Made some changes after feedback on my Skyway course. Added several more arrows at the end to make it clearer where you're supposed to go, added another layer of security to stop the thwomp getting stuck, bolstered several ledges to stop level-critical items being destroyed under even the most implausible of circumstances, in addition to further improvements to overall level stability.
New code below. Previous uploaded version has been deleted, so apologies to everyone who left comments. They were/are appreciated!
CLOUDHIGH SKYWAY
Code: B5BC-0000-007B-AC64
Style: NSMBU
Secrets: Three 1ups and a secret exit
Additional Challenge: Finish the level in 60 seconds or under
Just played this one, and I might run it again to try a different path. It feels appropriately rewarding, though I ran into some inconsistencies with the Bob-omb/Thwomp segments at the end that might make the course not so amenable to speed runs. For one thing, in spite of the bomb slots you created, it's easy to blast just one block in the wall while knocking out other blocks in a way that make a second bomb difficult to placeso passing these obstacles with a single bomb isn't easy to do reliably unless you know in advance exactly what your throwing arc and timing will be, and if you don't do it on the first try, you actually make your life harder for yourself. For another, I consistently reached this segment with Yoshi, only to find that in this game, he swallows Bob-ombs whole and can't just spit them back into position (and for the life of me I can't remember if this was the behaviour in NSMBU despite clearing it to 100% multiple times). This means a player with Yoshi has to temporarily dismount to chuck bombswhich is fine, if you're okay with it, although deliberately abandoning Yoshi is rarely ever required in Nintendo's own designs (I can only think of a few instances involving the cape in SMW, plus the infamous Cheese Bridge exit), so it feels a bit out of place. I managed to bring Yoshi to the flagpole anyway, but not without the intermediate step of hopping off and back on.
Still, great fun, and I didn't hesitate to give it a star.
Finally tired to make an auto scroll level, went better than I was expecting but it still feels like its missing something
I'd appreciate any feedback thanks.
The platforming is nice and tight, but the combination of wide spacing and a quick scrolling speed (relative to my expectations from SMB3) made it feel like I was constantly reacting at the spur of the moment instead of having time to read the stage. For instance, the first question block in the stage comes so early that there is barely any time to react to it showing up before the scrolling starts pushing you, and while I consistently hit the block every time, everything felt rushed in the same way as the stages where you start right on the edge of a drop instead of having a few squares to move around first. The other thing is that because of the scrolling speed and spacing, the enemy density is very sparse. Since all the challenges are about not falling rather than not getting hit, there doesn't seem to be a point to obtaining items like the Fire Flower. I like the way you've set up items as a reward for carrying Koopa shells forward, but they don't really get any use.
If you look at SMB3, a lot of the auto-scroll stages are more about reading the whole screen ahead rather than just the next obstacle, and they give you a little more wiggle room to move back and forth. They also vary the risk between different kinds of threats, something that perhaps you would have more flexibility to do if you dialled down the speed and allowed yourself to tighten up the layout with more stuff on the board. But I think you're sitting on the start of something good.
Sorry if I came off a bit harsh. I've never a fan of a level where you have to die to learn how to beat it because of an offscreen hazard or ridiculous RNG, I also hate hammer bros as an enemy. If I had known it was a trial and error I would have probably just did it a couple of times and starred it and left lol. Different preferences for everyone, I prefer to put control in the players hands but all styles can co exist. The level was still very beatable!
As for a level, my second in the Rosalina series.
I liked this one a lot: generous power-up placement, plus a good, substantial variety of challenges that are organized in such a fashion that they never feel overwhelming. You test the mastery of one type of obstacle at a time, with subtle variations, and in a package that is thematically very strong. And I must say I was amused to find the Miiverse message one of your players left to the bottom right.
(So many complaints about the lack of checkpoints, I see. Well, it would be good for some designs, but yours doesn't need it: I was impressed with how much content you've packed into the layout, and the difficulty curve was a gentle fit for the length. But then I'm speaking as someone whose highlight of the console generation so far is Champion's Road.)
