Language…
15 users online: asterkafton, ClaireChan, DanMario24YT, Gamet2004, h4shcat, Hayashi Neru, Jaiden, LightAligns, MorrieTheMagpie, Rhubarb44230,  Segment1Zone2, ShadowMistressYuko, signature_steve, simon.caio,  zuccha - Guests: 267 - Bots: 349
Users: 64,795 (2,378 active)
Latest user: mathew

[Fan Judge] S.N.N. wants your levels to Not Suck (tm)

I just submitted my level and I want you to drunk review it.

Hit me with your best shot.

Be as harsh as you want.
You got it.

Rockythetigre - Chuckmania
Design and Execution: 27/50
Design Creativity and Aesthetic Creativity: 22/30
Aesthetics and Polish: 10/20
Overall: 59/100

PLAY-BY-PLAY COMMENTS:
Minor quip, but I'd move the starting ledge up a bit so you don't get that awkward scroll when you enter the level.

Interesting aesthetics. Kind of reminds me of a level lolyoshi recently made, especially with the water.

I like the starting set-ups with the dolphins, though the three bouncing Koopas are a little bit of a pain to deal with when you're trying to hit the ? blocks/turn blocks.

When the autoscroll kicks in, you're not really given enough time to hit all five of the ? blocks. I'd reduce the number of them, as most players won't have that level of foresight on their first go.

The idea of a split-path fast autoscroller is actually really neat, but the top path is nigh-impossible to enter the pipe in (since you have to climb on the net and then jump off). Also, the fish on the lower path pose no threat at all - you scroll past them too fast before they have a chance to jump out of the water.

While the idea of racing creating blocks is cool, you tend to "stick" to them if they touch you (to the point where you can't even control the player anymore). It's a little frustrating to deal with because it means you have to constantly stay way ahead of them.

When the eating blocks turn left and pass the ? block with the mushroom, it's possible to get stuck down in the area with the mushroom. Because the time limit is 0, you have no choice but to reset the game. Same deal with the cloud tile right before the mushroom - when the blocks go up, you can get stuck on the left side. There may be other areas that are the same.

It's also easy to get really far ahead of it to the point where it doesn't even serve a purpose anymore.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: There's a fair bit to say about this level. While there are some really creative ideas at play, there is a serious lack of polish, especially in the second half. It's easy to die unfairly if the blocks so much as touch you, though this would typically only happen right near the midpoint as it is more than possible to vastly outrun them. Going back to the first half, it seems both very short and ultimately pointless - there are only a couple of screens before the autoscroller kicks in, and at that point it's only a few screens until you enter the pipe to the midway. My honest suggestion would be to scrap the first half completely, and focus on going further with the creating blocks as your main gimmick. Add some more set-ups, and perhaps pull in sprites from the first half (i.e. the dolphins). I'd start the level at the midpoint, move the actual midpoint to where the goal is, and then have another section that utilizes those blocks. Just my opinion.
If you can request to play a particular level, then I request to NOT play my level. The reason being it needs to be fixed, it's quite bad in current state (it's a really cryptic puzzle level), and I would rather want people that actually need a review to have one with current rate of reviews.
Thank you, SNN! That was a very insightful review that also came faster than I expected! I'll use your suggestion for improvements when I submit a v2. I'm not sure if I have enough time to build a new segment, though.
Originally posted by GlitchMr
If you can request to play a particular level, then I request to NOT play my level. The reason being it needs to be fixed, it's quite bad in current state (it's a really cryptic puzzle level), and I would rather want people that actually need a review to have one with current rate of reviews.

Just remove your submission post. Saves you the hassle of warning every fan judge.

You can easily create a new post once your new level is done.
Layout by Erik557
Hi.
Hi, S.N.N. I see you're very experienced in this field (judging) and you give very detailed feedback. Would you mind reviewing my level? Thank you.
ThePat545 - Absolute Frenzy
Design and Execution: 36/50
Design Creativity and Aesthetic Creativity: 23/30
Aesthetics and Polish: 15/20
Overall: 74/100

PLAY-BY-PLAY COMMENTS:
Nice music and graphics right at the beginning, but I'm not a fan of the kicking Koopa that ambushes you as you start the level.

If you let the Bowser statue at the start fall and then end up on the right of it while Super Mario, it's possible to get stuck - or at least, it becomes very, very challenging to get out of that tight spot.

