Language…
18 users online:  Ahrion, Anas, anonimzwx, autisticsceptile1993, Batata Douce, codfish1002, Foxy_9000_, Hammerer, LuigiTron, magianegra21, Mario's GameBase, Maw, NewPointless, playagmes169, ppp9q, sinseiga, Sokobansolver, The_Uber_Camper - Guests: 264 - Bots: 359
Users: 64,795 (2,376 active)
Latest user: mathew

Super Mario +-Infinity (SM+-I2 released!)

Standard

Greetings from Long Beach, California! I just flew in from Dimension IC-57, and boy are my...boy does my interdimensional starship need some fuel.

You might have heard me talking about this or looked at it in my profile. Basically, I've given Super Mario Infinity its truly final revision, and I'm about to begin SMI2 as well (which is why I removed it from the hacks section). Here's the (almost) full list of changes I've made:

*Added custom music.
*Composed a main theme song entitled "Infinity". It's the music that plays on the title screen as well as during the credits. SMW doesn't support vocals, so the lyrics are included in a text file if anyone's interested.
*Changed some of the level structure. Not drastically, but I've made some levels a bit easier and others less frustrating, so the hack is still very difficult, but certainly beatable without savestates (with patience).
*Removed Wacky Woods 4, so Wacky Woods 5 is the new Wacky Woods 4. WW4 glitched somehow when the revision was almost done. It was my least favorite level in the game, however, so you're not missing much. To compensate for the loss, I added a secret exit in the Desert Ghost House.
*Included a new final boss and a revamped credits. The second Bowser fight could be very unfair if you didn't already know about the side exit, so you now defeat him in a different way. Also, Mario and Luigi save Peach at Bowser's Tower rather than at Testing Track (that area of the plot was a bit confusing to begin with), and the credits are only displayed after the true final level-heck, the game's got a direct sequel, it shouldn't have a false ending.

There's some other minor changes I've made to various things as well. Since this is the final version of SMI, feel free to do and say whatever you want about it. Praise it, bash it, add some lemons of your own, whatever. Also, as far as I know this version should be bugfree (the glitch where Mario warps to different parts of the overworld is gone now. I don't know why it came up in the first place, or how it fixed itself, but hey, it's nice), but if anyone discovers a glitch, tell me about and I'll fix it ASAP.

So, what are your thoughts on this revision, that I've titled Super Mario +-Infinity to represent positive AND negative Infinity? Everything there is, basically (I was tempted to call it something like the SuperHyperUltraSpicyMegaCoolLegato revision, but I resisted). I'll be posting updates on "SM+-I2" in this thread as well.
I hope this isn't a joke... D:

This might make SNN and I happy. For starters, the main things we hated with the last version were:

1: VERY bad palettes in most of the Wacky Woods levels. D: (Seriously, the white treetops burned our eyes in some places...)
2: Merry Meadows Ghost House = DON'T GET MIDWAY. If you do, and die, Layer 2 won't rise up, so it's kinda game-breaking...
3: NO MIDWAY IN GLACIER MOUNTAIN. Or whatever the first level of that world was called. We hated that long level. :(

...that's as far as we got...I forget if there's othe- OH RIGHT. We also hated Castle #5 due to the annoying backtracking, and it was too easy to get hit or die in the rising/falling Layer 2 part, with the spikes... I hope you fixed these things! :D

Mind if we have any pics of any level design changes, please? :D
<Adam> I feel like smwc is a prostitute now, because we put up a porn ad for money
Originally posted by Lucario
I hope this isn't a joke... D:

The effects of SMI3 are still being felt, huh? :P

Problem is...I'm on vacation and don't have access to my server where I upload the files. I uploaded them to the hack's page as a work-around, so 18 screenshots galore. Here's the ones I want to point out.


I've made some modifications to the levels such as this. If you fall from the platform, you'll land on the bridge rather than dropping into the water. This is the second level, for reference.


An overworld shot showing the secret exit of the Desert Ghost House. I should remove this eventually. Spoilers. :o


Eh...I don't see what's so eye-searing about this. >_>


Playing through this level took me 18 tries because of those annoying fireballs, so they're heavily reduced here. Also the background near the acid doesn't form a scenery hole.


