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Super Mario Maker level design layouts and ideas
- Thread starter UncleSporky
- Start date
I kind of feel the same, but I wouldn't go that far to say NO trolling. I kind of want to do an invisible block death-trap with a 1UP mushroom in it. Just once.
That and some high concept levels that do something weird with the Super Mario Bros. game elements would be fun, too, and you probably won't see those in a main Super Mario Bros. game.
Even if the input was there, I'm pretty sure the general reading comprehension would be a few steps short, which is probably why the sharing system is numerical.
Will Miiverse be the answer to this? With different types of levels posted under different tags? Haven't been on Miiverse much since the update, too busy Splatooning, but my understanding was it is much easier to sort through a game's community to find specific stuff now.
4 does seem like the limit and they are carefully chosen to match a certain theme and aesthetic. Some levels may even have only 1 or 2 enemy types. The first airship in Mario 3 doesn't have any enemies at all just a lot of cannons and a boss at the end. They don't introduce Rocky Wrench until the second airship.
EDIT: though that's not to say they won't bend the rules themselves from time to time.
World 3-4 Water Land
Goomba
Paragoomba (sub-species of Goomba)
Piranha Plant
Fireball Piranha Plant (sub-species of Piranha Plant)
Green Fireball Piranha Plant (another sub-species)
Cheap Cheap
green Koopa Troopa
Lakitu throwing green Spinies (green Spinies stay in a ball and just roll forever)
At least 5 original enemies with the other sub-species to add further variety.
This video about 3D World's level design is a handy look into how one can set out a level.
The teaching the player about you level gimmick in a safe way first is a smart idea. A lot of the hard levels being made in Mario Maker basically chuck you in at the deep end. The fact you can choose to skip a level makes it important that you don't annoy the player from the get go by seeming unfair.
The teaching the player about you level gimmick in a safe way first is a smart idea. A lot of the hard levels being made in Mario Maker basically chuck you in at the deep end. The fact you can choose to skip a level makes it important that you don't annoy the player from the get go by seeming unfair.
woopWOOP
Member
Thanks for these.
About the editor's limits, do the sub-areas have the same height and length available as the main area? Basically whether or not I can make a course twice as long (or whatever the max number of sub-areas can be) as long as I don't use too many objects?
This is really cool!
Dear God... Bloopers and flame throwers for Tourian... Genius!
Need to throw in the Samus amiibo for extra effect
Amiibos only work in SMB style and would replace the leaf.
There's another Metroid-based level that I think is an official one. It was just a trip through Mother Brain's chamber in Tourian with a red koopa troopa as Mother Brain. It had the Samus costume.
I've barely played the first Metroid, but I'm blown away at the immensity and complexity of this level. Holy crap.
Valjean Lafitte
Banned
Those don't exist?
True, but I wouldn't say the invisible blocks are anything like in Kaizo Mario stuff where it trolls you into intentional death. There are some troll-like invisible blocks, but like in world 7-2 Pipe Land, there is a large gap between pipes and if you fall in, you're trapped by invisible music blocks. There are two pipes at the bottom though so you're left with one option, to go through a pipe heading backwards to cross that gap.
It's more forgiving stuff but still guides the player into new areas through its trickery.
Pipe Land has a lot of simple but unique levels and gimmicks.
QueenOfThorns
Member
I'm kind of feeling meh on the game right now. Mostly learning that levels have to be super short because they don't have halfway checkpoints? And that they're on a timer you can't increase? Custom sound effects in levels won't play when you upload them online...even to a friend? Like I'd understand not allowing it in public levels, but there should be a private mode where you just share a level with your friend and it allows the custom sound effects to play.
I'm sure it'll be cool and I'll get it sometime. I'm just disappointed hearing how limited everything is. Any chance they would update the game and remove these restrictions? Levels should be able to be as long as people want (..within reason!) with halfway points and a custom timer. Stuff like that Metroid level deserves an editor where you can set it to not have a timer at all.
I'm sure it'll be cool and I'll get it sometime. I'm just disappointed hearing how limited everything is. Any chance they would update the game and remove these restrictions? Levels should be able to be as long as people want (..within reason!) with halfway points and a custom timer. Stuff like that Metroid level deserves an editor where you can set it to not have a timer at all.
Check points wouldn't work for 2 of the game styles. Levels can be 500 seconds which is enough for most though I do hope they update this to no timer.
QueenOfThorns
Member
Wouldn't it be easy to put them in different sections? Like classic SMB/SMB3 mode and then Mario World/NSMB mode. There are already things you can do in the NSMB mode that you can't do in the others like walljumps and the like.
And, I mean. Would anyone complain if they added checkmarks to the classic styles as well? Just seems like there's a lot of different things they could do to make it better.
TheMoon
Member
I think you're quite misinformed or just exaggerating. 500 second-levels are in no way shape or form "super short" ... considering you can do lots of sub-worlds even.
So far nobody has even confirmed that you can't increase the timer. We just know that 500 is the default and you can go lower.
Why? The only game that didn't have checkpoints was SMB3, and that game had shorter levels than any other game. SMB1s checkpoints were invisible but they were there.
I agree that we need checkpoints.
The only problem is checkpoints make trap levels even harder to avoid. Trap levels can be completed, but unless you are very precise they are arranged to get you stuck and then you have to restart. I can see some assholes making it so when you grab the checkpoint you are stuck. Then even going to restart still has you stuck - you need to exit completely.
I'm hoping that's not the reason for their exclusion since there's gonna be traps anyway, and ratings anyway.