I keep thinking the little bars with bushes on them (from the canvas room tileset) are solid. Perhaps you could rework their palette, or make it a little more obvious that they are just decorations?

I'm not sure if the two light switch blocks next to the second Bowser statue really serve a purpose. They look odd, and you're better off replacing them with solid blocks.

Not entirely sure what the point of the third Bowser statue is - you can easily get up that ledge without it, and you'd have to hit the turn block anyway regardless of whether or not it is there.

I like the brown platform portion with the canvas + Yoshi coin up top, but I noticed you put a second coin immediately after that. Their close proximity seems like an odd design choice - perhaps you could move one of them back a little earlier in the level?

Nice use of dolphins in the second room, though their splashes are glitchy. This is a really easy thing to fix since you're not using any urchins in that room (i.e. no shared tiles to worry about).

I really like the set-up with the three wooden platforms and the Grinder going back and forth. Clever.

The midpoint seems a bit lopsided. The second half is a lot shorter than the first, though it is arguably the best part of the level. Some clever set-ups here.

I find it very difficult to grab the blocks during the boss fight. Having a bunch of one-tile wide gaps is difficult to deal with, and I would recommend opening these up so that they are two-tiles wide instead.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: There is a lot of potential for this to be a great level, but there are a couple of pain points that need to be ironed out. Honestly, the first room comes across as boring and feels severely underwhelming compared to the two rooms after it. There's really no point to the whole Bowser-statues-on-turn-blocks gimmick because you don't really do anything special with it (not to mention a couple of the set-ups feel pointless, as I mentioned previously). My suggestion would be to cut the first room entirely, start the level at the vertical dolphin room, extend it by a few screens, and then extend the second half. Both the second and third rooms are relatively good and if you explore them a bit more, I think you'll have a great level on your hands.
Hey SNN, I would be delighted if you could take a shot at my submission.
hi snn can you hate my level because its vanilla?
Hi, I'm a signature!
Hack Thread
Hack Testing Status: Available.
Layout by Koopster.
Originally posted by M A R I O W O R L D
hi snn can you hate my level because its vanilla?

Aesthetic is taking a back seat this year. You will do fine as long as your level is well designed & creative.
Layout by Erik557
Hi.
Originally posted by Wind Fish
Originally posted by M A R I O W O R L D
hi snn can you hate my level because its vanilla?

Aesthetic is taking a back seat this year. You will do fine as long as your level is well designed & creative.


That doesn't mean he should just make it plain vanilla. Every point counts, even aesthetics. The problem's not the aesthetics, it's the judges.
Just so you know, I'm very active on the site anymore like I was before; I'm mainly on Discord now.
Originally posted by Falconpunch
That doesn't mean he should just make it plain vanilla. Every point counts, even aesthetics. The problem's not the aesthetics, it's the judges.

I suppose it might be.

It was pointed out to me that some of the fan judges don't seem to care for aesthetics as much as they should. Obviously everyone agrees that design should be the main focus, but adding good aesthetics should also be taken into account. I mean, I've seen some pure vanilla levels score 16 out of 20 in Aesthetics and Polish & I thought to myself that didn't seem right. Though I feel I'm misunderstanding what the Aesthetics and Polish category is really about.
Layout by Erik557
Hi.
Sayuri - ERROR CODE #1D4
Design and Execution: 16/50
Design Creativity and Aesthetic Creativity: 9/30
Aesthetics and Polish: 9/20
Overall: 34/100

PLAY-BY-PLAY COMMENTS:
As simple as this sounds, I like the way you enter the level. I rarely ever see levels that start facing to the level with a pipe entrance like that.

The first Thwimp is annoyingly placed. All I wanted to do was hit that message box, but I got ambushed immediately. I'd raise the ceiling a tile or two.

The introduction to the backwards blocks is pretty terrible. The message box clearly says "only run on them from the left", which I did, and then immediately fell through them. I would at least introduce such a finicky object over a safe ledge rather than what you have now.

The jump from the two ? blocks over the spike (left of the keyhole) is actually a bit blind. It's pretty easy to fall down the little gap to the left of the castle platform.

The part to the right of the keyhole seems tedious. You've added a bunch of falling spikes which I assume are intended to act as obstacles as you're climbing, but they all fall right away while you're still at the bottom. The entire area is rendered into nothing more than bland one-tile jumps. You could try using Thwimps or Ball'n'Chains here instead.

