[SUGOI 2] Oh My God! It's Joseph Joestar In SUBARASHII: X-Mas Mode In July

Wow, this was a really fun pack to play. I daresay I enjoyed it more than SUGOI, most of the levels were really fun!

I thought I'd leave a detailed review for each room/area/level/boss so that way each creator can get some feedback.

I was a big fan of the hub in SUGOI, but I feel like this one definitely topped it from a technical standpoint. It was cool having the levels be in paintings and unlocking different rooms throughout the mansion. The shop was also a nice touch, though I didn’t use it too much. My only problem with it was that the items were randomized and there were only 5 slots, so sometimes you went to get something later and it was gone when you loaded it back up. I did like that elemental shields were added, along with some of the cool custom items like the fire flower and the cactus shield. Overall, I liked the hub.

Green Flowers Zone 1: A nice, simple, easy first level. I enjoyed it for the most part, especially the Sonic 2 8-bit music. However, I did have one problem: the first room. The slope in there was pretty much completely broken, at least for me. I finally was able to spindash and do an obscenely-timed jump to get up there, and by the time the springs took me where I needed to go, I was facing the wrong direction and had to start over. Needless to say, I spent a good bit of time trying to get past the beginning. The rest of the level was fine, mostly linear with a few little hidden things.

Green Flowers Zone 2: Funnily enough, this one took me much less time than Green Flowers Zone 1. I liked that slopes weren’t as demanding here, and that there were some simple underwater bits that weren’t rage-inducing. I will say, though, that the “waterfall mountain” at the end was a bit annoying due to the springs often launching you directly into the Skims above. Other than that, fun little level.

Holiday House: A bit small and easy, but a fun emerald-hunting level nonetheless. I liked how emeralds could be hidden under sheets, in bushes or imbedded inside of present stacks.

Sunlit Cavern: I actually liked this level a lot, even if the slopes were sometimes a bit finicky. Nice, simple level with mostly solid platforming. Also, the emblems are quite fun to get and aren’t that hard to find, which is a plus.

Frozen Valley: I liked what there was to this level (particularly the icy water, which was a nice touch), but there wasn’t much. I often found emeralds in the same places, and the level was done in under 30 seconds. I wouldn’t be opposed to this level getting expanded at some point, it has nice potential!

Steel Valley: Well, it’s pretty much Techno Hill, but that’s not a bad thing. This one felt very much like a level straight out of SRB2, with lots of small details and small branching path options here and there. However, falling in the slime was a bit annoying since it was the pre-2.1 version of it. Enjoyed this one.

Holiday Hill: Solid Winter/Christmas-themed level with many different places to visit. The ice platforming was a bit annoying in the beginning, but after a couple tries it was no problem. I also liked the music in this one, which I believe was made by SeventhSentinel, so good job!

Bubble Tides: One of the better NiGHTS levels I’ve played, period. I like that this was a 3-mare track, since the original game had 4-mare ones and usually SRB2 NiGHTS levels are just 1-mare. It was cool to see different parts of the quirky area, and to try and grab the emblems along the way. No real criticisms here, really cool!

Green Flowers Zone 3: I have to say, I wasn’t expecting to hear music from Sonic Drift 2, but Rainy Savannah is a nice choice. This one’s probably my favorite of the 3 Green Flowers regular stages, I like the aesthetic, the usage of slopes and the small cliff areas you can scrounge for items. Also, having the level end right where the boss picks up is a nice touch. Fun level.

Green Flowers Zone 4: Fun boss, being able to change the music between Game Gear and Master System was cool (I switched it to Master System during his pinch phase). Sometimes it was a bit easy to cheat him into a corner and attack him several times, but the base Egg-O-Matic boss from SRB2 is like that too, so oh well.

Plastic Factory: Cool idea for a level, and a nice twist on the Christmas theme so many of these levels have. It was a bit weird hearing a remix of several songs looping, and some of the platforming near the end was just plain annoying. However, I admire the idea and the emblems were nice and easy, so yeah.

Funky Headquarters: A very short level with one easy emblem that I’m a fan of. It has its fun gimmicks, uses them quickly and then shows you the goal. Cool 2D level.

Sapphire Frost: Well, it’s a large, open snow level that uses Diamond Dust Act 1 for its music so already that’s pretty good. The igloos were cool and a nice way to get items. Emblems were mostly fun, and were either hidden or placed well. My only criticism is that sometimes the slopes were a little weird with the speed boosters, and thin ice platforms are never fun. Everything else was very well-made!

Polluted Polis: You know, I may hate Robo-Hoods, but I really liked this level. It’s a very cool idea to have a toxic waste-laden ruin, and I enjoyed finding the emblems and emerald token. Short, sweet and has a lot of style.

Night Temple: Visually this level is awesome. The platforming is a little tight for my liking, though. It wasn’t really a problem until the room near the end with the pillars, it just felt a little stilted. Also, the music doesn’t really loop well. However, I enjoyed the environment and the mini-boss was fun.

Crimson Castle: Not much to say about this one, good music, solid design and platforming. It was cool to see a lava and castle level without it being the cliché “final fortress” type of deal (not that there’s a problem with that, it’s just nice to see something more original).

Ice Cap: Well, it’s Ice Cap. Automatic plus. However, the first bit of this level (the part that I guess is supposed to be like the snowboarding section in the original) didn’t really do much for me. It felt kind of empty, but the skybox looked cool when you moved fast. The later parts of the level were more fun, though, and looked cool.

Dusty Desert Zone 1: Enjoyed this one for the most part, the S3&K sand falls were a nice touch. There were lots of cool events and gimmicks to this level, and quite a few secrets too. However, one thing that really annoyed me here was that damn rising lava room. That thing made me a rage a bit, but nothing too serious. The only real problem is that you’re pretty much screw if you fall in the lava with no shield, since all your rings go under.

Abandoned Airbase: Wow. This one really impressed me in pretty much every regard. It was nice to take a break from enemies and hazards and to play through a puzzle-solving level in an extremely unique setting with the calming music of DSZ2 (Also, I’m a sucker for cool, super-detailed areas, especially ones that are abandoned). There’s pretty much nothing I would change here, one of my favorites in the pack.

Magma Peaks: Nice little lava level a-la-Red Volcano Zone. A bit short, but not really bad. Can’t think of much else to say here, other than that I swear some of those fireballs are invisible.

Atlantis: I’m not a huge fan of this one’s gameplay, but the aesthetic is cool and the music is GORGEOUS. The background impressed me, too. Other than that, my only real feedback is to maybe make the level a bit less reliant on enemy hordes. It got a little annoying sometimes.

Snow Summit: Ah, the lesser version of Diamond Dust’s theme. Haha, just kidding, it fits the level. Some of the platforming/slope usage here is annoying, but there are so many extra paths and secrets that I really think it makes up for it. Hell, there’s even one to skip the entire level (I only used it once ;) ). Anyway, it’s fun and slightly challenging.

Twilight Grove: Another of my favorites. Nice aesthetic, solid platforming. Not a very open level, but that’s okay, it added to the feeling of being deep in the woods/underground. The only real criticism I can think of is that last emblem between the two cliffs. That one is really annoying to get as Sonic.

Mount Torval Zone 1: Wasn’t expecting a Ratchet: Deadlocked/Gladiator reference, but it’s a good song. I quite liked quite a few things in this level, though some large, open areas felt a little too minimalistic in detail. Overall, though, it’s nice, Arid Canyon-style level with a few branching paths the encourage replays.

Mount Torval Zone 2: I think I preferred this to Act 1. Much more adventurous and varied, with some cool lava visuals. Not much to say gameplay-wise, pretty standard. I will say, though, that I died after spindashing under that one hole a time or two more than I care to admit. Also, I was surprised yet again, this time to hear something from Ducktales.

Fort Nitrate: GAH! I hate this level-- I mean I… love it? I don’t know, it’s complicated. Cool music and idea that actually works really well, but man are those bombs annoying. I swear, it took me a good 30 minutes to realize you could spindash into them in a specific way to launch them over things. But again, just because it was hard doesn’t mean it was bad-- it was designed very well-- but I’d be remiss to say I didn’t get angry more than once.

Mix It All Together! Zone 1: This one’s interesting, and I like the music choice. I’m often a sucker for levels like this, but some parts definitely work better than others. To be honest, the hardest part is probably the beginning, seeing as how the slopes are a little weird there. The rest of it is pretty straightforward, and I enjoyed it.

Steaming Towers: This is another love-hate sort of deal. I like the aesthetic, and a lot of the pipe puzzles are fun. But I HATE the sections that rely on extreme precision platforming-- particularly the final stretch of the level. Other than that, it was good; the slopes worked well, enemy placement was good (except for those damn Buzzes, hate those things) and the emblems were fun to look for.

Sundial Veld: Oh boy, you know I’ll give it points right off the bat because it uses Plant Kingdom music. It was a nice change of pace to have a medium-difficulty nature level amidst the much harder other ones, even if some of the platforming was a bit slick at times. Also, I’m 99% sure that you can’t get any of those emblems with Sonic. Which is annoying, because he’s the character I completed this pack with.

Leaps of Faith: I’ll be honest, I like the concept, but over 75% of this level was annoying. Not in a super bad way, though! Most of the platforming I was capable of pulling off on my first try, there’s just some, um, “leaps of faith” that didn’t sit well with me. I noticed that the level got expanded recently, I’ll have to give that a try at some point too.

Palace Peaks: I liked this one a lot, along with the Sonic Riders music. Very big, open areas with challenging platforming and plenty of enemies and hazards to boot. Not much to say, this level was fun, so good job. Another of my favorites, probably.

Roasted Ravine Zone 1: Hoo boy, this one was a doozy. Awesome mechanic, solid, almost stressful platforming and a lot of surprises (particularly the, er, end of the level). It’s honestly great, though sometimes the ropes were annoying and the level started to drag a bit from being too long later on in my opinion.

Propulsion Peaks: This level’s quite small, but encourages exploration which I think is great. I had to replay it a few times to truly discover everything hidden here. Plus, the music is great.

Pipes of Green: Well, Fudge Canyon was my favorite level in SUGOI, so I was excited to see what else VAdaPEGA was up to. And I have to say, this level was awesome, if not a bit confusing. I had no trouble the first time playing through this, but on subsequent replays I got lost a few times. Trippy, awesome music (Which I know VAdaPEGA made, good job) and level design and cool new enemies. It’s a short, art piece-type level that I enjoyed.

Empty Sanctum: Another cool NiGHTS level. It may only be 1-mare, but it was really cool to be able to go around on foot like in the original game or in Spring Hill. The only thing that annoyed me was that the water took away time, no other criticisms. The Chrono Trigger music was cool too.

Illumination Aerie: This zone looked awesome, and it played well too! I’m honestly intrigued by this world, and why it has those pink trees and quirky ruins. I’d give criticisms but I really can’t, I had a lot of fun here!

Roasted Ravine Zone 3: Wow, this was a really fun boss. It’s too bad we didn’t get to see Act- actually, wait, scrap that. Act 2’s usually longer than Act 1. Anyway, I loved the variety of attacks and the pinch phase that used the roasting mechanic. The ditch-effort insta-kill attack at the end was cool too, good thing I saw it coming! I like how Eggman used the cactus shield as his weapon (aside from the laser), that was a cool detail. Also, DAMN, I didn’t know Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure had such hype boss music.

