This is my first entry into the level design contest! I decided to enter this map into the contest in hopes to get good feedback on how to improve. It is currently unfinished and will be further improved in the future.
I tried to make every part of the level have some reason behind it, and tried to keep everything interesting. I tried to inspire a sense of freedom and simplicity in this map. I also tried to introduce the concepts of the gimmicks one at a time, hopefully you guys will understand how they work as you play through :P
It's a fairly short level, and can be easily beaten within a minute or less. In order to best enjoy this level, I suggest exploring and just having fun :P Although this level is very simple, I tried to incorpate a few very tiny things to keep veteran players interested...like the location of the Speed Shoes for speedrunners. And a couple of secrets (more on those at the bottom of this text).
There are many areas that are currently very plain and undecorated. Also, there are several "slime trails" which I want to try to fix without affecting the visual aesthetics. The "easy route" (which takes the longest, but is the most simple) is very unpolished, and I'm considering remaking that area for future versions. To me, it feels kind of boring and uninspired ^^"
I haven't really tested this map with Knuckles or Tails, but I hope that for any of you who play as them, this map will still be fun. This is my first map since Rebirth Green Hill Zone, and I would like to say I've improved quite a bit since then, but I guess I'll find out soon enough ^^. I would love to get some feedback on my level, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!
SECRETS:
There are currently three emeralds hidden in the map, and one easter eggman. Also, there is an emblem, which is meant to be for Sonic, but I couldn't figure out how to specifiy it as Sonic-Only. In future versions, I will add some things for Tails and Knuckles. Eventually, the emeralds and easter-eggman will be replaced with something else which all lead to one central secret.
EXTRA INFO:
This level was actually based off a dream I had of SRB2...(Kind of sad...xD) But it was so much fun to play in my dream that I wanted to try and recreate it. It turned out quite a bit differently than I dreamt it, but I hope it's still fun. There are some elements from my dream that I'm hoping to incorporate in Act 2 :P
I also am hoping to create my own custom music for this stage, but that probably won't happen for quite a while ^^"