The 2015 (and first ever!) SMBX Spring Vanilla Level Contest!
The object of this contest is really simple - you must design a level that has no custom modifications whatsoever. In essence, your level is just a .lvl file. Your level will not have a name and the judges will not know who made each level. All the judges will see is your level itself.The rules are pretty straightforward, but feel free to ask questions if you have them:
- Your submission must be just a .lvl file. No zipfiles, no instruction texts, no credits. Just the one file, preferably called "Username.lvl" or something to that effect just to make it easier on me. All level names will be erased upon delivery to the judges. Submissions that are not a single .lvl file will be ignored.
- Levels will be submitted to me (Joey) via MediaFire, Dropbox, Sendspace, or another easily accessible file sharing site. If I can't download the file and/or I have to create an account on the file sharing site, the submission will be ignored.
- Levels that contain any content that clearly indicates the author's name will be disqualified (e.g. a message box saying "this level was made by...").
- Levels that are not able to be completed normally (i.e. without cheating or editing) will be disqualified.
- Joke levels are not allowed.
- You may not talk about your level in any form before the results are posted. This includes (but is not limited to) forum/IRC discussion, posting videos, or posting screenshots. Likewise, you may not submit a level that you have previously talked about in any form.
- Modifying your .lvl file in a text editor to include something that is not possible when using the SMBX editor is not allowed.
Levels are due on Friday, May 22, no later than 11:59 PM EST. Good luck!
FallingSnow, SuperMario7, and Marina will be judging this contest. French Vanilla is objectively the best flavor of vanilla ice cream.
Results:
12th place:
Spoiler: show
castlewars
Marina: (2)0/10 This is the clear winner, thanks for participating, the contest is now over, everybody can go home.
SuperMario7: 1/10: I'll put about as much effort into this review as you put into your level. =P
FallingSnow: What a level!
Design: 1
Creativity: 3
Fun: 3
Bonus: -5 (It's a joke level)
Total: 2 -> 1
TOTAL SCORE = 0.7/10.0
Marina: (2)0/10 This is the clear winner, thanks for participating, the contest is now over, everybody can go home.
SuperMario7: 1/10: I'll put about as much effort into this review as you put into your level. =P
FallingSnow: What a level!
Design: 1
Creativity: 3
Fun: 3
Bonus: -5 (It's a joke level)
Total: 2 -> 1
TOTAL SCORE = 0.7/10.0
Spoiler: show
Ilove69
Marina: ??/10 Where do I have to go...??? There are 18 sections in this level and none of them are connected with each other through warps? I would've fixed it but I can't figure out which warp goes where?? Is this even a complete level
SuperMario7: 2/10: Well...this level had a lot of problems. A LOT. I'll just go through it section by section. The first section (section 9, was the level supposed to start at section 1? I'm not sure...) was fine for the most part, with the exception of a nearly blind jump that always resulted in damage from piranha plants. Section 10 had way too many jellyfish, especially at the end, making it extremely difficult. Section 11 was hugely boring and way too easy, especially compared to the last sections. Section 12 was a very tedious Bowser fight which was no fun at all. Section 11 was a puzzle which was fine at first, but eventually, like the rest of the level, became tedious to play. Section 14 was...okay, actually, and section 15 isn't worth mentioning. But 16 was basically the definition of unfair, repetitive, and tedious. You just moved left and right over and over again for a really long time, eating fish with Yoshi. There was no variation at all. And to make things worse, if the fish bumped into you, the Yoshi could run away and then you were basically screwed. So you had to start the level all over again! D: So yeah I didn't like section 16. Section 17 was fair enough, and finally section 18 was a very repetitive Ludwig fight. So those are basically my big problems with this level, and that's not even mentioning the complete lack of any aesthetics whatsoever. I guess the good thing about this level is it had a lot of different themes put into it, which kept it a little more interesting I guess. It was just not enjoyable at all. Sorry...
FallingSnow: This level has 18 sections. You can stop there if you want. Seriously, 18. Your level does not need 18 sections. It starts off with some ridiculous jumps and a hammer suit you're tempted to get but are rewarded with an extremely difficult return trip. Then you go on the gauntlet through just about every tileset in the editor. Most of the sections are just plain tedious or boring. One is a switch pressing section that has you running back and forth a few times. Another is just swimming from the left side of the screen to the right and then back to the left and then back to the right about ten times. It's incredibly boring and slow. There are bosses for some reason throughout the level. I don't even know.
