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(Accepted) Password: Proof of Concept [update 4!!!]

Have you ever played a level in SMBX that's really long, or just flat out difficult, and thought, "Wow, I wish SMBX levels could have multiple midway points." Well, KILROCK had an idea, and he told the entire community about it. To quote him,
Originally posted by KILROCK
People say that's not possible, but I'm a super genius and I think genius stuff.
But alas, to the dismay of many, his idea had the unfortunate curse of being wrong. That was when I stepped in (metaphorically) and told the community about MY two ideas for multiple midpoints, ideas that would work. However, not only were my ideas specific to stand alone levels and levels in an episode, but Magician told me how to improve on one of my ideas, and Valtteri told me that everyone knew about the second one already. That didn't stop me; after thinking about it for a while, I finally came up with a multiple midpoint method (yay, alliteration!) that is universal: it works as a stand alone level, and as a level in an episode!

Edit: and now, with the advent of LunaLua's multipoints, nobody will care about this method anymore. It didn't help that there used to be no deadline for this project, but oh well.

Screenshots:





Well, it took a year and seven months, but I finally figured out why the passwords would sometimes fail! Basically, if you're holding a sphere when you get a mushroom, the layer attached to that sphere will cease to exist, so what I did was moved the mushrooms from the password screen to the start of the sections that the passwords lead to. That's all I changed. The download link is here:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/58fqmcdl7dqbw33/Password_-_Update_4.zip

P.S. I guarantee that this level is 100% possible; I tested it fully as Mario with God Mode OFF. That said, it should be possible to beat as all characters, except Link (and maybe Peach). Plus, it got accepted, so if that's not proof enough, I don't know what is.
This level is just extremely frustrating to play. There's a bunch of annoying and unfair design decisions that really bring down the level.



The Koopa (dead) that was here fires a shell at you. The problem is that unless you know he's there (and all first time players won't know ), that shell is going to get you.



This Lava Lotus set up is just tedious and annoying. This feels more like artificial difficulty and dragging the level out more than anything.



This is the last spot I got to before I just started using God Mode. My game started lagging like crazy (12 FPS) out of nowhere, and it would only happen in this section of the level around a bunch of enemies.



The number of hammer brothers in this area (alongside the lag) is awful.



The ON/OFF switches being invisible might not be the best idea. I hit the switch and I don't know if ON means the barrier is there or if ON means the barrier is gone. Have them visible possibly.

This is only some of the stuff I had issues with. The level is just a gauntlet of crazy difficult challenges that doesn't seem to end. Now I know you made a multiple midpoint thing (which I'll get to in a second), but just because it's there, doesn't justify making a crazy difficult level. It's not fun, and it just frustrates players (unless they really like this kind of difficulty), but I don't think we're trying to make the levels in this collab this unfair and hard.

I'm not saying a level can't be challenging, no challenge is just boring, but artificial and outrageous difficulty drains all enjoyablility

Okay, got that out.

Now,

e: (Photo removed at request of author, as it spoiled password)

I'm really surprised someone got a working password system in using only the level. Although it feels a bit slow to input the password, you did an awesome job with this. I do have a suggestion with the system itself.

So, yea I'm that
25th Other
guy who mixed up the rows and columns when using the password for the first time. Why not have the column be Letters of the alphabet (A,B,C,D,E) and the row be (1,2,3,4,5) or vice versa. Would make it easier for players to work with.

The level needs a lot of work, I'd say try and start from the beginning again and don't focus too much on trying to make a gauntlet challenge (most end up being more irritating than fun anyway).If you find the password system too hard to work around, discard it from the level.

Hopefully, my suggestions help,and sorry if I come off as a bit of a jerk at first, but I needed to point out the big issue I had with this stage. #smw{:TUP:}

Any questions, feel free to ask.
Oh, man! A review at long last! I was getting worried.
Well, first of all, I specifically asked for people NOT to spoil the passwords. You didn't need to show the first password to make your point.

--EDIT--
Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
e: (Photo removed at request of author, as it spoiled password)
Thank you!
--EDIT END--

Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
This level is just extremely frustrating to play. There's a bunch of annoying and unfair design decisions that really bring down the level.