There is no indication whatsoever that you're supposed to carry the silver P-Switch forward to get through the Munchers, so I used it right away, racked up like 30 lives from silver coins, and then got stuck. Using the switch at the Munchers also renders a lot of what comes after it completely pointless and nothing more than a giant life farm.

I thought you could climb on those vines. Instead, I fell through them and died. Eesh.

While I was hitting the vine block on the far right side of the level, a Thwimp randomly fell down from above and hit me. I don't think this was intended.

No candle flames in the second main room. Also, another Thwimp randomly jumped left when I entered it and flew off-screen.

No candle flames in the Wendy fight either. I'm also not very convinced that fight adds much to the level.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: If you want my brutally honest opinion, I don't think this level works at all. You've introduced a gimmick that, on its own, a) feels really uncomfortable, and b) amounts to nothing more than a series of one-tile jumps. Like, you could replace all of those odd slope blocks with brown blocks, and the gameplay would feel the exact same, if not a little more tolerable because you're not worried about glitching through them all the time. I'm sure there's some way that those particular blocks could be used for some interesting set-ups, but the way you have them right now, I just don't really think it works.
Originally posted by Wind Fish
Originally posted by M A R I O W O R L D
hi snn can you hate my level because its vanilla?

Aesthetic is taking a back seat this year. You will do fine as long as your level is well designed & creative.

10th annual vanilla good level design and no aesthetics contest
HackPortsASM"Uploader"

Originally posted by lion
10th annual vanilla good level design and no aesthetics contest

Would you like some cement with that?
Layout by Erik557
Hi.
Hello, I just updated my level and I was wondering if you could judge it. Be as harsh as you would like.
Dealing with a couple of PM requests, and then I will tackle the ones in this thread.

allowiscous - Neo Reztopia Tower
Design and Execution: 46/50
Design Creativity and Aesthetic Creativity: 23/30
Aesthetics and Polish: 14/20
Overall: 85/100

PLAY-BY-PLAY COMMENTS:
Initial impressions are great. Loving the music and the graphics in the starting area.

Floors 00 and 05 are a good, quick introduction to the main concept of the level.

Floor 10 feels like more of a spectacle than an actual gameplay-focused area, like 00 and 05 were. The Koopas just walk off the edge about a second after appearing, so perhaps add some barricades so that they pose an actual threat?

Floor 15 was cool. Clever set-up with the two pairs of horizonal Grinders. Likewise with floor 20 - great set-ups.

Floor 25 demonstrates a much better usage of the exploding block. Combining it with the Grinders actually posed a good, creative challenge.

Floors 30 and 35 are nice, though the set-ups are starting to feel a bit same-y around this point.

I'd re-evaluate your exploding block usage on floor 40. The first one walks off the edge (again) and causes you to have to wait a bit. The next two are okay, though I found the Goomba a little tricky to dodge compared to the shelled Koopa.

Floor 45 seems like a "breather" floor, which is nice. Good timing, as 40 was tough.

While floor 50 is really neat, the flashing is honestly far too fast and distracting, which hinders the gameplay a bit. Could you perhaps darken the beams, or instead of having them go transparent for half of the frames, have them switch to a darker color instead?

I really like floor 65. It's cool how you can essentially pick which bubbles you want to hit, and you've conditioned the player to want to hit the ones with the fish instead of the Goombas.

Floor 75 seems more suited to the first half, to be honest. It's a bit easier than the other floors around it, and with a lack of bubbles, it doesn't really fit the progression.

Floor 80 is a slightly harder version of floor 65, but considering the bubbles force you down when you hit them, the top horizontal Grinder really poses no threat - thus, this is basically just floor 65 again. I'd redesign this room.

The top of the tower looks awesome.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: This is a really unique and enjoyable level. I have yet to see someone attempt a vanilla tower in this style, and I think you pulled it off well. The floors each share a consistent gimmick that progresses throughout the level (though admittedly, they start to feel a bit same-y as you go on, especially by the end of the first half). Floor 50 is a great twist to the formula, but as I mentioned, you need to do something about the blinking - I found it very distracting, and I'm sure I won't be the only one. Aside from that quirk, I loved the graphics and thought they gave the level a very unique feeling without being too overbearing. Great work.
Cool, thanks for the thorough analysis! I'll revisit everything that you mentioned and see if I can make it even more enjoyable of a level.
Snn, I asked you to review my level in PM. Can you please review my level? Its broken bridge way.
*Insert witty footer here*