I didn't realize I missed a whole OLDC, but I'll gladly take part voting on this one! I'll be voting only on Single Player levels, experiencing them in a random order, but I'll list my Voting first:
Voting order from Most liked to least liked:
1) Digital Deluche Zone by RoyKirbs
2) Follow Your Rainbow Zone by Rogerregorroger
3) Nimbus Lake Zone by Yyeellooww7
4) Blue Glacier Zone by BronsoKip
5) Lucid Landscape by Othius
6) Powder Park Zone by DakotaSpine
7) Command Facility Zone by Twins'R'Okay
8) Grass Planet Zone by Voidy2246
9) Something Zone by Marcos
10) Bricked Busted Zone by Mikhael Blur
11) Pineapple Prairie Zone by SupaCustardBro
12) Lofty Woods Zone by Vixuzen
13) Caustic Crater Zone by Seaballer
14) Iron Dominion Zone by MK.exe
15) Invasion Zone by JABSphere94
16) Botanic Space Zone, Act 2 by DeltaSanic
17) Frozen Fissure Zone by Garrean
18) Sunset Summit Zone by Entropy
19) The Twins Palace Zone by Chaolino
20) Rhyolite Ruin Zone by Radicalicious
21) Junkyard Jeopardy Zone by PhilJFou /// ChaRG
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Feedback and Comments
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1) Sunset Summit Zone by Entropy
A pretty fun level! Was caught by pleasant surprise seeing how the level was structured. It was fun finding out how many parts were connected, despite not being able to make it to them right away with Sonic.
Visually I found the level to be pretty decent, although a few more decorations and unique tiles to make the level areas look more distinct would be nice.
The music was pretty chill, the lighting was nice, and I like how you can traverse the top of the island and how the player can get to the way it ends. Once again, it was a pretty fun level!
Great work, Entropy! And everyone who helped you in the level!
2) Powder Park Zone by DakotaSpine
This level gave me so many Diamond Dust Zone vibes through out, that was pretty nice!
First and foremost, the music choice as a little repetitive, but there was not much of an issue other than that.
The level itself felt cramped at first, but as I started getting past the start, it stopped feeling as much that way. In fact, I feel it started getting better as a result!
The level has a nice variety of alternate paths which I had fun traversing, I can't wait to see how characters do in Time Attack.
Really liked the area at the end, where the paths converged, by the way.
It was pretty fun! Good job, DakotaSpine!
3) Blue Glacier Zone by BronsoKip
Quite a pretty stage! Aesthetically it was pretty nice to look at, despite the bright color palette.
The way this level was built feels very intricate to me, I can tell a ton of effort was put into this.
The amount of paths, how much everything is decorated... The amount of Signpost exits I found was surprising! Kind of makes every path its own journey, in a way.
I really, really liked this level! Only real nitpicks I have is that bubbles underwater can be hard to spot due to the color palette, and there were some small bubbles meant to indicate water currents that looked... Off. They were completely still, not sure if something was meant to move there or not.
Overall, an awesome level! Great job, BronsoKip!
4) The Twins Palace by Chaolino
Quite a long level! The moment I started it, I had flashbacks to a previous OLDC. Lo and behold... It's referenced right at the star, on a sign! Got a chuckle out of me, that's for sure.
Onto the rest, this level was almost draining, but I don't think the creativity ever ran out during the level, so it's fine. I did feel drained at the end though, I'll admit.
The way the level looks could use some work, but it was still pleasant to the eyes. Kind of reminded me of the early 90's kind of arcade sprite quality, and looking at some star-pattern walls gave me some sudden nostalgia!
The enemies here were well placed, although those small, two-hit enemies exclusive to the stage are kind of annoying to deal with, since they move so fast and are so small.
I found fun how the music kept switching whether or not you were in a neutral area, in a purple area or in a cyan area, nice touch!
This was a fun level, even if draining by the end. Goodjob, Chaolino.
5) Nimbus Lake Zone by Yyeellooww7
This is probably one of my favorites. Decorated just enough to not be a visual clutter, open enough to let you run around nicely freely... I never felt lost!
I loved the theming, the music was a nice choice, the pace was always kept pretty well.
A personal gripe I have is the floating platforms... but that's because I'm biased against timed stage gimmicks due to my nature of liking to go through levels via Time Attack.
Staying on topic though, this level was a pleasure to go through, and I loved the nooks and crannies I was able to wander into to have my curiosity rewarded.
Amazing job, Yyeellooww7!
6) Brick Busted by Mikhael Blur
This was... Something alright! The level was super long, which I was definitely not expecting.