This area was cluttered with enemies a bit, making it hard to carry the P-Switch, so it's more evened out now. The sensitive bricks still are a nice challenge with the switch.


This maneuver isn't too difficult.


...Yeah.


There isn't a midpoint in Glacier Mountain, but I did fix some things like adding coins to pretty much all of the game's blind jumps.


One midpoint wasn't enough for this level.


Bowser's Boiler 4 was, in my opinion, the most unfair level in the entire game. It's recieved a facelift, with coins and clear indications of what you should do.

That's pretty much the idea with the level changes. Not so geared toward difficulty, as frustration and the general feeling of the player. This would also be a good moment for anyone who hasn't played the game to jump on-also for people who quit early because of frustration.

Also, I'm currently having a bit of a problem with SMI2-the screen-scrolling pipes and custom music seem to not be getting along well. I'm not really sure what's causing the problem. Anyone know how to get both?
Originally posted by Reading

Eh...I don't see what's so eye-searing about this. >_>

>__< I really, really, REALLY hate that palette. Different people might respond differently to different colors. I think the problem here is the treetop is EXTREMELY bright. Just ask SNN for more if you want... I can't really describe it 'cause we were netplaying the game, and we wanted out of those levels ASAP. D:
<Adam> I feel like smwc is a prostitute now, because we put up a porn ad for money
Loving this update, Reading. As Lucario said, when he and I tried to play through with no save states, some of the levels were completely ridiculous. We finally gave up at Glacier Mountain, because the level seemed very, very unfair towards the end (tunnel part). Roy's Castle was next to impossible too, so glad to see you fixed that.

This might be the push we need to play through this again.
I actually can't remember if I changed that part of Glacier Mountain at all. :P Weird. Well, all you really have to do is wait for the Spike Tops to pass.

I think I've figured out how to tone down the colors of the white treetops, but I can't put more screenshots up. :( Unless I just added them to the hack's page, but that would clutter up space and provide innacurate screenshots, so...uh...

If there are any more gameplay complaints, as in sheer unfairness and not actual difficulty, tell me about those as well as any bugs you guys might find.
Does this version by any chance fix the vacuum-pipes-occasionally-kill-you-for-no-reason glitch?
The only situation in which they can kill you is if you enter a pipe containing a Piranha Plant or if you enter one while the platform you're on is too close and you get smashed (can occur in Dark Depths).
Desert Dust 3...

This level really pissed me off. The problem is, The BG looks too much like the FG. Maybe you could improve on that. :/
Exactly what advantages do the vacuum pipes have over SMB3 pipes, anyway? They always felt like a cheap, black market knock off of the latter which could never hope to pass a safety inspection. I suspect there was likely some bribery and corner-cutting going on at the Sea Spot Bureau of Transportation (perhaps this could make for an interesting subplot?).
Simple: The SMB3 pipes did not exist at the time I created SMI1. ;) All the pages of Map16 are filled up, so I can't overwrite anything with pipes if I want to insert them.

Actually, as implied in the game, Sea Spot is pretty much devoid of permanent residents, bar its true natives, so I guess the islands hadn't come in contact with technology until Bowser arrived. Those pipes are 16th-or-so century, I suppose. ^^

Pretty strange things happening with SMI2 lately. I finally got the SMB3 pipes and custom music agreeing with each other by first putting the pipes into a clean SMW ROM and then inserting the music. After I applied 10+ patches, made some hex changes, and inserted more music, however, the pipes ceased to work. I suspect it has nothing to do with the former two aspects and everything to do with the latter, meaning the music I insert is what I'm stuck with, meaning...I can only insert it once. Guess I'll have to do that once I'm sure what music I'll insert, or...something. If anyone knows about the technical works of how this goes, I'd appreciate some help. :/

EDIT: Actually, maybe it's the BlockTool blocks?
There's a glitch in Crystal Chemicals 4.When you enter the pipe,you get taken to a screen with the music used in the Final Bowser fight in SMW and cant continue.The level is impossible to beat this way.Hope you can fix it.
That problem isn't happening to me. Although, that room did glitch at one point, so I made the pipe go to a different level (that still looked the same) and it was fine. I suspect that's the problem.

Perhaps it's the emulator you're using. Some hacks like tSRP2 have problems with ZSNES 1.42 and the like. Try finding a different emulator and see how that works.