Design: 3
Creativity: 2
Fun: 1
Bonus: 0
Total: 6 -> 3
TOTAL SCORE = 1.7/10.0 (Marina's score counted as zero)
Marina: ??/10 Where do I have to go...??? There are 18 sections in this level and none of them are connected with each other through warps? I would've fixed it but I can't figure out which warp goes where?? Is this even a complete level
SuperMario7: 2/10: Well...this level had a lot of problems. A LOT. I'll just go through it section by section. The first section (section 9, was the level supposed to start at section 1? I'm not sure...) was fine for the most part, with the exception of a nearly blind jump that always resulted in damage from piranha plants. Section 10 had way too many jellyfish, especially at the end, making it extremely difficult. Section 11 was hugely boring and way too easy, especially compared to the last sections. Section 12 was a very tedious Bowser fight which was no fun at all. Section 11 was a puzzle which was fine at first, but eventually, like the rest of the level, became tedious to play. Section 14 was...okay, actually, and section 15 isn't worth mentioning. But 16 was basically the definition of unfair, repetitive, and tedious. You just moved left and right over and over again for a really long time, eating fish with Yoshi. There was no variation at all. And to make things worse, if the fish bumped into you, the Yoshi could run away and then you were basically screwed. So you had to start the level all over again! D: So yeah I didn't like section 16. Section 17 was fair enough, and finally section 18 was a very repetitive Ludwig fight. So those are basically my big problems with this level, and that's not even mentioning the complete lack of any aesthetics whatsoever. I guess the good thing about this level is it had a lot of different themes put into it, which kept it a little more interesting I guess. It was just not enjoyable at all. Sorry...
FallingSnow: This level has 18 sections. You can stop there if you want. Seriously, 18. Your level does not need 18 sections. It starts off with some ridiculous jumps and a hammer suit you're tempted to get but are rewarded with an extremely difficult return trip. Then you go on the gauntlet through just about every tileset in the editor. Most of the sections are just plain tedious or boring. One is a switch pressing section that has you running back and forth a few times. Another is just swimming from the left side of the screen to the right and then back to the left and then back to the right about ten times. It's incredibly boring and slow. There are bosses for some reason throughout the level. I don't even know.
Design: 3
Creativity: 2
Fun: 1
Bonus: 0
Total: 6 -> 3
TOTAL SCORE = 1.7/10.0 (Marina's score counted as zero)
Spoiler: show
Darkonius Mavakar
Marina: 3/10 Your typical SMB3 level, it's really nothing special, and it's rather bland in my opinion. I give it points for effort and alright coin & NPC placement though.
SuperMario7: 6/10: This level is simple but fun. The graphics all fit together nicely and the level had good balance in terms of obstacles placement. For such a linear level, there were quite a few alternate paths and hidden secrets to explore. One problem (and this is just a tiny problem) is that some of the sizables were randomly floating in the sky. It would have looked nicer if they extended into the pits below. The other thing with this level is that it didn't have anything to make it stand out. The obstacles and design were pretty generic. Still, a fun little level.
FallingSnow: It's not that there was anything wrong with the level, but it was just kind of there. I got bored after a while of avoiding koopas and goombas.
Design: 5
Creativity: 2
Fun: 2
Bonus: 0
Total: 9 -> 4.5
TOTAL SCORE = 4.5/10.0
Marina: 3/10 Your typical SMB3 level, it's really nothing special, and it's rather bland in my opinion. I give it points for effort and alright coin & NPC placement though.
SuperMario7: 6/10: This level is simple but fun. The graphics all fit together nicely and the level had good balance in terms of obstacles placement. For such a linear level, there were quite a few alternate paths and hidden secrets to explore. One problem (and this is just a tiny problem) is that some of the sizables were randomly floating in the sky. It would have looked nicer if they extended into the pits below. The other thing with this level is that it didn't have anything to make it stand out. The obstacles and design were pretty generic. Still, a fun little level.
