Mariotale

mrwalder22 · Postby **mrwalder22** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:07 am

Hello,i am a fan of Undertale and games such as Earthbound and decided to make something similiar (Even though there aren't anything similiar except music and some stuff). This is my first level and i would really appreciate some feedback!

http://www.mediafire.com/download/be4lf ... iotale.rar

Here is a picture of the level,it doesn't show much but that is intentional.

http://imgur.com/wlQNmHH

EDIT: Even though i tested and fixed a lot of problems about the final boss,i am still expecting it to be buggy as hell. Beware!

EDIT 2: Updated! Now there is a checkpoint zone,the bombs at final boss spawn faster and some spammy areas have been revamped slightly.

Special thanks to:

-Linik for his honest review
-Reckless_James for giving me the idea of star checkpoints (I'm sure it is known but i saw it from him first)
-Toby Fox for that beatiful OST!
-Nintendo for their Mother 3 OST

HeroLinik · Postby **HeroLinik** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 6:21 am

OK, it's review time!

Pros
To be honest, I must say that for a first level, this level absolutely blew me away. The design in the level looks absolutely professional for a first-timer and puts nearly all first levels to shame, and it really shows that you do not need custom graphics to make a level good. Every section has something unique about it such as an underground cavern, a laboratory and a chase against lava, and a lot of features are executed very well. The level also boasts some rather awesome design features, such as the well-executed use of moving layers and the variance in the ground so it doesn't look too flat and barren. The level is also very well-decorated and there are very few cut-offs or clashes. Every graphic fits in with the environment to create a really unique experience, and the same can also be said with the music. Undertale soundtracks really drive home the level's theme and give the sections some atmosphere, such as the ambient soundtrack of the laboratory section and the fast-paced music that plays in the chase against the lava.

Cons
However, with a good level must come some of the cons. the moving vine part at the start of the level, although ingeniously designed, is quite difficult, especially if you picked the mushroom as the gaps are too small, and considering the checkpoint is after that, dying just before the checkpoint means they will have to go through all this again, making the level rather tricky. Speaking of checkpoints, multiple checkpoints don't work in SMBX unless you work around it (it's possible!), and one checkpoint could have sufficed because the level is of a decent length. If I had to pick one, I would pick the one just before the lava chase. Another thing that I didn't like was this:

Spoiler: show

It's usually a no-go to place enemies just as the player has exited a warp because they're not expecting it, and for an unsuspecting player, it can damage them or even kill them, and this is also just before the checkpoint, leading to more frustration. I would remove that enemy to make the section easier, and speaking of this section, it's a bit spammy with all the Koopa Troopas and Rinkas, as well as the Banzai Bill, but getting the Tanooki Suit will make this part of the level easier.

Final Score
Once more, I would like to commend you because this is your first level, and it absolutely blew me away. You have just shown that without custom graphics, you can still pull off a really good level.

Level Design: 6.3/10
Graphics: 5/10
NPC Placement: 6.2/10

Overall Result:
5.8/10

mrwalder22 · Postby **mrwalder22** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 6:30 am

Linik wrote:OK, it's review time!

Pros
To be honest, I must say that for a first level, this level absolutely blew me away. The design in the level looks absolutely professional for a first-timer and puts nearly all first levels to shame, and it really shows that you do not need custom graphics to make a level good. Every section has something unique about it such as an underground cavern, a laboratory and a chase against lava, and a lot of features are executed very well. The level also boasts some rather awesome design features, such as the well-executed use of moving layers and the variance in the ground so it doesn't look too flat and barren. The level is also very well-decorated and there are very few cut-offs or clashes. Every graphic fits in with the environment to create a really unique experience, and the same can also be said with the music. Undertale soundtracks really drive home the level's theme and give the sections some atmosphere, such as the ambient soundtrack of the laboratory section and the fast-paced music that plays in the chase against the lava.

