Cookie Country (Kirby's Return to Dream Land)

[MP Level] Cookie Country (Kirby's Return to Dream Land) Pack 1.0 (Modern 2.3 + Classic 1.6)

InstableGR

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Welcome to Cookie Country, a lush landscape part of a kingdom famous for peace and quiet.

This first "InstableTrack" is based on the colorful first world of Kirby's Return to Dream Land!

Take in your surroundings of gorgeous greens, vast cliffs and sparkly waterfalls while racing on a track layout that aims to be both simple and fun to traverse, true to the inspiration! There are a number of sloped turns and jumps to make, pillars to avoid, branching paths to take, shortcuts to get you ahead, and even a water slide that grants you blistering speed! News of this racing event has spread across the country, so if you ever feel discouraged, you can always look out for some of Pop Star's friendly residents cheering you on!

Please enjoy, and absorb the excitement of a new adventure!


Version 1.3 (10/29/20)
  • Fixed the sloped offroad at the end of the half-pipe section leading towards the upwards climb; you're no longer at risk of being bonked off the side of the road when drifting while trying to boost onto it.
  • Minor visual touch-ups.

Version 1.2 (10/13/20)
  • The slope jump shortcut at the start is now more comfortable and rewarding to take; the angle of the slope has been lowered so it's easier to maneuver towards the following bridge shortcut if you have extra boosts, and there are now extra items placed at the end so you'll no longer miss the first item set.
  • A Sneaker Panel has been placed near the top of the first sloped turn; taking the turn widely is no longer discouraged.
  • The left path above the underwater section has been removed; now your options are to either go underwater or take the remaining upper path.
  • The raised walls in the half-pipe section no longer have divots near the offroad.
  • Minor visual touch-ups.
    [*] Rumors have been circulating amongst the residents regarding an extra bit of space lurking somewhere within the country; they say that someone on the track's construction team possibly forgot to block it off. One of the citizens apparently managed to locate the area, but they refuse to comment on their findings.

Version 1.1 (10/10/20)
  • Renamed and renumbered all custom Objects to hopefully avoid conflicts with other maps.

Version 1.0 (10/10/20)
  • Initial release!

Sprites from Kirby Super Star Ultra; credited as requested or suggested on the rips:
  • Parasol Waddle Dee (Playable) - Random Talking Bush (The Spriters Resource)
  • Poppy Bro (Playable), Sword Knight (Playable) - Sploder (The Spriters Resource)
  • Rocky (Playable), Chilly (Playable) - Drshnaps (The Spriters Resource)
  • Noddy - Deathbringer (The Spriters Resource)
Dream Land textures (tree wood, Whispy Woods eye and mouth) from Super Smash Bros. (64) - Kyleglor (The Textures Resource)

Opulence waterfall texture was pulled from Community Resources, you can find those here: https://mb.srb2.org/showthread.php?t=45414

Special Thanks to Eldog for primarily teaching me how custom Objects work and how to animate them; Dream Land's preciously adorable residents would likely not be there without him.
 

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Last edited:
So, thoughts:


This track has a wonderful aesthetic to it, and the big quarter-pipe slopes are fun. I love how the moon is in full view when you take the final jump over the waterfall. The bridge cut near the start of the race is also pretty cool. Music selections is apropriately upbeat and a proper earworm in its own right. All the animated Kirby character sprites are a great touch to make it feel more lively. The water section not being a killplane is actually quite appreciated.


A few notes:


The half-pipe section with trees has offroad cuts, but they've got these divots in them (shown in linked picture): https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/422787913781346314/765089016391401542/unknown.png


These are awful, no good, horrible punishments for players who get orbi'd into them, or just bad luck when trying to boost through them. Playing on normal speed it was almost impossible to escape it without resorting to a Respawn command; I only managed it with the reverse driving trick, which most people don't know about (same for respawn command). Absolutely should not be here unless you're going to add a funnel for them to escape back into the track with or make them flat/convex instead.


The left raised path over the water doesn't serve any real purpose; the springs launch you with a heavy bias to the right side, so you have to spend time maneuvering to it. Not just that, but the exit jump is closer to the U-turn, which makes the approach worse, and is also higher up, further exacerbating the aforementioned problem.


