Ignara
Certified Autistic Bean
Here's my votes And feedback on the Single-player Division of the contest, I played every single level (With the exception of one) As both Sonic, And as Amy, to get a comfortable feel for how both spin, and nospin characters Navigate and clear the stages. I also played them all in Multiplayer with modded characters with a few friends, but the feedback is based Mostly on Sonic and Amy.
RANKING:
1. NIMBUS LAKE
2. DIGITAL DELUCHE
3. CAUSTIC CRATER
4. SUNSET SUMMIT
5. FOLLOW YOUR RAINBOW
6. SOMETHING
7. BRICKED BUSTED
8. BOTANIC SPACE 2
9. IRON DOMINION
10. COMMAND FACILITY
11. LUCID LANDSCAPE
12. RHYOLITE RUIN
13. BLUE GLACIER
14. LOFTY WOODS
15. POWDER PARK
16. FROZEN FISSURE
17. THE TWINS PALACE
18. PINAPPLE PRAIRIE
19. GRASS PLANET
20. JUNKYARD JEOPARDY
21. INVASION
With the feedback i tried my best to be constructive, but i am not exactly the best at communication, so sorry if i come off as bashing or rude!
Feedback is ordered based on the level order in the level select menu.
BLUE GLACIER
This level is very short, which isn't really a problem, but it does feel very cramped, the multiple exits do give it a feel for being more open-ended. The under-water area feels like it lacks air bubbles, and can be difficult to clear before running out of Air as some characters.
BOTANIC SPACE 2
The monitors you break to open doors could use some kind of indicator that they can be broken at the start (They don't really look breakable until you know they are.)
The music when going through the dark area that drops an elevator suddenly stops for the first person to reach it in COOP, and it never comes back in, making the rest of the stage have no music.
The start of the stage requiring all players for the elevator to drop isn't the most clear that is what you have to do to progress, it got me and a friend stuck for awhile the first time playing.
BRICKED BUSTED
This level feels like it fits right into something like a lego-type platformer, lots of colourful, yet pleasing blocks to make every area feel pretty standout from the others, making it easy to not double back on yourself.
It is, however a tad on the large side, and can cause some major lag in netplay with only a handful of mods loaded.
CAUSTIC CRATER
This level is super clean, the platforming strikes a comfortable balance between challenging, and lenient. The section just before the last checkpoint on the spin path could use a slightly better indicator of a button to open the door, it is very easy to loop around and get lost.
On the end of the nospin section with the magnet shield is definitely a highlight for me personally, but it can be a mild difficulty spike for some.
FOLLOW YOUR RAINBOW
The platforming is solid and fluid, the enemies do come on a little thick with projectiles, not impossible to dodge, but definitely makes it a hard level if you can't dodge them. The spawning trucks in the final segment of the level could use better telegraphs before they actually spawn, they do feel like they come out of nowhere until you play the level a few times.
COMMAND FACILITY
The platforming is a clean balance of Tight, yet forgiving where it matters. The acid pools feel like a forgiving alternative to bottomless pits, provided you have the rings, and reflexes to get out of them quickly. the enemy count in a few areas is a touch on the high side, but if you're quick they're no issue.
A bug i noticed that's character specific, is Dirk's Ice platforms cause the acid pool ring drain even when floating way above the acid.
DIGITAL DELUCHE
This level so an absolute joy to play, with plenty of room to platform, without being too open to make navigation tedious or annoying. The split paths are both really fun to navigate through, The ending of the stage may of caused mild squealing to my nostalgic heart.
FROZEN FISSURE
There are a ton of those snowmen enemies and they can very easily snipe you out of the air, or off of one of many moving platforms, adding more difficulty then it really needs.
The moving platforms themselves feel a bit awkward, the horizontally moving ones tend to just suddenly change directions and it's awkward to platform around.
The verticality the level provides gives tons of mobility options to more vertically oriented characters, which can be quite fun to zoom around with.
At the very end of the stage there is alot of just waiting on moving platforms, with definitely brings the pace of the level to a crawl.
It is notably laggy when playing on netplay with only a few mods loaded, and can lead to some players being unable to play.
GRASS PLANET
The level feels very disconnected from itself, with the use of thin ropes and gravity flipping to vaguely connect the level together, navigation isn't the most apparent thing, even the few directional arrows to point you in the right direction are lacking where it feels the most important to help, (And the backsides of the arrows are sometimes backwards, pointing you in the wrong direction).