...thought so. I wanted this to be difficult, but I also wanted it to be fair. I did try to go back and remove as much of the unfair design choices I made as I could before submitting the level, but I just knew I missed some (creator bias).

Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
The Koopa (dead) that was here fires a shell at you. The problem is that unless you know he's there (and all first time players won't know ), that shell is going to get you.

Okay, I fixed that. Thanks for letting me know.

Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25


This Lava Lotus set up is just tedious and annoying. This feels more like artificial difficulty and dragging the level out more than anything.

Wait, really? THAT of all things? I thought that was clever...


Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25


This is the last spot I got to before I just started using God Mode. My game started lagging like crazy (12 FPS) out of nowhere, and it would only happen in this section of the level around a bunch of enemies.
...why did it lag there? What computer are you using? There are only three geemers; I don't understand...

Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25


The number of hammer brothers in this area (alongside the lag) is awful.
Um, is that it? Are you saying that it would be perfectly fine if it weren't for the lag, or are you saying that I need to reduce the number of hammer bros? I fixed the lag by removing some geemers, but I'm still confused by this statement of yours.

Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25


The ON/OFF switches being invisible might not be the best idea. I hit the switch and I don't know if ON means the barrier is there or if ON means the barrier is gone. Have them visible possibly.

I actually did realize that the ON/OFF switches could be confusing, but I had already uploaded the level. The whole point of that section is that you need to look for the indicator blocks; I don't want it to be confusing, but I DO want them to be invisible. I did clarify that part in the update, so don't worry.

Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
This is only some of the stuff I had issues with.

Oh, no, please, do go on. If I don't know what mistakes I made, I won't be able to fix or learn from them.

Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
I know you made a multiple midpoint thing (which I'll get to in a second), but just because it's there, doesn't justify making a crazy difficult level.

You're right; my crazy difficult level can be justified WITHOUT the password system. #tb{^V^}

Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
Why not have the column be Letters of the alphabet (A,B,C,D,E) and the row be (1,2,3,4,5) or vice versa. Would make it easier for players to work with.

Because I don't know of any 16-bit styled fonts that would fit and I was too lazy to make my own. I could have used the 8-bit font from the early Mega Man games, but I didn't want my level to be accused of clash. Plus, I clearly state "blue number, then orange number."

Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
I needed to point out the big issue I had with this stage. #smw{:TUP:}

Wait, THE issue? Which one was that, again? I guess you're referring to the lag, which I can understand. Well, thanks again for the
incomplete (apparently)
review; I think I've fixed the problems you pointed out, but you may want to double check (preferably without using God Mode).

--EDIT--
Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
If you find the password system too hard to work around, discard it from the level.

Wait, what gave you that idea? Do you have problems with it (other than it being a bit slow)? I made it, I think I can find a way to make it work. Also, it's kinda the entire point of the level, and that's why I want to make sure this level doesn't have any errors; I want people to focus more on the functionality of the password system rather than the level itself. That's also why I want the level to be a bit of a challenge; that way, people will have more incentive to use the password system rather than it simply being a novelty that's ultimately glanced over.
Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25

This is only some of the stuff I had issues with.

Oh, no, please, do go on. If I don't know what mistakes I made, I won't be able to fix or learn from them.


I do plan on doing a lot more testing of this level and posting a full review, but in the meantime I'll answer what I can.

Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
...why did it lag there? What computer are you using? There are only three geemers; I don't understand...


Yeah, it's a bit weird. The lag only happens in certain spots in the Metroid-ish section. It stopped in the area with the three geemers when I played again, but the hammer brother section still lags.

Could still just be me though, depends on what others say about it.

Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
Um, is that it? Are you saying that it would be perfectly fine if it weren't for the lag, or are you saying that I need to reduce the number of hammer bros? I fixed the lag by removing some geemers, but I'm still confused by this statement of yours.


I believe the amount of hammer brothers might be causing the lag in that area. Maybe remove one or two Hammer Bro from there and it would cut the lag. You could also try making that area less flat, so it's not just a run across flat land. This could give you some interesting options with the enemies you use there.

Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
I actually did realize that the ON/OFF switches could be confusing, but I had already uploaded the level. The whole point of that section is that you need to look for the indicator blocks; I don't want it to be confusing, but I DO want them to be invisible. I did clarify that part in the update, so don't worry.