Greenflower Grove: Well, it’s Sonic 3D Blast, which I got immediately, but for some reason it took me a minute to realize that it PLAYED exactly the same. Once I got that I needed flickies, the level played just fine. A nice, easy special stage that’s not nearly as janky to control as Sonic 3D Blast (also, good job keeping in the mechanic of grabbing things on springs with flickies).

Tropical Island: I daresay this one’s even easier than Greenflower Grove, at least once you fully learn the mechanic of your energy meter. I liked how this level played, but the boss was a bit cheap to be honest. I only won by cheating him into a corner. If it weren’t for the constant laser beam, it’d probably be fine.

A Minesweeper Field: Well, it’s, uh… it’s Minesweeper, alright. Kind of cool, really. Not much to say, it plays the same and it’s a nice, slightly challenging puzzle.

Unknown Temple 1: I liked the concept of this one, though it took me a few tries in Emerald Practice to get it right. On one hand, it’s kind of trial-and-error, but on the other, the level’s rather short. I liked the boss, was that Eggman Nega? Anyway, one of the easier ones to play/figure out in my opinion.

Shade Mountain: This one. Okay, I’ll be honest, once I figured out what the hell I was supposed to do/where I was supposed to go, I thoroughly enjoyed it, good job. However, for about 5 or 6 tries I could see nothing and was aimlessly flying around for a few seconds until the BASH I was riding exploded. I’d recommend making the main path easier to see. Other than, cool, fun concept that I enjoyed.

Soniguri: This one was pretty easy after one or two tries, and I liked it. Azure Lake is one of my favorite classic themes, so nice touch. I enjoyed the variety in enemies and the usage of the Doomsday boss’ first phase. The only thing I’d change is the attacks of the boss. They do have a pattern, but they’re a little ridiculous. However, I did enjoy this space shooter-style level.

Highly Responsive to Hedgehogs: I enjoyed this one too! It’s a little challenging, but it’s the 7th special stage, so that’s to be expected. I enjoyed the boss and it felt worth it when I won and got that last emerald. I’d recommend making it a bit easier to decipher what to do, though, as it took me a minute to even understand what was happening when I first played.

Final Tower: I liked the look of this place. That’s really all I can say, since it’s just a bridge level to a boss.

Final Boss: I really enjoyed this boss! Nice variety of attacks and a good system for chain attacks over time. I was a bit surprised that there was no pinch phase, but there’s really no problem with that. Good, fun boss, but not that hard.

Sound Test: This was a cool little fun thing to mess with. Nothing else to say.

Custom Minesweeper: Well, it’s like the special stage, but custom. Not really anything new to say, it’s Minesweeper so it’s a fun puzzle.

Deleted Domain: Okay, I really liked this level. As I said earlier, I’m a sucker for levels that are mixture of different things, and it was cool to see so many mini-levels, all of them fun in their own way. The bridge levels were nice too, I’ve always liked the mainframe aesthetic.

Star Garden: This was a fun mini level! I liked the underwater bits and how the environment shifted. The water flowing backwards was a nice detail. Also, that cutscene was actually really well done! Good job.

Star Genesis: Bravo. I wasn’t expecting the Star Dream fight from Planet Robobot, and I certainly wasn’t expecting to be fighting Ristar’s original form. This boss looked great, worked well and utterly made me forget I was playing a WAD in SRB2. Nothing bad to say here, I enjoyed every minute of this. Probably my favorite boss in the pack.

Overall, a great sequel to SUGOI and a great pack at that. I hope to see more from you and all these great creators in the future. :)
 
Here is my work-in-progress post reviewing each of the levels. At least, each of the levels I can get to on my own. If getting to each level requires me to get all the emblems in this monstrous mod then someone's gonna be left out. Sorry!

Hub by TehRealSalt:

Amazing hub. The detail and atmosphere is impeccable. I like the SM64 feel with the paintings and the unlocking doors. Overall it just has a ton more personality than the first SUGOI hub. The hub is really what brings it all together and makes Sugoi feel special. The jokey plot and the shopkeeper (and his dialogue!), as well as the music and the different rooms being unlocked - that's the real genius that ties all the maps together. It shows just how much the WAY a game is structured can contribute to the feeling it gives you. There's just so much personality, and the pick-up-and-play nature makes it easy to come back to. Not to mention that the texturing and detailing is just perfect throughout. You nailed this hub, Salt.

Green Flowers 1 by Hedgefox:

From the outset I see those SRB1 orange and brown textures and they're just awful. The whole level does an okay job at having texture variety but these are ugly. Another bad first impression is the music. Maybe I'm just not the person to enjoy this kind of music, or my sound settings are all wrong, but it's too loud and harsh! The 8-bittyness makes it sound like the music someone would use in those parody sanic videos. The level design itself is mostly good though! I like that, for a short map, there's a decent amount of exploration and speed. I really liked the placement of the emerald token. The enemy placement can be pretty frustrating, however. Mainly the quick enemies on the ledges. They'll hit you when you're on your way up from a spring and have little control and so it feels really cheap. I nearly lost a life to those guys and this is the first level of the game! However the slopes are implemented badly. If they're not the random kind (occasional slanted platforms that only serve to make your momentum awkward), then they're ramps that don't work the way the level tells you they will, the two biggest examples being the first yellow spring ramp and the ramp coming out of the zoom tube. Both sloped areas seem to be telling you that simply rolling up/down them will take you where you need to go, but the actual way it's all put together doesn't do the job. For the yellow springs, you need to jump as you roll up it, even though it feels like you should be able to spindash up the ramp. And for the zoomtube ramp you need to- well, I don't even know what you need to do to make this ramp effective. This makes the flow even more awkward than it needed to be. This isn't helped by the bizzare-feeling skybox and the strange way the player progresses through the level. Because of the strange skybox, some areas of the level make the player feel like they're jumping over the boundaries of the level to progress. Skyboxes, when used like this, confuse the hell out of my eyeballs and depth perception, and so I end up stumbling my way through the levels not knowing if the next jump will run sonic smack against an invisible wall or make him proceed to the next part of the level. I think this level would've been greatly improved without the skybox - or a better one - and no slopes. If not used extremely meticulously, slopes just make the level feel sloppy. Or dare I say... slopey? ;)


Green Flowers 2 by Hedgefox:

Somewhat similar to the first one, but I like this one better. It just flows better, and the use of slopes is a ton better. The skybox isn't as confusing-looking, but the player still interacts with the level boundaries in awkward ways at times. Nothing as bad as the first room of Green Flowers 1 however. The underwater area was actually designed rather well. The slopes lend a naturalistic cavey feeling to it, as do the cracked holes you have to pass through to proceed. The waterfall mountain at the end was a nice setpiece to end the level, but there's more cheap enemy placement as you get lifted by fans/springs and quick enemies chomp your ass as you fly by. Just get rid of these enemies, dude. Or in case of the waterfall mountain, place a "no enemies" linedef just before the ledge so they don't cheapshot the player. Midi music also still earbleeding, though this one isn't as offensive. I think I have to adjust my sound settings or something.


Green Flowers 3 by Hedgefox:

My least favorite of the three. I'm usually a sucker for nighttime grassy levels, and I like how the time of day has been changing throughout, but this one borders on plain bad. The springs send you in unexpected directions, the platforms are cramped, the borders of the level are sloppier than ever, and the level flows in random sharp directions that kill any sense of speed. You know that thing that happens, where you're running towards the end of a hallway, when all of a sudden an entire area of the map is revealed behind a big corner of F_SKY1? It feels very strange and takes you out of the experience. This happens WAY too much throughout all of the Green Flowers Zones. The player feels like they could just hop down into the weird flowery skybox, but they can't because it's an invisible wall of sky. You should actively try to keep these areas out of reach of the player, or make the borders actual cliffsides with pits. Skyboxes should contain custom assets (so that the player doesn't confuse it for regular level geometry), and they should make it seem like stuff in them are very far away (so that the perspective throughout the level doesn't mess with the player's sense of perspective). Essentially, the skybox is infinitely far away, so I shouldn't feel like the flowers in your skybox are just a small jump ahead. Another weird but less severe detail in this level is that there's a starpost right before the end level sign. Confusing, but not harmful I suppose. I feel like you can do better than this Hedgefox. I see a lot of potential spread across these levels, I just feel like you were sloppy because you wanted 4 levels with your name on them throughout the pack. I would've really rather preferred you pour your effort into making one really good level instead of 3 sloppy levels with a boss.


Holiday House Zone by TexDreemur/PSI Pikachu:

I liked this one! The music was fun and the aesthetics were cozy, which is exactly what I want from a snowy SRB2 level. Although I wish the house in the center actually looked like a house from the outside. Then the four corner outdoor areas of the map would feel like the yard of a super cute cottage. I'd freaking love that because I freaking love cute snowy cottages. The mixture of rings and coins was a bit odd, but not a big complaint. I actually liked the random monitors, which is unusual because I normally hate when they're used in... well, any map/gamemode really. But for this emerald hunt the random monitors helped add to the replayability, especially since there's actually a good amount of enemies and the powerups are pretty useful, especially when you're stocking up on lives for the later levels. The replayability was also helped by the random emerald spawns. They were surprisingly well-selected. I was actually stumped for a good while on my second playthrough of this level because the emeralds weren't in the same general area as the first time. That's awesome! Very solid map.


Sunlit Cavern Zone by Bronsokip:

This level has kind of a beginner-mapper feel to it, but not in a bad way at all! Sure, it's linear and maybe not as detailed as other maps but it actually plays VERY well. The aesthetics are minimalist but still bring forth a lot of atmosphere, with the sunlight coming through the cracks in the ceiling and the little splashes of detail here and there. The atmosphere here is actually pretty unique. It feels like a peaceful untouched place you're exploring. Despite being a straight line, there are a few goodies here and there and they're satisfying to find. I liked the way the emblem was hidden, as well as one of the 1-ups. I think that the slopes here are some of the best I've seen, to be honest. Ramps that actually work? And they're telegraphed to the player with ample time and space to use them effectively? AND they work the way you'd expect?? That's incredible. Not enough maps do it this way. Some of these little ramps are placed just right. You must've agonized over them while making this map. The open area with water was a bit less fun for me, but mostly because the yellow spring commits two sins: (1) you hit your head on the ceiling when you bounce on it, and (2) you have to press forward when you're launched forward to make the jump. Sometimes the pushing forward is okay when you have enough time to react, but because, as I mentioned, you hit your head on the ceiling as you go, that shortens the reaction time considerably. In general, I like my diagonal springs to take me exactly where I need to go right after hitting them, without any additional player input. Communicating to the player that they have to move on their own is a move that risks you making the player frustrated. Other than that, though, this is a great map. The last little area with the end level sign is actually kinda gorgeous. This map is short and sweet with extra stuff there if you want it - just how I like my Sugoi maps! Yes I know that sounds hypocritical, considering the map I submitted :x


Frozen Valley Zone by Tonic ze Hedgefox:

Another christmas themed emerald hunt. The emeralds are barely hidden in this one, which is sort of disappointing. The level construction had some good potential, though. The skybox was well done, the song was pretty dope, the slopes weren't offensive, and the level architecture had a good sense of space and flow, with good texturing and scenery. Too bad there's just not much more to it. I would've liked to see a more detailed version of this with more hiding spots and interesting nooks and crannies. Emerald hunt levels should be about exploring a smallish but open area with amusing little locations sprinkled in. You've got the smallish-but-openness down but not the amusing locations.


