Originally posted by yv64nHow do I capture the feeling of the original SMW level design? Im trying to make a Return to Dinosaur Land type hack, and I can't seem to get the style down. I'm analyzing the levels, and I'm thinking how much of it is just the fact that it's the official game, and the nostalgia that comes with it. Obviously theyre really good designers, but if Yoshi's Island 1 wasnt in the original game, and was a hack level instead, would it still have the official feeling quality it does? Donut Ghost House, at least the first part is just some platforms, with a boo celing, and it also has that official nintendo quality to it, yet it doesnt seem that much more fancy than something you'd see in a rom hack. Return to Dinosaur Land is a super ancient hack, so it kinda has the same nostalgia effect, since it's like one of the earlier larger full hacks. To go back to SMW, Star Road 1 is an extremely romhack feeling level, Just a bunch of turn blocks you have to break, but it also has this official quality to it. Is it even possible to get this authentic nintendo feel, when it's not made by nintendo? I'm not gonna give up, but I wonder how much of it really is some secret hidden level design philosophy, or the nostalgia of it. Probably a mix of both.
Nintendo's design ethos for 2D Marios seems to follow a pattern like this:
Introduce element -> give you safe place to use element -> remove safety to challenge the player
Donut Plains 1 is a great example of this. You are given a chance to get a cape almost immediately, and given a lot of flat ground to get the speed to fly with. Even if you don't figure out you can fly yet, and only notice the cape flick, the very next enemy you come across is Pitchin' Chuck, who's projectiles and also himself are destroyed by cape flicks. If you haven't gotten the hang of flight by the midway point, a bonus area exists that is just a tutorial of flight with no danger except running out of time. After that the level is more densely populated with enemies that are set up to die to cape flicks or just be flown over.
A little earlier in the game, Yoshi's Island 2 is another example. You are given Yoshi on a screen with no other dangers (unless you lured them over). You are immediately presented with a chance to eat berries and try out Koopa Shell mechanics. Right after that is Chargin' Chuck, an enemy Yoshi can't defeat without using a shell. This level is also set up with lots of flat ground, so if you're hit Yoshi won't fall into a pit easily and you can go catch up to him with little effort.
Even as late as Valley of Bowser 4 you are still introduced to things like this. Diggin' Chuck is right at the start of the level, put there in a way you can safely observe his behavior. Soon enough his placement gets more dangerous and harder to maneuver around.
For you Star World 1 example, that level is almost certainly designed to be played multiple times, aside from the fact it has a secret exit in it. If you enter the level without a cape, you are effectively restricted to drilling straight down from where you start spin jumping each time. There's hardly anything dangerous in the level either until you get further down. Trial and error is expected as you learn where things are, like the powerups, Dragon Coins, Red Yoshi and the Key and Keyhole. Given that it follows the design philosophy they have elsewhere, I wouldn't call this one rom hacky.
Now personally speaking I don't know if this kind of level design is going to speak to potential players, as the target audience of SMW rom hacks has already thoroughly played through the game enough to know its mechanics well. If you are introducing new mechanics like a rarely used custom sprite or something like a block that wont let you jump, you may introduce these concepts similarly to ensure the players would get it, but it probably wouldn't need the same level of coddling Nintendo does. Content found in the original game though would not need an introduction like this though.