Mario, Get Busy

[DragonlorSCB]

Hello everyone,

A couple weeks ago I stumbled across the Super Mario Bros. X editor and thought that creating my own Mario levels would be a fun thing to try. I had watched videos on YouTube about Super Mario Maker but I have no interest in buying anymore consoles. Finding a Mario editor for the computer made me very happy. I've seen references to many different things here but I've just been using the base Super Mario Bros. X 1.3.0.1 to start out with.

So I spent the past couple weeks playing around with the editor and making "stuff". I've mostly been trying to figure things out and learn how all of the controls work and what not. Ultimately I ended up with enough levels that I thought I'd try to put them together into an episode. I eventually named it "Mario, Get Busy". I am a newbie at this so don't expect any earth-shattering excellence but I don't think these levels are too bad (feel free to tell me how bad certain things are!). I don't have any custom graphics or music. I just used the base editor to make this episode.

Download Link: Mario, Get Busy

Screenshots within spoiler tag:

Spoiler: show

Episode Info:
This episode is based mostly on the Super Mario Bros. 3 theme although some elements from other games do make an appearance. There are 15 levels within this Episode, although only 11 of them are "regular" levels. 1 of them is an intro level to set up the "story". 1 of them is just a power-up level. And 2 of them are optional levels (Sadism & Toad's House of Horrors) designed solely to kill Mario over and over.

Some Level Spoilers:

Spoiler: show

Level List and Additional Info
1. Shroomville
2. Mario's Pad
3. Botanophobia (Pipe leads to an optional underground segment that is much more difficult than the rest of the level)
4. Time Warp (The yellow pipes send Mario forward in time. The purple pipes send Mario backwards in time. Also, in order to complete this map, you must finish it during the time period you start in.)
5. Midnight Privateer
6. Bombs Away
7. Power Overwhelming
8. Twilight Fortress
9. Gyrocopter of Dune (The quicksand at the bottom is just a giant pit)
10. Aquifer
11. Koopa Skyway
12. Koopa Kastle
13. Bowser's Stand
A. Sadism [OPTIONAL VERY HARD LEVEL] (Designed for Small Mario. Playing as Big Mario may throw off the timing making it even more difficult)
B. Toad's House of Horrors [OPTIONAL VERY HARD LEVEL]

[HeroLinik]

This looks interesting. I haven't played this yet but I must say that they are too many Paratroopas on the fifth screen; I would remove a few of them.

[Tango]

It's good to receive new designers to SMBX forums!

You have a lot of potential. First because you put screenshots on the topic, so you followed the rules. There's people that can't even accomplish that.

Let I give some hints to you:

1. Although this isn't a rule, you could use some custom graphics to give you level a special charm. You can find custom graphics here: http://www.smbxgame.com/forums/v ... m.php?f=31

2. Sometimes, the default graphics can be better than customized ones.
3. You're doing great at putting difficult and good level design. Just mind that Super Mario Bros. X levels has a different atmosphere than the Super Mario Maker levels. Or else, you will make a level like... this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIgBV9buYMU

4. You can get cool inspirations and design ideas seeing the best of the best. From the best! Here's some links:
bossedit8, a popular guy that does levels gameplays: https://www.youtube.com/user/bossedit8/videos
The best of the levels ever made: http://www.smbxgame.com/forums/v ... m.php?f=62

5. Get determined (sorry I had to), and don't give up for nothing Í._.<

Good luck on your project!

[hyper]

Good for a new player, jesus christ im liking it!

[stageleft]

Haha! Episode made me laugh its good. Love how you made the houses out of small pipes and bg blocks. Get really tough the levels live upto their names. Lots of puzzles and alternate routes in levels, might take some time to beat this one.

[DragonlorSCB]

Thank you all for your input and playing the levels. I look forward to improving on my level design and playing the levels posted here on the forum.

This looks interesting. I haven't played this yet but I must say that they are too many Paratroopas on the fifth screen; I would remove a few of them.

I kind of struggled in that level in terms of balance. My goal was to make the level semi-frantic but not overwhelmingly so. I actually took out quite a few enemies from what I originally had. I definitely can improve on my enemy placement. The quantity might work if I can figure out more strategic locations to place them. As it is some are semi-randomly placed.

1. Although this isn't a rule, you could use some custom graphics to give you level a special charm. You can find custom graphics here: http://www.smbxgame.com/forums/v ... m.php?f=31

2. Sometimes, the default graphics can be better than customized ones.
3. You're doing great at putting difficult and good level design. Just mind that Super Mario Bros. X levels has a different atmosphere than the Super Mario Maker levels. Or else, you will make a level like... this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIgBV9buYMU

4. You can get cool inspirations and design ideas seeing the best of the best. From the best! Here's some links:
bossedit8, a popular guy that does levels gameplays: https://www.youtube.com/user/bossedit8/videos
The best of the levels ever made: http://www.smbxgame.com/forums/v ... m.php?f=62

Going forward I fully plan on using custom graphics and music to spice things up a bit. I already have some wheels spinning in my head on a more substantial project.

I've watched a lot of videos lately on Mario Levels. My favorite are the videos involving "bad levels". If you go into them knowing that they exist to troll the player then they can be fun to play but not as a level packaged as legitimate. I've learned a lot about level design from both good and bad levels.

I think the best thing I've taken away from everything besides levels needing to be fun is that if a player fails it should be because the player made a mistake, not because the level was designed to punish them. They shouldn't fail because of that invisible coin block that halted their jump over a pit. They shouldn't fail because 25 Thwomps fell down on their head out of nowhere. They shouldn't fail because because 500 enemies came charging at them. They shouldn't fail because they had to make a leap of faith and landed on a pit of spikes. They shouldn't fail because they went for a power-up that turned out to be a Bowser.

There can be some exceptions. My optional extra hard levels are pretty unforgiving but even those I tried to make it so that the player can see what's coming and make a decision. If it is the wrong decision, then they can come back and try another option.