Toxic Valley Zone by Elvin and Revan:

Now we're getting good. The slopes are kinda the rumpled-piece-of-paper sort that I tend to go on about, but are still used pretty decently here. I actually think the aesthetics in this level are better than the regular THZ, and there's tons of details you guys put into this that I love. I like the way some of the rock walls have cracks exposing metal underneath (usually it's the other way around), I like that the lights have that hazy shining effect, and how the slime pools actually have signs that communicate that it's the harmful variety, not the fun bouncy variety. I also like the ample use of pipes going everywhere, they really give a lot to the atmosphere. It seems like every single wall was given careful attention and ample detail which is something I highly respect in a map. This map is the best of the bunch so far in the game, with a good amount of speed and exploration. In fact, with so many out-of-the way areas and high ledges to explore, it's a shame there aren't more emblems to find. There's also a semi out-of-the-way path that ends in an invincibility monitor that I thought looked a little ignored, since it was so underdetailed compared to the rest of the level. It's a small gripe though. Still a killer level. You guys should make an Act 2.


Bubble Tides Zone by TehRealSalt:

Holy poop! I've never seen this before! Granted, I never make it past the DSZ-themed special stage in the regular game, but I've never seen any nights level change track midway through like that! Super interesting and dynamic level, I think it would be fun to run through as regular Sonic just to see how it's all put together. That, the decoration, the music, everything is incredible. It's a blast to play and the twists and turns aren't insane like the worst of the nights stages. For real, I hate HARD nights stages. This one keeps it fun. The visuals were incredible, especially the "surface" section. The fountains and the sky and texturing was so trippy and cool, I loved the feeling. Incredible job.

Holiday Hill Zone, by SeventhSentinel:

This one was an all-around solid map. It checks all the boxes: big spacious areas with good flow, multiple paths, cool gimmick with the yellow-springed turtles, and awesome visuals. I especially love that you sloped the walls of the level where the rock meets the sky. Incredible attention to detail. Something about the map makes me feel like it was designed by Blade or Coat somehow. Can't put my finger on it. Their style is just so much like this. There was probably a level by Blade that was snowy with the spring turtles that's sparking my memory. Anyway, this is one of the few levels I'll be coming back to just to explore and find everything I can. I love that the level ends with a big ol' christmas tree too :D

Greenflowers Zone Act 4 by Hedgefox:

A pretty good boss. His behavior is challenging and fun to fight against, and I wouldn't mind this boss actually being in a level pack somewhere. The slopes in the level don't seem to actually do much, as usual, but I do like how it connects to the end of Act 3. We again have walls of skybox as borders here, but I think I've already written too much about how it's bad to do that. At least here it doesn't feel so bad, and having actual cliffsides would've made the fight a lot more frustrating. All in all a pretty decent boss level.


Plastic Factory Zone by Steel Titanium:

I remember giving you feedback on this one in the submission thread. Although I can't quite remember, I think you've straightened out some of the sector walls as well as added some more presents to the factory and maybe some extra areas but my memory is a little fuzzy. In general, there's a lot of effort put into making the level explorable, with a decent amount of extra areas and nooks and crannies to explore. Visually the level is kind of awkward and disjointed, with the christmas elements and the factory elements interacting in a very superficial way. With a name like "Plastic Factory" you'd really expect to interact with the plastic-making machinery somehow. Is it a plastic factory because of the random toys throughout? Why not "Toy Factory"? Gameplay-wise it flows well, giving the player enough room to run freely and avoid obstacles. It's actually really cool that the player returns to the starting area through that glass walkway they see when they first enter the factory, even if you had to "cheat" with that teleporter in the dark corridor. Stuff like that - unexpected returns to previous areas - always makes me smile. Again, I can't put my finger on the specific improvements, but I had more fun with this version than the first one you submitted. Good job on that!


Funky Headquarters Zone by Puppyluvv:

Short and fun level. I would love to see a fleshed-out version of this level about 2-3x longer, since there's a lot of untapped potential here! The theme of the level is really unique, the aesthetics are cool with the skybox being especially gorgeous, and the yellow, red, and blue platforms have a lot of possible fun interactions that haven't been used. I have a feeling you made this level a lot shorter than you would've liked. Still a fun level, good job!


Sapphire Frost Zone by Glaber:

Another big snowy explorable level. Maybe THIS one is my favorite! You have a good grasp on how to use slopes in a fun, non-superficial way. In fact, I think that the boosters right before slope ramps are perhaps the best way to utilize big slope ramps. That area in particular, where you roll down a hill, around a corner, boost up a ramp into a bustable wall gives me a really strong Sega-Genesis-Sonic vibe that I really don't feel in other levels. The level design here is all around really strong, with interesting organic architecture, good explorability, and exceptionally fun emblem placements. I don't know if I was supposed to do huge crawla bounces to reach those emblems, but doing so felt really good anyway :)
I don't quite like how often the player has to rely on yellow and red springs to move through the level, however. Aesthetically, the map is a bit dull/empty, with only the occasional igloo and scenery item to break up the blue-and-white monotony. I wish I could've gone completely INTO an igloo, actually, but those sloped FOFs really are a pain in the butt. The level architecture and fun gameplay more than make up for the somewhat dull scenery though. In fact, I really like how each room is organically shaped (as in, not an obvious rectangle). I don't know about other level designers, but I tend towards making my rooms big rectangles no matter how hard I try not to. I noticed how decidedly non-rectangular this level was, and that's a plus! Good work Glaber!


Polluted Polis Zone by A Guy:

Nice aliteration on the title! I see you've gone with green grass instead of brown and it looks fantastic. I'd say that this is the best-looking 2D level I've played in recent memory. There are tons of details, from the grassy backdrop with the toxic barrels to the cracked pillars in the foreground, everything looks polished to a spitshine. I also like the careful, proceed-with-caution style of gameplay. My only complaints: the air jets which take you out of the goo, and the placement of Robo-Hoods basically everywhere. The air jets are especially frustrating. Falling into the liquid either means death, or dealing with losing my rings over and over again at the last second because one can only escape if the jet is timed exactly right. Most of the time I just let myself die. And then the Robo-Hoods knock you into the dreaded goo, so they're frustrating by proxy. Here's the deal: if the only thing you do to this level is replace the air jets in the goo with blue springs, your level will improve dramatically. Which would be awesome, because everything else about this level is more or less perfect!


Night Temple Zone by ManimiFire:

Cool atmosphere! These purple textures are great and way underused within the community. Although the level was probably a tad too dark (I had to turn my brightness way up to even play it), I liked that you used torches as beacons of light. They create some dramatic visual contrast which is the key to making something look striking and memorable. Most of the hazards were fun to navigate around, and the boss at the end really added to the feeling of entering an ancient temple with ancient guardians and everything. However, the level felt a bit too cramped. You don't give the player enough breathing room to navigate around your obstacles without slowing down to a nearly complete stop. In addition, some of the rooms looked sloppily designed, with the angles of the walls just slightly off. I praised Glaber for non-rectangular rooms, but for buildings and structures, like temples, you're usually better off sticking to 90 or 45-degree angles for the corners of your sectors. The ramp at the end was also an unreliable way to get to the exit, which makes the deathpit at the end an even cheaper obstacle than it would've been because the previous starpost is actually BEFORE the boss. You should have a starpost before AND after every major obstacle. Otherwise I think you've done a good job with the level. I like the overall feel of the map a lot; you captured the dangerous temple vibe really well!


Crimson Castle Zone by Elvin:

Well this was a nice surprise! The Heretic textures and music were an inspired choice and they lent a ton of atmosphere to the map where the crappy CEZ theme would've failed. I was so interested in this map that you created that it took me about 6 minutes to go through my first time, then about 1 the second time. I actually didn't notice that it was somewhat short the first time through. But that's a good sign, normally with SUGOI maps I'll just take the obvious path as fast as I can, but you slowed me down deliberately with the map's atmosphere and attention to detail. Playing as sonic, I saw areas that I simply couldn't access, even with clever trickery, and it made me hungry to see more. I'll definitely go through this with another character, so be proud. I only ever really play as Sonic :P


Ice Cap Zone by Chicmunk and SSG3:

At once this level feels like it was made by an experienced mapper, and a not-so-experienced mapper. Which is which? ;) Anyway, the best part of this map is the way the skybox scrolls as you move up and down its giant ramps. It actually made me say "woah" out loud, which isn't common! It's one of those skyboxes that I think adds a lot to the map, even if it does manage to lag me like crazy. If only you guys didn't do the sky/wall thing! It was bad in Greenflowers, and somewhat bad here. Not as bad as in Greenflowers, at least. I get that it's supposed to feel like the level is suspended in the middle of the skybox area that you've created, but when the level twists and turns around the walls that are also sky-textured it ruins the effect. You guys even put a hole in the sky/wall in one area for the emerald token room! Shameful! In my opinion, if it looks like I could walk off the level's edge and fall into a pit, that's exactly what should happen when I try. Anyway, the aesthetics are half good, half bad. There's a good amount of sector/slope based scenery as well as the aforementioned badass skybox. But the level is very linear and simplistic, some areas are put together in kind of a haphazard way. Linearity doesn't have to be bad on its own, but when the straight line is so obvious ahead of you it feels cheap. Gameplaywise, I actually like it a lot. You gain a lot of speed blasting through this as sonic, and there's usually enough room for you to enjoy running around and rolling off the ramps. I really liked the colored platform room too, once I reached the highest platform I crawla-bounced my way to the end which was very satisfying. Overall kind of a jarring experience, but still fun.

Dusty Desert Zone 1 by Lilac:

I very much dislike this music. I get that TehRealSalt wanted something other than the regular game's tracks,but the amount of ugly music across the zones makes my ears wanna fold up and disappear. I realize that I enjoyed this level a lot more once I muted my sound. It feels sort of like a beginner level because of the sharp unpolished visuals and the rectangular water pool without colormaps, but a good amount of non-beginner stuff like linedef executors and FOF effects are used to good effect. I think the map was fun to run through despite the harsh visuals. There are quite a few emblems which are fun to find and the obstacles are generally well implemented. I really do hate the lava rising room, though. You have quick rising lava, tiny-ass platforms, annoying enemies on the platforms, and barely any rings in the area. You can have a few of these elements and still have it be fun, but not all of them. This is componded by the fact that it's nearly impossible to know which platform is supposed to be next because on top of being small, most of their side textures are the same making them very difficult to see from below. You need some sort of indicator that makes it very obvious very fast as to where the player is supposed to go next in these types of rooms - like rings, different textures, scenery objects, ring monitors - stuff like that. You use these things a little bit, but it's still not obvious enough. There's also a few areas where some regular looking sectors actually work as buttons, such as the teleporter in the path with the blue emblem and the switches for the elevators. Not a huge deal, but these sectors should be distinguished better from the rest of the regular sectors. Still, I had fun with the level. Even while the visuals fell a little flat, the effects like the elevators, sandfalls, and even the lava room helped the level feel alive.


