I've played the episode some time ago and decided to write a short review.
(Spoilers are included)
I believe the episode is great in its own regard with level variety and design making it a engaging journey as Luigi ventures through Sarasaland from the fungal village all the way towards the moon with a easy to follow story and a fun experience to go along with it.
The best parts about the episode:
The underwater and Chai levels were some of the best with good music choice, really great tileset and background gfx. They feel unique from start to end. The dragon level itself brought good memories from a Koopa's revenge 2 almost making it my favourite level.
The difficultly of the episode doesn't jump up a steep curve but instead gradually builds on a slope hill that is perfect to build up challenge and be inviting to players who have less experience with smbx making it a beginner friendly episode.
The boss battles being variety and a good challenge that scales as the episode progresses. My favourites were the giant Blargg and the first phase of Tatanga's fight.
The secret areas for finding the sarasan shards are well made with some needing a bit more thinking to find them. I do recommend that some of the shards shouldn't have to be found at the end of levels at the top exit as that (at least to me) discourages players exploring the level to find them.
The addition of Waluigi to the episode is one of the best parts of the episode and even has a good explanation on why he's here in the first place, as a mercenary needing some cash and to beat his rival, two in one done deal. Definitely a favourite.
The sounds made by characters like Luigi, Waluigi, Tatanga, etc. when they speak is a great touch to detail and makes the episode feel alive and engaging.
Things that weren't as cool and could be improved in the future:
Some parts of the map have a lack of interesting scenery in areas like Easton kingdom (i'm referring to the first half. other half is mostly interesting) and chai skies, despite having unique gfx can feel a little boring and empty. This is especially apparent at the last section of the episode that is inside the moonbase where it looks like a large empty room, that could've been mitigated with the possible addition of tvboards, Tatanga flags or some machinery to make the location unique.
The secret areas found on some of the moon missions feel like they were supposed to keep some sarasan shards but since they can only be found on earth and the exits take the player not far from the entrance don't feel rewarding as these areas can be difficult. It could've held a series of secret 1-ups or something special to make it worth going into these areas in the first place.
Tatanga's second phase did feel underwhelming and easier compared to the first phase but I can't say too much since it did still feel challenging to me.
Hiyoihoi boss fight can be beaten easily by just holding the block right next to them and not letting go ending the fight in seconds. It could be made better by having the boss sit on a higher area or the block breaking after hitting the boss once.
Now to wrap it up with a conclusion:
In summary I believe this episode is a very good starting point for people who want to get into smbx episodes to experience something fun without the fear of a sudden difficulty hike. It can be completed in a relatively short time and be enjoyable. Therefore I recommend playing it.
Overall: 8.5/10
(Spoilers are included)
I believe the episode is great in its own regard with level variety and design making it a engaging journey as Luigi ventures through Sarasaland from the fungal village all the way towards the moon with a easy to follow story and a fun experience to go along with it.
The best parts about the episode:
The underwater and Chai levels were some of the best with good music choice, really great tileset and background gfx. They feel unique from start to end. The dragon level itself brought good memories from a Koopa's revenge 2 almost making it my favourite level.
The difficultly of the episode doesn't jump up a steep curve but instead gradually builds on a slope hill that is perfect to build up challenge and be inviting to players who have less experience with smbx making it a beginner friendly episode.
The boss battles being variety and a good challenge that scales as the episode progresses. My favourites were the giant Blargg and the first phase of Tatanga's fight.
The secret areas for finding the sarasan shards are well made with some needing a bit more thinking to find them. I do recommend that some of the shards shouldn't have to be found at the end of levels at the top exit as that (at least to me) discourages players exploring the level to find them.
The addition of Waluigi to the episode is one of the best parts of the episode and even has a good explanation on why he's here in the first place, as a mercenary needing some cash and to beat his rival, two in one done deal. Definitely a favourite.
The sounds made by characters like Luigi, Waluigi, Tatanga, etc. when they speak is a great touch to detail and makes the episode feel alive and engaging.
Things that weren't as cool and could be improved in the future:
Some parts of the map have a lack of interesting scenery in areas like Easton kingdom (i'm referring to the first half. other half is mostly interesting) and chai skies, despite having unique gfx can feel a little boring and empty. This is especially apparent at the last section of the episode that is inside the moonbase where it looks like a large empty room, that could've been mitigated with the possible addition of tvboards, Tatanga flags or some machinery to make the location unique.
The secret areas found on some of the moon missions feel like they were supposed to keep some sarasan shards but since they can only be found on earth and the exits take the player not far from the entrance don't feel rewarding as these areas can be difficult. It could've held a series of secret 1-ups or something special to make it worth going into these areas in the first place.
Tatanga's second phase did feel underwhelming and easier compared to the first phase but I can't say too much since it did still feel challenging to me.
Hiyoihoi boss fight can be beaten easily by just holding the block right next to them and not letting go ending the fight in seconds. It could be made better by having the boss sit on a higher area or the block breaking after hitting the boss once.
Now to wrap it up with a conclusion:
In summary I believe this episode is a very good starting point for people who want to get into smbx episodes to experience something fun without the fear of a sudden difficulty hike. It can be completed in a relatively short time and be enjoyable. Therefore I recommend playing it.
Overall: 8.5/10
Statistics: Posted by MrNix — Mon Apr 15, 2024 6:41 pm