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[UncleSporky]

I've been thinking a bit about interesting ways you could put together levels for Mario Maker and keeping them in the back of my mind for when the game comes out. I'm sure a lot of other people are too.

I know that in some cases we want to surprise others with cool levels they won't see coming, but I thought we could share some of our ideas for fun. Levels that would be devious, annoying, weird, or just plain entertaining.

I made a few mockups for ideas I had. You don't have to make a mockup for this thread but it can help with visualizing how the level is put together!

EDIT: more:

RagnarokX's template:

I took the liberty of making a template:

Each grid in the editor is the size of 1 block. Each "screen" is 24x14 blocks. Each level is 10 screens wide by 2 screens tall, with a 5-block-wide start and a 12-block-wide goal and you can have 1 10x2 screen sub level. Just open the image in an image editor and use the fill tool to fill squares on the grid with color to represent objects. Pipes are 2 blocks wide.

Something like this:

 

[sinxtanx]

I think you've got all level variations covered right there

 

[D1AMONDDOGS]

Are you the devil?

 

[DJ_Lae]

They're all evil but this one gives me the most chills thinking about it.

 

[Mariolee]

I would subscribe to OP's profile if he made these levels lol

 

[LumpOfCole]

The escort mission doesn't have to be boring. You may have to go under the surface real quick to hit invisible blocks to keep the Goomba on its path, and so forth. You could get creative there.

 

[Platy]

Starts with a shell being trown from a canon and you receiving a super mushroom.

You have to race the shell to be hitted and become small mario so you can enter a small path

 

[Chezzymann]

You know a thread about people posting their ideas and progress on levels is actually a really good idea

BRB brainstorming

 

[Mariolee]

The escort mission doesn't have to be boring. You may have to go under the surface real quick to hit invisible blocks to keep the Goomba on its path, and so forth. You could get creative there.

He states that in the image. "Alternatively, etc. etc. etc."

 

[Kobun Heat]

 

[Red Liquorice]

This one is a nice idea. Definately use tricky to reach P-switches and an auto-scroll level.

 

[Neiteio]

Check out this level around the 12:10 mark, "Winners don't do shrooms." The only way to clear the level is to stay small Mario, but there are nearly no enemies, and there are mushrooms everywhere: https://youtu.be/CszEpvTb5BM?t=12m30s

Absolutely brilliant stuff. The most inspired level I've seen, imo.

EDIT: If the timestamp doesn't work (it goes to 7 min for me), skip to 12:30.

 

[UncleSporky]

Starts with a shell being trown from a canon and you receiving a super mushroom.

You have to race the shell to be hitted and become small mario so you can enter a small path

That's a neat idea, I wonder how hard it would be to catch up. Maybe you'd need to be made Raccoon Mario so you can trigger the faster flying run? But just before you touch the shell it falls into a small pit and reverses course, and you have to follow it again.

 

[zigg]

I hope we get a few non-evil levels too

I realize my hope is in vain

 

[TheXfactor]

i prefer levels that are possible, but dont get you stuck to where you have to start over. those are the worst, have a way to die when your stuck or something but dont just let the player get stuck and keep thinking there is a way out when there isnt

 

[ThisOne]

PENIS LEVELS

 

[Yarbskoo]

 

[Neiteio]

Require a p-switch to reach the goal.

Hide the p-switch in an invisible block.

Put the invisible block on a moving track.

Put many other invisible blocks on the track, filled with horrible things.

Make it an auto-scrolling cheetah level filled with fire bars.

...


PROFIT?!

 

[threelights]

I like the last one OP.

If more people start posting their ideas I'll be subscribing to the thread.

Unfortunately I don't play nearly as many platformers to be creative enough with them.

 

[Neiteio]

Oh!

How about this

A cheetah level (fastest autoscroll) filled with pipes... pipes everywhere!

And only one pipe leads to the goal.

Of course, with the screen scrolling so fast... I hope you're diligent crouching at each pipe. ;-)

 

[MrBadger]

I wanna make Mario levels now, dammit

 

[Highwind]

Require a p-switch to reach the goal.

Hide the p-switch in an invisible block.

Put the invisible block on a moving track.

Put many other invisible blocks on the track, filled with horrible things.

Make it an auto-scrolling cheetah level filled with fire bars.

...


PROFIT?!

Oh!

How about this

A cheetah level (fastest autoscroll) filled with pipes... pipes everywhere!

And only one pipe leads to the goal.