Finding the blocks wasn't the hard part, they can stay invisible. In fact, using different blocks as indicators was a good idea.

What I'm trying to say is.... okay

There's that one switch that's a good distance away and you have to fight your way through the "donut blasters" [ring shooters?] (don't know the official name). Anyway when you hit that switch, I would suggest something along the lines of THIS

There would be a block somewhere in the ceiling identical to that of the gate, that would only appear if the barrier was still there. This avoids the possibilities of confusion for the player as to whether or not the barrier is open (there are plenty of people who will accidentally hit the switch twice by complete accident and not know it).

Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
Because I don't know of any 16-bit styled fonts that would fit and I was too lazy to make my own. I could have used the 8-bit font from the early Mega Man games, but I didn't want my level to be accused of clash. Plus, I clearly state "blue number, then orange number."


It does pay to read the sign instead of quickly skimming over it #smw{-_-2} My bad.

Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
You're right; my crazy difficult level can be justified WITHOUT the password system. #tb{^V^}


Not what I meant, lol. I meant that even though the level does have the neat multi-midway implementation, it doesn't make the level anymore bearable if it's difficulty is a bit crazy.

Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
Wait, THE issue? Which one was that, again? I guess you're referring to the lag, which I can understand.


The lag and the difficulty in some areas is what I meant.

Good to see you are taking some of my suggestions, I'll try to give you a full review as soon as I can.

Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
(preferably without using God Mode).


I'll do my best #smw{^_^;}

Again, any questions/comments, don't hesitate to ask.
Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
the hammer brother section still lags.

Could still just be me though, depends on what others say about it.


I think I found your problem:

I don't believe you downloaded the update. It says "Downloads: 0"


Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
You could also try making that area less flat, so it's not just a run across flat land. This could give you some interesting options with the enemies you use there.

Yeah, the flatness of that part does bug me, thought I'm still not entirely sure how to go about changing it. I'm sure I'll think of something, though.

--EDIT--
So, it turns out that the first update still says "Downloads: 0" so I decided to go ahead and add some blocks to that area. Let me know how well that turned out. If it turns out that you did download the first update, then it will confirm my theory that MediaFire can't count.
--END EDIT--

Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
There's that one switch that's a good distance away and you have to fight your way through the "donut blasters" [ring shooters?] (don't know the official name).

Rinkas (I saw it in the SMBX GFX pack).

Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
There would be a block somewhere in the ceiling identical to that of the gate, that would only appear if the barrier was still there. This avoids the possibilities of confusion for the player as to whether or not the barrier is open (there are plenty of people who will accidentally hit the switch twice by complete accident and not know it).

In the update, the Billy Gun specifically states that the switches need to be ON. I don't know how that can be misinterpreted. If the issue persists, I will follow your advice.

Originally posted by TheOtherGuy25
Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
You're right; my crazy difficult level can be justified WITHOUT the password system. #tb{^V^}


Not what I meant, lol.
I know, I know. Just remember: when writing reviews, be as specific as possible; leave no room for misinterpretation. Reread what you've written and make sure you're saying exactly what you mean. Make sure your explanations are thorough and understandable (also, be sure to provide explanations in the first place). I'd give your first review a 3/10 because of the sheer amount of vague statements you made (also, it being unfinished), even though you did a good job at pointing out design flaws at first. Plus, you spoiled the first password when I asked people not to (should I have been more specific?). Now that you've clarified some of your statements, you're at around a 5/10 (it's still unfinished). I could see you writing an 8-9/10 review if you manage to finish it.

--EDIT--
Hopefully, my suggestions help,and sorry if I came of as a bit of a jerk, but I needed to point out the big issue I had with your review. #smw{:TUP:} Your reviews have been pretty helpful, and I was just hoping to get more of your advice, especially since I haven't gotten any other reviews...
Okay, I just finished playing Castle Rush (an accepted level given bonus status), and other than the unintuitive backtracking needed for the second star, it wasn't a hard level; I only died a couple of times for each star. I'm worried my level might be deemed too difficult for the collaboration if that is the kind of level that gets bonus status...hopefully not, though...

