Hmm, seems like a bug to me. Contact Nintendo customer support. Maybe they can help you but be prepared for completely deleting your save data and starting over.
You could try going to the coursebot and see if all example levels have been unlocked. (In the coursebot menu press select to switch to the example levels). The first two rows should be filled with 8 example courses. If they are there, try playing and completing the last two.
Edit: You're not the only one with problems like that. I read of someone that had everything unlocked (and also got the "you have everything"-message) but was still missing the underwater theme and the underwater elements like the blooper and stuff.
Not sure how rare or common that bug is, but I think there's nothing you can do here.
Thanks for your help, I beat the two last example courses (notably there was one with tracks and conveyors that I don't actually remember very well) and nothing changed, so I will get in touch tomorrow. I think it's a bug where if you quit the course halfway through when it's first given to you maybe it never unlocks the stuff. I'll contact support tomorrow but jeez what an annoying bug. Disappointing it wasn't fixed in the patch, seems like the kind of thing they'd pick up on and address. Hopefully if I report it it will get sent up the ladder somehow. Thanks anyways, and its good to know I'm not alone!
Just thought I'd re-post the level I made after the update. Only a couple people played it, but hey it's got a 100% completion rate so that's pretty cool!
Now that checkpoints are here I can upload the last three stages I made which were waiting for their arrival.
Fancy Feats of Fluttering
(FCB2-0000-00D8-39F7)
(what a thoroughly unexciting screen shot...)
Put your tail wagging and boot bouncing to the test.
The entire Kuribo's Shoe section had me fighting against my own personal wishes for a wingless boot and bottomless pits but I suppose I have to keep in mind the wider audience.
Bowser's Bouncy Castle
(BDD4-0000-00D8-3BFD)
Get it? bouncy castle? *cough*
Originally I was going to have this stage in the SMW theme until I noticed you can pick up the bounce pads/trampolines/springs even when they're on rails thus cocking up the entire concept.
Fortunately the simplicity of SMB1 came to the rescue, alas that brings with it the greater finicky bouncing of its springs but by the time you're done here you'l have mastered that timing...or else!
Noteworthy Navigation
(E2FF-0000-00D8-3E63)
On the off chance you still wanted more bouncing after that last one as well as more sections where I use gimmicky snakeblocks then you've come to the right place.
----
Previously uploaded but now with Checkpoints and a few alterations... Swinging Snappers
(8C2E-0000-00D8-1FE0)
This here is still the personal favourite stage of mine (evidentially course world doesn't quite agree) , now with less surprise chomps bum rushing you out of nowhere, you're welcome PKrockin!
Propeller Podoboo's Pursuit
(3610-0000-00D8-376D)
Accelerating up the list of my personal favourites, this is the sort of stage I always wanted to have a checkpoint and I just so happened to have the perfect place left for one that simultaneously knocks out some of the more dubious hazards I had placed, I'd call that a double win.
Probably one of my tougher stages even with the necessary mushroom surplus for spin jumps so this benefits nicely from a checkpoint.
At this point you may have noticed that AUTOSCROLL AND RAIL PATHS is kind of a thing with me.
Grow With The Flow
(8311-0000-00D8-2E87)
I get the impression that this is what most would consider to be my best stage? well you can confirm that for yourself! *cheap plug*
Also Rails.
The direct to DVD sequel to my most star accumulating course which happened to arrive at the right time...as in when the game launched. While I'll leave that one in its imperfect glory (partly because I like seeing all those stars on it) our cash in succesor here gets the special edition treatmant, which is pretty much just one checkpoint but hey it makes that Lakitu "boss" bit slot in better.
Also updated these with checkpoints Mushroom Kingdom Freeze (8EE6-0000-00D8-249A)
Wiggly Waters(3BCE-0000-00D8-27C2)
Buzzy Brick Breakers (A638-0000-00D8-29B9)
Okay that's enough advertising from me, I figured I'd just throw this all in one post.
I've got a lot to check out around here now it would seem.
Played a bit with my old stage and made it better. Probably needs some extra polish and a better Ally route. I would love some feedback on it. Let me know if you played it and select a stage you want me to play via PM, quote or Miiverse.