FallingSnow: It's not that there was anything wrong with the level, but it was just kind of there. I got bored after a while of avoiding koopas and goombas.
Design: 5
Creativity: 2
Fun: 2
Bonus: 0
Total: 9 -> 4.5
TOTAL SCORE = 4.5/10.0
Spoiler: show
RoundPiplup
Marina: 6/10 This was generally a nice level, but the enemies were really cluttered at some points and the fact that every piranha in section 1 spit fire (especially when there were always more than one on screen at a type) didn't help. While the cave section was also really crowded, the castle section was actually quite enjoyable, being designed like a classic SMW castle. Then the Ludwig boss fith was just that, and that was the level. (Also where was that princess you were supposed to rescue?)
SuperMario7: 6/10: You should really test your level before submitting it. There were two warps missing, both in the cave section. Anyway, the level other than that was decent. The sections were pretty simplistic, but fair and somewhat challenging. I liked the different gimmicks used throughout the level, especially the moving climbable fences. The boss was way too simple and easy, so I'd suggest adding something to spice that up a bit. There were also some bland-looking sections. Adding a little more scenery would definitely improve that. Overall this level was good, but it's too bad you forgot to place some of the warps.
FallingSnow: Cliche collectable reverting everything back to normal: 0/10
But in all seriousness, the level wasn't that bad. The first section had way too many sniper piranhas in my opinion, and section 2 was boring, but section 3's fences in the lava made up for it. You didn't use the SMW castle slopes correctly, but that's not that important. The sub-plot is kinda funny but only lasted half of the level for some reason. I would've liked it to have extended further.
Design: 7
Creativity: 3
Fun: 3
Bonus: -2 (Broken warp makes the level impossible)
Total: 11 -> 5.5
TOTAL SCORE = 5.8/10.0
Marina: 6/10 This was generally a nice level, but the enemies were really cluttered at some points and the fact that every piranha in section 1 spit fire (especially when there were always more than one on screen at a type) didn't help. While the cave section was also really crowded, the castle section was actually quite enjoyable, being designed like a classic SMW castle. Then the Ludwig boss fith was just that, and that was the level. (Also where was that princess you were supposed to rescue?)
SuperMario7: 6/10: You should really test your level before submitting it. There were two warps missing, both in the cave section. Anyway, the level other than that was decent. The sections were pretty simplistic, but fair and somewhat challenging. I liked the different gimmicks used throughout the level, especially the moving climbable fences. The boss was way too simple and easy, so I'd suggest adding something to spice that up a bit. There were also some bland-looking sections. Adding a little more scenery would definitely improve that. Overall this level was good, but it's too bad you forgot to place some of the warps.
FallingSnow: Cliche collectable reverting everything back to normal: 0/10
But in all seriousness, the level wasn't that bad. The first section had way too many sniper piranhas in my opinion, and section 2 was boring, but section 3's fences in the lava made up for it. You didn't use the SMW castle slopes correctly, but that's not that important. The sub-plot is kinda funny but only lasted half of the level for some reason. I would've liked it to have extended further.
Design: 7
Creativity: 3
Fun: 3
Bonus: -2 (Broken warp makes the level impossible)
Total: 11 -> 5.5
TOTAL SCORE = 5.8/10.0
Spoiler: show
witchking666
Marina: 6/10 This is a really nice level once you fix the moving layers and are actually able to play the level without getting stuck. After 6 years that this community has existed you'd think people would actually playtest their stuff before sending it in. Anyways, this is a really nice level, I liked the use of scenery and the formations of the ground. Besides the obvious, and a few random tiles being misplaced, this level has no flaws.
SuperMario7: 6/10: Decent little level. I'll start by saying it looked really nice. The mixture of grass, water, and sizables was very impressively done. The level was also quite fun, with a simple but pleasant assortment of obstacles and a fun length. The biggest problem was the nearly blind jump that required you to time a koopa jump correctly. I liked the idea of jumping from a flying koopa to farther yourself, but the execution could have been improved. The other problem was when the sizable moved up and down out of water, the decoration on top of it was layered differently so it stayed before the water when the sizable went behind it, if that makes sense. Other than that, it was a fun little level. Good job!
