1
Spiral Hill Pizza by @Rogerregorroger
I'm the coolest
2
Foliage Furnace Zone, Act 2 by @Othius, @Kanna, and @Spectorious
There's just always a showstopper at these OLDC's huh?
Complex new mechanics with the barrels, great visuals, pretty darn good level design.
Got a bit lost at some points but other then that, it's a clear winner.
3
Magma Laboratory Zone by @RoyKirbs
I love these straight forward rollercoasterey levels and the 2 lava factory themes got it this OLDC.
Neat level gimmicks, great flow, good stage.
4
Hell Coaster Zone by @Voidy2246
Hey, that's a familair Eggman there.
The second of the 2 Rollercoasterey lava factory stages. Litteraly a rollercoaster this time.
In some ways I prefer this one over Magma Laboratory, feeling a bit faster and leaner, but it has a few problems as well, particularly being a little busy and cramped.
Kinda makes the fast gameplay the level seems to invite a bit blow up in it's face.
Fun minecart section.
5
Tarnish Ward Zone by @Princess Plushima
Well, it isn't so much a level as a full blown scientific exploration of what a emerald shard level should do. Great atmosphere trough music and visuals, really gives the level an identity.
How ironic, in the original Sonic Adventure levels I hated when the Knuckles levels had a lot of gimmicks and preferred the straight forward emerald hunts, but in SRB2 I've since learned you do kind of need some tricks and mechanics in these levels to avoid the player just running around like a chicken without a head.
Great job on the emerald hint gimmick too.
6
Enchanted Enclave by @Vixuzen
Neat idea with having the Mario 64 ish different missions making players go trough the level again with different mindsets. It's a short and sweet level for speedrunners, but surpriisngly elaborate and rich for explorers filled with hidden paths.
THe cool trick with the change of time and music makes replaying more rewarding.
Only problem is that I get a headache if I have to search around in the Doom Engine graphics too long, spending 20+ minutes on locating all rings, enemies and lums does a number on my brain.
Great music choices, I recognise the style as Rayman 2 music but there's a few tracks I don't remember at all. Weird.
7
Bitter Brink Zone* by @MarbleCheese
Another rollercoasterey Sonic level, now with ice.
You got some great ideas, but the execution is very awkward, sadly.
Axis 2d loop at the start is a bit confusing, altough it does look cool.
Love the idea of the maze section with the snowmobile, but have to admit the section does highlight how hard the thing is to control. Love the thumbnail.
Great ideas, awkward excecution, but love the ideas on display.
8
Festung oder so by @The Shadow
I love dramatic setpieces, this is a cool concept.
Altough I have to admit it took a second playtrough to fully understand what was going on.
Fun idea, fun level design. Graphics a bit dull outside of the effect of it crumbling down.
9
Freezer Folley Zone by @FAVman33
Great atmosphere, good functioning gimmick, couple gags. Good stuff.
Little too open for my taste at times, but there's no real problems.
Good charming stage. Huh, must be a tiny Pizza in the fridge, compared to the milk carton and egg sizes.
10
Yearning Yachtyard Zone by @PhilJFou aka ChaRG
A level that goes for the feels. Kinda weird to associate yachts with a more melancholy/ introspective tone, but it works.
Neat easteregg with the Titanic, altough couldn't find out how to get there.
All these encouraing messages, how wholesome.
11
Egg Machine Zone by @nickls2002
A level that deserves to be way up higher in the list in terms of technical achievements, a lot of cool new tricks and level design hazards on display and great atmosphere.
But yeah, a little too frustrating and long for it's own good, sadly the fun factor isn't entirely there, tough for those looking for a challenge, this is it.
Altough I love the floating gravity blobs in the air as platform gimmicks, it's so easy to just helplessly float trough them, with the player having little control, and the edges of the platform hard to see with all the transparent and color mode layers on top of each other. Shame.
Awesome easter egg.
12
SunkSea X Zone by @Nuhu64
Decent level. Pretty long, yet technical sound, well done. Good guidance too.
Great variety in hazards and level design themes.
Kinda feel it needed something tough, felt a bit empty going trough the parts. Not sure what's going on.
13
Zaxel's Thunder Yard Zone, Act 2 by @Zaxel Katsugyo
Well well, getting more dramatic now, with the cutscenes eh? Neato.
Levels still get me a weird Game Gear feel with the textures and blocky level design.
Love the fact it takes a theme and sticks with it, the electricity, and there's some nice hazards you build with it.
Problem is that it all feels overwhelming and everything starts melting into each other, so I don't feel each of your ideas and challenges really gets room to breathe to leave an impact.
Adding these mines to come after those with an electric shield is a neat extra dynamic that would have made for a nice level hazard, if players had more time to react to them. Now most of the time they just instantly hit you, making them feel more trolling then an exciting challenge. Shame.
14
Chaos Cove Zone by @glaber
Oof, never fun to pick the lowest scoring winner, but here we are.
Emerald shard hunting wihle there's death pits everywhere that reset your emblem score again? Oof, that ain't fun.
Thing is, with a level where the players have to run and search a large landscapes, having an interesting landscape with lots of landmarks is useful.
But hey, points for your lighttower and little house, there's some fun structures, but most of it kinda blends together.