Yoshi's Last Reward
Welcome to Yoshi's Island! Here you can choose to ally with or betray the last remaining yoshi
Now that checkpoints are here I can upload the last three stages I made which were waiting for their arrival. Spinning Stomps, Spooky Thwomps
(F793-0000-00D8-358B)
Now that checkpoints are here I can upload the last three stages I made which were waiting for their arrival.
Fancy Feats of Fluttering
(FCB2-0000-00D8-39F7)
(what a thoroughly unexciting screen shot...)
Put your tail wagging and boot bouncing to the test.
The entire Kuribo's Shoe section had me fighting against my own personal wishes for a wingless boot and bottomless pits but I suppose I have to keep in mind the wider audience.
I died a bit too much because I was impatient but then it was the perfect dose of challenge. Funny how the last part of your level is a bit similar to my latest one
Just thought I'd re-post the level I made after the update. Only a couple people played it, but hey it's got a 100% completion rate so that's pretty cool!
Shine a light (3 Ups, 100 coins) (291F-0000-00AB-7E77) Weng
Nice level, a bit short. I think I can understand why the completion´s rate is so low, I didn´t pay much attention to the title so I found the solution by chance, I knew there should be something so I just started messing around and it was when I found the
hidden block
. It wasn´t until after that it made sense.
This solution felt a bit random honestly. I think this is where most players are getting stuck. You must consider if it´s worth it, as players who don´t speak english or who don´t pay attention to the title may not be able to find the solution.
Also, the Hammer Bro was a good resource to force the player to go up, but it felt a bit out of place.
Nice level anyway, I liked it.
Thank you very much for taking the time to record your playthrough and writing a critique. I can see what you mean, even though you took your time you didn't discover everything. I think I'll rework some things that might make the connection between the lamp and hidden blocks more obvious. And I'll probably change something to prevent a death by jumping against the hidden block at 3:19.
Do you mean the level is too easy? If so that's kinda what want out of most of my levels. I like them to be pretty easy and have a nice flow so that they're fun to speedrun. Having said that, now that checkpoints are available I'm gonna start making them a bit harder.
Anyways, glad you liked it! I'm not playing Mario Maker right now but I'll try out your level later.
An open question: there are some of you who make awesome theming for your levels (jarosh´s and Axiom´s levels specialy shine in this regard, but they´re not alone). I´m struggling a lot to come up with good ideas for a theme (not just decorations, but a good story) and could use some tips. How do you come up with the ideas for the themes? Do you just develop the level on the go accomodating the story do you do something else? I could use any tip you can give, I´m really at a loss here.
My purpose is to create a level with good theming, a nice story and good mechanic development. I´ve seen many level´s with great theming and great mechanic development, but it´s very rare for both these concepts to be present in the same level at once. The only one I can think of that somewhat achieves this to a degree is They Follow and to some degree Snake Oil, but even then the story or theming are really simple when compared to something like Long Live Koopa Queen or Break the Bank, which instead don´t feature a developed mechanic.
Simbabbad's advice is really good - take a costume you like and then construct a world in which it fits. It may not be your level, but it'll get you doing something and trying things. Getting started is the hardest part.
It doesn't even have to be a costume, Break the Bank came from the fact that blue windows may be intended for a ghost house but I thought they'd also suit an office building. The building blocks of Snake Oil came from the fact I really liked the 'lava splash' of Chain Chomps in Mario World/U dungeons. The latter doesn't even feature in the level but it got me started.
Theming tends to place the best kind of creative restrictions on you as a creator, but don't be too much a slave to it. Just use it as a guideline.
Ashley was in They Follow from the start, but her 'woohoo's' killed the mood, so I played the 100 Mario challenge until I found something better. And all that play allowed me a break and refresh my ideas.
A cloud following you was something I came up with for an early and mediocre jail level, where a warden watched helplessly from above as you escaped. Despite the entire level stemming from that initial idea, I threw it out and saved it for later.
No experimentation goes to waste.
People praise the way I develop the mechanics in They Follow, but you really don't deal with the clouds chasing you as a threat all that often. They are introduced to you, you get scared and then for almost the entire underground area - the clouds are ultimately just "nice" lava that won't instant kill and want to stop you from falling down bottomless pits. It's a completely different thing.