The level is colorful and vibrant, the music was catchy and long enough to not be repetitive, level design was really solid, there were paths for Amy and Fang... This was a great stage!
Personally, I feel this level would be better off if it was cut into 2 acts, maybe 3 if you ever wanted to keep the levels relatively short, because I feel there was TOO much content, as weird as that is to say.
Other than that, yeah! This was a great stage. Good work, Mikhael Blur!
7) Rhyolite Ruin Zone by Radicalicious
Didn't expect a NiGHTS stage to be included! That was a nice surprise.
Up until the first lap was done, I forgot NiGHTS stages could have different sections entirely. I was wondering where the Sun Emblem was, haha.
It was pretty fun to traverse through! Being stubborn caused me to get annoyed at the lava streams pouring up and down on some areas though.
Not much else to say, although the final segment/lap was the most fun for me. Good job, Radicalicious!
8) Pineapple Prairie Zone by SupaCustardBro
Reading the name of the zone immediately made me think of Kirby... And lo and behold, that's what the stage is based on! Made me chuckle good, that's for sure.
It's a relatively simple stage. Was it not for some slopes, I would even say this probably wouldn't be a Sonic level... And that's fine.
It's good, even! Made me feel a bit immersed into what the stage was about.
I do have a few nitpicks though:
The water that helps you rise towards the beginning sounds like goop instead of water.
Earlier pillars of water in the 2nd room are completely solid, although since they have water textures I believed I'd phase through them.
The part that simulates jumping from pillar to pillar was neat, even if unexpected!... But the pillars being completely bare and the movement between them being stiff and seamless did kind of take me out of it a bunch.
Still, for what it's worth, this is a pretty good level. Good work, SupaCustardBro!
9) Botanic Space Zone, Act 2 by DeltaSanic
I'd imagine Act 1 was probably featured in the last OLDC, but unfortunately I missed it, so I kind of lack some context.
Regardless of that though, this stage was pretty fun! The music choice was pretty nice, and the whole aesthetic and story in the level is nicely laid out too.
There's something about the very first room that gave me nostalgia, but I'm not sure what, maybe the open aspect?
Anyway, a small nitpick I have is how you open doors after the level changes to be more taken over; I'm not used to aiming for things like those, so I found it slightly unintuitive-- I even got lost!... But then I realized, there were rings hugging one of them, indicating you to jump into them, so in the end it's my fault I didn't notice.
Overall, a good job on the level, I liked it! Nice work, DeltaSanic
10) Something Zone by Marcos
That was... Quite fun! At first I was skeptical because of the reputation of 2D Levels/Segments, but man did this take me by surprise.
The usage of familiar theming from the vanilla experience made me look toward to what the sections based on the respective zones would be like, and the music was pretty nice too.
There's not much I can say, although I did love the split paths and the way the 2D controls played with my expectations.
Honestly? This was a great level. Great job, Marcos!
11) Grass Planet Zone by Voidy2246
Didn't expect the gravity flip mechanic, but it was fun going through the level and finding the different paths and emblems!
Music choice was unexpectedly nice, the looks and aesthetics were quite nice as well.
Only real complaints I have is how... Thin? The level design can get; combined with the abundance of bees and behave enemies, I constantly felt tense expecting a bee to strike me out of the air or a conveyor belt-- I noticed there were at least 2 invincibility monitors at points with the Pteros, so... That can't have NOT been the point! Haha.
Overall, this is a pretty fun level, despite the somewhat claustrophobic design (not that flying, floating or gliding characters can't have freedom though). Great job, Voidy!
12) Frozen Fissure Zone by Garrean
Was definitely longer than I expected. To be honest, I don't think I cared much for this level layout-- not exactly my thing, most likely.
First, I'll get my complaints out of the way.
So many little paths and floating springs in the middle kind of overloaded me with "Do I go there? Or there? Or here? Where would that lead me?" Kind of moments. Then came the final room in the level... I honestly don't feel fond of that kind of design. Trying to take my time and observe from a moving platform just where can do I have to go-- where would the platforms lead me to-- ended with me getting sniped and having to get all the way back.
I also didn't care much for the music choice; it was a nice remix of Ice Cap but the repetitive nature of the theme itself didn't exactly help with my frustration.
And now, credit where credit is due.
Despite the way the level is designed, I can tell it was full of effort. Everything seems to work as it should (as far as I know anyway; I don't feel like attempting to getting the emblems), and the snowmen bandniks provide a challenge you have to learn from in order to swiftly pass the level.
