May/June 2014 Voting

1. Glacier Gear
Absolute favorite map from this SP division. The level's structure and routes are set up very well, the bounce pads are used in cool ways (especially underwater), and there's a 2D section that doesn't feel completely pointless! The visuals are also well-done, and Knuckles not being able to climb on metal was a clever addition. The trap-lasers were a bit ambiguous in purpose at first, but are actually pretty interesting, and the waddaleks are also kind of annoying (okay they're really annoying) but I suppose it's good to have an enemy that isn't scenery that moves. Squaring off with that secret boss was nice, too.

2. Cock Towers
Very nice from a technical standpoint; I predict that the kirby 64-style axis2D will be a great thing for level designers; I know I'll probably use it! The egg guards were kind of obnoxious, but other than that I didn't have much trouble dealing with the enemies.

3. Seraphic Skylands
Definitely has the best visuals out of the SP division; the music, scenery and low difficulty makes it a very relaxing experience. My only complaint is that the lack of enemies and aforementioned easiness makes it feel slightly uneventful, but it's still a fun level. Needs more pain elementals though.

4. Sand Valley
I had a lot of fun playing this one. The quickquicksand didn't bother me as much as it did others, the visuals are nice (especially those wooden bar midtextures) and there's a fun Knuckles path. The deton placement is pretty gross though, and the spindash platforms aren't explained well enough for such a common level object, though they're fine once you figure out how to actually use them.

5. Floral Road
This is for a level pack, am I right? It's cute and good for what it is, I suppose; a short, simple first level type of thing. It's very average, but it's not bad at all, though I do think there should've been more stuff to do. I don't have much else to say about this map.

On a non-level design related note, I like how the red crawlas take two hits to kill in this.

6. Egg Outposts
I like the song in this level but it doesn't fit the colorful jungle environment at all. This level is kind of below average but I still enjoyed it. The layout is really strange and confusing at times, and that optional cave room with the crystals is extremely dark; the crystals should've been placed in ways that guide the player instead of being all over the place. Deton placement could also use improvement.

7. Sacred Woodland
The visuals are decent. That's the biggest praise I can give this level; it's neither great nor abysmally awful. I don't know why the teleporters are there; the transitions could've been done without them; furthermore, the teleporters aren't smooth and stop you dead in your tracks when you activate them, which kills the immersion suddenly Brak

8. Midnight Caves
This is a stage that was very plain. It makes me think of maps from the 1.09.4 days, with the crawlas and that hyper-realistic rock texture and the vast open expanses of nothing. I didn't care much for this level but it's not bad, it's just very...well, mundane. Also the spot where the emerald token is would've been a better spot for the exit signpost.

9. Emerald Lake
Like Midnight Caves, this level isn't horrible, it's just unremarkable. It is composed entirely of large, empty rooms with enemies that don't really do anything, and unlike Egg Outposts, it doesn't even seem like effort was put into it. The map gives an Elemental Shield to the player right at the start of an underwater section, completely negating the challenges associated with that kind of hazard unless the player somehow gets hurt by something. The fake slopes and insurmountable fence at the beginning don't contribute anything to the gameplay; the addition of an unfinished draft of the map as a secret seems especially pointless. The map also has a problem with crashing; I don't know if it's the map's fault or just me though.

Also the fish look like they want to drown.

1. Seraphic Skylands Zone by Spherallic - It's pretty oh so pretty
2. Clock Tower Zone by RedEnchilada and Pac - Fun level layout and excellent use of 2DAxis
3. Glacier Gear Zone by toaster - Laser penguins suck but the rest is awesome
4. Sand Valley Zone by Chrome - Cool use of quicksand to get around
5. Egg Outposts Zone by Tyrannic - Lots of cool ideas that just need better execution to work well
6. Sacred Woodland by HAPPYFOX - Kinda pretty, but also really confusing at the start
7. Midnight Caves Zone by Chaobrother - Forgettable, but still nice to play through
8. Floral Road Zone, Act 1 by "Lat'" - I liked the vibrant colors used here, though the level design is eh
9. Emerald Lake Zone, Act 2 by glaber - R I P MOTOBUG