FallingSnow: I had really high hopes for this level since it started off so well! Your moving layers were broken, though, and the level becomes unbeatable! Besides that, it's a great grassland level. It could maybe use another power-up here and there, and I don't like the positioning of some of the venus fire traps. Otherwise it's great!
Design: 6
Creativity: 3
Fun: 4
Bonus: -2 (Broken moving layers)
Total: 11 -> 5.5
TOTAL SCORE = 5.8/10.0 (tie broken using a higher fun score from FallingSnow)
Marina: 6/10 This is a really nice level once you fix the moving layers and are actually able to play the level without getting stuck. After 6 years that this community has existed you'd think people would actually playtest their stuff before sending it in. Anyways, this is a really nice level, I liked the use of scenery and the formations of the ground. Besides the obvious, and a few random tiles being misplaced, this level has no flaws.
SuperMario7: 6/10: Decent little level. I'll start by saying it looked really nice. The mixture of grass, water, and sizables was very impressively done. The level was also quite fun, with a simple but pleasant assortment of obstacles and a fun length. The biggest problem was the nearly blind jump that required you to time a koopa jump correctly. I liked the idea of jumping from a flying koopa to farther yourself, but the execution could have been improved. The other problem was when the sizable moved up and down out of water, the decoration on top of it was layered differently so it stayed before the water when the sizable went behind it, if that makes sense. Other than that, it was a fun little level. Good job!
FallingSnow: I had really high hopes for this level since it started off so well! Your moving layers were broken, though, and the level becomes unbeatable! Besides that, it's a great grassland level. It could maybe use another power-up here and there, and I don't like the positioning of some of the venus fire traps. Otherwise it's great!
Design: 6
Creativity: 3
Fun: 4
Bonus: -2 (Broken moving layers)
Total: 11 -> 5.5
TOTAL SCORE = 5.8/10.0 (tie broken using a higher fun score from FallingSnow)
Spoiler: show
MECHDRAGON777
Marina: 5.5/10 I generally liked the design of this level, especially the overlapping tileset layers, however I didn't think the ground tiles fit in the underground section. This level also definitely needs powerups and coins, especially at that nasty blindjump. The last two Yoshi coins were also placed rather lazily. Overall pretty fun, until you get to the boss, which is just straight up unfair and unbeatable.
SuperMario7: 8/10: Even with the restrictions of only being able to use vanilla graphics, the level looked nice from start to finish. I saw that you put particular effort into cleverly combining tilesets to create a more decorative atmosphere. Gameplay-wise, the level was also quite impressive. The obstacles and gimmicks changed throughout the level, making it always fun to play. The lava-cave section was particularly cool. My only big problem here is that the boss was way too spammy. There were too many lasers being shot at the player, which made it nearly impossible for me to get through the glass. Not only did the lasers deal quick damage, but they also made it so my shell was constantly breaking. You should remove about half of the lasers to make it a fair boss fight. Other than that, nice work here!
FallingSnow: There's a pipe maze in a lava cave, and while I'll admit I haven't played one of those before, it's still a pipe maze in a lava cave. There are a lot of tight spaces which make the level very difficult to traverse, and the beginning is annoying without a power-up. I felt that the mother brain fight was unnecessary, and it really killed my mood.
Design: 4
Creativity: 3
Fun: 2
Bonus: 0
Total: 9 -> 4.5
TOTAL SCORE = 6.0/10.0
Marina: 5.5/10 I generally liked the design of this level, especially the overlapping tileset layers, however I didn't think the ground tiles fit in the underground section. This level also definitely needs powerups and coins, especially at that nasty blindjump. The last two Yoshi coins were also placed rather lazily. Overall pretty fun, until you get to the boss, which is just straight up unfair and unbeatable.
SuperMario7: 8/10: Even with the restrictions of only being able to use vanilla graphics, the level looked nice from start to finish. I saw that you put particular effort into cleverly combining tilesets to create a more decorative atmosphere. Gameplay-wise, the level was also quite impressive. The obstacles and gimmicks changed throughout the level, making it always fun to play. The lava-cave section was particularly cool. My only big problem here is that the boss was way too spammy. There were too many lasers being shot at the player, which made it nearly impossible for me to get through the glass. Not only did the lasers deal quick damage, but they also made it so my shell was constantly breaking. You should remove about half of the lasers to make it a fair boss fight. Other than that, nice work here!