The enemies and the spike ball hazards are a bit over abundant,
The forced use of balloons to platform through some sections is tedious, and makes multiplayer unnecessarily difficult, forcing some players to wait. It does start really neat with the rope entrance though.
INVASION
Custom Enemies is neat, but it's used over-abundantly and it's just tedious to work around, There's the crusher section where you need to race a crusher down a spiral, or use the pockets in the side of the spiral to evade, Long waiting periods for stairs to come down to progress while enemies are everywhere, Ending with a boss fight after an already long level, a super tight window to push a button, and then race around a sphere to get to a tiny door.
There's alot of small things that just make invasion not the most enjoyable level to play, If the boss was removed, the tight door timer was increased, and the enemies were toned down a bit, it would be a much more enjoyable level.
No-spin characters also feel like an afterthought.
It also tends to lag alot in netplay, even without any mods loaded.
IRON DOMINION
This level definitely feels like an alternate take on Techno hill Zone, in A good way. The challenge is comfortable for an early/mid part of a longer game, with very light puzzle elements in the buttons under goop. The palette forced is a bit over-saturated personally, and it feels unnecessary.
JUNKYARD JEOPARDY
This level's dim lighting makes seeing any and all hazards unnecessarily difficult, the use of crushers in a dark area isn't very enjoyable, the 2D section has an interesting area in concept, but the gimmick needs a way to reset the crusher positions at the start of the second part, without backtracking.
The poor lighting leads to being hit by tons of enemies after the split path to open the exit on both routes, and feels very clunky.
LOFTY WOODS
The slopes feel extremely steep, and difficult to scale at times, the gravity flipping is a little annoying, and disorienting at times. And the checkpoints feel like they have slightly too small of hitboxes. The trees make some of the upside down platforming really difficult, it's incredibly easy to get caught and lose momentum. The stage is a bit Too long and feels that it overstays it's welcome just a bit.
LUCID LANDSCAPE
Alot of really cool ideas and concepts but some of the platforming is a tad on the awkward side near the end on the Left path, the constant gravity flipping is really neat, but it IS quite disorienting to navigate. The right side is a bit excessive on the spikes, but not too hard to work around.
Near the beginning, the platform you need to break for the nospin route has invisible boosters that tend to push you into the wall right before the gap, it's not a softlock or anything, but it is a mild annoyance to have to jump over something you can't see if you go slightly too far.
SUNSET SUMMIT
A very enjoyable level that doesn't really expect too much out of you, it's got plenty of space for platforming, and enemies are comfortably scarce, The cave section is a tad too dark in my opinion, but it's not impossible to see or anything.
RHYOLITE RUIN
A NiGHTS stage isn't something you see too often when thinking about Custom levels, it's definitely a curve ball to expectations, It's not super challenging, which i am appreciative of, NiGHTS stages aren't exactly COOP friendly at times, And i personally play more COOP then Single player, But for what's here it's quite solid, and enjoyable.
PINEAPPLE PRAIRIE
The only level i didn't clear as Sonic or Amy, The collapsing walls tied to a crumbling floor feels odd, and there's a massive amount of lag in the level, making it borderline unplayable for some lower end (and even my mid-end system with a couple characters loaded) FPS regularly kept itself down to 3-5 FPS, so i can't really give much feedback for the level design itself.
Also The unique 'Try again' screen got stuck after quitting the level and i had to restart the game.
SOMETHING
Even though Software mode is recommended, I had no issues with it in OpenGL (I did still play it in software too, to make sure!) The use of a forced perspective 2D stage with themes from the vanilla levels makes for a memorable Linear romp through the levels, It is indeed, Something.
THE TWINS PALACE
The two-sides type mechanic with the Purple and blue is neat, but there are a few too many enemies in the level, Especially the smog enemies, they tend to create a ton of lag every time they use their smog.
The ring drain mechanic being unavoidable on one of the routes is rather annoying, sure you get an invincibility capsule, but that's timed, I personally have problems with unavoidable ring drain.
The fact that the music changes based on where you are in the level is a nice touch.
NIMBUS LAKE
An absolutely Lovely simple level, Providing plenty of leniency for platforming, yet not being TOO easy, very light puzzle element with the button you have to push. Sparing use of enemies, to provide a comfortable, relaxing amount of challenge, The atmosphere of the level definitely hits a bias spot of mine, with the choice of music, and the calm tones of the colours.
