Players can't walk on it, yet enemies can.
Shells thrown onto this slope become instant NASA agents and shot into the moon.
Sliding on them gives you SO much momentum for no freaking reason.

-You constantly placed enemies behind foreground bushes, and I can't figure out why. It is a neat concept, truly, but the enemies need to still be visible instead of just 5 pixels or so.
-The level has so many blind jumps that I constantly said to myself the following sentence: "Where the fuck am I, and where do I need to be." This is such bad design that I can't even complain about it without feeling like a jerk. If the player can't see where they are going, then you are not doing your job as a designer.
-Why is the midway point higher than the pole vault for the Olympics? This seems so unnecessary to make the player work to get to the midway point like this.
If you don't believe me, here are a few quotes from my friend while I was typing this:

Spoiler: show

Dracyoshi: this level is so boring, my god
Dracyoshi: there's like nothing happening
Dracyoshi: slopes, branches and the occasional koopa/piranha
Dracyoshi: the entire level in a nutshell

Graphical Continuity [1/5]
The level is cute, but there are a lot of flaws.
-The berries are foreground, so the player goes behind them.
-The dead tree stumps don't fit with this tileset or theme whatsoever.
-The entire level uses custom graphics yet doesn't have a custom graphic for the disco shell despite having Yellow Koopas.
-So you used a custom graphic for Mario, but not Luigi?
-These irritating ground-spikes don't mesh with the tileset at all. Their outline is choppy and don't mix back into the tileset correctly.
-Why can I stand on some tree branches but not others? If everything is going to look the same, make them act the same.
-Foreground bushes are so ugly. Just remove them dude.

BGO Placement [0/5]
This level is SEVEN MINUTES LONG, or 28 seconds if you use the editor and look through it at top speed, yet the level barely has any BGOs.
Note, I am NOT counting the trees because that is part of your atmosphere, and thus don't succeed at their job as a BGO.
-The canopy is so barren that it makes me cry. Barely any berries or flowers or hell not even a fallen leaf.
-If this is a forest then there must be more that one type of tree, preferably not dead. Why this level didn't have tiny trees and twigs I will never understand.
-Your 3*1 bushes are so ugly. It looks like there is a chunk missing from it. Every time these things came up I legit thought something was wrong. How does a BGO do the exact opposite of its job and make me question its existence?
Again, if you are going to make a long level do a better job of placing BGOs to help compensate all of this empty space you have here.

NPC Placement [2/5]
I only give you props because you used NPCs, that is it.
Again, this level is SEVEN MINUTES LONG. Yet, this level did absolutely nothing to actually kill the player or pose a challenge. A majority of my deaths were from my own boredom and unwillingness to pay attention to your level. <- Read this sentence again, but outloud.

Difficulty / Replayability [0/5]
Dude, I didn't even want to play this a first time.
-It is 7 minutes long.
-Midway point takes ages to reach and has more platforming just to reach it
-Lack of secrets
-Barely, if not considered as none, bricks in this level to hit
-Coins are so few in-between that I feel like this is a Forest of the Great Depression
-These irritating ground-spikes are probably the most irritating obstacle I have ever seen. They are clearly buggy and you STILL used them, why?!

Overall Score: 8/30
Final Score: 2.6/10
Judgement: Trash Can
Video:

Spoiler: show

[Quantix]

In hindsight, I did make this level too long, didn't I? I'll...shorten the length by a lot. I'll also remove the ground spikes, and work on some of the other stuff you mentioned.

Do you happen to know of any leaf particle effects, or some recolored raccoon leaves, I could use those to enhance the ambiance!

That was pretty fast, though. This got reviewed fasted than the last level did!

I'll PM you the update eventually. Thanks for the review! It wasn't good on me, but I've only myself to blame, don't I?