Overall... It's a neat level, but I can't say it's my thing. Good job, Garrean.
13) Invasion Zone by JABSphere94
That... Was a spectacle alright, even if the level geometry itself looked pretty standard.
New enemies, a new boss, 2 different areas (which I feel could be separated into two acts, maybe make the boss a 3rd act)... It was fun trying to figure out how to go about some parts!
Although, personally, I think the level got a bit tiring and annoying as it went on; that one room inside the space ship after the 2nd checkpoint of the area, with the laser enemies coming out of cubicles while the exit is through a tricky double crusher... I felt that part was a bit too much for me.
The boss itself... Could use some improvement as well. I was relieved when I saw I could hit his shield to actually hit him after that, but then-- unless I'm doing something wrong-- the boss arbitrarily says "No, you're bouncing off of it", and I have to wait some time before I can destroy the shield again. Even then, actually hitting him is... Tricky, but I had the benefit of being Super Sonic to mitigate the issue. Normal jump height not being enough and having to use the slopes would work... But I can't help but miss constantly since I have to look at the slopes and then try to aim while I have to jump, since I can't lose momentum, otherwise I lose time. Am I doing something wrong?
The level was fine, but had some problems as it kept going, even though the level itself began looking better as it went on.
Overall a good job, JABSphere94.
14) Iron Dominion Zone by LazyMK
DISCLAIMER::
So! This is an odd situation. I played this level and made my critics before the update on January 13th (Today, as of the day of writing this). Before, the level would have a red tint that would make traversing the level a bit... Annoying, coupled with my unfortunate amount of bad luck and bad sense of direction taking over during that time frame, I constantly found myself unable to find the path forward easily. Now? That problem is gone! Which I'm thankful for, and I thank everyone who chimed in to fix that issue.
I have very few issues with the level now, but for conservation's sake, I am leaving my old criticism down below!
I think I had some of the worst luck during this level; my sense of direction wasn't as keen either-- I kept getting lost constantly during both playthroughs I did of the level! I do apologize if my unfortunate luck overshadows some fair criticism due to how annoyed I felt.
I think the tint of the level (I was playing in OpenGL, by the way) disguised some parts that would've otherwise been more visible.
The level design is fine otherwise, from what I've seen. I played once as Sonic and once as Fang, although ended up going very different paths for each. Some level design choices felt a little weird, though that may be because of how lost I felt? One room with goop had a switch in it that made me think it'd open a door at the top... Only to lead me down the bottom as the goop drained, and then another point after that where I reached the top of the room, met with a jump with springs facing towards you. I spent more time than I'd care to admit thinking what I was supposed to do there, until I realized I had to jump over them and ignore them completely.
I feel this level was fine, but in my opinion there should be one or two changes; mainly to do something away about the red-ash tint of the level, perhaps making the level brighter and closer to normal lighting?
Still, a job well done, LazyMK.
(As mentioned in the Disclaimer, I no longer feel this way about the level, now that I have a clearer head, a better understanding of the level and the red tint was corrected in a patch).
15) Junkyard Jeopardy Zone by PhilJFou /// ChaRG
It was not a good idea to play this level right after my bad luck on Iron Dominion and my exhaustion from Invasion Zone, especially going after the gargoyle/second emblem in this level since it seemed like I could get it done easily. Turns out, not really-- at least I couldn't.
I'll be honest, coupled with the lighting and shading of the level making it look dark, the level design kind of pissed me off, but that's probably because I wasn't in the best mood to begin with, so I'm sorry if I can't provide proper criticism.
There was a huge room where some paths seemed to converge in, where the path forward was via jumping on platforms moving counter-clockwise while you have to go the opposite of that, and there were lasers there too. Personally, considering how fast the platforms were moving, I don't think it's too bearable to go through there, and apparently that was the only way forward in that room.
Later, towards the tail end of the level, I kept trying to stick to the top of a room where I had to look for a button to open up the door to the sign post. Levels usually incentivize going up top, so I was a bit lost until I found the switch at the bottom-- thankfully the room was super open, so I could fall right on it.
I apologize once again if I can't give proper criticism, but I can tell effort was put into this.
It was a job well done, PhilJFou /// ChaRG.
16) Lofty Woods Zone by Vixuzen
Maybe other levels I played earlier displayed this as well, but the level design on this one was... Very non-standard for what I'd expect of a Sonic mod! I'm not 100% sure how much of a good thing it is, but it WAS entertaining to play through to some degree.