POWDER PARK
A very open, and somewhat confusing level, there's many points it's easy to get turned around and go backwards, but overall it's simple, and enjoyable, but it could use some directional arrows on path merges.
RANKING:
1. NIMBUS LAKE
2. DIGITAL DELUCHE
3. CAUSTIC CRATER
4. SUNSET SUMMIT
5. FOLLOW YOUR RAINBOW
6. SOMETHING
7. BRICKED BUSTED
8. BOTANIC SPACE 2
9. IRON DOMINION
10. COMMAND FACILITY
11. LUCID LANDSCAPE
12. RHYOLITE RUIN
13. BLUE GLACIER
14. LOFTY WOODS
15. POWDER PARK
16. FROZEN FISSURE
17. THE TWINS PALACE
18. PINAPPLE PRAIRIE
19. GRASS PLANET
20. JUNKYARD JEOPARDY
21. INVASION
With the feedback i tried my best to be constructive, but i am not exactly the best at communication, so sorry if i come off as bashing or rude!
Feedback is ordered based on the level order in the level select menu.
BLUE GLACIER
This level is very short, which isn't really a problem, but it does feel very cramped, the multiple exits do give it a feel for being more open-ended. The under-water area feels like it lacks air bubbles, and can be difficult to clear before running out of Air as some characters.
BOTANIC SPACE 2
The monitors you break to open doors could use some kind of indicator that they can be broken at the start (They don't really look breakable until you know they are.)
The music when going through the dark area that drops an elevator suddenly stops for the first person to reach it in COOP, and it never comes back in, making the rest of the stage have no music.
The start of the stage requiring all players for the elevator to drop isn't the most clear that is what you have to do to progress, it got me and a friend stuck for awhile the first time playing.
BRICKED BUSTED
This level feels like it fits right into something like a lego-type platformer, lots of colourful, yet pleasing blocks to make every area feel pretty standout from the others, making it easy to not double back on yourself.
It is, however a tad on the large side, and can cause some major lag in netplay with only a handful of mods loaded.
CAUSTIC CRATER
This level is super clean, the platforming strikes a comfortable balance between challenging, and lenient. The section just before the last checkpoint on the spin path could use a slightly better indicator of a button to open the door, it is very easy to loop around and get lost.
On the end of the nospin section with the magnet shield is definitely a highlight for me personally, but it can be a mild difficulty spike for some.
FOLLOW YOUR RAINBOW
The platforming is solid and fluid, the enemies do come on a little thick with projectiles, not impossible to dodge, but definitely makes it a hard level if you can't dodge them. The spawning trucks in the final segment of the level could use better telegraphs before they actually spawn, they do feel like they come out of nowhere until you play the level a few times.
COMMAND FACILITY
The platforming is a clean balance of Tight, yet forgiving where it matters. The acid pools feel like a forgiving alternative to bottomless pits, provided you have the rings, and reflexes to get out of them quickly. the enemy count in a few areas is a touch on the high side, but if you're quick they're no issue.
A bug i noticed that's character specific, is Dirk's Ice platforms cause the acid pool ring drain even when floating way above the acid.
DIGITAL DELUCHE
This level so an absolute joy to play, with plenty of room to platform, without being too open to make navigation tedious or annoying. The split paths are both really fun to navigate through, The ending of the stage may of caused mild squealing to my nostalgic heart.
FROZEN FISSURE
There are a ton of those snowmen enemies and they can very easily snipe you out of the air, or off of one of many moving platforms, adding more difficulty then it really needs.
The moving platforms themselves feel a bit awkward, the horizontally moving ones tend to just suddenly change directions and it's awkward to platform around.
The verticality the level provides gives tons of mobility options to more vertically oriented characters, which can be quite fun to zoom around with.
At the very end of the stage there is alot of just waiting on moving platforms, with definitely brings the pace of the level to a crawl.
It is notably laggy when playing on netplay with only a few mods loaded, and can lead to some players being unable to play.
GRASS PLANET
The level feels very disconnected from itself, with the use of thin ropes and gravity flipping to vaguely connect the level together, navigation isn't the most apparent thing, even the few directional arrows to point you in the right direction are lacking where it feels the most important to help, (And the backsides of the arrows are sometimes backwards, pointing you in the wrong direction).
The enemies and the spike ball hazards are a bit over abundant,
The forced use of balloons to platform through some sections is tedious, and makes multiplayer unnecessarily difficult, forcing some players to wait. It does start really neat with the rope entrance though.