Abandoned Airbase Zone by Ice (ME!):

As I said in the Subarashi thread in Editing, I'm really proud of this one. I made this in about a month, half the month being finals at my university, and the other half being my christmas break with my family. My family didn't see me much that month, lol. I've gotten some comments that the level is disorienting or directionless, and it's true! I wanted to create a level where you start in the center and have to explore your way out. Ever since I played Dark Souls, I've fallen in love with looping, open-ended level design. As for it being boring or easy, I suppose it depends on what you like and expect out of levels. There are no enemies and no real hazards, but I tried to throw some amusing or at least visually interesting elements into the mix. There are definitely a few more little details here and there you can expect in the full release. And as Glaber pointed out in the other thread, one of the paths feels like you're going backwards when you enter it and I'll definitely find some way to fix that in the full release. I'll also talk a lot more about my influences for the level on the rare chance that you're into that sort of thing. In any case, I hope you enjoyed playing my map! :)


Magma Peaks Zone by Inferno Drag:

The first thing I notice in the starting area is that the main textures are WAY too busy to be on all the walls, and so bright red that they make the hazards hard to see. The first red crawla is damn-near invisible! These textures should really only be used for small rooms or an area you want to highlight. In my mind I'd picture using them as a textures underneath a cracked walls/floors or in a small important room, otherwise they're really hard on the eyes. Also, the first spring takes you directly into the lava, which is a big pet peeve of mine. Yes, this one gives you a semi-reasonable amount of time to react and pull back your speed, but as I've said before, the springs you use should take the player exactly where they need to go with no extra input. This is also a problem (albeit a minor one) with the next red spring, which runs you smack into a wall. I guess it's just makes the level feel a lot lazier than it should be, since, as a designer, you should playtest and adjust so that the player is taken to where they need to go. Proceeding through the level, I do like how the blue textures look instead of the red textures, they're much less obscuring of the player's vision. I don't mind mixed themes, especially fire and ice since I think they work well together, your texturing just needs some extra work. The starpost is in a terrible spot, however. Moving into the second room requires a leap of faith and it's very possible and likely that the player will completely miss hitting the starpost on their way down and die immediately, thus having to start all over again. I'd stretch out the room before the starpost and make some platforms gradually leading down to the starpost, or just move the entire room with the starpost up to meet the previous area. It wouldn't be too hard to move the whole area up either, with the "++" operator in the sector heights editing box. The emblems weren't very hidden, as well, just in dangerous spots. I just shrugged a traded a few lives for a few emblems. I liked the final challenge, though, with the fireball walls and the bridges. A small nitpick, but I wish the bridges would extend all the way to the walls - the way they just float there makes me uncomfortable. On the whole, not a terrible level but lots of room for improvement.


Atlantis Zone by Dark Techno:

This is one of my favorites from the pack. I knew it would be divisive as an enemy spam level, but it's an incredibly unique and, most importantly, FAIR enemy spam level. I'll get into that a bit later. I'm a big fan of the way this level was designed. Nearly everything put to use here is exactly the way you SHOULD use it! For example, the music is absolutely perfect: the level adds to the music and the music adds to the level. The two complement eachother wonderfully, creating an atmosphere of mystery and danger that is palpable. Also I think this is the best skybox I've ever seen put to use in SRB2. This is EXACTLY what a skybox should do: convey a sense of scale and distance that would've been impossible to replicate without skyboxes - and do it WITHOUT creating that disorienting weirdo feeling that there's a normal platform just within reach but also infinitely far away. The player can see the tiny buildings in the distance, dwarfed by the main structure, as well as the black walkway reaching out and connecting to the tower he's standing on, and it's a wonderful feeling knowing that these elements are not just for show: we're going to that tower and we're getting there through that black walkway. You can even see how close you're getting to the big structure while you're in the walkway too! Awesome!! Traveling to and through elements that are visible in the skybox is what makes this skybox my #1 pick. For now. We'll see if any top you but I doubt it very much. I'm also a fan of how the difficulty curves up as you progress. It starts out easy enough through the first few corridors, carefully busting one enemy at a time in the box room, but then we're making a mad dash to the exit with eggman's entire army at our heels. My favorite part is either the elevator, which reminds me of Doom 2's elevator level, or the two-button room with the boxes. The two-button room has some especially good design, with the boxes as a means to avoid the ground enemies when you press the left button, but not entirely safe when the air enemies release with the right button. Or you could be a loser and fall off the boxes entirely. In other words, this level may seem like your average enemy spam level but there's some mad game design skills on showcase here. My only gripes are things I'd want more of: I wish that the opening area, the top of the tower, had some kind of secret on its outer edges. I feel like it's not obvious that you can explore around up there and I think you should throw the more curious players a bone, even if it's a super ring monitor. I also wish the inside of the big structure was more impressive. You hint at us geetting to this magical place the entire level and when we get there... it's like the lights aren't even on. I expected a spectacular sight, or maybe a boss fight, but instead there's a staircase to some strange beams and they're not even glowing. At least make the beams glow with some sector-based lighting! In any case, this is a super cool level and you should be proud of it.


Snow Summit Zone by SAMMY SWAG:

Similar snowy canyon zone like Holiday Hill, but the feel is completely different. I can't say I've ever played a level designed this way and I like it! In a lot of ways, it feels like the true conversion of Sega Genesis level design into 3D. There are upper paths that are safer than the lower paths, but require quite a bit of skill to stay on, and lower paths that are easier to find yourself at, but are a lot more treacherous. What makes this one stand out in particular though is how freaking VERTICAL it is! Kind of like Emerald Isles level design, but slimmer corridors (which somehow isn't bad - actually it's pretty dope) and not as bloated. I really liked how the player constantly travels up and down throughout the level, sliding up and down slopes and bouncing on springs and such. It gives the stage a lot of kinetic energy through up-and-down movement that I don't see enough levels take advantage of, especially now that we have slopes! Slopes used incorrectly makes the landscape look like a rumpled piece of paper. This is a stage that actually uses them correctly, adding to the look and gameplay equally. I do wish that rolling down the big ramps would do something other than just run you smack into a wall, though. I'll definitely come back to this level a few times!


Twilight Grove Zone by Knux576

A most meticulously designed level! From the first room to the last, this level has been given an incredible amount of attention to detail. The glowing water, the texturing on the walls, the stalactites hanging from the cave cielings, and even the ring and enemy placements are placed exactly right. I'll admit, though, my first and even second time playing through this level wasn't much fun. I guess I like blasting through SRB2 levels as fast as I can, despite wishing that the game's focus wasn't so much based on speed. But once I calmed down and explored this level carefully I could come to appreciate what you did with it so much more. This level is quite a bit more dangerous than it first lets on. Despite the serene, magical visuals, a player will more than likely fall into a bottomless pit one, two, or ten times. These deaths felt frustrating at first, as it was usually a red crawla on a ledge, or a buzz from behind, or just landing on a platform too speedily that sent me to my death. I thought it felt unfair at first, but once I looked at this level as more of a platforming level, slowing myself down and taking it carefully, it became a lot funner. In terms of the classic games, this is more Sonic 1 than Sonic 2 - more Marble Zone than Chemical Plant Zone. Although it technically doesn't do anything particularly new, the level still manages to feel unique, mostly due to the visuals. Not a single texture, sector, or item feels out of place. Slopes are used tastefully, too. They lend some organic feeling to the level and help with visuals, but don't distract much from the gameplay. The emblems are also hidden quite well. Each hint gives the player just the right amount of direction while still letting them have some satisfaction with each new emblem found. The splitting paths are fun too, diverging and converging and overlapping in the main setpiece rooms. My only complaint, big but easily fixable, is that the music doesn't fit. It's the opposite of what the music does for Atlantis Zone: I'd argue that this tune actually subtracts from the atmosphere. I get what the track is trying to do and I get why you selected it... but there's something hollow and dim about it while the level is vibrant and mystical. I muted my sound on the most recent playthrough and I think you need something more energetic and magical. Not energetic like Rainbow Unicorn Attack, but something that doesn't make me wanna fall sleep, ya know? The level deserves it. Anyway, this is a visually stunning level with very solid platforming and one of the few I've bothered to gather all the emblems in. Good job!


Mount Torval Zone 1 by Boo:

Feels like a beginner level, but still playable. At least there's some good room to run around and some effort put into making hidden items. The texturing can get pretty random at times, and the sector layouts, particularly with sloped areas, can get pretty awkward. I think the level does get better as you go along, almost like we're watching you get a bit better as you make the map. Some of the square floating platforms in the beginning are annoying to jump on though, as they're basically at the height limit of sonic's jumping capability so that you barely pull yourself up when you jump on them. This really kills the flow of platforming and feels strange when to play, like you're making jumps that you shouldn't be making. You should really make sure that if the player is supposed to make it to a particular platform, that they can make the jump comfortably. Also the upper cavey pathway is a strange beast indeed. The player jumps across a series of platforms over a pit, and then... goes through the exact same room, copy-pasted, but with slightly different textures? What?? Why did you do that?? Did I get somewhere I wasn't supposed to by accident? In general I think you should work on making sure your level just feels "right". When you play the official maps, or Mystic Realm or stuff like that, you get a sense of what the sizes of rooms should be, and how jumps should feel, and (even in some SUGOI 1 & 2 levels) what slopes should do. Right now some of your rooms are gigantic, some of your platforms are teeny weeny and some of your jumps just feel wrong. I guess I'll get a feel for how much you are or aren't improving when I get to Mount Torval Zone 2! Oh and I forgot to mention, the music is really cool, but would fit more of an industrial level than a desert canyon level. I'm picky with my music!!

Mount Torval Zone 2 by Boo:

Huh! I'm pleasantly surprised! Even though this is only the second level you've made after act 1 (right?) the level feels a million times better in terms of flow, jumps, and sector sizing! This more-or-less "feels" right, at least a ton more than the first one. The speed and platforming all come together in a much better way in this one, I can actually tell that you tested the map more than a few times and adjusted all the platforms according to how they played. And the rooms don't all feel weirdly gigantic or uncomfortably sized, most of them anyway. Some problems I see are that the rings don't float, and are really randomly placed. It's not too difficult to get them in a straight line, even at weird angles! Just place them straight along the grid, then rotate and move the line where you want. That way they don't look like they were placed in the level by someone running through the level spilling random cheerios as they went. Additionally, some sectors that look like they should behave like stairs still require you to jump up them. You don't actually have to adjust their heights! Just select those sectors and choose the "ramp/stairs" sector type. I'm not actually sure what it's called. But it allows the player to pull themselves up onto those sectors without having to jump, and it really would help the flow. The level doesn't seem to have multiple paths, but I don't mind. It's more of a short and sweet type of level, and it still manages to have some secret areas. Though, out of curiosity, I jumped into the "lava bucket" thingy that's shown in the level select picture. It draws a lot of attention, so I thought there would at least be something in it! Nope, I just died. That little place is a great opportunity for you, as a level designer, to implement some risk vs reward. At least give the player a shield or an extra life for jumping in there. Anyway, a massive improvement over the first one, and just the right length for a Sugoi map IMO. Good job Boo! Keep making maps, you're getting better fast! Oh and the music is great and fits really well.