I jokingly thought to myself "You could very well call this Slope Jump the level", because the kind of terrain around meant for that kind of gameplay is plentiful, and I did get some enjoyment out of it.
One thing though is that the big rooms are a bit too... Open? I knew and noticed different paths I could take, but on each path I felt like I arrived at points where the level would stop leading me, and I'd have to take my time, thinking long and hard of where to go. I eventually found a way each time, but it was a bit off-putting. There was one of those sections where I managed to string a couple of jumps between pillars that had rotating trinities of maces on each of them. Upon reaching the last one... I felt like I was in a dead end; no monitors in reasonable sight, no ledges I could jump on, etc.
Perhaps conveyance can be worked on more?
It may be because of previous levels making my mood worsen as I kept playing, but I was also not much of a fan of the pillar towards the end of the level; the one you have to run up in a spiral via a broken path glued to the walls-- maybe there's some other way I can go that can bypass that part though?
Still, for what it's worth, I feel this level was pretty nice.
Good job, Vixuzen!
17) Lucid Landscape Zone by Othius
A handful of a level for sure! It looked quite pretty, and the anti-gravity gimmick helped sell the theme of it all.
Curiously enough, last level I played (Lofty Woods Zone) also had gravity shenanigans of a similar kind (they even involved liquid too), so that's funny to think about.
It wasn't too long, and it wasn't too short. At first it almost felt long, but it was just me trying to find my footing while falling into pits more often than I'd care to admit.
Music was nice, I liked the effect of speeding up the level music-- I wish that was a vanilla option in general.
The level was nicely fun to run around in, though I didn't exactly try exploring to the fullest, to the dismay of the Info room at the start, haha.
I did like the level though! It was pretty good, and didn't have any parts that outright annoyed me or pissed me off.
A great level and a great job, Othius.
18) Command Facility Zone by Twins'R'Okay
Curious stage; it was fun seeing the different areas.
I had to play it once more as I running on low sleep when I first played the level, which gave me the opportunity of seeing other paths.
It had a pleasant difficulty to it-- not too easy, not too hard, I think this level seemed pretty balanced! Maybe that's just what I feel anyway.
The acid gimmick wasn't what I was expecting though! But I'm not complaining that it doesn't do traditional damage, haha.
There's not much else for me to say about this, although I like how this took inspiration on DOOM.
Great job, Twins'R'Okay!
19) Digital Deluche Zone by RoyKirbs
Honestly? Absolutely stunning.
I wasn't expecting much due to the preview showing me the default wireframe level graphics, but they were put to good use here!
The music, the level theming and the skybox level gave me heavy Deltarune Chapter 2 vibes, which I'd imagine is the inspiration?
I made sure to play twice so I could go through both paths, and while I did enjoy myself, I did find some issues.
On the right-hand path, I feel the last spring you need to take for the gravity flip may be a biiiiit too strict, although I was able to do it as Sonic without Tails' help.
On the left-hand side, I can imagine the last boulder section would've been for a collectible? There's no hidden emblems on this map though, so I ended up finding nothing there, which was a bummer.
Oh, and the final Easter egg in the level? It got a chuckle out of me, even more so as I'm a Kirby fan myself! Although I'm slightly disappointed it was just one Crawla, but it's fine.
But yeah, that's about it, everything else felt stunning to me, so I'd say this is probably one of my favorites.
Great job, RoyKirbs!!
20) Caustic Crater Zone by Seaballer
Seems solidly made! Played it once with Sonic, felt like I should play it again and so I did, with Knuckles.
The level's structure is pretty good, I'd say, although sliiiiightly tight on space. It's not a deal breaker though!
Music choice was pretty fun, it made me think of old, early 2000's PS1 or PC games, so it gave me quite the unique vibe combined with how the level looked.
Funnily enough, as I was making it through the first half, I was relieved that there were no red buzzers in sight... only to see them appear very soon after, haha!
Oddly enough, there were times where I felt I had to look for a way out... Only to find it once I turn like 45º to my sides, though I'd chalk it up to my bad luck.
I keep trying to think of it, but I can't exactly find much objective feedback to mention, so I apologize. The Knuckles path was nicely intricate though! It was nice.
Once again, pretty solid! Good job, Seaballer.
21) Follow Your Rainbow by Rogerregorroger
Last but not least, the one I was actually looking forward the most ever since I heard of its existence.
This level can be both long AND short, which was super unexpected to me.
My first go around had me go around and look into plenty of nooks and crannies and find different details, it was a joy!
I also managed to snag every emblem except the first one on my first go as well, so that was amusing.