--EDIT--

Castle Rush has been moved to World 4, so I feel more confident that my level will be accepted.
This level is interesting. I see that you were going for a marathon level, but most of the sections are too hard/frustating/poorly designed for that. This results in making the level not that fun to play, even though there are some sections which are enjoyable.

The password system is impressive, but having to enter the password many times can get annoying. This doesn't need to be a problem, but most sections are difficult, and people have to enter the password a lot. Also, sometimes the ball on the fifth x-coördinate just wouldn't "activate", but the others would, leaving me unable to enter the password and having to play the first sections again (or die and try again). In general you should also reconsider putting more powerups in the section, or giving higher tier powerups at the beginning.

Before I will get to each of the sections individually, I also want to point out that a thirty minute song of 28 MB is too big. I get it that you don't want the music to loop in the level, but 28 MB is pretty big. It also isn't a big deal (in my opinion) that the music loops, even if it doesn't sound that great.

I played each section individually (I cheated and gave myself warps to the start of each section to test them better), and gave myself two mushrooms at the start of each section. I managed to beat almost every section this way. Even when I played this level legitimately, I only managed to get to the first password (actually the fifth section), starting with tanooki suit and hammer suit.
The sections are numbered in the order in which they appear when you play the level.

Section 1, Grassy Grasslands:
It's pretty standard for the starting section. It's not the best but not the worst. There are a few things I like to point out:
- The lava lotus setup is still a bit annoying. Working your way to where Mario is in the picture is no problem, but the jump up there (indicated by the red arrow) is annoying. The hitbox of the lava lotus doesn't give much let, and you also have to simulataniously dodge the pollen.

I suggest that you move the left lava to a new platform above the last row.

A bit more minor:
- The shells in the beginning sometimes destroy each other, but other times they don't. I don't know what you where going for, but the shells in the beginning can be unpredictable (But nothing to worse that can't be learned with a bit of practice).

Section 2, Metroidville:
Even though I didn't experience much lag in this section, it still has some flaws:
- First look at this jump to the left:

The only way I could manage this jump was by spinjump on the spike top. While this is doable, it can be quite tricky. Also, the first time players come around there, they might not realise that they can't make the jump otherwise, and fall in the hole, having to start all over again.
- The section towards the locked door still feels a bit spammed with hammer bros. A few less wouldn't hurt.
- You could reduce the amount of spike tops in the rinka section. The structure of the level makes the way back already difficult, but the spike tops slow you down, as you can't get past them most of the time.

It might be an idea to swap the ON/OFF switches with invisible blocks that activate an event on hit that removes one wall. This way, it doesn't matter if the switch needs to be on or off. It's hit once, the wall dissappeared and the player can progress.

But I must say:
The switch above the bullet bill cannon was nicely hidden.


Section 3, SMW Castle:
This section was actually pretty alright. It was a bit cramped at places, and maybe a bit short (not that I'm complaining about that), but overall it was nice. But the Ludwig on the pipe was a bit random, and when you hit him once, you could easily defeat him by timing your jumps with his invincibility frames. I liked what you did in section 6 and 12 better. The Bowser was simple yet effective. Maybe you can use him here also and add an extra enemy in section 6 or something.

Section 4, Two Jumps:
I also enjoyed this section, once I knew what I had to do. The only real downside are the two ambushes of the buster beetles with shells. I mean, you just cleared the third section, are about to get your first password, when you get hit by a shell out of the blue and have to start all over again. That is not cool. You should remove the first buster beetle. You can also remove the second buster beetle, but you can also move it more to the right, so that it has to walk to the shell, which gives the player more time to react. It would also be nice if you gave the player a bit more room to land. I feel that the jumps have to be almost perfect at this point.

Section 5, Underground Bombardement:
This is one of the sections that gave me the most trouble. This mainly came because I had to backtrack to get the bomb to blow up the wall. It's a nice idea, but not very well executed. In order to bring the bomb to the wall, you need to destroy most of the plants, otherwise you're going to have to take a hit. The only way to destroy the plants is with the bombs (assuming you destroyed the shell and don't have any other powerups), which means you have to backtrack back every time to get a bomb. And if you die here (or later on), you have to do it all over again. This can get annoying really quick and kill the fun in a marathon level.
Some other, smaller things:
- When you start the section, you fall directly in a bomb generator. It would be better if you started on a platform somewhere safe.
- The shell from this buster beetle can be quite annoying and unpredictable. I would suggest replacing it with another enemy.
- The shell generator at the end isn't that great. You have to make speed for the running jump, but the shells get too much in the way, and there isn't much you can do about it.

