I'm making this post as a declaration of intent for one of my two levels in the hack, Amethyst Vein. I realize that the offenses this level commits are minor, but I still feel the need to go back and address the flaws that it has. I'll outline them here. All pictures are hyperlinks to avoid table stretching.
Old Amethyst Vein Picture #1
Yeah, the graphic swaps were ugly, so I'm using -the- base ROM from 2009.
It should be pretty clear what is going on here, gameplay-wise: collect the p-switch, hit it, and make a mad dash backwards, upwards, over and around through the brown used blocks before it runs out. The problem here is if the player activates the switch to the left of the invisible question blocks, they'll have a hard if not outright impossible time trying to get back to the right of them. I want to make this section flow better and not discriminate against those expecting to have to drag the switch with them like in a lot of earlier levels.
Old Amethyst Vein Picture #2
This is the secret exit "puzzle." It was made convoluted on purpose because the level it unlocks was originally supposed to be required for something special, but that "something special" was never implemented, so this exit just ended up being a little overboard in requirements (needs the green and red switches and a cape). I'll either eliminate most of the requirements here or redesign it so that it has a better, less-breakable flow.
Old Amethyst Vein Picture #3
The first p-balloon section, and it comes right after the midpoint. I'm mostly satisfied with it, but when I made it, I didn't expect only one or two other levels to also use p-balloons (and I believe both are endgame, at that), so the player could very well get all the way here to world 8 and just now be seeing p-balloons for the first time, so I want to tone this section down. Also, the third reset pipe is a little unnecessary, so it's getting the boot.
Old Amethyst Vein Picture #4
The middle chunk of the second p-balloon section. The player shouldn't need reset pipes now that they know what to expect, so I'll likely eliminate most of them. The requirement to fly downward with the p-balloon about halfway through this picture is annoyingly tedious with little actual difficulty, so I'll raise the second half of this image to the top of the level to keep the player from having to endure that. Also, the final p-balloon is extraordinarily hard to grab while Super Mario without abusing L-scrolling, so that'll get adjusted.
Other things I want to do to the level:
- Relocate the midpoint to after the first p-balloon section. Having to endure both of these sections in one go is asking a little much.
- Remove a power-up or two. There are EIGHT power-ups, not including the one that is accessed by the midpoint entrance.
- Possibly cut down on lava lotus spam by putting them in more meaningful spots that are more complemented by the level design.
- Custom graphics...eventually.
- Replace a lot of bottomless pits with lava to keep the player from flying underneath things.
So yeah. If you want a refresher on how the level flows,
check out the video I made of it. Bear in mind that I was extremely good at the level then from obsessive beta testing, so it's harder than it looks.
I'll do one of these for Waterlogged Woods in the next day or two. That level ended up being a cakewalk compared to Shoreline Woods, and among other things, it needs a difficulty boost.