played through the levels included in the level of the month september pack (which is most of the levels up to Edamer Level Tsol A.). i also played the three latest(?) levels as well. reviewing each level individually would take a lot of time, so i'll review these levels as a collective and mention specific parts when i feel they're relevant
i appreciate how short and snappy these levels are, but i feel the main flaw of these levels is that they tend to be on the formulaic side. the levels mostly consist of walkers, piranha plants, and pits. enemy variety is a consistent gripe i have. it feels like most enemies you encounter are goombas or koopas, and the occasional other enemy types don't tend to have much impact. to be clear, the short level lengths and the fact that there's still platforming involved prevents these levels from getting tedious. however, the formulaic design still isn't ideal.
the power-ups do add some variety. they're only really used for star coins and bonuses at most (with the exception of Maze for the Mini and Flying P-Wing Ride, which require their respective power-ups), but my real problem is that their usage is somewhat standard. the setups with them are kinda tutorial-y, which is fine if that's what you're going for, but i feel they could be used in ways that feel less. default? for example, the spikeball suit is only really used for breaking blocks in its respective level, when i feel the way its spikeballs interact with slopes have potential that the level doesn't really tap into.
i would like to point out some things that i thought were cool though. Deadly Red Space Lasers is a highlight i feel. i feel the timed lasers complemented both the moving platforms and the red star, though i feel the level would have benefited from being designed entirely around the red star (at least for specific sections). there's other moments i liked including the moving platform setups in Space Buzzing and the way you had to ration your clouds in Up Up and Away Clouds.
finally i'd like to mention Super Whippin' Fun Time! as it's easily my favorite level here. there's a lot more enemy variety for one. the fire snakes and volcano piranhas add a lot, they make the level a lot more precarious and make keeping your power-up tougher. there's also some really smart platforming sections. i love the part where you can use a koopa's shell to kill a tricky fire snake on a small ledge, making it much easier to jump to the pipe that follows. it rewards precision and a player's awareness. more deliberate sections like the ones seen in this level, Deadly Red Space Lasers and Space Buzzing could have added a lot to the levels i was more critical of
while i definitely have problems with the levels in this collection, i feel there's lots of potential and room for improvement. keep making levels, and keep experimenting
i appreciate how short and snappy these levels are, but i feel the main flaw of these levels is that they tend to be on the formulaic side. the levels mostly consist of walkers, piranha plants, and pits. enemy variety is a consistent gripe i have. it feels like most enemies you encounter are goombas or koopas, and the occasional other enemy types don't tend to have much impact. to be clear, the short level lengths and the fact that there's still platforming involved prevents these levels from getting tedious. however, the formulaic design still isn't ideal.
the power-ups do add some variety. they're only really used for star coins and bonuses at most (with the exception of Maze for the Mini and Flying P-Wing Ride, which require their respective power-ups), but my real problem is that their usage is somewhat standard. the setups with them are kinda tutorial-y, which is fine if that's what you're going for, but i feel they could be used in ways that feel less. default? for example, the spikeball suit is only really used for breaking blocks in its respective level, when i feel the way its spikeballs interact with slopes have potential that the level doesn't really tap into.
i would like to point out some things that i thought were cool though. Deadly Red Space Lasers is a highlight i feel. i feel the timed lasers complemented both the moving platforms and the red star, though i feel the level would have benefited from being designed entirely around the red star (at least for specific sections). there's other moments i liked including the moving platform setups in Space Buzzing and the way you had to ration your clouds in Up Up and Away Clouds.
finally i'd like to mention Super Whippin' Fun Time! as it's easily my favorite level here. there's a lot more enemy variety for one. the fire snakes and volcano piranhas add a lot, they make the level a lot more precarious and make keeping your power-up tougher. there's also some really smart platforming sections. i love the part where you can use a koopa's shell to kill a tricky fire snake on a small ledge, making it much easier to jump to the pipe that follows. it rewards precision and a player's awareness. more deliberate sections like the ones seen in this level, Deadly Red Space Lasers and Space Buzzing could have added a lot to the levels i was more critical of
while i definitely have problems with the levels in this collection, i feel there's lots of potential and room for improvement. keep making levels, and keep experimenting
Statistics: Posted by cold soup — Fri Dec 06, 2024 12:00 am
