The Snailicorn Saga [Beta/Demo]

[Oshi]

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HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN!? I don't think I showed my presence in SMBX-related spaces for years now. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if most people didn't recognize me, but here I am, shadow-dropping the demo of my episode, the Snailicorn Saga! Once upon a time in a Discord group chat, we were discussing how nobody seems to ever use Snailicorns and how they were a forgettable "enemy". However, I decided to one-up everyone by making an episode ALL ABOUT SNAILICORNS! And now, I can finally show off my silly project I've made off and on over the course of a few months.

The idea is that you, the player, are generally invincible to everything that is not lava or a pit, but the poor Snailicorn can't help itself! That means you need to guide it through (currently) 5 stages, and help it reach that switch that gets you to the next screen! Don't let the Snailicorn die, or else the Snailicorn gods will smite you for your negligence you'll die too and you'll have to start the screen all over again. Sadly, this is easier said than done because there are bottomless pits, sharp saws, loose icicles, and even hungry fish to deal with!

As a note, I generally recommend this episode for more experienced players due to the difficulty of some of the setups. They require good knowledge of the movement in SMBX in order to properly pull off. Not that I consider anything so far to be extreme or kaizo-lite if you will, but the levels are not something I feel a new player could reasonably beat. In Super Mario Maker terms, I'd put this episode into the Expert category.

Also, yes, as of writing, this episode is not in a completely finished state. I plan for there to be at least 5 more levels in addition to some bonus content that probably will venture into Super Expert difficulty. There of course may also be bugs, which are probably 90% my fault, so yell at me if you find any! And of course, if you have any other feedback, let me know as well. This is my first big project in SMBX and I want to make it worthwhile!

Screenshots:

Spoiler: show

CLICK HERE FOR THE DOWNLOAD!(Only for SMBX2 Beta 5)

[kr4k1n]

Nice to have you back Oshi!

[Shaktool]

a return of a legend someone i dont really know but ig its nice to have you back i guess

[The Thwomp King]

So I just finished playing all 5 levels, and I really enjoyed my time with this one. While I would much prefer controlling a Snailicorn and going on adventures as what's in the running for being one of the most obscure enemies in the entire series, the gameplay and concept are very nice and executed well. I like how each level in the project has its own identity in gameplay aside from the typical level themes, and utilizing the one-screen style of Celeste serves this project well as this is much more puzzle-oriented than simple platforming. I disagree that this episode is recommended for experienced players, but rather this episode will likely draw in players who enjoy more puzzle solving than not; yes there is some difficult platforming here and there, but each screen is more about figuring out what you need to do rather than executing said tasks.

While I expect there to be more of a story later down the road that explains the bond between Mario and his new Snailicorn friends, I do think some changes in general are needed. While the signs are helpful, having an assistant with a bit of personality could help engage the player more. I also think the hub and hub music, while great sounding and from a cool game, don't fully fit in with this project at this time. Additionally, while the difficulty does gradually increase with each level, by the fifth level I noticed the occasional soft-lock and cheap hit. I attached a screen below of one of the sections that had issues. I didn't capture me getting soft-locked, but this and at least one other screen in this level can have the Snailcorn sprinting left into nothing with no way of being killed without resetting the game or cheating. Also not major by any means, but I'd argue the desert and forest levels should be swapped based on difficulty (I found the forest level to be a bit harder, but that's just me) while post level 5 polishing I would suspect the ice level would become the harder level between that and the tropical one.



Despite those nitpicks I highly recommend more people give this project a try. There's a lot of potential here, and it's overall a unique concept. With an entertaining story to go along with the great gameplay, I'm excited to see how this project wraps up and to see more people give this one a shot.

[Starman97]

A very good episode, Very challenging too (Barely could beat the fourth world/level (?)). I would really like to see a level based on Pizza Tower's GOLF level (Because this episode reminded me of that level alot).