1. Climate Chaos Zone by EvilEternity3000 - Cool weather effects that change up how to get around
2. Moonlit Precipice Zone by Knux576 - Pretty but also pretty standard and also has flying grass edges
3. Crystal Coast Zone by Steel Titanium - where are the crystals where is the coast

1. Forbidden Woods Zone by the cyan - Awesome level layout and tons of ways to flank the opposite base
2. Techno Laser 4 by CoatRack - Hooray for shrinking in a shooter gametype
3. Quicksand Caverns Zone by RedEnchilada - Quicksand gets a little too annoying at times
4. Old Sport Zone Act 1922: New Money vs Old Money by Jellybones and Eblo - Would be cooler if players could throw hats
5. Wtf? Ctf by Root and CyanFox - no pancake 0/10

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Crystal Coast: 3/10


Okay, I'm gonna be honest here. The map while big, can be fun at the start, but overtime, it begins to get really boring. I have a list of complaints about this map. First, there's a lack of scenery. The trees in the meadow area are part of the scenery, but the lack of objects (such as Sunflowers) make it look bland. The coastal area is another prime example because all it features is a pseudo-mountainside. The factory area is just empty, and so is the Tidal Palace Zone-themed area. The second complaint I have is that there are some Ring Panels and single Weapon Rings that aren't floating. The Rail Ring inside the miniscule waterfall is an example. One more thing, why does the water in the meadow area kill you rather than having a bottom with springs in it? It should've acted like the two lakes in Meadow Match Zone, and according to some users on the MB, this level looks like a first map.


Moonlight Precipice: 9/10


This map is good. The only thing I found is that the middle textures aren't lined up with the sector height. Be sure to double check this next time.


Climate Chaos: 8/10


This map is a good example of changing weather without causing sync-fails. I don't really have anything to say about it, other than the fact it is good.

Old Sport: 7/10

The map, while good in design, can get slightly boring. The bases where the players have to stand guard are too big, and flag capturers can get lost. The Blue and Red Team Rings are placed in the bedrooms in the opposite bases, and they do not work that way. I've also found a Gargoyle in the map that was supposed to function as the time of day and weather. It didn't function like it was supposed to, and when sunset reappears, it doesn't stop raining until it's nightfall again. The last phenomena was an earthquake. Was it intended to distract the other players or was it a visual?

Quicksand Caverns: 5/10

The map is okay in visuals and design, but the map itself is bland in terms of scenery. The caves in both team sections lack scenery. There should be scenery objects such as cactuses, like the ones in the middle and team bases, tumbleweed, and some stalactites and stalagmites. The main problem of the map is how the quicksand functions. It should act like quicksand in Burning Sands (from 2.0), and many other desert levels, because this type of quicksand asphyxiates players who stay in the quicksand too long.

Forbidden Woods: 9/10

This map is fairly impressive. I liked how the bases looked, and the connecting area between them. This map would be great for hide-and-seek.


Wtf? Ctf: 1/10

This is THE worst CTF map I've ever played. It is too simple, and the overuse of color textures can really hurt players' eyes. The map also has a lack of Rail Rings, which call for easy pickings due to how close the bases are. I already said this map is simple, but I forgot to add that it calls for a huge thokfest for Sonic players. At first, the map seems easy, but the repetition can get boring really fast. Plus, the Blue Team (Waffle) base is very broken, because players have to jump on top of the butter just to capture the flag, and the pancakes suffer the same thing the bases suffer. My other complaint is that it does not have all of the Weapon Rings. While the Infinity, Automatic, Scatter, Grenade, and Explosion Rings exist, it suffers from Bounce and Rail Ring Panels, and the Infinity Ring is only exclusive to the Blue Team. The other thing that the team bases lack is their corresponding flags so that players could tell whose base is whose. Overall, it's a pretty pathetic map that needs to be worked on.


Techno Laser Zone 4: 7/10


The level's got a fair amount of visuals. Players can easily get lost on their first time playing this level. I also like how the level can give some
players advantages where they can hide from other players, and this even protect players who have the flags on hand. This map is fun to play in once you get used to it. Keep up the good work, CoatRack!