Once you enter the pipe, you again only ever deal with 2 more clouds and one big one. Exactly the same as when first introduced.
It's pretty much a big ol' trick, but the horror movie theme informs me as a designer that while I could have made things increasingly harder and more difficult culminating in an ultimate challenge based around the idea, the clouds would then become purely gameplay and then the entire theme breaks.
So I guess that's the point of me writing all this, don't restrict your gameplay mechanics too heavily around the theme, but allow the theme to inform how far you should push those mechanics.
The more you force a player to repeat or perfect a gameplay mechanic, the more the theming will break.
Equally, I understand the urge to not make things simple, but the stronger the theme the more restrictions you place upon your mechanics.
If you make either as complex as you like without hurting the other, then you're a better designer than I'll ever be.
Labyrinthine Cavern Design is my attempt to make a collect-a-thon-esque level. Like a Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie level, there is a lot to explore, and a handful of objectives that can be done in any order.
Aww, guess I'm late. Submitted two levels of mine, hopefully they can be used for a later stream. Not Tomorrow ~ Lisa Dies (2AAF-0000-00D6-F2D2) - Starts off as your regular, boring, automated music level... until something happens. Before And After The Apocalypse (41AC-0000-0094-91CA) - Dual world level, with time travel through warp pipes.
Alright, my third official level: Cloud Ride Catastrophe!
6379-0000-00D8-E0F2
Nothing like an easy level where you coast along the clouds.
Or not! This is a deceivingly difficult level that pits you to stay on top of the moving cloud platforms as all sorts of twists and devious puzzles are thrown at you.
Grab powerups to help you last through the level!
Find the secret room for extra reward!
Do you have steady thumbs? Can you survive the ride among the cloud tops?
Super Builder Mario: 10A9-0000-00D6-E2BD
Added check points for a much more enjoyable experience. Build your pathway to the finish!
Vine Travel Assault: C929-0000-00D0-0E10
Ride vines through a course featuring spinning blades, flying flames, and lots of spikes. Made the Bowser Jr. fight easier.
10 seconds to finish: 08F9-0000-007C-6742
18 completions out of 1215 (1.48% success rate). It only takes less than 10 seconds. Give it a shot!
The 3rd Labyrinth: 7B4B-0000-008C-4286
Linear level that uses the shell grabbing and flying/floating mechanics of SMB3. This is the level I am most proud of.
Diddy's Banana Coin Plantation: 44DB-0000-0082-7881
Play as Diddy Kong and collect as many banana coins!
The Mario-kun course is pretty bad, but the costume is fantastic.
Aww, guess I'm late. Submitted two levels of mine, hopefully they can be used for a later stream. Not Tomorrow ~ Lisa Dies (2AAF-0000-00D6-F2D2) - Starts off as your regular, boring, automated music level... until something happens. Before And After The Apocalypse (41AC-0000-0094-91CA) - Dual world level, with time travel through warp pipes.
Simbabbad's advice is really good - take a costume you like and then construct a world in which it fits. It may not be your level, but it'll get you doing something and trying things. Getting started is the hardest part.
It doesn't even have to be a costume, Break the Bank came from the fact that blue windows may be intended for a ghost house but I thought they'd also suit an office building. The building blocks of Snake Oil came from the fact I really liked the 'lava splash' of Chain Chomps in Mario World/U dungeons. The latter doesn't even feature in the level but it got me started.
Theming tends to place the best kind of creative restrictions on you as a creator, but don't be too much a slave to it. Just use it as a guideline.
Ashley was in They Follow from the start, but her 'woohoo's' killed the mood, so I played the 100 Mario challenge until I found something better. And all that play allowed me a break and refresh my ideas.
A cloud following you was something I came up with for an early and mediocre jail level, where a warden watched helplessly from above as you escaped. Despite the entire level stemming from that initial idea, I threw it out and saved it for later.
No experimentation goes to waste.
People praise the way I develop the mechanics in They Follow, but you really don't deal with the clouds chasing you as a threat all that often. They are introduced to you, you get scared and then for almost the entire underground area - the clouds are ultimately just "nice" lava that won't instant kill and want to stop you from falling down bottomless pits. It's a completely different thing.