Fort Nitrate Zone by RedEnchilada:

One of the classics of the mod. I don't know if I love it or hate it. Like DarkPasta said, it's complicated!The gimmick is incredibly cool and unique. I like the way you made objects interact with FOFs - I didn't even know this was possible! It was also fun luring the sharps into areas where you knew the bomb would detonate and killing them while they're in their invincible asshole mode. I also like how the paths of the level overlap with the genesis mentality, where the upper path is safer but harder to stay on, and the lower is more dangerous but easier to get to. The SRB1-sonic emblem is also really cool and confusing in a good way! I actually found it on accident, thinking that this was the way to move forward, not realizing that I was supposed to jump on top of the boxes as Sonic. The theme, the gimmick, and the focused gameplay is like something out of a classic N64-era platformer, which is good! The visuals all-around are also really good. I like the amount of windows throughout the level, and the fan room was especially cool since I could tell there was an area behind them that I didn't know how to get to. There's some great sector-based lighting on display throughout, too, so good job with that :)
Now onto the bad. Although I can tell that there's a ton of effort put into the skybox, I think this is the bad way to do it. The way the level architecture and textures wrap around you, you can't help but feel that weird sensation that there's a platform/wall just inches from your face, but also infinitely far away. The very first time I played this, I jumped off the left wall trying to get on the platform that is maybe supposed to be the base of the castle? It's difficult to tell what is level geometry and what is skybox, and though this can be good (Atlantis Zone), it's bad if you feel like you can actually reach the platforms in the skybox. Sure, it's really impressive that the castle walls of the level connect to the walls of the skybox, but the reason why this turns out to be bad rather than good is because the skybox isn't actually creating an area very much beyond what you could've made with regular level geometry. That's why Atlantis Zone works so well, the skybox feels like it connects to the start of the level, but the stuff in it is more than just a hop skip and jump away. Rather, it extends what you think the draw distance of the game can even be. This skybox gives me such a strange shift in perspective that it makes my head hurt. Also, the music sounds awful. As good as the composition of the song may be, it's hard to overlook those crappy soundfonts. Poopy midi soundfonts like this don't only cheapen the level's music but they also cheapen the rest of the level as well. The whole experience becomes... I dunno, cheesier. I switched it to Aerial Garden's music on my return playthroughs and it felt a lot better. Not because I think you should switch this zone's music to AGZ's, since it doesn't quite fit, but because it at least manages not to cheese up the level. If you can somehow run this midi through a program that makes the soundfonts better, I think it would be perfect. Now, the gameplay. The gimmick is really creative and impressive, as I said, but there's so much that gets in the way of enjoying it that I spent the majority of my time with this level frustrated instead of having fun. I think the main culprit is the enemy that throws the bombs at you. Like the skybox, what you've managed to achieve with them (like they way they run around after throwing the bomb) is extremely impressive. But their behavior and interaction with the rest of the level makes them annoying instead of challenging. The amount of times that they'll hit you from off screen, just as you're about to complete an important jump, is nothing short of infuriating. This is particularly bad in the chandelier room and the final room. The level could have used a lot less of these enemies, if not their complete removal. Especially since game's physics engine is unreliable and the player needs to be in a precise spot moving in a particular way if he wants to proceed. The last thing you should do is carpet bomb them from a bunch of angles they couldn't have possibly predicted. Now, I understand if you wanted the player to dispatch the enemies before trying to use the bombs, but if the point of the level is to play around with this new item, shouldn't you have us focusing on that rather than running the same old routine of popping an invincibility box and playing connect-the-dots between a bunch of fidgety enemies? Only until my last playthrough did I even find the nuke shield and by then it was too little too late. It should've been where the invincibility shield is, or in an out-of-the-way spot before that room. The uses for the bomb are also a little bit limited throughout the level. If there was ever an act 2, which would be awesome, I'd expect to use the bomb for a lot more than lifting up platforms (boss fights, crushing cieling enemies with platforms, opening more than just one door, or basically any long-distance linedef executor). The amount of reliance on unreliable stuff in general is a bit irksome. Not only with the physics of how the bomb moves, but the slope jumps as well. I'm okay with mid-roll slope jumps for secrets and shortcuts, but not so much for progressing through the level regularly all while avoiding bombs and staying out of bottomless pits. I'm also a bit disappointed at how long it took me to get to the outdoor area beyond the fans (I had been enticed by it quite effectively) only to find that the area wasn't meant for Sonic. It was a real middle finger to my tricky whirlwind shield jumps. I think the main way I can talk about my gripes with the gamplay is from this: a level feels challenging when deaths are the player's fault, and feels unfair when deaths are the level's fault. Nearly each time I got hit or died, I felt that it was the level's fault. And that surprise sharp in the fan room can kiss my ass. Don't take all this negativity to mean I disliked the level. I'm super impressed by what you achieved with it and I'd a million times prefer to play this over 90% of the rest of the maps in this pack. I just have a vision of how great this level and idea could be if it wasn't hampered by some of the design decisions. And, okay, although the skybox is confusing to me, it really is impressive how you managed to integrate it with the level architecture. Incredibly good job!
PS: Was that a placeholder NiGHTS emblem I found?


Mix it all together! Zone 1 by Romio The Badass

A strange journey through time and space! I actually really liked the opening spaceship areas, mostly for the way they were decorated. Gameplay-wise, it felt like a bunch of cramped similar-feeling rooms with different wall paper and slope jumps throughout. I do like how each of the areas is decorated, even though there's not much going on within each of them. And without any emblems, multiple paths, or even hidden items, there's not really any reason to return to this one or think about it much once it's over. At least it's short and is competently made. I think the name is the best part to be honest.


Steaming Towers Zone by DirkTheHusky

This was a really solid map! The aesthetic reminds me of Heretic and Doom, mainly the rustic feel and the mix of castles with industrial stuff. And the opening area, too, that brief exterior of the level is something done a lot in Doom maps in particular. The music was an odd fit in my opinion, and I think maybe some music from Heretic would've worked better. Something like this:

But of course it's your choice!. The detail and decoration remains consistently good throughout this map, which is a plus, because with a dark drabby theme like this it could've been easy to have the level be ugly, which this one is not. I like how you basically hid stuff everywhere. Seriously! Every time I turned a corner and half-expected to find an item, there was a super ring box sitting there. Which is really good for this level, because the difficulty curves up pretty steeply near the end and the player will need the extra lives. Speaking about hidden things, I thought the emblems were hidden very well and were really fun to find. I especially liked the waterfall one. I read the emblem hint and thought "he surely couldn't have meant THERE, could he...?" And so I shrugged did what you said and was pleasantly surprised! :D The emerald token was very well hidden, too. I'd say the secrets were half the fun in this map. As I said, the difficulty curves up a lot from the beginning to the end of this map which is usually good. The slope ramps, though... they don't exactly work every time. Now I'd normally say that this is SRB2's fault, but by now with the slopes being as prominent as they are it's also your fault for implementing them although you probably know that getting them to work isn't exactly intuitive. Same with the sections where you have to spindash under something and fly straight forward - it's not exactly intuitive and doesn't work every time. If the player is supposed to stand in a particular area before they spindash into the ramp, maybe use a different texture for that spot on the floor and place a single ring on that spot. That way it's a least hinted as to where the player should stand before they launch themselves into the abyss. There are a few areas where the slopes work well, though, and I especially like the room where the player flies over the giant bottomless pit with the waterfalls on either side. I freaked out a little when I first flew into that room, which means you did an good job! In general, this is a strong map and I think it deserves to be the 3rd of 4th zone in a traditional level pack.


Sundial Veld by WindTakadiyami:

Such a pretty level! I'm noticing something strange about the beginning of the level, though. Is this a beefed up GFZ1?? There's the small diamond-shaped opening area emerging into a space with a watery cave with a chimney-shaped edifice to the right, and a mini window-cave on the left (this was in older versions of GFZ1). And then a floating circle of rings/emblemy thingies hanging out above the level? I know all this might just sound like mumbo-jumbo, but this seriously gives me strong vibes of the opening of GFZ1! Like a remastered interpretation or something! Anyway, it's a really pretty level. I love grassy sunny levels and with the rocks, the grass, the scenery, and the textures, this one is basically perfection! Well, for the first little while. The first area is more or less open-ended, with lots of places to explore and run around in. I wish the rest of the level was more like this. After you find the way forward and find the cave, the rest of the level is basically a straight line to the finish. The cave is textured gorgeously, and the ending area is pretty, I just wish that the level had more substance in and after the cave as there was before the cave. The ending canyon was really pretty, but it feels odd when there's nothing down there and each character can basically jump right over it to reach the end. I liked finding the emblems, though! I liked how they were hidden in spots that I would go anyway, out of curiosity. Though it makes me more than a little sad when I see an emblem that isn't obtainable by Sonic but isn't character-specific :( That tree was real mean...


Leaps of Faith Zone by MK.exe:

A fun and challenging level, though there's little context surrounding the challenge (just a random canyon with random platforms) but that's okay. You focused on the platforming and did a pretty good job. The decoration that was there was done well, the platforms were fairly sized and spaced apart, and you at least made the bottomless pits look good with the fade to black thing that I'm still too lazy to do myself. A semi-skilled player still gets a feeling of accomplishment getting through this, and that shows that you've done something right. One thing that I found odd though, were the bustable wood-textured barriers. I only spun into those because I had nowhere else to go, but those textures don't exactly say "bustable barrier" to me! Other than that I think it's a decent platforming challenge level, but it does lack a little something extra to make it more memorable.


Palace Peaks Zone by GamingReloded:

Another one of my favorites of the pack. I see that you added different lighting in the indoor areas like I suggested! :D Was that because of me?? (Say yes)
I love the way this level looks and feels, and the secrets are some of my favorites in the bunch, including the best nuke sheild experience in SRB2 history. Playing through the level again made me realize that this level is a masterpiece in linear SRB2 level design. There's a seamless integration of speed and platforming (that bouncy cloud area with the towers of robo-hoods comes to mind), paths split and merge in a way that lends itself to a good amount of replayability, the scenery and texturing is beautiful with a skybox that adds to the atmosphere but doesn't get in the way, the secrets are hidden in clever but not-impossible ways and are therefore really satisfying to find, and the object placement is profound. No, really. You could teach a class on object placement from the way you've placed enemies, rings, springs, and item boxes here. I've only come to realize this now, as I just played the level keyboard-only which tends to make things much more difficult to play. And even though things were harder with my limited controls, the amount of hazards compared to helpful items was in perfect balance. Whenever I found an item box, I felt like I was rewarded appropriately for finding it, and I always found myself using it meaningfully shortly after. My only negatives with this level are the amount of slopes used cosmetically, which after so many slopey levels in this pack I'm beginning to get sick of. This technically isn't your fault. You don't use slopes badly here, but they are frequent and a bit inconsequential in some areas where they serve to just slow you down. Aside from that, I'm very impressed with this level, much more than I initially thought. I hope this isn't the last level I play from you because that was awesome.





Phew. My hands hurt from typing so much. I may not write so much for each level for the rest of the posts. I guess I just have a lot of opinions! Thanks for reading, if you managed to get through it all :)
 
Last edited:
I've beaten the Final Tower map twice now, but I'm not receiving a completion emblem from it, which is keeping me from getting another emblem for completing all normal stages. Is there no completion emblem for that stage, or is there a different requirement involved in getting it?
 
Final Tower is not supposed to have a completion emblem at all, and it's not counted as a normal map.

If you got the level completion emblem from a level, but didn't wait until the intermission screen came up, then you'd need to redo that level. I don't think people would normally do that, but it's definitely a possibility, since the extra emblem uses the actual map beaten check that the game keeps track of itself and not my silly emblem workaround. I wouldn't know what you're missing, but I would suggest combing through some of the levels you don't remember very well again (excluding emerald stages or anything in the Gallery).

If you really can't figure it out, then as a last-ditch effort you could play Marathon Mode; it goes through all of the maps needed for the emblem naturally.
 
eAqiOil.gif

And then this kinda sorta happened o_o
 
How many emblems do you need to get to unlock all levels? Because some of the Score Attack emblems are frankly ridiculous. And fuck you I'm not gonna get good at NiGHTS.

This is much harder than SUGOI was, I got all emblems in that!
 
How many emblems do you need to get to unlock all levels? Because some of the Score Attack emblems are frankly ridiculous. And fuck you I'm not gonna get good at NiGHTS.