Of course, with the screen scrolling so fast... I hope you're diligent crouching at each pipe. ;-)

You're actually the devil bruh.

 

[Neiteio]

You're actually the devil bruh.

Well, I do like Resident Evil 6

 

[AdanVC]

Great ideas, OP! I really liked the last one, nice and effective damn.

Can this game come out now? thank

 

[Platy]

Oh!

How about this

A cheetah level (fastest autoscroll) filled with pipes... pipes everywhere!

And only one pipe leads to the goal.

Of course, with the screen scrolling so fast... I hope you're diligent crouching at each pipe. ;-)

Sonic Amiibo costume

Turtle auto scrolling

Check out this level around the 12:10 mark, "Winners don't do shrooms." The only way to clear the level is to stay small Mario, but there are nearly no enemies, and there are mushrooms everywhere: https://youtu.be/CszEpvTb5BM?t=12m30s

Absolutely brilliant stuff. The most inspired level I've seen, imo.

EDIT: If the timestamp doesn't work (it goes to 7 min for me), skip to 12:30.

This kinda makes me miss the poison mushroom on the game

That's a neat idea, I wonder how hard it would be to catch up. Maybe you'd need to be made Raccoon Mario so you can trigger the faster flying run? But just before you touch the shell it falls into a small pit and reverses course, and you have to follow it again.

The shell can hit a side ? box and because the game which you are does not have butt stomp it is the only way to get the power up to pass some part of the level

 

[UncleSporky]

Require a p-switch to reach the goal.

Hide the p-switch in an invisible block.

Put the invisible block on a moving track.

Put many other invisible blocks on the track, filled with horrible things.

Make it an auto-scrolling cheetah level filled with fire bars.

...


PROFIT?!

Also, on the evil side of things...

A level where you start out immediately getting a powerup like fire Mario, and a pipe that keeps spitting out more fire flowers.

To the right is an incredibly difficult challenge full of all kinds of enemies. Players can keep returning to the pipe for more flowers to keep challenging the mess over there but it's just not possible to get through. Maybe it ends in a solid wall.

What you really have to do is hit an invisible block off to the left as small Mario, since the block is really low to the ground. This releases a vine to the top of the level where an easy path takes you to the end.

 

[ToastyFrog]

Pretty sure this thread just got OP flagged by the FBI as a future serial killer.

 

[trixx]

Gonna replay some 2d marios and Donkey kongs for some inspiration. Aside from the treehouse levels, the levels I've seen have been bad design for the most part. Most being obnoxiously hard just for the sake of it.

Your levels are pretty interesting though.

 

[McNum]

For the escort mission, the time needs to be set so it ends up at single digits when you reach the goal. Because if there's one thing that'll make the slow Goomba waddle even more annoying, it's when the 100 seconds remaining music kicks in. Waddle faster, Goomba! Faster!

Hard Mode is then Super Mario World with a Boo. Get Boo to the end of the world to spin jump off it.You are on a conveyor belt, so you have to turn around a lot to keep Boo on screen. But if you look at Boo, it freezes up. There should be opportunities to pick up a Starman several times. Since that's the only thing that can kill a Boo. That and completing the level, of course. Where your poor Boo Buddy vanishes for a measly 100 points.

Also, someone needs to do a Flappy Bird level. Super Mario World. Cape. Pipes and pits. Go. Or on a winged Yoshi.

 

[Neiteio]

Also, on the evil side of things...

A level where you start out immediately getting a powerup like fire Mario, and a pipe that keeps spitting out more fire flowers.

To the right is an incredibly difficult challenge full of all kinds of enemies. Players can keep returning to the pipe for more flowers to keep challenging the mess over there but it's just not possible to get through. Maybe it ends in a solid wall.

What you really have to do is hit an invisible block off to the left as small Mario, since the block is really low to the ground. This releases a vine to the top of the level where an easy path takes you to the end.

Hahah, I love this

I hope most people make reasonable levels, but it will be fun to see some truly evil ones

 

[RagnarokX]

I took the liberty of making a template:

Each grid in the editor is the size of 1 block. Each "screen" is 24x14 blocks. Each level is 10 screens wide by 2 screens tall, with a 5-block-wide start and a 12-block-wide goal and you can have 1 10x2 screen sub level. Just open the image in an image editor and use the fill tool to fill squares on the grid with color to represent objects. Pipes are 2 blocks wide.

Something like this:

Quote this in the OP if you want. Be sure to remove the quote tags from the image.