FallingSnow: There's a pipe maze in a lava cave, and while I'll admit I haven't played one of those before, it's still a pipe maze in a lava cave. There are a lot of tight spaces which make the level very difficult to traverse, and the beginning is annoying without a power-up. I felt that the mother brain fight was unnecessary, and it really killed my mood.
Design: 4
Creativity: 3
Fun: 2
Bonus: 0
Total: 9 -> 4.5
TOTAL SCORE = 6.0/10.0
Spoiler: show
HenryRichard
Marina: 5/10 This level started off looking promising, but then it kinda turned into a mess with a kaizo-like water section and a really short castle section. Maybe this level would've been better if the person didn't focus on pulling outdated community jokes so much.
SuperMario7: 7/10: This level was pretty good. There was plenty of scenery, sizables, and veggies to keep the level looking really nice (at least the SMB2 part). The other sections ween't quite as aesthetically pleasing. You could have added more scenery, particularly in the cave and underwater sections. The level was rather fun, with some different settings and obstacles to keep things interesting. However, some parts of the level were a bit too spammny, especially sections 1 and 4. There was too much to keep track of in those sections with the enemies everywhere. Nice level overall though
FallingSnow: This was a level, and it existed. Some parts are okay, and others I wish didn't exist. They do, though. I don't know why the clouds are in the first section as you can just skip the interesting part of it. The fish pipes in the fifth section are actually the worst if they all end up at the same time. And the castle just sort of ended. It was okay I guess.
Design: 7
Creativity: 3
Fun: 3
Bonus: 0
Total: 13 -> 6.5
TOTAL SCORE = 6.2/10.0
Marina: 5/10 This level started off looking promising, but then it kinda turned into a mess with a kaizo-like water section and a really short castle section. Maybe this level would've been better if the person didn't focus on pulling outdated community jokes so much.
SuperMario7: 7/10: This level was pretty good. There was plenty of scenery, sizables, and veggies to keep the level looking really nice (at least the SMB2 part). The other sections ween't quite as aesthetically pleasing. You could have added more scenery, particularly in the cave and underwater sections. The level was rather fun, with some different settings and obstacles to keep things interesting. However, some parts of the level were a bit too spammny, especially sections 1 and 4. There was too much to keep track of in those sections with the enemies everywhere. Nice level overall though
FallingSnow: This was a level, and it existed. Some parts are okay, and others I wish didn't exist. They do, though. I don't know why the clouds are in the first section as you can just skip the interesting part of it. The fish pipes in the fifth section are actually the worst if they all end up at the same time. And the castle just sort of ended. It was okay I guess.
Design: 7
Creativity: 3
Fun: 3
Bonus: 0
Total: 13 -> 6.5
TOTAL SCORE = 6.2/10.0
Spoiler: show
litchh
Marina: 5/10 Once you get the hang of it, this level is actually pretty enjoyable. It's basically your typical P-switch run level. There's not much to say about this level besides that a checkpoint of sorts would've been nice and it probably would've placed higher but it boils down to being just that, a P-switch run. Also yay for being sadistic towards Toads.
SuperMario7: 7/10: I love these types of levels! I think they're just so much fun, and this one was no exception. (Although I'm rather sick of the P-Switch song right now.) The timing was pretty tight, making the level both exhilirating and exciting from start to finish. It got a bit too hard at the end, perhaps, but I sitll got a lot of enjoyment of this level. My only real suggestion would be to make it look nicer. There was no decoration, really, and I know it's hard to put decoration into a vanilla level sometimes, but lava at the bottom of the screen or even BGOs like cobwebs and lamps would have made the level look better, even with the creation of clash. Still, this level had a cool concept that was executed well. Nice work.
FallingSnow: P-switch Run The Level. The switches and doubling back are cool and all, but they're next to mandatory in order to complete the level. There's a lot of things that encourage the player to explore and take their time when this level needs you to do the opposite. I would've liked more let in some of the segments, but that's not really up to me. Definitely creative.