Once you enter the pipe, you again only ever deal with 2 more clouds and one big one. Exactly the same as when first introduced.
It's pretty much a big ol' trick, but the horror movie theme informs me as a designer that while I could have made things increasingly harder and more difficult culminating in an ultimate challenge based around the idea, the clouds would then become purely gameplay and then the entire theme breaks.
So I guess that's the point of me writing all this, don't restrict your gameplay mechanics too heavily around the theme, but allow the theme to inform how far you should push those mechanics.
The more you force a player to repeat or perfect a gameplay mechanic, the more the theming will break.
Equally, I understand the urge to not make things simple, but the stronger the theme the more restrictions you place upon your mechanics.
If you make either as complex as you like without hurting the other, then you're a better designer than I'll ever be.
Awesome advice! Starting up is one of the parts I have more trouble with, I´ll try to follow your and Simbabbad's advice. Also, great idea about constructing a world first, I´m going to use this approach. My goal is to achieve a balance between theme and gameplay and push both as far as I can but your right, it´s pretty difficult to do push one without hurting the other. Awesome analogy with the horror theme and movies, I hate it when in horror films the baddie starts popping out at every minute in direct confrontations, that makes the movie turn from horror to action and instantly become less interesting. I´ll try to keep that present when designing the level. Really informative advice, thanks a lot!
You were right, this was very fun! I loved how the countodwn built pressure at some points and the main mechanic is very original and fun to use. Minor complaints are that maybe I found it overall too easy, I think I completed it on my first try. Also, the mechanic was so fun to use that I missed some more time with it, maybe another advanced challenge could be added. great work!
I have mixed feelings about this one. I loved the convoluted progression, with short challenges and small rooms, depriving you of any references to know where you were at any given moment. However, I didn´t like the musical parts or the constant "Dum-dum-dum" made by the Blasters on musical notes, it was nice at the start but got tiring soon. Also, the bomb puzzle (where the Mega Dry-Bones is on top of a Mega Wiggler) was too tight, there was little space to move around which made me die stupidly a few times there, until I found a location where I could make the Big Bombs stop spawning from the pipe. The theming was cool, though I´m not a big fan of the series (I just played the Wii one and even though I liked it a lot, I have no further knwoledge about SH lore so surely lots of references escaped me).
Usgamer: Is this update a one-time affair, or can we expect to see additional additions to Super Mario Maker—provided they fit your time and resources, of course?
Tezuka: We do expect to hear continued requests from the community and the player base, and one of our biggest goals is to get as many people as possible to enjoy Mario Maker. We definitely want to fulfill these requests, but we can't promise anything at this time.
You were right, this was very fun! I loved how the countodwn built pressure at some points and the main mechanic is very original and fun to use. Minor complaints are that maybe I found it overall too easy, I think I completed it on my first try. Also, the mechanic was so fun to use that I missed some more time with it, maybe another advanced challenge could be added. great work!
Do you mean the level is too easy? If so that's kinda what want out of most of my levels. I like them to be pretty easy and have a nice flow so that they're fun to speedrun. Having said that, now that checkpoints are available I'm gonna start making them a bit harder.
Anyways, glad you liked it! I'm not playing Mario Maker right now but I'll try out your level later.
Alright, my third official level: Cloud Ride Catastrophe!
6379-0000-00D8-E0F2
Nothing like an easy level where you coast along the clouds.
Or not! This is a deceivingly difficult level that pits you to stay on top of the moving cloud platforms as all sorts of twists and devious puzzles are thrown at you.
Grab powerups to help you last through the level!
Find the secret room for extra reward!
Do you have steady thumbs? Can you survive the ride among the cloud tops?
Hey great level but tough! The bit after the checkpoint is hard but addictive. Sad to say, I've not managed to finish it yet but I thought it a really well designed level. I keep getting to the bit with
the red bullet bills and the puzzle where I need a shell to lower the tower. I know what to do but I just keep dying! I've starred it to try later as out of time now. I've just been on it for 20 minutes, had that 'just one more go' syndrome bad!
I only got the game yesterday and so hardly have any tile pieces yet. How long does it take to unlock them? I've played for approx 5 hours though most of that has been playing not creating.
