My Review:
Atmosphere [3/5]
A majority of the atmosphere is just...cave. Congrats on picking a theme and sticking with it, but this was so dull it was pathetic. This is only doubled by the fact that it is hilariously short, linear to no end and then the level ends outside of this alleged deep cave. I was expected otherwise, given the fact the name is Deep Cave Exit.
My advice, try to experiment some more. You stuck with a good atmosphere, but you went a little too "vanilla" with it and expected the player to be okay with this.
Level Design [0/5]
This level has a lot of problems in its design, so we will hit them one by one.
-Section 1's vine is completely hidden with no indication that such a block even existed. If you going to create a game-breaking shortcut...try to make it remotely visible and usable.
-Section 2 can be COMPLETELY skipped. Which begs the question, why design this section if the alternative not only saves time but rewards you a lot?
-Section 3 was incredibly dull. All you need to do to complete this section is hold right and jump about seven times, no skill or eyes required.
-Section 4 has a lakitu...why? Why the heck is there an enemy that will consistently stay above you placed in a completely vertical section? I do not think you really thought that through, since a player can accidentally kill the koopas and then be left with a thunder god constantly spewing spinies that will never despawn or die.
-Section 5 is completely uncalled for. If this level is a Deep Cave level, why am I leaving it to exit? This breaks immersion and consistency of the level's theme dude. I highly suggest removing it and replacing it with another cave-based section.
-The entire level is so linear that you can legit hold right and press jump every few seconds and win the game. You need to seriously create a more immersive environment and try to experiement more with npc placement outside of just koopas and podabos.
Graphical Continuity [4/5]
Being completely consistent with graphics can also hurt you. Looking at the same color, the same tileset, the same filler and the same BG only makes this more annoying to look at after a long time.
The one thing that bugged me is the fact this level ends in a forest of cutoff. Go ahead and check, the canopy is completely cut off for no reason. How did this even make it past testing stages, assuming you tested this...
BGO Placement [0/5]
I am not counting Section 5, mostly because it shouldn't exist to begin with and only contributes 5 seconds of gameplay.
What really matters here is the fact the level used no BGOs whatsoever. It used one sign...thats it.
You clearly know how to use custom graphics, so I highly recommend finding a stalactite and stalagmite graphic to place in this level. I get that this is a cave, but apparently only tectonic plates control the environment and nothing else like water dripping or moss....fix this.
NPC Placement [1/5]
Again, experiment with npc placement other than a few enemies "here and there." Your level mocks the player by being so easy that they get hurt just because they pity the designer.
Then there's the damn lakity, REMOVE IT. nuff' said
Difficulty / Replayability [0/5]
While this is a fun level to play, I can safely say I will never it again.
One entire section can be skipped, the last section is useless and the remaining parts of the level are so dull that I can't warrant playing it again. Sorry, but you need to on your level style a lot. While very minor, I can see a type of style unique to you, but you need to grasp a few more elements of designing before tackling another level. I highly suggest playing some of The Best levels first.
Overall Score: 8/30
Final Score: 2.6/10
Judgement: Trash Can
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