Originally posted by Punk SarcophagusSomeone, enlighten me - what do kaizo testers, uhm, test for?
I would say Kaizo hacks are typically tested for:
Variety/Creativity: To use techniques or tricks that require the player to respond in different ways, particularly, different than what was required of the player earlier in the level or in other hacks. Repeating tricks that you've already used or copying something from other hacks is frowned upon
Difficulty: That the hack is actually difficult and thus would be considered "Kaizo". Too difficult, where you require slowdown, wall-jumps, etc. and your hack gets considered a "pit" hack (named after Moltov's Pit of Death and Pit of Despair). You also want to avoid artificial difficulty, which is a bit hard to define actually in the case of Kaizo hacks..
Breaks: It is common in Kaizo hacks for players to be able to "break" a level, in which obstacles are skipped or mitigated due to an oversight of the creator, or a glitch that the player can do. Thus, creators and players work to find and prevent these breaks.
Extra: Plot, graphics, and music are generally considered extra bonus fluff that nobody requires of Kaizo hacks. Custom code such as gameplay elements or sprites could be used for new level ideas and techniques, but are not necessary for people to enjoy a Kaizo hack.