I've love someone to try my first pretty basic level. I like challenging platforming so that's what I've tried to make. A fun old school platforming romp.
Hey great level but tough! The bit after the checkpoint is hard but addictive. Sad to say, I've not managed to finish it yet but I thought it a really well designed level. I keep getting to the bit with
the red bullet bills and the puzzle where I need a shell to lower the tower. I know what to do but I just keep dying! I've starred it to try later as out of time now. I've just been on it for 20 minutes, had that 'just one more go' syndrome bad!
I only got the game yesterday and so hardly have any tile pieces yet. How long does it take to unlock them? I've played for approx 5 hours though most of that has been playing not creating.
I've love someone to try my first pretty basic level. I like challenging platforming so that's what I've tried to make. A fun old school platforming romp.
Ah ok I get ya, well again that's kinda what I try to do with a lot of my levels. For a while I was trying to make each level distinctive, but I didn't really enjoy the levels I was making since they were a bit gimmicky or too focused on a single idea. Right now I want them to feel like classic levels, even if it means they're not too distinctive.
Thanks for the feedback though, if I can make it work for my next level I'll try to make it more unique while still keeping it classic style.
Hey everyone. Still looking for feedback on my newest level. Really tried to give it a unique feel. I'm yonna play a lot of levels tonight.
As a side note seems someone left their game on and left because between 5 people thrre were3 completes and 174 deaths and yestersay with three people there were 3 completes 5 deaths. My clear rate is pretty much forever messes now
Hey everyone. Still looking for feedback on my newest level. Really tried to give it a unique feel. I'm yonna play a lot of levels tonight.
As a side note seems someone left their game on and left because between 5 people thrre were3 completes and 174 deaths and yestersay with three people there were 3 completes 5 deaths. My clear rate is pretty much forever messes now
I have mixed feelings about this one. I loved the convoluted progression, with short challenges and small rooms, depriving you of any references to know where you were at any given moment. However, I didn´t like the musical parts or the constant "Dum-dum-dum" made by the Blasters on musical notes, it was nice at the start but got tiring soon. Also, the bomb puzzle (where the Mega Dry-Bones is on top of a Mega Wiggler) was too tight, there was little space to move around which made me die stupidly a few times there, until I found a location where I could make the Big Bombs stop spawning from the pipe. The theming was cool, though I´m not a big fan of the series (I just played the Wii one and even though I liked it a lot, I have no further knwoledge about SH lore so surely lots of references escaped me).
Thanks man for the impressions. I was actually pretty curious about how this would have been received.
It's also the reason why I put little to no description in my post (besides not wanting to spoil the main twist): to not create expectations of any kind. At the same time, I was afraid everyone would have ignored it as yet another shitty automated music level like the crap that fills up all the top spots.
I've been wanting to do
a music level that at some point turns into something else to freak out the player
for a while, and Silent Hill seemed a good fit for that concept.
The level starts off as your regular, boring automated music stage, but at some point (a dozen seconds in, with a checkpoint to never have to redo the first part) the other world steps in and things turn horrific. Depriving you of references about your location was absolutely intentional, to create a feeling of being lost into a nightmarish world with strange creatures around (ie. the trapped and tortured Dry Bones, a trope actually widely used in the SH series).
The way sounds are used, besides filling the void left by a lack of background music (obligatory for the pretend music level parts) is also meant to recall the repetitive, oppressive industrial sounds you hear in some parts of the other world in Silent Hill games (Shattered Memories was great, but kinda different from the others), and is actually meant to stress the more silent parts (which I'm sure you did notice).
The tight space in the large monster part is also actually quite intentional: in a wider area, you'd get more maneuverability making it much easier to dispatch, and that would reduce the part's overall impact. I was aware that could be a sudden difficulty spike, especially after bombs enter the equation, and that's why there's a checkpoint right before. I may have overdone it a little, and if so that would be a possible improvement for a V2.
I'm actually curious about two things you didn't mention: the downwards staircase and the room you enter from the door right after the large monster part. What did you think about them? In an earlier revision, the former was actually optional, but then I realized most people would have missed it entirely and decided to make it part of the main progression. Felt like a bit of a bold choice, but I'm hopeful it will be appreciated.
