So, let's face it: This game is hard. It's nowhere near as bad as its prequel, which effectively required savestates at certain points, but, well, let's put it this way: The levels themselves, individually, aren't that bad. But the problem is that they're pretty much all hard--there are very few moments to stop and catch one's breath, and I'm feeling like this could be somewhat emotionally draining in the sense of "uuuuggggghhhhh...another level that I just died 30 times trying to beat..."
So here's my proposal: we add two new "powerups" to the game that the player can only "buy" (as opposed to finding out in the levels). Before I explain what they are and what they do and what those quotes are doing there, here are their base rules:
So, the two powerups (which really aren't important, since they can basically be anything that makes a level easier; these are just my ideas) are:
- Portable starman, which gives you one-time instant star power at any point in the level. Useful for clearing that one part of a level you're having trouble with.
- Iron mushroom, which bumps the number of hits you can take from 3 to 10. Useful for clearing that one stage you're having trouble with (why yes, this is directly ripped off from Donkey Kong Country Returns, why do you ask?)
Here's a mockup. You have an iron mushroom powerup at the start of every level. Normally there'd be some sort of indicator at the top of the screen, but there's no status bar and at the moment I'm not too keen on poking around at the OAM to get something to display for what basically amounts to a test.
And just to get these out of the way before someone asks:
Q: But won't this make [level name] really easy?
A: Yes. That's the point. The goal of a game is not to defeat the player and make them wallow in despair. If they can't beat a level, or a part of a level, then just let them skip it so they can actually see the rest of the game without getting frustrated, saying "screw it," and just watching an LP of the rest of it on YouTube.
It's pretty much what every Mario game since Mario 3 has done.
Q: But what if they skip my level?
A: Then they didn't find your level difficult in the right way and they're not enjoying themselves. Let them do what they want. Let them have fun.
So here's my proposal: we add two new "powerups" to the game that the player can only "buy" (as opposed to finding out in the levels). Before I explain what they are and what they do and what those quotes are doing there, here are their base rules:
- The shop that sells the powerups only has a single stock for each one, meaning you can only buy each one once. The stock is replenished when you either save or reset the game (or permanently when you collect all SMWCoins). This prevents players from just taking a powerup into each level "just in case" and makes them give an earnest effort, since whatever level they use the powerup on has to count. Alternately, the shop could replenish its stock after a certain number of deaths on an unbeaten level.
- Once you buy a powerup, you can use it once in a level.
- If you die despite using the powerup, you can try the level again with the powerup once you re-enter, so there's no stress over "oh man I really gotta make this one count"
- If you complete the level with the powerup, you can no longer use the powerup and can only repurchase it when it's available again.
So, the two powerups (which really aren't important, since they can basically be anything that makes a level easier; these are just my ideas) are:
- Portable starman, which gives you one-time instant star power at any point in the level. Useful for clearing that one part of a level you're having trouble with.
- Iron mushroom, which bumps the number of hits you can take from 3 to 10. Useful for clearing that one stage you're having trouble with (why yes, this is directly ripped off from Donkey Kong Country Returns, why do you ask?)
Here's a mockup. You have an iron mushroom powerup at the start of every level. Normally there'd be some sort of indicator at the top of the screen, but there's no status bar and at the moment I'm not too keen on poking around at the OAM to get something to display for what basically amounts to a test.
And just to get these out of the way before someone asks:
Q: But won't this make [level name] really easy?
A: Yes. That's the point. The goal of a game is not to defeat the player and make them wallow in despair. If they can't beat a level, or a part of a level, then just let them skip it so they can actually see the rest of the game without getting frustrated, saying "screw it," and just watching an LP of the rest of it on YouTube.
It's pretty much what every Mario game since Mario 3 has done.
Q: But what if they skip my level?
A: Then they didn't find your level difficult in the right way and they're not enjoying themselves. Let them do what they want. Let them have fun.
I should get a new layout.
Probably won't, though.
Probably won't, though.