The set pieces in the level gave me so many chuckles, though I constantly feel like I missed the last one, until a 3rd play through with Adventure Sonic I realized what was going on.
Initially, I did kinda get lost in the Super Mall area trying to find my away; I made it to the Christmas shop thinking that probably was a side area you could explore, but wasn't the path forward... And then I realized how the level progressed, you ARE meant to go there without skipping through.
The music choice was... Good? I enjoyed the Truck Chase remix, but the music for the city area felt kind of... Off. The music in the Super Mall was nice, but I grew weary of it from spending so much time there, so I have nothing else besides me to blame, haha.
I played it twice with Adventure Sonic after my first go around and found more enjoyment in traversing paths without stopping constantly for the little Easter eggs and the like, which made the level feel more digestible for sure.
Overall, I really liked this one! Not sure if one of my favorites, but it's a close contender. Great job, Rogerregorroger!
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Voting order from Most liked to least liked:
1) Digital Deluche Zone by RoyKirbs
2) Follow Your Rainbow Zone by Rogerregorroger
3) Nimbus Lake Zone by Yyeellooww7
4) Blue Glacier Zone by BronsoKip
5) Lucid Landscape by Othius
6) Powder Park Zone by DakotaSpine
7) Command Facility Zone by Twins'R'Okay
8) Grass Planet Zone by Voidy2246
9) Something Zone by Marcos
10) Bricked Busted Zone by Mikhael Blur
11) Pineapple Prairie Zone by SupaCustardBro
12) Lofty Woods Zone by Vixuzen
13) Caustic Crater Zone by Seaballer
14) Iron Dominion Zone by MK.exe
15) Invasion Zone by JABSphere94
16) Botanic Space Zone, Act 2 by DeltaSanic
17) Frozen Fissure Zone by Garrean
18) Sunset Summit Zone by Entropy
19) The Twins Palace Zone by Chaolino
20) Rhyolite Ruin Zone by Radicalicious
21) Junkyard Jeopardy Zone by PhilJFou /// ChaRG
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Feedback and Comments
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1) Sunset Summit Zone by Entropy
A pretty fun level! Was caught by pleasant surprise seeing how the level was structured. It was fun finding out how many parts were connected, despite not being able to make it to them right away with Sonic.
Visually I found the level to be pretty decent, although a few more decorations and unique tiles to make the level areas look more distinct would be nice.
The music was pretty chill, the lighting was nice, and I like how you can traverse the top of the island and how the player can get to the way it ends. Once again, it was a pretty fun level!
Great work, Entropy! And everyone who helped you in the level!
2) Powder Park Zone by DakotaSpine
This level gave me so many Diamond Dust Zone vibes through out, that was pretty nice!
First and foremost, the music choice as a little repetitive, but there was not much of an issue other than that.
The level itself felt cramped at first, but as I started getting past the start, it stopped feeling as much that way. In fact, I feel it started getting better as a result!
The level has a nice variety of alternate paths which I had fun traversing, I can't wait to see how characters do in Time Attack.
Really liked the area at the end, where the paths converged, by the way.
It was pretty fun! Good job, DakotaSpine!
3) Blue Glacier Zone by BronsoKip
Quite a pretty stage! Aesthetically it was pretty nice to look at, despite the bright color palette.
The way this level was built feels very intricate to me, I can tell a ton of effort was put into this.
The amount of paths, how much everything is decorated... The amount of Signpost exits I found was surprising! Kind of makes every path its own journey, in a way.
I really, really liked this level! Only real nitpicks I have is that bubbles underwater can be hard to spot due to the color palette, and there were some small bubbles meant to indicate water currents that looked... Off. They were completely still, not sure if something was meant to move there or not.
Overall, an awesome level! Great job, BronsoKip!
4) The Twins Palace by Chaolino
Quite a long level! The moment I started it, I had flashbacks to a previous OLDC. Lo and behold... It's referenced right at the star, on a sign! Got a chuckle out of me, that's for sure.
Onto the rest, this level was almost draining, but I don't think the creativity ever ran out during the level, so it's fine. I did feel drained at the end though, I'll admit.
The way the level looks could use some work, but it was still pleasant to the eyes. Kind of reminded me of the early 90's kind of arcade sprite quality, and looking at some star-pattern walls gave me some sudden nostalgia!
The enemies here were well placed, although those small, two-hit enemies exclusive to the stage are kind of annoying to deal with, since they move so fast and are so small.
I found fun how the music kept switching whether or not you were in a neutral area, in a purple area or in a cyan area, nice touch!