This is much harder than SUGOI was, I got all emblems in that!

When you collect the 80th Emblem the last secret stage is unlocked, with all Emeralds you'll unlock the true final stage.

And SUGOI had 45 Emblems, whereas SUBARASHII has a whopping 190, so of course it's gonna be harder.
 
When you collect the 80th Emblem the last secret stage is unlocked, with all Emeralds you'll unlock the true final stage.

And SUGOI had 45 Emblems, whereas SUBARASHII has a whopping 190, so of course it's gonna be harder.

Well, yeah, but SUGOI's emblems were more reasonable in general.

I'm glad the game doesn't require you to get all 190 to get some sort of final super secret, outside of Pandora's box.
 
So, now that I've completed the game 100%, I can now finally focus on the review properly!
I will divide my review of each map into 3 different points:
- Aesthetics: How the map looks. Don't worry if you made a simplistic map; I will take note of that and scale my expectations accordingly (not that there were many simplistic maps to begin with).
- Gameplay: How the map plays (duh) and how much of an appropriate challenge it is for the room that it was featured in.
- Emblems: This is solely focused on the emblem spots and hints (as the token spots are somewhat irrelevant due to the token farming mechanic) and time/score challenges. If the map doesn't have any, it will not be judged in that aspect (plain and simple).

Without further ado, let's get to it!

Green Flowers Zone 1:
Aesthetics: Pretty simple, so not much to judge here. The map looked okay, although they were a few rough spots, nothing too big.
Gameplay: The map had to be easy due it being the first map. It still serves as a nice introduction to ramps.
Emblems: Only the clear one.

Green Flowers Zone 2:
Aesthetics: Same as above, but it seems a bit more detailed than the first, which is a plus.
Gameplay: Nothing to say either (although I could make a case for the Jet Jaws and Skims camping near some blue springs, which can be quite annoying for beginners).
Emblems: Same as above

Holiday House Zone:
Aesthetics: Good looking map. Very nice attention to detail.
Gameplay: While the amount of detail helps hiding the Emeralds a bit, the size of the map itself makes it kinda easy.
Emblems: Nothing here either.

Sunlit Cavern Zone:
Aesthetics: It's also meant to be simplistic, so I won't judge that. But I'll give my two cents and say that I'm not a fan of "linear 3D" maps.
Gameplay: Another easy map, but I will say it might be too early to introduce ramp jumps on top of insta-death hazards (again, by beginner standards).
Emblems: I'd say their locations were fair and the hints were clear enough (but then again, the "linear 3D" thing with this map makes it easier to guess where some of the secrets are). Time emblem feels a bit too difficult for the map. (Maybe it was intended?)

Frozen Valley Zone:
Aesthetics: Appropriate size for an Emerald hunt, but feels somewhat empty.
Gameplay: Some of the Emerald locations are out in the open, making the map an easy 100k points.
Emblems: Nope.

Steel Valley Zone:
Aesthetics: Good looking map here. Stairs and ramps are very well used to make the map enjoyable to look at, and for its size, it feels quite vivid.
Gameplay: Again, the hazards of this map were well placed and don't feel unfair. I also like the use of the Spring Shells here; makes it possible for some nice skips.
Emblems: Eh, nope.

Holiday Hill Zone:

Aesthetics: Overall good map. Sometimes feels empty and overly huge but it's not a dealbreaker to me.
Gameplay: Again, creative use of Spring Shells right here.
Emblems: A bit unfair for Sonic users, as they have to struggle through hard ramp jumps in order to get to the emblems.

Bubble Tides Zone:
Aesthetics: Beautiful map, not gonna lie.
Gameplay: Basic NiGHTS gameplay with 3 mares and low ring requirements, nothing too difficult.
Emblems: Somewhat easy for all of them and good hints. (Although, as you explained previously, the preview not showing the "correct" requirements makes it confusing)

Green Flowers Zone 3:
Aesthetics: I'm gonna be honest here: feels like a downgrade of the previous levels.
Gameplay: Nothing to say about this however; still appropriate.
Emblems: None here.

Green Flowers Zone 4:
Aesthetics: A bit bland compared to most other boss levels (not just talking about SUBARASHI).
Gameplay: Boss was interesting and easy enough.
Emblems: What? It's just a boss stage.

Plastic Factory Zone:
Aesthetics: Looked alright, but nothing really spectacular to mention.
Gameplay: Feels slightly easier than usual, but then it might be me.
Emblems: They were kinda easy. The hints were very straightforward (maybe too straightforward).

Funky Headquarters Zone:
Aesthetics: AYYYY IT'S DISCO TIME!
Gameplay: It feels kinda easy if you ask me. However I will point out that there's an unintended insta kill spot (spin the disk on top of a Monitor to find out).
Emblems: There was only one, and it was a fair one, considering the map was in 2D.

Sapphire Frost Zone:
Aesthetics: Nice map, but sometimes feels way too big.
Gameplay: The boost pad jumps were a nice touch and spice up the map.
Emblems: The fourth hint is quite confusing, as there are many places Sonic can't reach by himself.

Polluted Polis Zone:
Aesthetics: Looks nice, not much to say about it.
Gameplay: The Robo-Hood abuse is real! More seriously, it's not about the quantity, but the placement. Yeah, getting over it is easy by itself, but they're used at so many critical points you HAVE to get out of your way to bust them if you want to do the map correctly sometimes.
Emblems: Nothing much to say except the previous issue makes the score/ring emblem a pain to do.

Night Temple Zone:
Aesthetics: The map looks okay. Non-serious question, but why does the boss have to say "Yeah!" in a suggestive manner every time we hit it? Lol
Gameplay: The map was fair and the boss was too (except if you can stay close to it and jump repeatedly; then welcome to the loop game).
Emblems: The hint is vague. Sure, since the map was mostly purple, you could find where the emblem was, but finding how to get to it is a whole new story.

Crimson Castle Zone:
Aesthetics: The map looks really cool. The music helps with setting a somewhat eerie vibe (although there probably are better choices).
Gameplay: Not too difficult despite how it seems at first glance.
Emblems: No hints. Sure, the emblems aren't that hidden, but try finding Knuckles' emblem first try.

Ice Cap Zone:
Aesthetics: The map feels unnecessarily huge to be completely honest. Plus, some segments are completely empty of details or enemies.
Gameplay: Here, a good example of where aesthetics hurt gameplay. It feels too easy at first due to the emptiness of the map, then there's this difficulty spike with tougher jumps.
Emblems: None here.

Dusty Desert Zone 1:
Aesthetics: Nice map overall, not really much to complain here.
Gameplay: A fair challenge, but the rising lava part is a bit of a significant difficulty spike, and the platform falling right after the ruins part is way too sudden (let alone the fact that, if you come from the hidden path in the spike room, you have to spindash through it AND not fall from the momentum).
Emblems: All of them were fair, but the fourth one was a bit too hidden (IMHO) when it comes to "looking around".

Abandonned Airbase Zone:
Aesthetics: A beautiful map, to say the least. You didn't slack off in decorating it, I see.
Gameplay: Feels easier than it should be.
Emblems: All of them were fair, but Sonic's is too easy: you say you need a skillful bounce; but I say you simply need a good jump from the platform you have to stand on.

Magma Peaks Zone:
Aesthetics: Not really fond of this map. Ice and fire don't mix well when it comes to map design IMO.
Gameplay: Some jumps were a bit too difficult, but it overall respects the bar set for the library levels.
Emblems: The Knuckles one is quite badly placed, as a mistake means instant death. Otherwise, not much to complain about.

Atlantis Zone:
Aesthetics: Beautiful map. Beautiful music. It does feel empty sometimes, however.
Gameplay: The map is fairly challenging. But the lift part is pretty tough (except if you just trigger the lift and wait 40 seconds outside of it).
Emblem: Honestly, there should have been a way for Sonic to reach the area where the emblem is hidden, as keeping the Attraction Shield with him is a challenge on its own. It also makes the score emblem impossible to do with him.

Snow Summit Zone:
Aesthetics: This map's big. It doesn't feel bland or anything, but I dunno if it was necessary to do so.
Gameplay: The map, while big, is surprisingly quite easy. While there are death pits, some path literally break the difficulty.
Emblems: Hints were quite clear, but the time emblem is quite tight to do (makes it sorta fun). Also, how is Sonic supposed to reach the third emblem? If you say "Bounce Jumps", I say ain't nobody got time for dat!

Twilight Grove Zone:

Aesthetics: A good map to look at, nothing to complain about. The music complements the map well too, so good choice.
Gameplay: Slightly easier than the norm, but overall was fun.
Emblems: All of them had fair locations and requirements.

Mount Torval Zone 1:
Aesthetics: This map is unnecessarily big. It doesn't help that most sections are empty. Honestly, it felt like I was shrunk and the real map was much smaller.
Gameplay: Some tight jumps as difficulty spikes, but there's nothing else that really makes your progress diffcult.
Emblems: None.

Mount Torval Zone 2:
Aesthetics: Better than your previous map, honestly.
Gameplay: Not exactly difficult to be honest, although some might find some sections tricky.
Emblems: Only the clear one...

Fort Nitrate Zone:
Aesthetics: Looks quite nice. The attention to detail is really there.
Gameplay: The bomb mechanic is interesting (but the new Egg Bombers sometimes are quite annoying, and the platforms should protect you from the bomb you placed below). The last part of the map feels nerve-wrecking as Sonic.
Emblems: Until you realize that, once you can get the Whirlwind Shield as Knuckles and go to the Tails path with it, the second emblem is going to be a pain.

Mix it all togehter! Zone 1:
Aesthetics: It's a hodge podge of multiple types of zones. While it doesn't look all that bad, it still is below the standards set by most of the other levels.
Gameplay: If you master ramp jumps, nothing is really hard in this map.
Emblems: What emblems?

Steaming Towers Zone:
Aesthetics: It looks okay. Yeah, nothing noteworthy.
Gameplay: Some difficult jumps to spice up the action, but the perspective screw in the last part doesn't really help.
Emblems: Well, looks like you have to play as Knuckles to get most of these emblems. I don't really mind some character exclusive emblems, but it's kinda redundant if you make them obtainable by everyone. Also, the path of the third emblem is BRUTAL! Some jumps there require you to basically do a leap of faith because the pipe is hidden by the corner. And no wall climbing to save you either. I will give you props for editing the last emblem's hint however.

Sundial Veld Zone:
Aesthetics: It looks really neat. Also, ayyy Sonic Rush Adventure music.
Gameplay: I feel it's lacking in difficulty somewhat.
Emblems: For the first emblem, you have to know where the first token is. Both require some tough ramp jumps as Sonic. Ain't nobody got time for dat!

Leaps of Faith Zone:
Aesthetics: Feels kind of bland, honestly. Map has detail, but feels monotonous.
Gameplay: Now that was a fun stage. The jumps aren't too difficult, but still are a good challenge.
Emblems: Hints were quite vague, but none top the gargoyle one. The spot to put it was easy to find, but then you also have to find the arrow. The spot you put the gargoyle on has 4 markers that look like an arrow, making it even more confusing. THEN you have to hope for the best and jump towards the wall of where the arrow is pointing. AND THEN you have to find the switch because thanks perspective screw.

Palace Peaks Zone:
Aesthetics: A big map, but it looks real good. None of the areas feel bland or anything.
Gameplay: A fair challenge too. The aerial platforming should have already been mastered at this point.
Emblems: I don't know why I would forget about the enemy spam in the third emblem room. Probably because I could just zoom past it with little to no worries. Still, thanks for guiding me Gaming.

