Super Mario Bros. X Forums

It's 2-2 in my project, a desert level. (which is a bit long for W2 I guess)
[rimg]http://kepfeltoltes.hu/150525/wo2-2_www ... es.hu_.png[/rimg]
That section is a bit different now. (both visually and gameplay-vise)
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Overbaked Oasis

Aesthetics: 5/10

This was an alright looking desert level, I liked the use of custom graphics but in my opinion it felt very barren and empty. While I know that deserts are not known for their rich vegetation I still feel that there at least could've been a little more something, maybe more coins, but I'll come to that in the NPC section. The music was fit for a desert level, albeit a bit overused and I think music from NSMB or NSMBWii would've been catchier and made the level less dull to play. The level was also really inconsistant I feel, you used the bridge tiles two times, used the munchers only one time and then a few spots with water, and then a cave part. It feels like you tried to summarize the entirity of desert level gimmicks into one level and it really didn't work out.

NPCs: 3/10

The enemie > powerup ratio in this level was way out of balance. There were like 2 powerups before the midway point and 2 after it, which is a little too little for a level of this length. There also were way too many enemies, but yet the level felt way too big. It was a wave of enemies, then a part without any enemies at all, then another wave of enemies, then no enemies at all again. Try to regulate the number of enemies and spread them over the whole level, instead of crowding them in inconvenient spots. This makes the level easier and would justify the use of less powerups.
There also were hardly any coins at all, which made the level feel barren and empty, like i already said in the Aesthetics section.

Gameplay & Design: 4/10

The level was not only very long, but also really confusing. I had trouble figuring out where to go and didn't know what to do at all. I found the switch before I even encountered any red blocks, and I didn't know what the switch was supposed to do. Then when I saw the block barrier I thought I had to find the switches to progress, but then it turned out the switches only unlocked a bonus area with a powerup (which is also something you shouldn't do, don't treat powerups as bonus items, unless they're rare like hammer suit or tanooki) and a 1up, until I figured out that I had to go a completely different way to progress. Also directly in the beginning there was a vine that lead to a 1up that wasn't even hidden at all. If you put 1ups and bonuses in your level, hide them better and don't make them completely obvious to the player. Pipes are a great way to do this, which brings me to the next point. Not every pipe needs a piranha plant in it. If there were more pipes and less piranhas, the level would be a lot more interesting since the player wouldn't expect a piranha at every pipe and also have more opportunities to take a short break from the waves of enemies. Also if you incorporate switch puzzles into your level, try to make them a little more interesting than "press switch to unlock exit". Having switches as one barrier that hinders the player from progressing is really unoriginal and not that exciting for the player either.


Overall, this was a decent level, but there were some parts that need a makeover. For starters, try not to make the level so long, because it really drags out. Then, put in more powerups, blocks and coins, spread the enemies out over the level instead of crowding them in certain spots, and try to make the switch puzzles more interesting. Besides that, this was a solid level. 4/10, moved to Average.