On a more positive note, the poison mushroom section with the goombas was pretty nice.

Section 6, Fishy Castle:
This section was pretty good. Aside from the fish ambush in the beginning (although more easily avoided than the shell in section 4), it was pretty well designed. I really liked the Bowser on the end pipe.

Section 7, Albatross Heights:
This section starts out alright. The first jump is okay, and I like the stem gimmick. But from there it goes downhill:
- The ninji in the picture below is hard to avoid, because you can't see him before you make the jump. Especially for a first time player, but I never managed to get past it without taking damage.

I could have taken the snifit with me to protect me, but a first time player rarely thinks of that.
- The albatross part is pretty hard, and you only get one shot. If you mess that up, then you can't progress and have to kill yourself.
- I also didn't really like the bomb part, but I can't really pinpoint my problem. It might be that it came right after the albatross part.

Section 8, Digging Galore:
This sections wasn't as special. Just your standard digging section, with a bit of red snifit spam in the middle. Also this gray snifit glitches out:

It jumps into the ceiling, and gets propelled to the right. Also, its bullets keep looping, and possibly making you force to take a hit, if you weren't fast enough with the red snifits.

Section 9, Mouser's Castle:
This section feels pretty bland to me. Nothing to special is happening. And the Mouser Boss at the end is also trivial. You can just stand on the star, and grab the bombs to throw them back at him. You only have to watch out for one sparky. This section is just kind of there.

Section 10, Venus Hills:
Again, we get amushed at the beginning. This time by a paragoomba. Although it isn't as bad as the shell in section 4, I still suggest removing it. Furthermore the section has potential, but doesn't quite get it. When you ride the airship, all the venus firetraps miss you. Your only enemies are the parakoopas. However, the fireballs become a problem when you want to jump of the airship. They may force you to take a hit (depending on the angle at which they are shot), especially when you haven't defeated the parakoopas yet. I suggest lowering the hill of the exit platform. This would also solve the following problem, where this cannon is just stuck in the wall:

There is also a ambush by a buster beetle after this bullet jump, but somehow I didn't have that much trouble with it. But you could move the buster beetle a bit to the right.

Section 11, Generator Madness:
This was the worst section in my opinion. It's just a bunch of generator pipes spawning too many enemies. It gets really crowded really fast, and the screen wrap makes everything even more unpredictable. The lakitus were especially annoying. You can stomp them, but if you miss them, they just create more havoc.
Furthermore, you have to swim for a part, and Mario becomes less mobile underwater. This makes dodging everything more problematic. There were also some fish underwater, which somehow got stuck in the pipes and were catapulting to the right for the rest of the time.

Section 12, Final Castle:
This last section was pretty nice again. The jumps were difficult, but interesting. Maybe a bit more room to land would be nice, but overall it was fine. A minor downside is the invisible maze. The maze didn't add anything. Apart from that the section was fine.

An overview:
Good sections with minor errors: 3, 4, 6, 12
Ok sections: 1, 9
Meh sections: 8, 10
Poor sections: 2, 5, 7, 11

Overall, some sections were nice, with some small things, but most of the sections were frustating. Which kills the fun in a marathon level. The fact that it takes some time to insert the password doesn't help if you die to one of the unfair ambushes. It might be a good idea to give some more powerups throughout the sections, and making them easier in general.

On a different note, Castle Rush was originally placed in the Bonus world because of its uniqueness, even though it would have been too easy for the post game.

I hope this review was helpful, and any comments and questions are welcome.
Finally, a full review! Thanks! You even named the different sections, which I thought was kinda funny. I'll see if I can fix what you pointed out over the next few days.

I will go ahead and say a few things now, though:

--I don't really know what the problem is with the password not working occasionally; my brother had the same issue when he played the level. Maybe if I extend the delay, it will stop messing up...

--The beginning shells are NOT supposed to kill each other, and that never happened to me until I swapped them out with the unused shell kickers (so that the normal ones could be sprite-swapped as Buster Beetles to prevent clash in the SMB1 and SMB3 sections) and sent the level to my brother. It will take a bit of experimenting to get that to work again...