Design: 6
Creativity: 4
Fun: 3
Bonus: 0
Total: 13 -> 6.5
TOTAL SCORE = 6.2/10.0 (tie broken using a higher creativity score from FallingSnow)
Marina: 5/10 Once you get the hang of it, this level is actually pretty enjoyable. It's basically your typical P-switch run level. There's not much to say about this level besides that a checkpoint of sorts would've been nice and it probably would've placed higher but it boils down to being just that, a P-switch run. Also yay for being sadistic towards Toads.
SuperMario7: 7/10: I love these types of levels! I think they're just so much fun, and this one was no exception. (Although I'm rather sick of the P-Switch song right now.) The timing was pretty tight, making the level both exhilirating and exciting from start to finish. It got a bit too hard at the end, perhaps, but I sitll got a lot of enjoyment of this level. My only real suggestion would be to make it look nicer. There was no decoration, really, and I know it's hard to put decoration into a vanilla level sometimes, but lava at the bottom of the screen or even BGOs like cobwebs and lamps would have made the level look better, even with the creation of clash. Still, this level had a cool concept that was executed well. Nice work.
FallingSnow: P-switch Run The Level. The switches and doubling back are cool and all, but they're next to mandatory in order to complete the level. There's a lot of things that encourage the player to explore and take their time when this level needs you to do the opposite. I would've liked more let in some of the segments, but that's not really up to me. Definitely creative.
Design: 6
Creativity: 4
Fun: 3
Bonus: 0
Total: 13 -> 6.5
TOTAL SCORE = 6.2/10.0 (tie broken using a higher creativity score from FallingSnow)
Spoiler: show
GameClip477
Marina: 8/10 This was a really nice level I liked the general layout and the way the tilesets were used. I especially liked the cutscenes, even though you could see Mario offscreen in the first one. The switch gimmick and the temple falling apart were also really nice. The storyarc was a bit cliché though, and I almost expected some plottwist where the bob-omb turns against you.
SuperMario7: 7/10: An enjoyable level. It had a good variety of obstacles to keep the design interesting. However, things fell apart a little in section 3 where there was no water. I assume it was accidentally removed during the final testing of this level, but it technically made it impossible to complete. Luckily, I know how to cheat so it didn't stop me from finishing. The level after that was fine. I liked the idea of the falling cave, but it seemed to fall too slowly but then I realized I just barely made it at the very end, even though I was well above the bottom of the screen. Maybe you could make them go a little higher and faster towards the end so player's don't get tricked. Despite some flaws, the level was still pretty fun.
FallingSnow: It's a pretty neat SMB2 level, but I have to point out that you're using the grass tileset wrong, and it looks ugly. The water section was missing the, well, water. And then the level broke because the water didn't exist. I cheated ahead to later to see the rest, and most of it is pretty good! The crumbling could've been exectued better than hitting a switch in the next room, but I can let that slide. However, the running section leads you to believe you have a lot more let than you really do for the jump at the end. I didn't like that.
Design: 5
Creativity: 4
Fun: 4
Bonus: -2 (Broken level)
Total: 11 -> 5.5
TOTAL SCORE = 6.8/10.0
Marina: 8/10 This was a really nice level I liked the general layout and the way the tilesets were used. I especially liked the cutscenes, even though you could see Mario offscreen in the first one. The switch gimmick and the temple falling apart were also really nice. The storyarc was a bit cliché though, and I almost expected some plottwist where the bob-omb turns against you.
SuperMario7: 7/10: An enjoyable level. It had a good variety of obstacles to keep the design interesting. However, things fell apart a little in section 3 where there was no water. I assume it was accidentally removed during the final testing of this level, but it technically made it impossible to complete. Luckily, I know how to cheat so it didn't stop me from finishing. The level after that was fine. I liked the idea of the falling cave, but it seemed to fall too slowly but then I realized I just barely made it at the very end, even though I was well above the bottom of the screen. Maybe you could make them go a little higher and faster towards the end so player's don't get tricked. Despite some flaws, the level was still pretty fun.
FallingSnow: It's a pretty neat SMB2 level, but I have to point out that you're using the grass tileset wrong, and it looks ugly. The water section was missing the, well, water. And then the level broke because the water didn't exist. I cheated ahead to later to see the rest, and most of it is pretty good! The crumbling could've been exectued better than hitting a switch in the next room, but I can let that slide. However, the running section leads you to believe you have a lot more let than you really do for the jump at the end. I didn't like that.