Spiral Hill Pizza by @Rogerregorroger
I'm the coolest
2
Foliage Furnace Zone, Act 2 by @Othius, @Kanna, and @Spectorious
There's just always a showstopper at these OLDC's huh?
Complex new mechanics with the barrels, great visuals, pretty darn good level design.
Got a bit lost at some points but other then that, it's a clear winner.
3
Magma Laboratory Zone by @RoyKirbs
I love these straight forward rollercoasterey levels and the 2 lava factory themes got it this OLDC.
Neat level gimmicks, great flow, good stage.
4
Hell Coaster Zone by @Voidy2246
Hey, that's a familair Eggman there.
The second of the 2 Rollercoasterey lava factory stages. Litteraly a rollercoaster this time.
In some ways I prefer this one over Magma Laboratory, feeling a bit faster and leaner, but it has a few problems as well, particularly being a little busy and cramped.
Kinda makes the fast gameplay the level seems to invite a bit blow up in it's face.
Fun minecart section.
5
Tarnish Ward Zone by @Princess Plushima
Well, it isn't so much a level as a full blown scientific exploration of what a emerald shard level should do. Great atmosphere trough music and visuals, really gives the level an identity.
How ironic, in the original Sonic Adventure levels I hated when the Knuckles levels had a lot of gimmicks and preferred the straight forward emerald hunts, but in SRB2 I've since learned you do kind of need some tricks and mechanics in these levels to avoid the player just running around like a chicken without a head.
Great job on the emerald hint gimmick too.
6
Enchanted Enclave by @Vixuzen
Neat idea with having the Mario 64 ish different missions making players go trough the level again with different mindsets. It's a short and sweet level for speedrunners, but surpriisngly elaborate and rich for explorers filled with hidden paths.
THe cool trick with the change of time and music makes replaying more rewarding.
Only problem is that I get a headache if I have to search around in the Doom Engine graphics too long, spending 20+ minutes on locating all rings, enemies and lums does a number on my brain.
Great music choices, I recognise the style as Rayman 2 music but there's a few tracks I don't remember at all. Weird.
7
Bitter Brink Zone* by @MarbleCheese
Another rollercoasterey Sonic level, now with ice.
You got some great ideas, but the execution is very awkward, sadly.
Axis 2d loop at the start is a bit confusing, altough it does look cool.
Love the idea of the maze section with the snowmobile, but have to admit the section does highlight how hard the thing is to control. Love the thumbnail.
Great ideas, awkward excecution, but love the ideas on display.
8
Festung oder so by @The Shadow
I love dramatic setpieces, this is a cool concept.
Altough I have to admit it took a second playtrough to fully understand what was going on.
Fun idea, fun level design. Graphics a bit dull outside of the effect of it crumbling down.
9
Freezer Folley Zone by @FAVman33
Great atmosphere, good functioning gimmick, couple gags. Good stuff.
Little too open for my taste at times, but there's no real problems.
Good charming stage. Huh, must be a tiny Pizza in the fridge, compared to the milk carton and egg sizes.
10
Yearning Yachtyard Zone by @PhilJFou aka ChaRG
A level that goes for the feels. Kinda weird to associate yachts with a more melancholy/ introspective tone, but it works.
Neat easteregg with the Titanic, altough couldn't find out how to get there.
All these encouraing messages, how wholesome.
11
Egg Machine Zone by @nickls2002
A level that deserves to be way up higher in the list in terms of technical achievements, a lot of cool new tricks and level design hazards on display and great atmosphere.
But yeah, a little too frustrating and long for it's own good, sadly the fun factor isn't entirely there, tough for those looking for a challenge, this is it.
Altough I love the floating gravity blobs in the air as platform gimmicks, it's so easy to just helplessly float trough them, with the player having little control, and the edges of the platform hard to see with all the transparent and color mode layers on top of each other. Shame.
Awesome easter egg.
12
SunkSea X Zone by @Nuhu64
Decent level. Pretty long, yet technical sound, well done. Good guidance too.
Great variety in hazards and level design themes.
Kinda feel it needed something tough, felt a bit empty going trough the parts. Not sure what's going on.
13
Zaxel's Thunder Yard Zone, Act 2 by @Zaxel Katsugyo
Well well, getting more dramatic now, with the cutscenes eh? Neato.
Levels still get me a weird Game Gear feel with the textures and blocky level design.
Love the fact it takes a theme and sticks with it, the electricity, and there's some nice hazards you build with it.
Problem is that it all feels overwhelming and everything starts melting into each other, so I don't feel each of your ideas and challenges really gets room to breathe to leave an impact.
Adding these mines to come after those with an electric shield is a neat extra dynamic that would have made for a nice level hazard, if players had more time to react to them. Now most of the time they just instantly hit you, making them feel more trolling then an exciting challenge. Shame.
14
Chaos Cove Zone by @glaber
Oof, never fun to pick the lowest scoring winner, but here we are.
Emerald shard hunting wihle there's death pits everywhere that reset your emblem score again? Oof, that ain't fun.
Thing is, with a level where the players have to run and search a large landscapes, having an interesting landscape with lots of landmarks is useful.
But hey, points for your lighttower and little house, there's some fun structures, but most of it kinda blends together.