--That jump in Metroidville can be made by performing a running-duck-jump (though I'll probably change it later anyway).

--All of the sections are supposed to be "a bit short" due to the difficulty, but I guess you were saying that the third section was noticeably shorter than the others. I might add some stuff to that section since you brought that up.

--The Ludwig on the pipe is meant to be a relatively easy precursor to what happens in the later sections since the player can either kill it or run under it (also: to prevent clashing).

--I seriously thought that first-time players had enough time to dodge the first shell in Section 4 since it is kicked and ricochets toward the player for at least a full second. I guess I'll have to move the buster beetle a unit to the right...

--When you refer to "the fish ambush in the beginning" of Section 6, are you referring to any specific part, or the entire area?

--Maybe I could add some kind of indicator background for the Albatrosses so that it's less of a guessing game; what do you think?

--For the digging section, I kinda wanted something that would slowly build up if you took too long (but where it's in plain view and allow the player to realize "oh crap, if I take too long, that Snifit's bullets will clog up the way forward!). Maybe I'll just replace the grey Snifit with a blue one and see how that turns out.

--I completely agree with you on Section 9 (I removed some sparks when I realized that TheOtherGuy25 had frameskip issues on the Metroid section). I'll really have to think of something to do there.

--I'll see what I can do about those Venus Fire-traps.

--The cannon is supposed to be in the wall; that way, it's level with the player and allows the player to easily time his/her jumps (in theory). However, I'll see what I can do about that when I update the level.

--You didn't like section 11? Awww...I was quite proud of that section. I guess I'll have to replace some of the generators with normal enemies.

--You're right; I'll have to replace the invisible maze with something.

--EDIT--

Hey, the Buster Beetle in Section 11 already is one unit away from the shell! I suppose that just isn't enough, though...*sigh*
Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
--All of the sections are supposed to be "a bit short" due to the difficulty, but I guess you were saying that the third section was noticeably shorter than the others. I might add some stuff to that section since you brought that up.

It's good that you try to make the sections short, although 2 and to some lesser extend 5 were pretty big. Section 3 was indeed noticeably shorter than the others, but don't go overboard and make it too long.

Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
--I seriously thought that first-time players had enough time to dodge the first shell in Section 4 since it is kicked and ricochets toward the player for at least a full second. I guess I'll have to move the buster beetle a unit to the right...

It might be that you have enough time, but the first time I didn't expect the shell to bounce up the way it did. Also, this is just my computer, but sometimes I do have some lag spikes. This happens in every level, and it also happened a few times in the transition from section 3 to 4. So sometimes I just died before I really saw what was going on. I suggest removing the Buster Beetle and shell completely.

Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
--When you refer to "the fish ambush in the beginning" of Section 6, are you referring to any specific part, or the entire area?

I mean the first fish that tries to hit you when you come out of the pipe. The rest of the section was fine.

Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
--Maybe I could add some kind of indicator background for the Albatrosses so that it's less of a guessing game; what do you think?

I honestly didn't really like the albatross part, and I don't think that a coin or background indicator would really help. Maybe you can expand more on the stem gimmick, or make the albatross jumps simpler in general.

Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
--The cannon is supposed to be in the wall; that way, it's level with the player and allows the player to easily time his/her jumps (in theory). However, I'll see what I can do about that when I update the level.

There is nothing wrong with the position of the cannon, it's just that it's stuck in the wall. Just free a tile for it and it looks nicer. Although I believe you miss the cornerblocks in that tileset, but if you want I can make them for you (it's a simple sprite edit).

Originally posted by Imaynotbehere4long
Hey, the Buster Beetle in Section 11 already is one unit away from the shell! I suppose that just isn't enough, though...*sigh*

I think you mean the Buster Beetle in section 10 (section 11 doesn't have one that isn't generated). And I thought I mentioned that that one was somehow better. Moving it a bit more to the right might still be a good idea, though.

There is also a small thing I forgot to mention in my original review. Namely that the lava in section 1 and 7 is a bit out of place. It might be better to switch it with munchers.
THE DEED IS DONE! Check the first post for the new update.

