Marble Zone!

[Fawfulfan]

I have turned the second world of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game into a new SRB2 level! Not only does this WAD give you that, but it also modifies GFZ2 and GFZ3 to have Marble Zone textures. In addition, the Pop-Up Turret enemy has been modified to create a new enemy, albeit one that does almost the same thing. I call this new enemy the "Levitorch". Please tell me what you think of the level!

SCREENSHOTS:






DOWNLOAD LINK:
http://srb2ffh.supersanctuary.net/523s_marblezone.wad

 

[Scarbo the Black Sheep]

Marble Zone, 4/10
I quite enjoyed this level to the point of where I actually tried to bear the frame lag and ended up completing the level in Software mode without getting a Game Over. The spikes on the crushers cause the worst frame lag I have ever seen, even worse than Botanic Serenity High-End. Your loop-de-loop area also lags. I am very grateful for the shields you placed, as well as the Extra Life Monitor behind the spiked crusher. I quite appreciated the challenges, but seriously, you should never HAVE to use a shield to complete a challenge. Gameplay slowed to a severe extent in some places, and I'm so happy that I could actually get through the room with three spiked crushers when my framerate was literally less than 1 FPS because I could simply thok to the other side with a wall to keep me from falling off. It took about 45 seconds just to get on top of the block. The areas with the rising platforms were boring; and the lava dump, while neat, was boring (and cheap for the first time through). Your crumbling platforms are also messed up. You need a different sector tag for each one (as well as a different control sector for each tag).

Certain textures, for example, the ones found in Daimondus[sic] Zone Act 1/2, belong only in a 2D engine, but the Marble Zone textures work surprisingly well in 3D, and created a nice nostalgic feeling. The whole place-Star-Posts-right-next-to-each-other-with-an-invisible-wall-technique is really cool. JJames19119 has won the Capture the Flag division twice using a variation on the technique with the placement of the flags. The custom skies added to the level as well.

The level definitely has potential. It just needs plain run-and-jump areas, removal of spikes and other cheap hazards, and killer optimization. Not even Elemental Mansion Zone had over two thousand sectors.

Edit: You also have a broken death pit in the loop-de-loop area.

 

[Fawfulfan]

I know it lags, and I'm sorry. Since neither of the two popular methods for rendering spikes could work on the underside of a moving platform, I invented an entirely new kind of spike, one made from a tiny hexagon with an even tinier triangle inside it. I noticed that the big problem with them was that they lagged like hell, but couldn't do anything about that. Incidentally, on the final section, with the hallways filled with traps, check for bustable walls...there are loads of them, and they can make it a lot easier, especially considering that you can use them to skip the room with the three spiked crushers.

2 more things about the level:
I forgot to mention that it is intended to ONLY be used in openGL mode. If it's used in Software Rendering, there are some graphical glitches and more lag. OpenGL runs the level much more smoothly.
Also, the area around the loop wasn't supposed to BE a death pit. It's only black because I couldn't think of a good texture to use in that situation, and ended up choosing the pit color. And I also MEANT for all three crumbling platforms to fall at once. The distances are short enough to just land on one, then thok the rest of the way there.

 

[Ultimate]

Oh my goodnes fawful, this looks awesome. If I get to making Rebirth Sonic the Hedgehog - Marble Zone, could I use these textures? (Unless these are the ones from Monster Iestyn, then I will ask him ^^)

 

[Fawfulfan]

No, I put in the textures. I got them from The Spriters' Resource. You're welcome to use them, as long as you give me credit.

EDIT: Also, I would like to give credit to SkyLight, the one who ripped the textures in the first place.

 

[Scarbo the Black Sheep]

OpenGL does not work on my computer, and there are others for whom it does not work; therefore, leaving them in there is no excuse. The ceiling spikes really aren't anything cool, so why have them in there? I ended up editing my copy and deleting the FOF ceiling spikes. They constituted literally over a thousand sectors. Merging sectors DOES help increase framerate; you didn't do that a lot, but then again, rendering literally thousands of FOF walls at once isn't processor-friendly either.

Also, stop putting crumbling platforms altogether in your stages. They're annoying.

 

[Fawfulfan]

Gosh, I hadn't thought of that. Well, in that case, if your computer can't support openGL, I would advise against downloading this level. If you CAN support openGL, however, go for it!

 

[STHE123O]

I liked the level
and a mod of the Sonic Genesis will be funny

 

[Thompson]

The only part i liked about it was the loop and the texures,and the sky,
i'd give this a 7/10.