Hey everyone. Still looking for feedback on my newest level. Really tried to give it a unique feel. I'm yonna play a lot of levels tonight.
As a side note seems someone left their game on and left because between 5 people thrre were3 completes and 174 deaths and yestersay with three people there were 3 completes 5 deaths. My clear rate is pretty much forever messes now
Alright, my third official level: Cloud Ride Catastrophe!
6379-0000-00D8-E0F2
Nothing like an easy level where you coast along the clouds.
Or not! This is a deceivingly difficult level that pits you to stay on top of the moving cloud platforms as all sorts of twists and devious puzzles are thrown at you.
Grab powerups to help you last through the level!
Find the secret room for extra reward!
Do you have steady thumbs? Can you survive the ride among the cloud tops?
Ok, this one was a challenge! I will be honest and say that some enemy placement (like the last paratroopa on the first section), caused a bit of frustration, but the good level design kept me intetested and going. It was one of those "just one more life, i can do it!" Kind of levels.
The contraptions worked wonderfully, and having to wait for them to do their job never felt annoying or limiting. The course may be a bit easy, but you never know what you're going to find next, which keeps the interest high.
Neat and surprisingly huge level! I happened to get stuck twice in the small room where you get the
spiky helmet
, when i mistakenly removed the floor under both doors (by picking up the coins bricks had turned into with the P switch). The second time it actually happened to me on the other side of the door, right before entering the room, so I could backtrack through the corridor.
The contraptions worked wonderfully, and having to wait for them to do their job never felt annoying or limiting. The course may be a bit easy, but you never know what you're going to find next, which keeps the interest high.
It's been a few days since I made a level. Finally got down to making a short but I hope is cool one. I really wanted this to be an SMB. 3 level but the tiles lacked cohesion.
Heartfelt Dreams : (DBBC-0000-00DB-0926)
This can be a very fast paced level, though I'm sure going slow is just fine too. Either way, no overly lengthy epics here and the level expects you to know some of the game mechanics. The gimmick of the level is basically going through the layout as I started it and thinking "man I wish I could turn around faster.. BUT WAIT, I CAN!" as well as some enemy-based platforming.
I put checkpoints in two of my longer levels that needed them. Hopefully this has made them somewhat gentler, as they had pretty low completion rates.
Leaf or flower, which has power?
(I made some small improvements to this one. Now it's possible to beat the whole level with just fire flower, or just leaf, or back and forth as you like)
Like many people here, I've updated some of my levels, including the entirety of my Metroid series. Checkpoints have been added (two, one to avoid repetition at the beginning of the levels and one before their boss/end battle, except for Tourian which needed just one), action has been smoothed out to improve game flow, visual hints have been added on some secrets, and explicit instruction (an arrow) is now used so people understand quicker that they can ground stomp with the giant black boot.
The series has a new title, too, "Metroid Resurgence":
Each level is inspired by a NES Metroid area: Brinstar focuses on traditional powerup use in a slow, methodical puzzle/adventure level with an atmosphere close to Super Metroid, Kraid is more action-focused, Ridley is all about secret passages (like the original Norfair/Ridley levels), and finally, Tourian is straight action against the Metroids, Tourian's defence system, and Mother Brain.
I'm happy to say the updates improve the levels quite a bit IMO.
Some good things, and some pretty bad things. I like the first segment, but the part at the end with the Thwomps and red Koopas - one block space above the Koopas, really? In the castle segment, there's a spikes below a doughnut block on the ground, right below a block you're supposed to use, that is also borderline trolling, it's basically impossible to avoid it without taking a hit.
The first part is maybe a bit obscure, I'm not sure I solved it the way I should.
I activated the P-switch, which brought the Bullet Bill launcher down. I then activated the second P-switch, then jumped on the coin platform on the right, then to the Bullet Bill to get across the chasm.
The rest is easy. Is the other stuff at the start false hints?
Absolutely stellar ghost house! It's extremely pretty, it has a nice use of glitches (I played it before the update), cool secrets, multi paths, you nailed the atmosphere... the "fake switch" is very cute. Bravo.