Design: 5
Creativity: 4
Fun: 4
Bonus: -2 (Broken level)
Total: 11 -> 5.5
TOTAL SCORE = 6.8/10.0
Spoiler: show
Imaynotbehere4long
Marina: 8/10 WOW THIS WAS REALLY COOL once I actually figured what was happening. I don't think I've ever seen an SMBX level like this, and since I'm a huge fan of Space Invader-type things, this was really refreshing compared to normal Mario levels. This really shows what you can do with just Vanilla SMBX. If just the looks weren't so tacky.
SuperMario7: 6/10: Interesting level. I thought the concept was cool, and the use of vanilla graphics for this theme was quite clever. The only thing I didn't understand was the flying sand BGOs. What are those supposed to be? The graphics didn't look great, but they did their job. Also, was that music made with sound effects in the background? If so, that's pretty clever, even though the music wasn't the best in the world. You really should have added real in-game music, though, to enhance the experience of the level. Overall cool concept. It just didn't fit together so well for me.
FallingSnow: If there's a creativity award, this level wins it hands down. This is something I've never seen done before, and I'm impressed. There's not much you can do with a fairy power-up, and I think you could've come up with more gimmicks, but that's for later. Parallax??? I'm just so impressed. The music could've been improved upon, but the idea of doing it is interesting.
Back to level design: it's kind of boring and repetetive, but for what it is, it's pretty cool. Nice job.
Design: 6
Creativity: 5
Fun: 4
Bonus: 0
Total: 15 -> 7.5
TOTAL SCORE = 7.2/10.0
Marina: 8/10 WOW THIS WAS REALLY COOL once I actually figured what was happening. I don't think I've ever seen an SMBX level like this, and since I'm a huge fan of Space Invader-type things, this was really refreshing compared to normal Mario levels. This really shows what you can do with just Vanilla SMBX. If just the looks weren't so tacky.
SuperMario7: 6/10: Interesting level. I thought the concept was cool, and the use of vanilla graphics for this theme was quite clever. The only thing I didn't understand was the flying sand BGOs. What are those supposed to be? The graphics didn't look great, but they did their job. Also, was that music made with sound effects in the background? If so, that's pretty clever, even though the music wasn't the best in the world. You really should have added real in-game music, though, to enhance the experience of the level. Overall cool concept. It just didn't fit together so well for me.
FallingSnow: If there's a creativity award, this level wins it hands down. This is something I've never seen done before, and I'm impressed. There's not much you can do with a fairy power-up, and I think you could've come up with more gimmicks, but that's for later. Parallax??? I'm just so impressed. The music could've been improved upon, but the idea of doing it is interesting.
Back to level design: it's kind of boring and repetetive, but for what it is, it's pretty cool. Nice job.
Design: 6
Creativity: 5
Fun: 4
Bonus: 0
Total: 15 -> 7.5
TOTAL SCORE = 7.2/10.0
Spoiler: show
Paradox Master
Marina: 6/10 I really liked the concept of this level, especially since I like WarioWare games. This was nicely executed, however I think the general looks of this level could've been nicer.
SuperMario7: 8/10: Haha, cool level. The idea of completing a task in a certain amount of time was great, plus the level was fun from start to finish. There were plenty of different ideas incorporated here from enemy battles to switch puzzles, which kept everything interesting throughout. I thought the timer could have been sped up at times, because some challenges were too easy. You also could have decorated each section better to make the level look nicer. You could have also done some more advanced stuff with this, so I guess I wasn't completely satisfied. Still, I loved the idea, and it was lots of fun. Nice job.
FallingSnow: I had so much fun with this one! I was expecting some sort of hp meter of sorts, but I was surprised by the cool mini-games. I could see a whole episode made out of this sort of gimmick. Some of the rooms are really stressful, but that's okay! I still made it somehow! Too bad I didn't get a message from Mr. Crab at the end. :((
Design: 7
Creativity: 5
Fun: 5
Bonus: 0
Total: 17 -> 8.5
TOTAL SCORE = 7.5/10.0
Marina: 6/10 I really liked the concept of this level, especially since I like WarioWare games. This was nicely executed, however I think the general looks of this level could've been nicer.