Originally posted by Blue Leaf
It's good that you try to make the sections short, although 2 and to some lesser extend 5 were pretty big.


Section 2 was intentionally longer because, come on, it's Metroid styled; what is Metroid without branching paths and multiple objectives? #tb{:D}


Originally posted by Blue Leaf
Also, this is just my computer, but sometimes I do have some lag spikes.


No, it's not just you. I know for a fact that mine lags a bit during the transition from the password screen (though that may be because I used an extended song), and even occasionally during other levels. It may be worse on your computer, but you're not alone.

Originally posted by Blue Leaf
There is also a small thing I forgot to mention in my original review. Namely that the lava in section 1 and 7 is a bit out of place.

...well, crap. Hopefully, that won't be too much of an issue to keep it from being accepted.

--EDIT--

Hopefully, Aeon won't be too upset that he'll have to moderate my level from the beginning again; he has been moderating the previous update for over two months.
Well, I had quite some trouble with this level, but after a few tries I managed to complete it. And I must say; it is quite interesting. The small sections were pretty nicely done, each having a small challenge (it would be awesome if each one was a small reference to a previous level in the project... I might look at making a few extra levels, but considering it has 12 challenge sections it might be a bit hard ^^').

A few things I noted when playing through the level:

-This one Buster Beetle placement feels a bit weird to me; it seems easy enough to dodge, but during my first playthough it was pretty much a blind hit actually. Apparently it was already mentioned by Blue Leaf and that part was already edited a bit, but maybe moving it a bit more to the right would be nice, even if only one/two tiles. It might be just me, though.

-While the albatross part was fine, I still feel like it could be changed to something more natural. Giant walls of flying albatrosses just doesn't look right, to be honest.

Other than that, the level was nice, and would fit nicely as a small extra challenge after the main levels.
Originally posted by Aeon
it would be awesome if each one was a small reference to a previous level in the project... I might look at making a few extra levels, but considering it has 12 challenge sections it might be a bit hard ^^'


Good luck with that. #tb{:D}

Originally posted by Aeon
-This one Buster Beetle placement feels a bit weird to me; it seems easy enough to dodge, but during my first playthough it was pretty much a blind hit actually. Apparently it was already mentioned by Blue Leaf and that part was already edited a bit, but maybe moving it a bit more to the right would be nice, even if only one/two tiles. It might be just me, though.

Oh, okay; I'll move it for the next update.

Originally posted by Aeon
-While the albatross part was fine, I still feel like it could be changed to something more natural. Giant walls of flying albatrosses just doesn't look right, to be honest.

What would you recommend I replace them with? I don't think there are many SMB2 enemies that just fly in a straight line like Albatrosses. Would it be okay if I just removed every second one in a column, with the exception of lone pairs (like the third and semi-final columns)?

Originally posted by Aeon
Other than that, the level was nice, and would fit nicely as a small extra challenge after the main levels.


So, are you saying that all I have to do is change those two issues and my level will be accepted? All right!

Though I'd like an answer for my Albatross question before the next update, if you don't mind.
There was some enemy flying on a carpet (I don't remember its name). You can change a flying Paratroopa into it if you can. They could chase you or something like that.
@ Wormer21:

That wouldn't be the same. Plus, I already have a part where the player has to avoid Chase-AI Paratroopas, so it would just come off as repetitive.
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Well, I was hoping for a bit more guidance on what to do with the Albatross section (especially since moving the bottom ones up by half a unit can allow the player to break that part by ducking on a generated Albatross), but since I didn't get any worthwile suggestions (and especially since Aeon only complained about it visually), I decided to leave well-enough alone and change the Buster Beetle part. Hopefully, that will be enough. Link is in the first post.

P.S. If SMWCX will be a hub-based episode, I would appreciate it if the entrance to my level is the same star-and-pipe formation that links my level's sections together.
Yeah, the level is fine now. Accepted!
I DID IT!! I finally figured out why the passwords would sometimes fail!

Basically, if you're holding a sphere when you get a mushroom, the layer attached to that sphere will cease to exist, so what I did was moved the mushrooms from the password screen to the start of the sections that the passwords lead to. That's all I changed. The download link is here:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/58fqmcdl7dqbw33/Password_-_Update_4.zip