To give an idea of how this compares to past games, here is a comparison of 1-1 from each game to SMM's map size:

http://i.imgur.com/cDuK6r7.jpg (high res)

 

[xir]

I've been thinking a bit about interesting ways you could put together levels for Mario Maker and keeping them in the back of my mind for when the game comes out. I'm sure a lot of other people are too.

UncleSporky you are an etude master

 

[Platy]

I wonder what mario level has so many platforms and blocks that would make an interesting upside down recreation

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

Check out this level around the 12:10 mark, "Winners don't do shrooms." The only way to clear the level is to stay small Mario, but there are nearly no enemies, and there are mushrooms everywhere: https://youtu.be/CszEpvTb5BM?t=12m30s

Absolutely brilliant stuff. The most inspired level I've seen, imo.

EDIT: If the timestamp doesn't work (it goes to 7 min for me), skip to 12:30.

Now I want a collection of levels that's just about dodging power-ups.

 

[kirby_fox]

I've got 2 ideas.

One is based on pure timing. I want to make one that looks super hard on the surface, but that you can win by simply running full speed through it without jumping. On the surface it will look like you're going to die and make you react- but reactions will most likely result in death.

The second is based on the idea of fear. There will be areas in which it looks like you are going to die immediately, there's no way out. but you are instead fine. You warp into an area where it looks like imminent death and no way out, only to find that it was all a lie.

 

[UncleSporky]

Now I want a collection of levels that's just about dodging power-ups.

That gives me an idea...instead of dodging mushrooms, you dodge a multitude of invincibility stars. To the right is a line of stationary enemies like piranha plants. If you're invincible and try to move onward, you kill the enemies and pass right through them to your death. If you're merely fire Mario you can walk on top of the enemies, taking multiple hits until you reach the end of the path.

Not sure if any enemies behave that way, though. And you can always just wait for invincibility to wear off. Mushrooms make the most sense as powerups to avoid.

 

[Adam Prime]

Pretty sure this thread just got OP flagged by the FBI as a future serial killer.

Lolol

 

[Thud]

I would hide secrets in a stage with mutiple ways to finish it.

 

[ffdgh]

Smb level with the sonic costume, using stars, rolling around at the speed of sound.

Also the idea of Future/past levels based on oracle of ages.

 

[fernoca]

Subscribing to this.
Anyone knows the max. size (in tiles?) of a level?

I'm planning on getting some graph paper and brainstorm first.

 

[RagnarokX]

Subscribing to this.
Anyone knows the max. size (in tiles?) of a level?

I'm planning on getting some graph paper and brainstorm first.

Look 9 posts up

I made a graph for everyone and everything.

 

[foxuzamaki]

I love this thread.

 

[fernoca]

Look 9 posts up

I made a graph for everyone and everything.

Awesome, turned off images on my phone so missed that!

 

[SirUltimos]

I've been thinking about levels with multiple pathways to the goal, and the player chooses the path that suits their play style best. For example, I was thinking about a level with an above ground and below ground - the above level is loaded with enemies and mostly tests the player's ability to avoid and defeat enemies, while the below ground path is more of a playforming yes. Few to no enemies, but very precise playforming is required.

 

[UncleSporky]

Here's a less evil idea, more practical as a fun level concept. I wasn't going to share this one at first because I like it a lot but hey:

 

[Big One]

This level would fair better if you put the blocks you need to break with the Koopa shell at the end of the course before you get the flag. So the whole goal is to carry the shell across this complicated course till the end with all sorts of traps and enemies around you.

 

[SoundPulse]

Mine are just going to be variations on 2-3. Gotta go fast.

 

[SirUltimos]

I've always been a fan of the levels with moving blocks (or skulls, in SMW). I'd like to try combining a bunch of these. Several block "snakes" twisting between eachother while climbing a tower (or going toward the goal if that much verticality is not possible). The player would have to jump between them as certain paths end or become too difficult.

 

[Anteo]

The harders part about this would be how to make it so the players know what to do, how do you teach them there will be invisible blocks below thwomps in a controlled enviroment.

 

[Simbabbad]

Given that:

1) You can skip levels in the 100 Mario challenge without penalty (you just replace the level that annoys you with another random level).

2) If you're browsing levels, you can of course go back to the menu and check another level at any time.

3) In the 100 Mario challenge, you can rate a level only if you've finished it.

4) We're in 2015. Tons of opportunities for a gamer and so little time, and short attention span in general.

=> The sort of levels in the OP will be at the very bottom of the rate barrel and barely visible/played at all.