SuperMario7: 8/10: Haha, cool level. The idea of completing a task in a certain amount of time was great, plus the level was fun from start to finish. There were plenty of different ideas incorporated here from enemy battles to switch puzzles, which kept everything interesting throughout. I thought the timer could have been sped up at times, because some challenges were too easy. You also could have decorated each section better to make the level look nicer. You could have also done some more advanced stuff with this, so I guess I wasn't completely satisfied. Still, I loved the idea, and it was lots of fun. Nice job.
FallingSnow: I had so much fun with this one! I was expecting some sort of hp meter of sorts, but I was surprised by the cool mini-games. I could see a whole episode made out of this sort of gimmick. Some of the rooms are really stressful, but that's okay! I still made it somehow! Too bad I didn't get a message from Mr. Crab at the end. :((
Design: 7
Creativity: 5
Fun: 5
Bonus: 0
Total: 17 -> 8.5
TOTAL SCORE = 7.5/10.0
Spoiler: show
Epoch
Marina: 7/10 Now this is an actually rememberable level. I can't explain why, but I really like the style of this level. The gimmick with the falling lava level was also a really clever idea. I have to say however, that this level is generally crowded, and that not just in the NPC department. If you took out half the stuff of this level it would actually become pretty enjoyable.
SuperMario7: 8. 9/10: Now this is how you make a vanilla level look unique! Firstly, the way you used the graphics was stunning. The level was full of gorgeous eye-popping visuals. This level shows that you don't need custom graphics to make a level look good. The way you filled the ground with all shorts of blocks and the fluidity in which you decorated impressed me a lot. The level was really fun and challenging, but almost always fair. It got a bit too challenging for my liking after the checkpoint, but I still enjoyed it. This level was amazing in its own crazy way, and it wouldn't surprise me if it won.
FallingSnow: For a vanilla level, this is pretty amazing! I really enjoyed almost every part (though I wanted another power-up in the middle section!). The tanooki suit was well hidden among the creative block placement. It's a bit too noisy at times, in my opinion, but overall, it creates a neat effect. I wish you had extended the ceiling a bit more so that the screen movement wasn't so annoying at the beginning, but that's not too big of a deal. I'd also recommend making the midpoint room a bit less hidden. Surround it with coins or something. I almost missed it haha
Design: 9
Creativity: 5
Fun: 5
Bonus: 0
Total: 19 -> 9.5
TOTAL SCORE = 8.5/10.0 - CONGRATULATIONS!
Marina: 7/10 Now this is an actually rememberable level. I can't explain why, but I really like the style of this level. The gimmick with the falling lava level was also a really clever idea. I have to say however, that this level is generally crowded, and that not just in the NPC department. If you took out half the stuff of this level it would actually become pretty enjoyable.
SuperMario7: 8. 9/10: Now this is how you make a vanilla level look unique! Firstly, the way you used the graphics was stunning. The level was full of gorgeous eye-popping visuals. This level shows that you don't need custom graphics to make a level look good. The way you filled the ground with all shorts of blocks and the fluidity in which you decorated impressed me a lot. The level was really fun and challenging, but almost always fair. It got a bit too challenging for my liking after the checkpoint, but I still enjoyed it. This level was amazing in its own crazy way, and it wouldn't surprise me if it won.
FallingSnow: For a vanilla level, this is pretty amazing! I really enjoyed almost every part (though I wanted another power-up in the middle section!). The tanooki suit was well hidden among the creative block placement. It's a bit too noisy at times, in my opinion, but overall, it creates a neat effect. I wish you had extended the ceiling a bit more so that the screen movement wasn't so annoying at the beginning, but that's not too big of a deal. I'd also recommend making the midpoint room a bit less hidden. Surround it with coins or something. I almost missed it haha
Design: 9
Creativity: 5
Fun: 5
Bonus: 0
Total: 19 -> 9.5
TOTAL SCORE = 8.5/10.0 - CONGRATULATIONS!
(I wanted to be one, of the application I can't. - I would like to be one and drop my level, IF that was just a joke.)