 

[Scarbo the Black Sheep]

Gosh, I hadn't thought of that. Well, in that case, if your computer can't support openGL, I would advise against downloading this level. If you CAN support openGL, however, go for it!

Deleting the FOF spikes almost cut the filesize in half, too. Should I upload that file?

 

[Fawfulfan]

I guess that's okay, on the conditions that you give me some credit and call it "s_marblezonelowend.wad".

 

[csmgiw]

I say make it a 2-d level

 

[BlueZero4]

The only reason I actually bothered to finish the level was because of the textures. The thing might as well be a corridor shooter.

 

[Ezer'Arch]

Whoa, a loop?! it works! 8D

I had a lot of fun with level... I started with 3 lives, and ended with 7 and ~20,000 pts. But some "things" annoyed me a bit:

1) I got crushed 5-6 times by doors that close when I'm getting into a room.

2) I felt claustrophobic. Narrow tunnels, passages and like upset me. I'm not speaking of bobbing FOFs or pillars where you have to step on to keep yourself safe (these ones play a role in challenge). I'm speaking of areas where you have to walk or run through. I think wider areas would make your map fewer stressful and game experience more interesting.

Again: congratulations for LOOOOOP! :D

 

[Ultimate]

...oh my goodness fawful. When did you become so amazing at designing levels? T-T
Luckily, my PC can handle the memory intensive parts of this level, so I was ok in terms of lag. Fawful. This level, I love it, and you such a wonderful job T-T, you used all of the gimmicks from the original marble zone as well T-T, rising lava, falling chandeliers, etc.

All I know is, if I every try to make Rebirth Marble Zone, I will spend many hours examining and analyzing your level. Although, I'm afraid that I don't think I will be able to top this. Wonderful job, you leave me both extremely happy, and extremely scared.

The only reason I actually bothered to finish the level was because of the textures. The thing might as well be a corridor shooter.

Maybe you say this because it was cramped and you had to stop quite often in order to get around the obstacles? But, if you recall the original design of Sonic the Hedgehog, it, although boasting speed, often had areas (especially in marble zone) where the player had to stop, pause, and wait for the moment to get around an obstacle. I believe that is partially what fawful was mimicking.

 

[clairebun]

Maybe you say this because it was cramped and you had to stop quite often in order to get around the obstacles? But, if you recall the original design of Sonic the Hedgehog, it, although boasting speed, often had areas (especially in marble zone) where the player had to stop, pause, and wait for the moment to get around an obstacle. I believe that is partially what fawful was mimicking.

Maybe Sonic the Hedgehog shouldn't have had those sections?

Honestly, I'm not fond of the original StH's level design, as a lot of parts were not only slow, but also linear. By the third acts of stages such as Marble and Labyrinth, I was sick of the zones already. Sonic 2 improved on the level design in multiple ways, if you ask me.

 

[Ultimate]

Maybe you say this because it was cramped and you had to stop quite often in order to get around the obstacles? But, if you recall the original design of Sonic the Hedgehog, it, although boasting speed, often had areas (especially in marble zone) where the player had to stop, pause, and wait for the moment to get around an obstacle. I believe that is partially what fawful was mimicking.

Maybe Sonic the Hedgehog shouldn't have had those sections?

Honestly, I'm not fond of the original StH's level design, as a lot of parts were not only slow, but also linear. By the third acts of stages such as Marble and Labyrinth, I was sick of the zones already. Sonic 2 improved on the level design in multiple ways, if you ask me.

It really depends upon personal preference. Sonic 2 was more focused on speed, while Sonic 1 was more focused on platform jumping. I loved the original Sonic the Hedgehog more than any of the others in the series.

 

[Scarbo the Black Sheep]

Sonic 1 focused too much on platforming. Sonic Advance 2 focused WAY too much on running. Sonic Advance, Sonic 2, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles all have the best 2D levels.

 

[Ultimate]

I think Sonic 3 & Knuckles had some of the worst levels compared to Sonic 1 and 2. The levels started becoming too large, you would never have time to explore the entire level in one play through. Often times you would get lost, even after playing through the game several times. Some levels would almost take 6 minutes to complete, while in Sonic 1 and 2 many could be completed in under 30 seconds.

 

[Scarbo the Black Sheep]

If you can explore the entire level in one playthrough, then that lowers the replayability. And this is quite ironic coming from you; it took me nine minutes to beat this level of fawfulfan's.