Special thanks to Diagonal for designing the logo.
Welcome gamers! It’s a pleasure making a return after so long, and with this first contest I figured I’d deliver the point home on how these contests will go in the future. I’m sure everyone at this point in time knows about the NSMB series; it revitalized the 2D Mario games, but at the cost of each sequel being relatively repetitive with the same world themes and music. So with this contest the goal is simply to avoid making levels that use the themes that were overused in that series!
General Rules
Note: Most if not all of the info below is identical to the Chocolate Contest 2024 Rules. I asked for and received permission from SSX to follow the same ruleset.
- You may participate alone or in a team of 2 people.
- Every participant may only submit one level in total.
- Levels must be compatible with SMBX2 Beta 5
- Rules regarding exits and collectibles:
- Levels may only have 1 exit.
- Levels cannot end with a Palace Switch or with the Game End event.
- You may opt to include 1 SMW Star in your level.
- You're allowed to include up to 5 Star Coins in your level.
- You may use any camera resolution/game window size between 200x200 pixels and 1280x720 pixels.
- These SMBX2-included playable characters may not be used: Solid Snake, Bowser, Samus Aran. If you wish to use one of them, please use/create a custom character rather than the base game implementation. All other characters are fair game.
- A level may be disqualified if:
- Two or more judges are unable to play it; if one judge is unable to play it, that judge will merely grant a score of 0.
- The judges unanimously agree that it was designed in bad faith (e.g. deliberately unfun levels).
- It has previously been released, or is stolen.
- The content of the level violates the forum rules.
- The creator(s) (either one) become(s) banned after submission or are caught ban evading.
- Your submission includes AI generated content that is not trained on your own work (you must provide proof of your training if you include AI generated work in your submission).
- The level must NOT include any of the base themes from the New Super Mario Games that are commonly featured.
- This includes:
- Main Themes:
- Grasslands
- Deserts
- Tropical/Beach
- Forest/Jungle
- Snow/Ice
- Mountains
- Sky
- Lava
- Other Common Themes in the NSMB Series:
- Underground/Cave
- Underwater
- Ghost Houses/Haunted
- Castles/Fortresses
- Airships
- TLDR - if it was in an NSMB game then it'll most likely not be allowed.
- Main Themes:
- For clarification this means that levels that play it straight with the themes above (just like the average NSMB level) will disobeying the rules.
- Making a level that utilizes a theme above in a creative way is acceptable. Hybrid themes are also encouraged, especially if one of the two themes is unique from the NSMB series.
- Some examples:
- A train level that takes place in a forest is
- A factory level that takes place in a tundra is
- A level where you scale a mountain into a temple
- Conversely a level that may have multiple themes should avoid to play those themes straight.
- Examples to avoid:
- A grasslands level with underground segments
- A beach level that goes underwater
- A level that is half snow/half lava with their basic tropes
- No music from the NSMB series is allowed.
- This includes remixes of any kind.
- This also includes songs that sample NSMB music.
- Any NPCs that originated from the NSMB series are still acceptable.
- Star Coins are still permitted for use.
- Failure to follow this will result in up to a 25% decrease in your final score.
- We encourage you to ask friends to test the level
- Please do not showcase your entries anywhere outside the dedicated platforms. The primary purpose of this is to avoid spoilers for the judges.
- While custom characters are allowed, be careful when using them, because their use is known to backfire if handled poorly!
- Wrong start points, music paths and other oversights will not be corrected before sending levels to the judges. Test thoroughly!
- Judges may cheat if they find themselves unable to beat a level legitimately. Frustration can be a reason for a judge to give fewer points in the "concept" and "execution" categories. Please keep in mind that, as the creator, you are the most skilled player of your level. Ask others to test your level blind for valuable feedback on fun and difficulty.
This contest is starring:
- The Thwomp King
- Ness_Wednesday
- MegaDood
- MECHDRAGON777
Rubric:
The judges will rate the levels based on these criteria:
- Concept /10 (20% weight)
+ The level has an entertaining, creative or otherwise inspired concept.
- The level exists in the shadow of another level.
- The level's individual ideas make for an unfavorable combination. - Execution /10 (40% weight)
+ The level's design realizes the potential of its concept well.
+ The level is fun to play.
- The level's pacing or other attributes make it less enjoyable. - Flavor: /10 (30% weight)
+ The level features elements which make it stand out among its peers in a positive way (such as flavourful location, humour, or design language).
- The non-gameplay elements detract from the experience. - Extra credit [0, 1 or 2]
+ A judge will award up to 2 extra points for levels that stood out to them among the submissions. - Stability /-3
- Points deduction for lag, error messages, visibility issues, softlocks or other technical problems with the level. - Following Theme Format (Up to -25% off final score)
- Points deduction for not following the theme of the contest.
Similar to the Chocolate Contest, judges will also be handing out medals to levels that stand out in particular ways. The "Favorite" medal will be awarded by each judge to their favorite submission. Judges may also give medals for other standout points; this could range from something more serious like "Best Story", or something goofy like "Least Like Soup".
Resources:
- SMBX2 Documentation
- Developer Resources
- Lunalua Tutorials
- Tips for starting a level
- Tips for ending a level
- Flick through this if you're struggling for ideas
- Lunalua Forum
- Invite Link to The Mushroom Republic (Currently with a thread discussing this contest)
- Invite Link to the SMBX Contest Discussion Hub (Haven't been active there, but maybe I will be?)
For details regarding the submission of your level, please head over to the submission thread. However, if you've got any questions, please ask them in this thread!
The Deadline:
March 31st [Monday] at 8pm EST
Otherwise good luck to all! I hope to see some good participation, and I'm looking forward to doing this all again! Take it easy everyone.