The only problem is checkpoints make trap levels even harder to avoid. Trap levels can be completed, but unless you are very precise they are arranged to get you stuck and then you have to restart. I can see some assholes making it so when you grab the checkpoint you are stuck. Then even going to restart still has you stuck - you need to exit completely.
I'm hoping that's not the reason for their exclusion since there's gonna be traps anyway, and ratings anyway.
I love that level. It was perhaps the only one in the game where timeout death was a real threat.
Although I've seen people lose to timeout on this one before too, even though it is a very small level.
UncleSporky
Member
Oh man, that's a good point above...they can't put in checkpoints because then you really could make impossible levels if anyone dies in them once.
- Give the player a mushroom
- Force the player to walk through a checkpoint
- No powerups past the checkpoint, no retreating (one way walls etc.)
- Players are forced to break bricks with their head later in the level to proceed
Now if the player ever dies after the checkpoint, all they can do is die repeatedly over and over. In the challenges they could skip the level, but still, that's a nasty trick.
It's like circumventing the limitation that levels must be able to be completed. You could easily make it so that levels must be completed on your first life, or you just have to throw away all your lives (or else skip).
- Give the player a mushroom
- Force the player to walk through a checkpoint
- No powerups past the checkpoint, no retreating (one way walls etc.)
- Players are forced to break bricks with their head later in the level to proceed
Now if the player ever dies after the checkpoint, all they can do is die repeatedly over and over. In the challenges they could skip the level, but still, that's a nasty trick.
It's like circumventing the limitation that levels must be able to be completed. You could easily make it so that levels must be completed on your first life, or you just have to throw away all your lives (or else skip).
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Play it again. Yes they do. One level for example hides the warp pipe to lead to the exit which can only be accessed by using the raccoon suit to fly up to a specific spot.
Pure_Phazon
Member
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
And of course his fucker. Ugh.
CrazyHorse
Junior Member
I look forward to seeing this extended to other games, e.g. Yoshi's Island or Zelda 2. How about a Metroid maker?
That's the one I posted above, 6-5. They even added blocks you have to destroy before you can get space to run and fly.
Lee Chaolan
Member
Really neat. Game is awesome.
GustyGardens
Banned
I will sue.
I came up with that very idea months ago. Damn you, Andre. Damn you.
Not really mad at all.
GameXplain is awesome.
Whoa, this is pretty cool
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
There's another one as well different to that which I was thinking of which has a warp pipe in the ceiling you have to fly directly in to. Cant remember what level it was though.
That one posted might be even more annoying actually since you also had to carry a shell up there.
Holy shit, thats amazing
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
That's the one. It was really annoying because that warp pipe is in a real specific spot and for ages I flew up at different points in that big room and saw no warp pipe, which convinced me that the idea of a warp pipe being up there was wrong. I did not find stages like this fun. Especially with the timer and limited lives.
Yeah, it's different from most other Mario levels. There's much more guess work in finding the pipe and requiring to have an ability just to finish the level. I remember being a little lost when I first played that level as a kid as well.
TheGreatMightyPoo
Banned
Cat Umbran Climax.
Gotdatmoney
Member
It would be as simple as requiring the uploader to beat the level once from the start amd once from the check point. Easy solution.
GustyGardens
Banned
Game Informer put up a Test Chamber featuring the game and it's Expert 100 Mario Challenge.
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...-39-s-most-difficult-user-created-levels.aspx
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...-39-s-most-difficult-user-created-levels.aspx
woopWOOP
Member
When replaying the game a few months ago this stage completely stumped me and a friend too. Didn't figure it out again until after running out the time twice.
I love those kind of stages tho. Nice change of pace compared to the usual action oriented stages. Plus that fortress stage had this cool eerie mood about it, being completely devoid of regular enemies.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
You must be really excited if you're planning this shit out already and making graphs and crude pictures.
Icyflamez96
Member
Well the 1% of good levels will probably make it more than worth it. Just like with LBP
Anyone with the mindset you're describing will learn quickly that making hard levels for the sake of it isn't hard or impressive in the slightest... Or maybe not, but still, i'm sure there will be plenty of good levels.
Silent_Ocarina
Member
To this day, I still never beat that level. I always used the Cloud and prayed that I didn't die in the next stage.
UncleSporky
Member
I don't want to forget the ideas I've had, and I also hope I can encourage others to start thinking more about level design, rather than just throwing down whatever comes to mind.
A couple people have said they've been inspired, so I'm glad I made it.
JinjoUnchained
Member
How about a level where you have to bounce off of flying Koopas over a bottomless pit? The twist is that pipes will shoot out star men in your most direct path from turtle to turtle, so you'll have to angle your jumps to avoid them as the invincibility would cause you to kill the koopa and plunge to your doom.
Here's another one: You're on a small ledge above a bottomless pit on the left hand side, with the flag pole out of reach on the right side. So you have to free fall, bounce off a lakitu, land in his cloud, and fly all the way back up to the flag pole before the lakitu cloud (juggem cloud?) disappears.
Here's another one: You're on a small ledge above a bottomless pit on the left hand side, with the flag pole out of reach on the right side. So you have to free fall, bounce off a lakitu, land in his cloud, and fly all the way back up to the flag pole before the lakitu cloud (juggem cloud?) disappears.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Yo that's crazy. A shame you can't just make the time unlimited. I'm not even sure why Mario games still have that to this day.
Chezzymann
Member
I think its just leftover arcade influences. Lots of NES games were heavily inspired by how arcade games were structured (including super Mario bros)
A true masterpiece here. Sad that MM lacks chekpoints and clock for more time.
Fuck this was my idea!