This was a fun level, even if draining by the end. Goodjob, Chaolino.
5) Nimbus Lake Zone by Yyeellooww7
This is probably one of my favorites. Decorated just enough to not be a visual clutter, open enough to let you run around nicely freely... I never felt lost!
I loved the theming, the music was a nice choice, the pace was always kept pretty well.
A personal gripe I have is the floating platforms... but that's because I'm biased against timed stage gimmicks due to my nature of liking to go through levels via Time Attack.
Staying on topic though, this level was a pleasure to go through, and I loved the nooks and crannies I was able to wander into to have my curiosity rewarded.
Amazing job, Yyeellooww7!
6) Brick Busted by Mikhael Blur
This was... Something alright! The level was super long, which I was definitely not expecting.
The level is colorful and vibrant, the music was catchy and long enough to not be repetitive, level design was really solid, there were paths for Amy and Fang... This was a great stage!
Personally, I feel this level would be better off if it was cut into 2 acts, maybe 3 if you ever wanted to keep the levels relatively short, because I feel there was TOO much content, as weird as that is to say.
Other than that, yeah! This was a great stage. Good work, Mikhael Blur!
7) Rhyolite Ruin Zone by Radicalicious
Didn't expect a NiGHTS stage to be included! That was a nice surprise.
Up until the first lap was done, I forgot NiGHTS stages could have different sections entirely. I was wondering where the Sun Emblem was, haha.
It was pretty fun to traverse through! Being stubborn caused me to get annoyed at the lava streams pouring up and down on some areas though.
Not much else to say, although the final segment/lap was the most fun for me. Good job, Radicalicious!
8) Pineapple Prairie Zone by SupaCustardBro
Reading the name of the zone immediately made me think of Kirby... And lo and behold, that's what the stage is based on! Made me chuckle good, that's for sure.
It's a relatively simple stage. Was it not for some slopes, I would even say this probably wouldn't be a Sonic level... And that's fine.
It's good, even! Made me feel a bit immersed into what the stage was about.
I do have a few nitpicks though:
The water that helps you rise towards the beginning sounds like goop instead of water.
Earlier pillars of water in the 2nd room are completely solid, although since they have water textures I believed I'd phase through them.
The part that simulates jumping from pillar to pillar was neat, even if unexpected!... But the pillars being completely bare and the movement between them being stiff and seamless did kind of take me out of it a bunch.
Still, for what it's worth, this is a pretty good level. Good work, SupaCustardBro!
9) Botanic Space Zone, Act 2 by DeltaSanic
I'd imagine Act 1 was probably featured in the last OLDC, but unfortunately I missed it, so I kind of lack some context.
Regardless of that though, this stage was pretty fun! The music choice was pretty nice, and the whole aesthetic and story in the level is nicely laid out too.
There's something about the very first room that gave me nostalgia, but I'm not sure what, maybe the open aspect?
Anyway, a small nitpick I have is how you open doors after the level changes to be more taken over; I'm not used to aiming for things like those, so I found it slightly unintuitive-- I even got lost!... But then I realized, there were rings hugging one of them, indicating you to jump into them, so in the end it's my fault I didn't notice.
Overall, a good job on the level, I liked it! Nice work, DeltaSanic
10) Something Zone by Marcos
That was... Quite fun! At first I was skeptical because of the reputation of 2D Levels/Segments, but man did this take me by surprise.
The usage of familiar theming from the vanilla experience made me look toward to what the sections based on the respective zones would be like, and the music was pretty nice too.
There's not much I can say, although I did love the split paths and the way the 2D controls played with my expectations.
Honestly? This was a great level. Great job, Marcos!
11) Grass Planet Zone by Voidy2246
Didn't expect the gravity flip mechanic, but it was fun going through the level and finding the different paths and emblems!
Music choice was unexpectedly nice, the looks and aesthetics were quite nice as well.
Only real complaints I have is how... Thin? The level design can get; combined with the abundance of bees and behave enemies, I constantly felt tense expecting a bee to strike me out of the air or a conveyor belt-- I noticed there were at least 2 invincibility monitors at points with the Pteros, so... That can't have NOT been the point! Haha.
Overall, this is a pretty fun level, despite the somewhat claustrophobic design (not that flying, floating or gliding characters can't have freedom though). Great job, Voidy!
12) Frozen Fissure Zone by Garrean
Was definitely longer than I expected. To be honest, I don't think I cared much for this level layout-- not exactly my thing, most likely.
First, I'll get my complaints out of the way.