Also, I can't believe I didn't see the problem with the custom music and pipes! I forgot to extend the BlockTool Anti-Slowdown patch to include the tiles used by the SMB3 pipes. It's all working now. ;)
Originally posted by Reading
BlockTool Anti-Slowdown patch

Why not just use Smkdan's blocktool?
I've played up through Galatic Glacier thus far, and have not on the whole been disappointed. The music choice adds a surprising amount of atmosphere, and gives a more distinctly epic feel to the game. The hack also seems far less difficult than I remember, though how much of this is due to alterations and how much is due to having used a keyboard the first time is difficult to estimate.

That said:



This stuck out as one of the most frustrating points in the game during my first playthrough, and it proved no easier this time. Even at the flying block's zenith, the note blocks are just out of range of our heroes' standing jumps, and atop the tiny, arcing platform it's almost impossible to build up sufficient momentum while still fitting through the one-block-wide gap. In the end one is simply driven to jump into the munchers in frustration, re-enter the stage with a cape, and fly up there.

Speaking of flying...



In Galatic Glacier 5, there exists an area where Mario and Luigi may develop an urge to fly over a wall in search of fun secrets. As our heroes are just moments before treated to a feather, they have all the means necessary to act on this desire. But should they choose to do so...



They may find themselves tumbling into an unexpected gap, from which, once entered, there is no escape! There they shall remain for the rest of eternity, without so much as the sweet release of a time-up to free them from their misery. Who could have predicted such an ignominious end for our once-illustrious heroes?

Also, with regard to the plot, there's something I still don't quite understand... (spoilahs)

In the sixth castle, we learn that the messages ostensibly from the Koopa Kids were in fact left by the natives...However, this seems rather at odds with the actual content of the messages, which tends to things like "This sure was a brilliant plan of ours, eh?", "Those natives sure are annoying!" and "We cannot allow Maro and Luigi to get through!" Why would the natives bother to risk their lives to leave messages like that, rather than something more helpful? And as each message was left in the very castle of its alleged author (often right outside their chamber door), surely one of the Koopa Kids should have noticed one and thought, "Saaaay...I don't remember writing that..."


Originally posted by Rameau's Nephew


Oh, yeah. Now I remember why I never finished this game...
I see you still have the ugly sand/ground used in Sea Spot 3. :/
Edit: SMW music and new music doesn't fit together much...
I just uploaded an update to fix the problems RN was talking about, as well as another bug involving the text that appears when you save Peach.

In response to RN's spoiler question...

Spoiler: As revealed in Roy's Castle, Bowser used the power of the Magic Wand to prevent the natives from giving the Mario Bros. information. However, as detailed in SMI2, the spell had begun to wear off by the time Mario and Luigi reached the islands. They pretended to write as the Koopa Kids so no one would suspect them if they happened to find the message, and they presumably did this as Mario and Luigi explored, so the Koopa Kids didn't see them because they hadn't been there until that point. Something to that effect, anyway...


Originally posted by Waweegee
Why not just use Smkdan's blocktool?

Well, it won't make a difference now. :P

Originally posted by Waweegee
I see you still have the ugly sand/ground used in Sea Spot 3. :/
Edit: SMW music and new music doesn't fit together much...


Two things I don't really understand. I have no clue why a lot of people hate that foreground-it looks very nice in my opinion, and seems to represent grains or tiny pieces of something, such as bits of grass and dirt as in Sea Spot 3. I also don't know why people don't like SMW and new music together. If this were a completely new game, rather than a modified SMW, would you mind hearing some SMW tunes along with some from other games? SMW is just another game to take music from, or in this case, leave it in.
Originally posted by Reading
Two things I don't really understand. I have no clue why a lot of people hate that foreground-it looks very nice in my opinion, and seems to represent grains or tiny pieces of something, such as bits of grass and dirt as in Sea Spot 3.

It looks like the glitchy graphics you get when you do the whole ExGFX 3BPP to 4BPP thing that I forgot the specifics of, but with a better palette than what appears when you ruin the graphics.
I dont know if it's the emulator but when I try getting to the secret exit in Ocean Outback 3 in the room with the coins,the game freezes up.Should it do that?Or is that not where the secret exit is.

Standard