Roasted Ravine Zone 1:
Aesthetics: Looks really nice, but boy is this map big. Apparently, it's so big it can be almost unplayable in Coop (lag + map = ded).
Gameplay: THE SUN, IT BURNS! AAAAAAAAAAAAAA- oh hey an Elemental Shield/a hat.
Emblems: WHERE IS THE SIXTH EMBLEM HINT YO?

Propulsion Peaks Zone:
Aesthetics: Pretty small map for where it is. Not much to say about it.
Gameplay: It's not in the bedroom levels for being hard, but rather for being an extra life fountain.
Emblems: Second emblem hint is kinda vague. AND WHERE IS THE SIXTH EMBLEM HINT YO?

Pipes of Green:
Aesthetics: Looks... underwhelming. I expected something more, but I don't know what.
Gameplay: Easy map, don't know why it was placed in the bedroom levels.
Emblems: And none here.

Empty Sanctum Zone:
Aesthetics: A nice map indeed. With nice looking waterfalls.
Gameplay: Another NiGHTS map, so nothing too diffcult.
Emblems: The score one was a pretty good challenge (thanks again for Gaming, I noticed I could do 4 good laps). The first emblem hint was vague (there are abysses EVERYWHERE), the third as well ("how many rings do I need" and "where do I go then" are the main issues here), and the fourth just has no hint. If you don't use the emblem radar for that one, you're going to miss it (almost) every time.

Illumination Aerie Zone:
Aesthetics: It looks okay, to be honest. Sometimes feels empty before the ruins.
Gameplay: A nice map overall, but slightly too easy for where it is.
Emblems: WHERE IS THE SIXTH EMBLEM HINT YO?

Roasted Ravine Zone 3:
Aesthetics: And that's how you make a good looking boss room. Sure, the battle stage itself doesn't look too detailed, but all the fluff around it makes up for it.
Gameplay: Not a really hard boss, although the final attack is going to surprise many.
Emblem: Not gonna lie: while it was fun, sometimes it feels like the time emblem is a luck based mission as some attacks have longer animations than others.

Greenflower Grove Zone 1:
Aesthetics: Feels Greenflowery enough. Gets a pass.
Gameplay: Now that was something interesting. There should probably be a hint for you being able to pick up the birds, however.
Emblems: In an emerald level? AHAHAHAHA!

Tropical Island:
Aesthetics: Map looked good. Nice use of the axis rotations there.
Gameplay: The energy mechanic is pretty easy. Then you get Eggman, which gets really strong in 2D and can take half your energy bar in one go. Unless you know how to relentlessly attack him that is.
Emblems: AHAHAHAHAHA, still funny.

A Minesweeper field:
Aesthetics: Uh, Minesweeper graphics in 3D dude.
Gameplay: Uh, Minesweeper dude.
Emblems: Uh, none here dude.

Unknown Temple 1:
Aesthetics: This map looks a-maze-ing *shot*. Bad puns aside, it looks great.
Gameplay: The last bit can be really unfair, but nothing too hard.
Emblems: Why are you still going on about this?

Shade Mountain Zone:
Aesthetics: Really good looking map, not gonna lie.
Gameplay: Ayyyy, it's the return of the missle mechanic from 2.0! Has the right amount of diffculty.
Emblems: Wait, you mean there's actually emblems here? HOLY-
The hints were clear, and the ring emblem was fun to do.

Soniguri:
Aesthetics: Quite simplistic. Too much in fact, you probably could have used more detailed assets.
Gameplay: Felt surprisingly easy. All I needed to do was dodge/tank the small fry, and do the same for the boss. So many controls but only a third of them were needed!
Emblems: None

Highly Responsive to Hedgehogs:
Aesthetics: It's Touhou... And some MSPaint sprites. Eh.
Gameplay: It's interesting, but GOSH IS IT INFURIATING! Controlling the ball is a chore. And the boss fight, if you don't have the MSPaint boss that follows your movements, you're going to get bodied.
Emblems: Thankfully, none.

Egg Diobot:
Aesthetics: The map itself looks okay, but the arena feels bland-ish. But I will say, PROPS for the boss. I really like that the boss' mugshot changes whether it hits you or you hit it, just like in the Capcom fighting game which had the sprites you used.
Gameplay: A fun boss fight. Heck, I really loved how his health mechanic was similar to All-Star Battle's Vampire health mechanics.
Emblems: Yare yare. The time emblem was a blast to do.

Star Genesis:
Aesthetics: The pre-fight map was well designed. The boss fight was pretty clean too.
Gameplay: Now here's the big problem: the boss light column attacks can be easily dodged by standing on the sides of the screen (if horizontal, up or down; if vertical, left or right; if both, choose a corner). But it really felt like a Kirby final boss, which was the point of the fight to begin with.
Emblem: Huh, none surprisingly.

Aesthetics: So many levels that were scrapped. And they looked pretty great too.
Gameplay: The grid parts were most likely the challenge of the map. But overall, all of them were pretty great.
Emblems: Gosh was the time emblem fun. The Whirlwind Shield allowed me to do some pretty nice skips.

Also, I really liked the small interactions with Shadow as well as some of the easter eggs.

Overall, this was great to do and to complete. There were some rough maps and some bad challenges, but it still was fun to go through. Thanks a lot!
 
Last edited:
I updated my review post with the dining room levels. I think it'll take me quite a long time to finish the damn post, but for now, if your level was in the dining room, enjoy my comments on them! Or not...!

>:)

EDIT: Updated the review post with the library levels as well. Enjoy!
 
Last edited:
So before I go back to school and my internship, I want to post my review of this great mod. Having gotten all the Emblems, I think I can write a proper one now. Here's a playlist of all the levels. (Because I can't be arsed to post every single individual video link)

Green Flowers Zone 1 by Hedgefox:
Well, I guess this is a good level to start with in this community mod, since it appears to be a beginner level. It's short, makes good use of slopes and has a sorta nice skybox. One complaint I have is the Skims near the waterfall, where it's easy for them to converge near you when you try to bounce up it, but other than it it is an alright level.

Green Flowers Zone 2 by Hedgefox:
And immediately after we have the second act of this zone, and it's mostly underwater this time. Using the Bubble Shield was a lot of fun in this stage. Once again, putting Skims and Jet Jaws near a ledge where you have to use springs to get up to makes it a bit of a bummer, but other than that it was enjoyable.

Holiday House Zone by TexDreemurr/PSI Pikachu:
An emerald hunt level. Can't really say much, other than good job on making the level look different everywhere in spite of the 4-way symmetry.

Sunlit Cavern Zone by BronsoKip:
A straightforward level. Has nice use of slopes that becomes apparent when doing the time attack. The light that was shining into the cave was a nice touch to set this apart from other cave levels.

Frozen Valley Zone by Tonic ze Hedgefox:
Another emerald hunt level. Again, not much to say other than kudos to the differing textures throughout.

Steel Valley Zone by Elvin & Revan:
So this is basically 2.0 Techno Hill Zone with slopes I guess. They were used nicely though, and the Spring Shells also make the ways of getting around in this stage interesting.

Holiday Hill Zone by SeventhSentinel:
Hey, more Spring Shells! And they're actually required to get through the level. The time attack was pretty fun, looking for all the Spring Shells and jumping on them at the right speed and angle. The visuals are also nice.

Bubble Tides Zone by TehRealSalt:
Look at that, a multiple-mare NiGHTS level! The visuals here a pretty, as they are on almost every NiGHTS level. The part where you go out of the water and there's another pool above you was also nice. A-rank and time attacks emblems provided a nice challenge as well.

Green Flowers Zone 3 by Hedgefox:
Nice skybox, good use of the slopes... not much to say.

Green Flowers Zone 4 by Hedgefox:
Here's our first boss level. It's pretty simple, just Eggman in his Eggmobile trying to squash, and later throwing bombs and shooting Auto Rings at you. The sloped terrain made for a more unique fight, which is good.

Plastic Factory Zone by Steel Titanium:
Another Christmas themed level. It's not your fault, but the amount of 'X-mas mode in july' levels started grating on me at this point. Anyhow this level lives up to its name, it has some good scenery here and there and cool secrets.

Funky Headquarters Zone by Puppyluvv:
Very short level, I think it could've been a little longer. Has a very nice skybox. Not much to say.

Sapphire Frost Zone by glaber:
Another ice level (thankfully not Christmas themed), this one stands out by having booster pads near steep slopes, making this level really fun to play through. But sometimes the boosters send you more to the left or right than they appear to do, which can be annoying.

Polluted Polis Zone by some guy:
This stage is honestly not that good. Robo-Hoods that can snipe you from afar, sludge which is hard to get out of, and the ancient greek theme doesn't mix well with the damaging liquids.

Night Temple Zone by Manimifire:
Quite nice. The main level was okay, with the crushers providing a little timing challenge and such. The retracting spikes were also cool. The mini boss was cute, though it does spam its attacks quite a lot. Also, that hitsound. ;)

Crimson Castle Zone by Elvin:
The aesthetic of this level is cool. Instead of a typical CEZ-like level, it's one with a more gritty, Doom-like environment, the lava in particular looking nice. Was a fun level to play through.

Ice Cap Zone by Chicmunk & SSG3:
A small level. You start out by going down a huge slope, then into the water or take the upper path to another slope and then... you jump across a chasm with copy-pasted pillars plastered about. Not a very good note to end on. The Knuckles path does offer a bit of variety though.

Dusty Desert Zone 1 by Lilac:
The rising lava room was somewhat irritating due to the small platforms and some of the enemies, Egg Guard in particular. The Knuckles paths were good for replayability. The level also has a problem with it being unclear where to go sometimes.

Abandoned Airbase Zone by Ice:
Ice of Hidden Sanctuary Zone fame, right? Well, you did a very good job recapturing the simplistic yet amazing feeling of 1.09.4 again. (Nuclear Sunset 1.09.4, not EMW5 1.09.4) It's fun to explore, has nice scenery woven into the level design, no enemies to worry about for once and DSZ2's music complementing the nostalgic feel. The unclear directions have already been adressed so I won't go into that.

Magma Peaks Zone by Inferno Drag:
Short level. I don't really like how the floor and walls have the same texture, it makes everything blend into each other. The fifth Emblem was also rather vague, considering I had to use Knuckles to go through that ice wall near the end. It isn't really intuitive because I assumed that wall was just part of the level, and not like a breakable one. Not much else to say.

Atlantis Zone by DarkTechno:
First of all, amazing skybox. It shows off just what a skybox can that regular level design can't as easily. So the level design itself is good, instead of going for a mostly horizontal approach you went with vertical, which was showcased well with the spiked slope and the lift of enemies right after. Also good going with the unique theme of the level.

Snow Summit Zone by SAMMY SWAG:
Once again, rolling into a ball and going down slopes is a lot of fun. One thing I didn't like is that the entire level is covered in a white colormap, which looks kinda ugly and makes the snow a little blinding to look at.

Twilight Grove Zone by Knux576:
The big catch with this level is the visuals. I like how the water faintly glows, giving it a mystical aura. At one part with a platform that is being held up by a water spout, it does make it unclear that there is a death pit there though.

Mount Torval Zone 1 by Boo:
Interesting to see an R&C reference here. So this is really wide and open. A little too much in fact, giving the level an empty and hollow feel.