The opening sloped u-turns have the grass in the middle that almost seems to suggest there's a difference between going high or low, but there isn't any reason to go for a wide corner. I would suggest at least putting a boost panel on the upper sides so there's something to differentiate them.


The jump over the split at the very start of the race seems.. questionable. It only saves a little time, you skip an item set, and it makes the approach bridge slightly awkward if you're carrying multishoes or something. I'd suggest lessening the angle of the jump so you don't go so far and maybe putting a floating item set up there, or at least a floating boost ring.


Overall it's a great track and it's mostly *options* that need a touch-up; the main course is by and large great. I'm looking forward to what you make next ^^
 
Heh, update a minute after I played it.
But yeah, this looks beautiful, had no idea the srb2 kart engine could do graphics like these.
 
Ah, you took my suggestions, thank you for giving them fair consideration! I'm looking forward to seeing this track show up in server rotations~


Also, I saw your little note in the patch notes, so I tried exploring the track. While I don't think I found the secret you're hinting at, I did spot those posters hidden behind the normal track progression, so points for adding those touches~ Also, it let me appreciate the sheer amount of detail put into the map, complete with signposts for Kirby's controls and the like ;)
 
InstableGR updated Cookie Country (Kirby's Return to Dream Land) with a new update entry:

1.4

A small take on optimization + a few other minor things.
  • To indicate a shortcut that was previously a bit obscure, a new Sneaker sign has been placed next to it.
  • Changes have been made to the skybox in a hopeful attempt to make the map's performance better; this includes no longer using FOFs of any sort.
    I can't guarantee this'll result in success but, eh, worth a shot.
  • Minor visual touch-ups, including the clouds now properly being in front of the moon...

Read the rest of this update entry...
 
Me and my friends really love this mod. I'm suprised you haven't made more. The only issue is sometimes people will crash from low memory when switching to this stage. If there was a way to fix it I would be foreveer greatful
 
InstableGR updated Cookie Country (Kirby's Return to Dream Land) with a new update entry:

Deluxe Renovation

Surprise! Just in time for its anniversary, the World of Miracles' countryside returns with a deluxe renovation!

View attachment 102559

  • Overhauled sections! Going in order...
    • Shi-Springs are placed throughout! Most give you a hand, but watch for the greys! (Thanks achii for letting me use 'em!)
    • The opening split paths are now differentiated. The right path remains unchanged, but on the left you'll now find a Sneaker Panel and...

Read the rest of this update entry...
 
InstableGR updated Cookie Country (Kirby's Return to Dream Land) with a new update entry:

2.1

Wasn't supposed to be this early, but...
  • Forgot to put waypoints on one of the new checkpoints. Oops.
  • In an effort to better communicate the new pillars section, the water level is lowered and new signage is placed on the bridge. Going through the middle is encouraged for first-timers and those that prefer simple routes.
  • The middle jump is tweaked a bit - it doesn't send you as high, and thanks to this I was able to move the sector of downwards wind a lil' further up; you...

Read the rest of this update entry...
 
InstableGR updated Cookie Country (Kirby's Return to Dream Land) with a new update entry:

2.2

Two gameplay changes in response to feedback and bug reports:
  • The jump in the pillars section is replaced with a set of Shi-Springs. The old ramp caused one too many mishaps for racers and was a nightmare for me to work with, but I also didn't wanna remove it and alienate Acro players so I thought I'd try something different. This might spawn the concern of too many spring jumps but honestly I'd rather have that than a buggy ramp, however I'm open to reverting with enough feedback...

Read the rest of this update entry...
 
InstableGR updated Cookie Country (Kirby's Return to Dream Land) with a new update entry:

2.3 + Classic (Final Update)

It's the end, for real now - first up here's 2.3:
  • Fixed certain checkpoints and by extension the 1st place sound repeating.
  • The forest cuts being blocked off on Lap 3 is now telegraphed through extra blocks appearing in the scenery on Lap 2.
  • The grey springs on a wall in the forest have been removed.
  • In Encore, the red color is restored for directional signs and the sneaker sign.

And as a bonus; in response to outcry and to preserve some history; Cookie...

Read the rest of this update entry...
 

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