Cons
However, with a good level must come some of the cons. the moving vine part at the start of the level, although ingeniously designed, is quite difficult, especially if you picked the mushroom as the gaps are too small, and considering the checkpoint is after that, dying just before the checkpoint means they will have to go through all this again, making the level rather tricky. Speaking of checkpoints, multiple checkpoints don't work in SMBX unless you work around it (it's possible!), and one checkpoint could have sufficed because the level is of a decent length. If I had to pick one, I would pick the one just before the lava chase. Another thing that I didn't like was this:

Spoiler: show
It's usually a no-go to place enemies just as the player has exited a warp because they're not expecting it, and for an unsuspecting player, it can damage them or even kill them, and this is also just before the checkpoint, leading to more frustration. I would remove that enemy to make the section easier, and speaking of this section, it's a bit spammy with all the Koopa Troopas and Rinkas, as well as the Banzai Bill, but getting the Tanooki Suit will make this part of the level easier.

Final Score
Once more, I would like to commend you because this is your first level, and it absolutely blew me away. You have just shown that without custom graphics, you can still pull off a really good level.

Level Design: 6.3/10
Graphics: 5/10
NPC Placement: 6.2/10

Overall Result:
5.8/10

Thanks a bunch! To be honest,i regretted making that vine part that hard,even i had problems beating it.
And for the laboratory part,i didn't really knew what to do so i just spammed stuff,i believe i got better after that first segment though.
You mean the part where a thief attacks you as soon as you get out of the pipe? Yeah,i thought of that but decided it was a good idea but since i am the creator,i never died there. Thinking of it,it might be hard for other people actually so i'll change that on my other levels.
I also noticed that checkpoint system didn't work after uploading it,oh well...

What did you like the most? Did you like the final boss ,lava chase scene and musics? Those were my favorites to be honest.

HeroLinik · Postby **HeroLinik** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 6:35 am

mrwalder22 wrote:Did you like the final boss ,lava chase scene and musics? Those were my favorites to be honest.

I forgot to mention them in the review to be honest, so I'll tack them on now.

As for the final boss, I really liked the concept and fighting him, and the two phases make for a very enjoyable boss battle. However, but there are some problems with it. First of all, it's possible to overshoot when the lava pits appear, thus you can die before the boss has even begun! Secondly, the bombs generate too slowly, and even then it's really hard to get them towards the boss as you're impeded by Bullet Bills and rising spikes during the second phase, thus the boss will drag on for a very long time as it's Mother Brain, who takes 10 hits to kill.

As for the lava chase, I loved that! The risky platforming involved as well as the enemies provide a great challenge, and the lava moves at a great speed, but not too fast or too slow.

mrwalder22 · Postby **mrwalder22** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 6:40 am

Linik wrote:
mrwalder22 wrote:Did you like the final boss ,lava chase scene and musics? Those were my favorites to be honest.
I forgot to mention them in the review to be honest, so I'll tack them on now.

As for the final boss, I really liked the concept and fighting him, and the two phases make for a very enjoyable boss battle. However, but there are some problems with it. First of all, it's possible to overshoot when the lava pits appear, thus you can die before the boss has even begun! Secondly, the bombs generate too slowly, and even then it's really hard to get them towards the boss as you're impeded by Bullet Bills and rising spikes during the second phase, thus the boss will drag on for a very long time as it's Mother Brain, who takes 10 hits to kill.

As for the lava chase, I loved that! The risky platforming involved as well as the enemies provide a great challenge, and the lava moves at a great speed, but not too fast or too slow.

Yeah,i died a few times because i ran blindly to Mother Brain as well. The concept about bullet bills were stomping bullet bills and throwing the bombs while trying to fall between those spikes. I admit the bombs spawn slowly,i feared they would explode so i made them slow. I actually wanted the player to be punished for trying to destroy those lava npcs by making a harder course,but that was too complicated so bullet bills appear even if you dont kill those lava npcs. I also admit that it takes pretty long to kill Mother Brain. That is why i don't plan on using him next time (as implied by his last text).

Thanks for your review!