So many little paths and floating springs in the middle kind of overloaded me with "Do I go there? Or there? Or here? Where would that lead me?" Kind of moments. Then came the final room in the level... I honestly don't feel fond of that kind of design. Trying to take my time and observe from a moving platform just where can do I have to go-- where would the platforms lead me to-- ended with me getting sniped and having to get all the way back.
I also didn't care much for the music choice; it was a nice remix of Ice Cap but the repetitive nature of the theme itself didn't exactly help with my frustration.
And now, credit where credit is due.
Despite the way the level is designed, I can tell it was full of effort. Everything seems to work as it should (as far as I know anyway; I don't feel like attempting to getting the emblems), and the snowmen bandniks provide a challenge you have to learn from in order to swiftly pass the level.
Overall... It's a neat level, but I can't say it's my thing. Good job, Garrean.
13) Invasion Zone by JABSphere94
That... Was a spectacle alright, even if the level geometry itself looked pretty standard.
New enemies, a new boss, 2 different areas (which I feel could be separated into two acts, maybe make the boss a 3rd act)... It was fun trying to figure out how to go about some parts!
Although, personally, I think the level got a bit tiring and annoying as it went on; that one room inside the space ship after the 2nd checkpoint of the area, with the laser enemies coming out of cubicles while the exit is through a tricky double crusher... I felt that part was a bit too much for me.
The boss itself... Could use some improvement as well. I was relieved when I saw I could hit his shield to actually hit him after that, but then-- unless I'm doing something wrong-- the boss arbitrarily says "No, you're bouncing off of it", and I have to wait some time before I can destroy the shield again. Even then, actually hitting him is... Tricky, but I had the benefit of being Super Sonic to mitigate the issue. Normal jump height not being enough and having to use the slopes would work... But I can't help but miss constantly since I have to look at the slopes and then try to aim while I have to jump, since I can't lose momentum, otherwise I lose time. Am I doing something wrong?
The level was fine, but had some problems as it kept going, even though the level itself began looking better as it went on.
Overall a good job, JABSphere94.
14) Iron Dominion Zone by LazyMK
DISCLAIMER::
So! This is an odd situation. I played this level and made my critics before the update on January 13th (Today, as of the day of writing this). Before, the level would have a red tint that would make traversing the level a bit... Annoying, coupled with my unfortunate amount of bad luck and bad sense of direction taking over during that time frame, I constantly found myself unable to find the path forward easily. Now? That problem is gone! Which I'm thankful for, and I thank everyone who chimed in to fix that issue.
I have very few issues with the level now, but for conservation's sake, I am leaving my old criticism down below!
I think I had some of the worst luck during this level; my sense of direction wasn't as keen either-- I kept getting lost constantly during both playthroughs I did of the level! I do apologize if my unfortunate luck overshadows some fair criticism due to how annoyed I felt.
I think the tint of the level (I was playing in OpenGL, by the way) disguised some parts that would've otherwise been more visible.
The level design is fine otherwise, from what I've seen. I played once as Sonic and once as Fang, although ended up going very different paths for each. Some level design choices felt a little weird, though that may be because of how lost I felt? One room with goop had a switch in it that made me think it'd open a door at the top... Only to lead me down the bottom as the goop drained, and then another point after that where I reached the top of the room, met with a jump with springs facing towards you. I spent more time than I'd care to admit thinking what I was supposed to do there, until I realized I had to jump over them and ignore them completely.
I feel this level was fine, but in my opinion there should be one or two changes; mainly to do something away about the red-ash tint of the level, perhaps making the level brighter and closer to normal lighting?
Still, a job well done, LazyMK.
(As mentioned in the Disclaimer, I no longer feel this way about the level, now that I have a clearer head, a better understanding of the level and the red tint was corrected in a patch).
15) Junkyard Jeopardy Zone by PhilJFou /// ChaRG
It was not a good idea to play this level right after my bad luck on Iron Dominion and my exhaustion from Invasion Zone, especially going after the gargoyle/second emblem in this level since it seemed like I could get it done easily. Turns out, not really-- at least I couldn't.
I'll be honest, coupled with the lighting and shading of the level making it look dark, the level design kind of pissed me off, but that's probably because I wasn't in the best mood to begin with, so I'm sorry if I can't provide proper criticism.
There was a huge room where some paths seemed to converge in, where the path forward was via jumping on platforms moving counter-clockwise while you have to go the opposite of that, and there were lasers there too. Personally, considering how fast the platforms were moving, I don't think it's too bearable to go through there, and apparently that was the only way forward in that room.