INVASION
Custom Enemies is neat, but it's used over-abundantly and it's just tedious to work around, There's the crusher section where you need to race a crusher down a spiral, or use the pockets in the side of the spiral to evade, Long waiting periods for stairs to come down to progress while enemies are everywhere, Ending with a boss fight after an already long level, a super tight window to push a button, and then race around a sphere to get to a tiny door.
There's alot of small things that just make invasion not the most enjoyable level to play, If the boss was removed, the tight door timer was increased, and the enemies were toned down a bit, it would be a much more enjoyable level.
No-spin characters also feel like an afterthought.
It also tends to lag alot in netplay, even without any mods loaded.
IRON DOMINION
This level definitely feels like an alternate take on Techno hill Zone, in A good way. The challenge is comfortable for an early/mid part of a longer game, with very light puzzle elements in the buttons under goop. The palette forced is a bit over-saturated personally, and it feels unnecessary.
JUNKYARD JEOPARDY
This level's dim lighting makes seeing any and all hazards unnecessarily difficult, the use of crushers in a dark area isn't very enjoyable, the 2D section has an interesting area in concept, but the gimmick needs a way to reset the crusher positions at the start of the second part, without backtracking.
The poor lighting leads to being hit by tons of enemies after the split path to open the exit on both routes, and feels very clunky.
LOFTY WOODS
The slopes feel extremely steep, and difficult to scale at times, the gravity flipping is a little annoying, and disorienting at times. And the checkpoints feel like they have slightly too small of hitboxes. The trees make some of the upside down platforming really difficult, it's incredibly easy to get caught and lose momentum. The stage is a bit Too long and feels that it overstays it's welcome just a bit.
LUCID LANDSCAPE
Alot of really cool ideas and concepts but some of the platforming is a tad on the awkward side near the end on the Left path, the constant gravity flipping is really neat, but it IS quite disorienting to navigate. The right side is a bit excessive on the spikes, but not too hard to work around.
Near the beginning, the platform you need to break for the nospin route has invisible boosters that tend to push you into the wall right before the gap, it's not a softlock or anything, but it is a mild annoyance to have to jump over something you can't see if you go slightly too far.
SUNSET SUMMIT
A very enjoyable level that doesn't really expect too much out of you, it's got plenty of space for platforming, and enemies are comfortably scarce, The cave section is a tad too dark in my opinion, but it's not impossible to see or anything.
RHYOLITE RUIN
A NiGHTS stage isn't something you see too often when thinking about Custom levels, it's definitely a curve ball to expectations, It's not super challenging, which i am appreciative of, NiGHTS stages aren't exactly COOP friendly at times, And i personally play more COOP then Single player, But for what's here it's quite solid, and enjoyable.
PINEAPPLE PRAIRIE
The only level i didn't clear as Sonic or Amy, The collapsing walls tied to a crumbling floor feels odd, and there's a massive amount of lag in the level, making it borderline unplayable for some lower end (and even my mid-end system with a couple characters loaded) FPS regularly kept itself down to 3-5 FPS, so i can't really give much feedback for the level design itself.
Also The unique 'Try again' screen got stuck after quitting the level and i had to restart the game.
SOMETHING
Even though Software mode is recommended, I had no issues with it in OpenGL (I did still play it in software too, to make sure!) The use of a forced perspective 2D stage with themes from the vanilla levels makes for a memorable Linear romp through the levels, It is indeed, Something.
THE TWINS PALACE
The two-sides type mechanic with the Purple and blue is neat, but there are a few too many enemies in the level, Especially the smog enemies, they tend to create a ton of lag every time they use their smog.
The ring drain mechanic being unavoidable on one of the routes is rather annoying, sure you get an invincibility capsule, but that's timed, I personally have problems with unavoidable ring drain.
The fact that the music changes based on where you are in the level is a nice touch.
NIMBUS LAKE
An absolutely Lovely simple level, Providing plenty of leniency for platforming, yet not being TOO easy, very light puzzle element with the button you have to push. Sparing use of enemies, to provide a comfortable, relaxing amount of challenge, The atmosphere of the level definitely hits a bias spot of mine, with the choice of music, and the calm tones of the colours.
POWDER PARK
A very open, and somewhat confusing level, there's many points it's easy to get turned around and go backwards, but overall it's simple, and enjoyable, but it could use some directional arrows on path merges.