I can't believe how much more fun Expert 100 mode is when you just blindly skip every single Japanese level that pops up. I saved so many deaths just from things not immediately falling on my head alone.
This is the sad truth. There must be some cultural explanation, but I always regretted giving a Japanese level a chance. Now I systematically blindly skip them, and my enjoyment of the game skyrocketed. It's really weird, especially since it's a Nintendo game.
The stage is at your usual level, that is, very high (you're in my "followed" list). It's pretty, flows well, has original parts, feels like a Nintendo level at times... three remarks, though: there is a place where in the flow of the level you can jump without guessing there is no ground there (I left a comment), the level is a bit too long, and the end bosses are a bit random, you can easily lose there in the confusion, and at this point I wouldn't have tried again if it had happened.
(BTW, I think the exploration/alternate path with Yoshi is great, I don't see why it should "add to the level". The Fire Flower right before the boss is strange, though, since the Cape you (can) own is superior - but at this point you don't know that yet.)
I know it's annoying, but people, please: when you update a level, use your post history to update the obsolete codes (I've put the right code for CBO1 in the quote).
This being said, I love your first two levels, and this comes from someone who doesn't generally like Bob-Omb usage: it's tense but fair, very readable, not too long, it feels like Bit. Trip Runner at times. The sound effects in context are fantastic: on top of being immersive, they inform you how far you are in the level. Well done!
For the third challenge, though, the fact it's harder causes a few issues: the heartbeat, which is nice in the other two, becomes very annoying with time (I had to cut my TV sound off) - the horror/scratch effect, which cuts the music, would have been preferable. Also, I just couldn't figure out the part with the POW and the Thwomps, and I did what I guess most people will: just not bother, take a hit and run through them. Getting rid of that part would be better IMO, it'd make the level shorter and better.
I had tons of fun with this! I didn't need the checkpoint, but it's IMO a good thing it's where it is. Just one thing: there is a part where you have to go up, and there are two flying red Koopas there, which can harm you without you seeing them, leading to an unfair hit (it didn't cause too much trouble to me because I had Yoshi, and could get it back).
Also, I don't agree at all with the idea a level has to have a "hook" or gimmick or theme. Traditional is fun.
Good level with a good flow. The only thing is, since it's an autoscroll, at the start of the level you instinctively climb down, and you get immediately killed by the giant red cannonball. It doesn't give a good first impression (but the rest is without any issue).
Your 1-1: very first screen, a giant blind jump with holes at the bottom. I didn't land into a hole, but quit immediately.
The Air Up There: autoscroll is way too fast given the terrain. Some ground blocks are at the very bottom, and therefore out of the screen since it's an airship level, and you put holes in there that the player walks in without any possibility to know they're there. Quit.
Very smartly designed. Without using any particular gameplay mechanics, it genuinely feels like you're infiltrating the castle incognito. The main concept is immediately understandable, visually it looks great (I'm a sucker for SMB1, the castle in particular), it flows very well. Typically a level that benefits from checkpoints.
It's well implemented on the whole, but I don't find the concept fun, it felt a lot like slowly jumping through mandatory hoops without any freedom given to the player, like a giant tutorial. It's also way too long. And there is a general issue: at the very end, a bad rebound made me lose my shell. What do you do if you lose your shell? You quit...
Maaaan that new Bowser level totally ripped one of my stages off. A bullet bill cannon shooting giant podoboos that you have to un-cork in order to ignite a giant bob-omb in a rock cage in order to progress. You even have to toss normal bob-ombs to get to the uncorking, also like mine. Whenever I reupload the checkpointed version of the level people are totally gonna think I ripped that stage off. MAN!
You really don't need to put checkpoints in that level IMO, it's perfect as it is (besides, you already have 33.33% of completion rate, 59 victories for 99 visits - not worth losing statistics and unbalance your level IMO).
As said on Miiverse, I had incredible fun with your level, I even beat it twice with different paths. The Hammer Bros. are used excellently well, and you use tools (the burners, the moving platforms) in new and original ways. The multiple paths and secrets are also very well designed. Bravo! Encore!
