World 1 Playtest Review
Emulator Used: Bsnes
ROM version: Last updated 2020-07-25
General Comments: The hack looks pretty good! The work here has been enormous and I must congratulate everyone in this project. All the little nuances I'll comment in here are just opinions on certain aspects of the levels to comment and debate upon. With all the problems Ill try to provide a solution of my own. Given the formalities, let's start rocking!
Level 002: Girder Grasslands
The first level feels really great to start and discover the new fresh and amazing aesthetics. The music fits perfectly and it does really make a great job to welcome you in this new adventure. I have seen that this level serves a bit as a tutorial for the basic things.
Level 003: Plateau Pumps
No apparent problems. I would change the cascade tiles to act as air instead of simply water, as in some situations you can get stuck on the bottom of the pumps (Also, it feels strange too)
After the midpoint there is a part with a flying bro:
I feel like the reward (coins at the top) it's just not enough for the high risk it means to actually killing him. I would just put an incentive (1up, maybe a big SMW coin) in there so players don't straight up ignore the spot.
Level 004: Hiker's Hollow
There are some *minor* problems I have found in this level:
- The bug that some user said above, you can recreate it by loading the sprite off screen. The fish tries to go above water and during that time it just flips the head:
- The midway point idea of going back to the surface with pipes is really original, but at the moment it's a bit unclear where exactly this pipe is. It would precise an indication or something more visibly.
- Maybe the level should be a little bit shorter, as in a lot of times you explore it back and forth and some other parts are slow typed (like the climbing parts, swimming or simply falling)
- After repeating the level some more times, I think I found why the level "does not feel right at all": There is no main mechanic to explore. It's simply a cave level. It's not something wrong at all, but surely something to consider.
Level 005: Smoggy Steppe
The music is quite happy for the foggy swamp ambience. Probably changing to a more haunting soundtrack can give it the correct vibe.
Also, I feel like the midway point should be a little more to the right (Probably when you encounter yoshi), as the part that comes after is more difficult and you will probably die more times. Making the spawn closer to that difficult point can reduce frustration.
Level 006: Switch Scamper
If the super shell gets inside this hole, you get damaged each time you try to jump there.
The mechanics of this level are really interesting! Although some things can be improved:
- If you get stuck in one of this blocks, they will instantly kill you. Idk if there is a way to try to solve that.
Personally, the level should be more centered around the single mechanic of P Blocks, which as said is really interesting. The ON/OFF mechanic which is also pretty extense can be saved for other levels so the gameplay is kept fresh.
This part can be a little bit frustrating for newcomers. The timins are alright, but the movement of Mario is really bizarre in SMW compared to other games (Way more slippery). Just to keep in mind.
Finally, I don't really know what was this for ^^'
Level 007: Velocity Valves
Really NICE start where a Koopa shoots a shell to a valve! Explains how valves work without any text. Really good job design wise
This valve does not throw air?
This can be a bit frustrating. It’s difficult to get the timing right and if you don’t get it you have to wait another full cycle. You can maintain A pressed to make a jump and then stand still. You will get the boost without needing to jump at the last frame.
Also, the coin on this part requires you to do a perfect jump and concatenate different valves. Failing the process implies you need to redo all this part again. I couldn’t get there… I don’t know if it’s meant to be really complicated or something, but It was quite frustrating to jump all over again (And sometimes even falling into the void)
Needless to say, the mechanic of air pump is amazing! Great idea ^^
Level 008: Countdown Camper
Not much to say. Really interesting and improved switch palace! The music rocks!
Level 009: Reclaimed Refinery
Really fun level! The boss rocks! And the inverse contracting platform mechanic introduced seems pretty cool.