Decided to play some more GAF levels, and avoid the treachery of 100-Mario Challenges...
My first real go at creating a level (after a few throw away attempts while getting used to the tools available):
Goobma Gaol 266D-0000-0044-90F6
I'm not a terribly great SMB player, so I wanted to make a level that felt like the right difficulty to me. Some challenge the first time around, a bit of verticality, a few secrets, but a level that you can cruise through once you've mastered it. I'm pretty happy with the end result.
Feedback is much appreciated!
I think you hit the spot you were going for. A couple sections you have to be wary of, but nothing too difficult. The level flows pretty well and feels cohesive as well. If I could make one small suggestion, I would say to close off the ceiling to the left of the entrance to the "bonus" area, it's a lot of empty space if you get up there and decide to explore. Also, not sure if intentional or not, but it is possible to get onto the roof of the 2nd half of the level. Might be worth sticking something up there for people that find a way up. Regardless of those things I think it's a nice level and good first effort.
Just got the game yesterday and just now finished my first course! It's just my attempt at a fairly simple classic-style Mario level. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
(775B-0000-0044-9C75)
(The level name is "Up and Across!")
Good job on your first level, it feels very natural. I'd put the difficulty somewhere around a mid-game difficulty for a standard Mario game. My two main thoughts:
-The two goomba in the raised platform section both seem dangerously placed. The first jumped down onto the moving lift, and the second was just about at the edge of the platform when I was jumping to it. This isn't bad, necessarily, but I wouldn't be surprised to see people dying to both due to limited chance to react.
-I can easily jump over the flagpole. Again, not bad really, but I think it pays to be aware of how players might abuse jumps.
(I feel like I'm being overly nitpicky with criticisms, just trying to point out things I notice as I play through... Moving on...)
Would appreciate if you could try mine out:
Title: B Sharp or B Flat
101E 0000 0044 520F
This was directed at someone else, but I couldn't resist a musical title. This level is definitely on the tricky side, though I think it befits a castle level. For some of the jumps it's better to move fast rather than wait, so after a couple deaths to retry things the level feel like it flows better. I thought the hidden area is cleverly signaled as well. The Bowser Jr. fight at the end feels a bit anticlimactic after the trickiness of the level, but perhaps at that point the player has earned it. Good level!
Bowser's 789th Castle
7C67-0000-0044-D08A
Castle #789 starts out deceptively simple, pretty standard castle stuff with some jumps over lava and fiery traps. The back end gets more and more hectic though, as burning cheep-cheeps try to fry Mario at every chance they get. But like the nice guy he is, Bowser has seen fit to leave a few extra powerups strewn about to help take the edge off. Overall I like the design. The enemies in blocks are bit annoying but mostly ignorable. The only thing that I find frustrating is the large number of cheep-cheeps that build up near the end. Have to seek higher ground right away! But, the level is still beatable without too much trouble, so it just makes for a tense finale.
I bought this game on launch day, but I didn't have my Wii U available til today. So far I'm kinda bummed with how so many of the top rated courses are just the flashy "don't press anything" type stages. I've really just been longing to see people make unique, but still classic Super Mario stages. Oh well, maybe it'll get there in time.
I've been digging into it as much as I could today. My first stage that I uploaded to get my feet wet, was I just made a backwards version of 1-1 from Super Mario Bros, lol.
I just finished and uploaded my first original stage. I used the SMB3 theme, and I think it's tough but fair like a classic Mario stage could be.
If anyone is willing to try it out, I'd greatly appreciate it, and would love feedback. here's the ID for it:
BB92-0000-0044-C9E2
It's called Return to Giant World
I am admittedly a fan of Giant World and the big enemies in this game, so I appreciated this level. I think the sub-level and the 2nd half are well done, but the beginning left me a little confused. I presume the piranha plants are meant to be a deterrent in flying over to the pipe, but because so many are offscreen it feels a bit cheap. That said, it is possible to use invicibility to just run and jump across the piranha platforms to the pipe. I like the idea of the "Bowser Bridge" but it dumps me past the pipe, at a different pipe, that spits me out at the wrong end of the subworld. I found it a bit confusing and frustrating. Once I figured out the intended routes the level was quite fun though. Just as one more note, it is possible to fly over the pipe in the sub-level into nothingness and doom. I had to check, but as far as I can tell there's nothing over there, so I would suggest securing the area more completely.
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Without a doubt, all of the GAF levels I've played thus far have been a cut above what seems to be popular, or common in the 100-Mario challenges. I expect this game to last a long time as people get more and more comfortable with designing levels and using all the available tools. Hopefully I can contribute more good levels
Reposted, my most well developed (but very hard) ghost house level:
Kamek's Kursed Magic House Updated!
Code: 889F-0000-009A-3D03
Style: SMW
Note: Disregard code in image, level has been changed and reuploaded
Building on an idea from the World 3 Castle from SMW, I created this Ghost House for Kamek to torment the player, even as you need him to progress. The latter part includes some typical Ghost House shenanigans and a deceptively tricky bit of platforming. EDIT: Removed a redundant obstacle near the end of the level, and made a secret easier to find.
Also, I'd like to share the only level I've uploaded that has received stars outside of GAF:
Bowser Jr.'s Security System
Code: 8959-0000-002A-EA6A
Style: SMB3
Bowser Jr. is making his last stand, and has put a gauntlet of obstacles between Mario and himself. Tackle this classic SMB3-style castle the best way you see fit, and try to find the one powerup that will carry you safely through Jr.'s elite guard.
Please try my courses and offer any feedback and suggestions you may have. I will warn that these courses are definitely hard, and intentionally so, but I have tried to make them fair and avoid "cheap" or unavoidable deaths and offer alternate solutions to hard sections, and I think I have a good eye as to what makes a hard but enjoyable challenge.