I admit I quit after (like many others, according to comments) I mistook a spiky hat dispenser for an exit and got stuck. There are some really good things in the level, like the pacing at the beginning, but it's a bit hard to read and could use a clearer visual structure. Some parts are also a bit too narrow to move pleasantly (I'm thinking about a very narrow turn with a fire bar and a mushroom dispenser in particular).
Hadn't played the old one, I really enjoyed this. The chomps on rails are used really well. The only thing that puzzled me is the leaf/fire flower usage: why sometimes there is one, and sometimes the other? Fire Mario is never useful, is he? At times you wonder if you should switch powerups, thinking the "new" powerup is a hint of hazards to come, but the leaf is always better.
I love Silent Hill, especially the first and third ones, and I think you've managed to perfectly translate its atmosphere and logic into Super Mario Maker, to the point I had flashbacks of me playing them for the first time. Superb work. And this from someone who usually doesn't like music or cinematic levels.
I'm also real happy to have had the opportunity to make this comment:
I wonder how many see an automated music level and skip it before
the dozen seconds it takes to realize it was a fakeout, but I guess it's worth it for those who do stay expecting an automated music level, and find out it's really not.
And now, for something completely different...
I've played some of Simbabbad's non-Metroid levels.
Topsy-turvy Waluigi (Plains) - (A324-0000-009D-13BC)
Seemed a bit confusing at first, with so many paths all seemingly leading to dead ends. Until things clicked, and everything fell into place like magic. Clever design with lots of symmetry. Good job!
Old School Super Mario (Plains) - (C371-0000-00D7-8720)
Felt old school Mario indeed. It gave me an idea for an old school Mario level (with a twist, of course) that could use some experimenting (ssshh......).
Old School Super Mario (Cliffs) - (12BB-0000-00D7-A765)
Alternate titles could have been Dirty Deeds Done Cheep Cheep (someone please use that for a level) or Texas Cheep Cheep Massacre, or Dr. Mariobro, or: How I Learned To Start Worrying And Fear Cheep Cheeps. Yes, I could go on. The whole felt like total war against a relentless army of flappy fish. Which was awesome, and terrifying at the same time.
Last night, to vent out some stress, I also ended up doing some random sketches on random levels.
I love Silent Hill, especially the first and third ones, and I think you've managed to perfectly translate its atmosphere and logic into Super Mario Maker, to the point I had flashbacks of me playing them for the first time. Superb work. And this from someone who usually doesn't like music or cinematic levels.
I'm also real happy to have had the opportunity to make this comment:
Btw, I've also uploaded an updated version of my very first level, Welcome to Retroland 1-1.
Welcome to Retroland 1-1 v2 - (1F6D-0000-00DA-0698)
This was originally meant as a simple SMB1-style world 1-1 level, with three hidden 1ups and a mega mushroom near the beginning (as Nintendo often loves to showcase their latest powerup in the first level of a new Mario game).
Too bad that kinda broke the level, and made it boring. So I moved it about halfway through, right after a newly added checkpoint, and changed quite a bit of stuff here and there for additional polish.
I also replaced the hidden Tingle costume with a new, sparkling
Mario-kun
, which looks about equally as ridiculous (hint:
check out the area near the starting arrow
).
I had also updates for Groundhog Day v3 and The Quintessence of Mario Maker, but ultimately decided the former could use a few extra tweaks first, and the latter didn't really need a new revision after all (I had basically fixed one exploit that allowed you to
die
, but if people really want to do that... then more power to them).
Is the update causing an error for anyone else right these last couple of days? I had to delete and re-download the Mario Maker update yesterday to get the game to work. The error is back today.
System says it has trouble reading the disc, but considering all other games work and the MM disc is fine, that's not an accurate error. Plus deleting the update and re-downloading the update fixed the problem.
Old School Super Mario (Plains) - (C371-0000-00D7-8720)
Just gave this a go. You really nailed the old school mario vibe, I could have been playing a level from a Mario 1 expansion pack! It felt authentic and, while not crazy hard, it did pose a bit of a challenge.
I've updated my level now I've got more tiles etc. It's now an autoscroller and is based on quick and tricky platforming. Just the thing to test your skill with a quick fast-paced level.
Please try it and give me feedback, I've only had 2 plays and it's much improved now.