Mix It All Together ! Zone 1 by RomioTheBadass:
I liked the ramps and slopes in this level that you had to thok into or spin up/down, as well as the idea of multiple themes in a level. Something I didn't like was at the part with the totem poles where it was really hard to see that you had to jump in a cavern to the side, due to the floor and walls having the same texture. Also, the invisible walls at the space canyon part break the immersion a bit.

Steaming Towers Zone by DirkTheHusky:
I didn't really like the theme of this level, though that has more to do that I don't like that the textures for this theme are just gray, brown and orange more than anything. Anyhow, I like how at some parts you basically have to rev a spindash to its max to get over a gap, like the one with the pipe near the begin. You don't see that often. Other than that the level is pretty alright generally.

Sundial Veld Zone by WindTakadiyami:
This level was alright, a bit on the short side, but it did have two paths. The tall grass was a bit annoying because obstructs your view, try using short grass on some ledges. The cave part was a bit out of nowhere, but it was alright. Also, I realised some parts were copied off of GFZ1. It's better if you only make one or two references to vanilla stages.

Leaps Of Faith Zone by MK.exe:
Not nearly as hard as the name would imply, but ok. The level is based around jumps over a death pit, which always keeps you on your toes. One complaint I have is the obscurity of the Star Emblem. The hint says you need to push to a certain spot and then follow the arrow. However, while the spot was clearly marked, there were also small arrows around it, confusing me when nothing happened. Later I found out that said arrow was actually in the room after the next Starpost, and that I basically had to do a leap of f- wait a minute, is this the leap of faith the level is named after? It might as well be.

Palace Peaks Zone by Gaming Reloaded:
One of my favorites. All the slopes allow for some varied terrain and makes time attacking the level fun. There's also lots of nooks and crannies that hide secrets, and those super steep slopes you have to spin-jump up on. Also, though I found the score record ludicrous at first, it was fun finding out the way to get it.

Mount Torval Zone 2 by Boo:
For some reason, this level and Fort Nitrate don't appear in the regular level select despite not being Bedroom levels.

That aside, this level has the same problem as the first act, being the wide open spaces that don't really get used. That said, this level is somewhat more exciting because of the lava and fire jets that are around to keep you on your toes. In the room with the white structure there is no way to get out of the lava as Sonic should you fall in, either put a death pit or springs near the rocky edges so the player doesn't get stuck.

Fort Nitrate Zone by RedEnchilada:
Another one of my favorites. First off, I LOVE that skybox, making it look like it is an actual part of the level, completing parts where there would normally be a floating entrance in the middle of the sky. I also love the music in here. The gimmick with bombs and the platforms was cool, though sometimes the blast still hurt me when I was standing on a platform as it launched up. The score and ring records were really tough though, no thanks in part to the Sharps and those Bomb Lobbing Wankerbots, who seem to have almost infinite throwing range and just love pelting you with bombs that make it almost impossible to avoid getting hit.

Roasted Ravine Zone 1 by Lat' & SAMMY SWAG:
Oh boy. So the heatstroke mechanic in this level is kind of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it allows for an almost stealth-like playstyle, avoiding being in the sun too long to avoid losing rings, and making decisions where you want to speed through a stretch of sun or play it safe and keep your rings.

On the other hand, it pads out the level's length even more in what I consider to be an already long level. Having to stop every few moments from being out in the sun to avoid losing rings cuts into the flow quite a bit. And of course, there's those goddamn Minuses that like to pop out under your feet and make lose all your precious Sunscreen-Rings. One part in particular where this is really bad is the lower path after the fourth starpost, where after going through two chasm sections, you end up at a few islands you have to jump between. All of them have Minuses, just waiting under the ground to attack you, robbing you of all your rings and likely either knocking you into the death pit or causing you to burn up under the sun, unless you manage to get under the tiny shade spots so you can spindash in place while waiting for them to come to you.

And don't even get me started on the Score and Ring Records. What it boils down to is finding the ONE Elemental Shield in the level and praying you don't get hit unless you want to spend several minutes hiding from the sun to preserve your precious rings. Obviously, this was the level I got the last Record Emblems on.

Despite all said, I do like the level for changing up the formula a bit and giving me something different. Also, there were some really cool secrets to find in here.

Propulsion Peaks Zone by Inferno Drag:
Idk what this level is doing in the Bedroom to be honest, the fact that it is basically a massive life and Emerald Token farm might have something to do with it though.

That aside, it's a really short level that lives up to its name; there's springs that'll propel you up and in any direction, making for a rather fun time bouncing around the level getting all of the goodies.

Pipes Of Green by VAdaPEGA:
So apparently this level is based off of Pantufa the Cat, one of your Sonic ROM hacks. It certainly is a unique little level, that's for sure. Like with pretty much all of your levels, I dig the visuals and outstanding look. In the video I got lost, though this didn't happen the first time I played it. It does bring up that the end is hidden behind a wall that is easy to mistake for being part of the background scenery. I really liked the big Pantufa at the end though, it was really well made!

Empty Sanctum Zone by Chaobrother:
The other level NiGHTS level in this mod, occuring all the way near the end. The visuals are nice, as to be expected of NiGHTS levels. Can't really say much about this, other than this one also having an extremely tight Time Record.

Illumination Aerie Zone by JMRante:
Once again, praise to the custom visuals of the level, making it look like some alien planet with the red grass and trees, the skybox featuring clouds and another planet and the thorny vines that cover the level giving the traditional spike pit a more unique twist. I liked the parts where you went up the vine covered slopes and such, as wel as the ruins sections with the moving polyobjects.

Roasted Ravine Zone 3 by Lat' and SAMMY SWAG:
I liked how Eggman was using the mechanics from the first act against you here, even having a Cactus Shield of his own. The part in the middle where he blows up the roof and allows the sunlight in allows for an even more challenging fight, where you have to be even more careful about when to attack. Also, it was pretty funny seeing Eggman turning into a fried egg after being defeated. (Though one wonders how that didn't happen earlier. he doesn't exactly have protection from the heat...)

Greenflower Grove Zone 1 by Maximus & Tripel:
Well, it is a faithful recreation if I ever saw one. That Emerald Token in the first area that requires all the flickies was amusing. Nice visuals as well.

Tropical Island by Monster psychic cat:
This level is either really easy or really hard. The boss' laser is almost impossible to dodge, leading you to get hit multiple times. On the other hand, it's possible to trap him and basically defeat him very easily.

A Minesweeper Field by Rapidgame7:
Great work on incorporating Minesweeper into SRB2! That must've taken some time and skill. Other than that there isn't much else to say. It's, uh, Minesweeper, dude.

Unknown Temple 1 by Sapheros:
Get through the temple within 2 minutes is easy enough, if you know where to go that is. What was the point of Eggman Nega though? He doesn't even attack you.

Shade Mountain Zone by Badz:
The first few times I played this I was confused as to how to beat this level, until I found out I could boost so I didn't run out of time anymore. It was nice to see the hang-gliding mechanic in action again.

SONIGURI by Yacker & Root:
Well, it's a pretty fun recreation of a shmup in SRB2. Not much to say here.

Highly Responsive to Hedgehogs by LunarDestroyer:
TIL Touhou isn't just bullet hells apparently, but also... Breakout? Sort of? Anywho, getting the ball to do what you want can be tough and I still don't understand the boss all that much.

Final Tower Zone by TehRealSalt:
So the Egg Diobot (or whatever it's called) was a pretty good final boss. A great, unique design, cool attacks and a lifebar that I still don't quite get. The time and score emblems were fun to figure out - basically bait him into attacking all the time - though the spinning attack was unpredictable and I pretty much had to hope I didn't get hit.

Star Genesis (& preliminary level) by chi.miru:
So getting all the Emeralds transports me to this weird location, I launch myself into an underwater part and then go to the Star Fountain. I've already seen your work with in-level cutscenes with dialogue in SRB2 from that Mystery Dungeon mod a while back, and here it is in action. Needless to say, I think it's great. It makes getting all the Emeralds worth it for such a change of pace.

And then we go on to the boss itself and... whoa. Visually and mechanically, this was really impressive and something I didn't think possible in SRB2. Gameplay-wise, it's just holding down the jump button while avoiding all of the attacks, but that's ok since it's quite different from normal SRB2 and the visuals are the most impressive thing about it anyway. Also, it was nice to see him getting some recognition again. :D

Deleted Domain Zone by GamingReloaded:
This is an awesome level. The idea of giving levels that have been abandoned a chance to show themselves is just great. The transitions were cool, with the whole 'holes in reality' thing making it feel like you're going through different dimensions to get tot these levels. (Also, rip Acid Plant, I remember playing a beta of that thing.)

WHAT NOT TO DO by TehRealSalt:
So this is apparently NOT a noclip-only secret, but can be reached by getting all the emblems causing the front door to actually open. Anyway, it's great for a laugh and well, does show what you shouldn't do. Bringing an Armageddon Shield or HMS into this also fun to see how high your score can get.

And that's every single level in this mod reviewed. Took way too many hours to write, I hope you like it and I look forward to playing another one of these types of mods again!
 
Last edited:
v1.2:
  • IO save/load errors were being bypassed with sugoi_autosave on in v1.1, which caused Lua errors if anything at all wasn't just right. This has been fixed.
  • sugoi_shieldswap is now always disabled in Marathon Mode, like the rest of the gameplay-altering console variables.
  • A Lua warning about using sugoi_shieldswap in PlusC has been fixed.
  • The shop now has a very small input delay when you open it that lingers until you let go of buttons, to prevent people from buying things on accident.
  • A few new lines of Shadow dialogue were added, and a couple of existing ones were modified.
  • Access to the post-exit secret in Palace Peaks is prevented in Record Attack mode, and you can now beat the level when you go to it.
  • Roasted Ravine Zone 1 & 3's scripts have been more optimized. Hopefully this will make the lag less unbearable for some players.
  • The Cactus Shield should properly protect from a hit without spilling your rings now.
  • A C stack overflow that occured when getting hit by the Roasted Ravine 3's boss with a shield was fixed.
  • Other players' crosshairs in the secret boss have been made hidden.
  • The player health bars for the secret boss in splitscreen mode no longer overlap.
  • Some credits entries were updated to be more accurate.
  • Improved credits rendering in non-green OpenGL resolutions slightly; it now Sonic Forces rendering as if it were 320x200, regardless of actual resolution. Not perfect, there's still cutoff, but its less severe.
  • Replaced one of the title screen demos.
  • Removed HMS123311.

The secret ending crash has been pinned down to being OpenGL-only. Another thing out of my control, just use Software for now.
 
I expected your review to be like that, Ice. Funny backstory, I actually helped out with the slope problem only, but then noticed the underwater section felt a little empty, so i helped him make it better. I even helped him with the basic design of the Knuckles section. I'm glad you liked the later sections of the level!
 
The secret ending crash has been pinned down to being OpenGL-only. Another thing out of my control, just use Software for now.

As I thought. However, I got the secret ending multiple times by now in OpenGL and it only happened to me this one time. I think I had just bad luck with it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
Irrelevant info: Bot can pick up an instance of OVA hat to be also impervious to the sun in Roasted Ravine Zone.

3HHWcpI.jpg


8jmjoYk.jpg


https://youtu.be/fyQrWKTgYQw?t=5m15s (also, the bot can activate -- and break -- the cutscene script at 4:33 if you let it outrun you in "la tienda".)

Oh by the way, hello. Long time no see.
 
Last edited:

Who is viewing this thread (Total: 2, Members: 0, Guests: 2)

Back
Top