Later, towards the tail end of the level, I kept trying to stick to the top of a room where I had to look for a button to open up the door to the sign post. Levels usually incentivize going up top, so I was a bit lost until I found the switch at the bottom-- thankfully the room was super open, so I could fall right on it.
I apologize once again if I can't give proper criticism, but I can tell effort was put into this.
It was a job well done, PhilJFou /// ChaRG.
16) Lofty Woods Zone by Vixuzen
Maybe other levels I played earlier displayed this as well, but the level design on this one was... Very non-standard for what I'd expect of a Sonic mod! I'm not 100% sure how much of a good thing it is, but it WAS entertaining to play through to some degree.
I jokingly thought to myself "You could very well call this Slope Jump the level", because the kind of terrain around meant for that kind of gameplay is plentiful, and I did get some enjoyment out of it.
One thing though is that the big rooms are a bit too... Open? I knew and noticed different paths I could take, but on each path I felt like I arrived at points where the level would stop leading me, and I'd have to take my time, thinking long and hard of where to go. I eventually found a way each time, but it was a bit off-putting. There was one of those sections where I managed to string a couple of jumps between pillars that had rotating trinities of maces on each of them. Upon reaching the last one... I felt like I was in a dead end; no monitors in reasonable sight, no ledges I could jump on, etc.
Perhaps conveyance can be worked on more?
It may be because of previous levels making my mood worsen as I kept playing, but I was also not much of a fan of the pillar towards the end of the level; the one you have to run up in a spiral via a broken path glued to the walls-- maybe there's some other way I can go that can bypass that part though?
Still, for what it's worth, I feel this level was pretty nice.
Good job, Vixuzen!
17) Lucid Landscape Zone by Othius
A handful of a level for sure! It looked quite pretty, and the anti-gravity gimmick helped sell the theme of it all.
Curiously enough, last level I played (Lofty Woods Zone) also had gravity shenanigans of a similar kind (they even involved liquid too), so that's funny to think about.
It wasn't too long, and it wasn't too short. At first it almost felt long, but it was just me trying to find my footing while falling into pits more often than I'd care to admit.
Music was nice, I liked the effect of speeding up the level music-- I wish that was a vanilla option in general.
The level was nicely fun to run around in, though I didn't exactly try exploring to the fullest, to the dismay of the Info room at the start, haha.
I did like the level though! It was pretty good, and didn't have any parts that outright annoyed me or pissed me off.
A great level and a great job, Othius.
18) Command Facility Zone by Twins'R'Okay
Curious stage; it was fun seeing the different areas.
I had to play it once more as I running on low sleep when I first played the level, which gave me the opportunity of seeing other paths.
It had a pleasant difficulty to it-- not too easy, not too hard, I think this level seemed pretty balanced! Maybe that's just what I feel anyway.
The acid gimmick wasn't what I was expecting though! But I'm not complaining that it doesn't do traditional damage, haha.
There's not much else for me to say about this, although I like how this took inspiration on DOOM.
Great job, Twins'R'Okay!
19) Digital Deluche Zone by RoyKirbs
Honestly? Absolutely stunning.
I wasn't expecting much due to the preview showing me the default wireframe level graphics, but they were put to good use here!
The music, the level theming and the skybox level gave me heavy Deltarune Chapter 2 vibes, which I'd imagine is the inspiration?
I made sure to play twice so I could go through both paths, and while I did enjoy myself, I did find some issues.
On the right-hand path, I feel the last spring you need to take for the gravity flip may be a biiiiit too strict, although I was able to do it as Sonic without Tails' help.
On the left-hand side, I can imagine the last boulder section would've been for a collectible? There's no hidden emblems on this map though, so I ended up finding nothing there, which was a bummer.
Oh, and the final Easter egg in the level? It got a chuckle out of me, even more so as I'm a Kirby fan myself! Although I'm slightly disappointed it was just one Crawla, but it's fine.
But yeah, that's about it, everything else felt stunning to me, so I'd say this is probably one of my favorites.
Great job, RoyKirbs!!
20) Caustic Crater Zone by Seaballer
Seems solidly made! Played it once with Sonic, felt like I should play it again and so I did, with Knuckles.
The level's structure is pretty good, I'd say, although sliiiiightly tight on space. It's not a deal breaker though!
Music choice was pretty fun, it made me think of old, early 2000's PS1 or PC games, so it gave me quite the unique vibe combined with how the level looked.
Funnily enough, as I was making it through the first half, I was relieved that there were no red buzzers in sight... only to see them appear very soon after, haha!
Oddly enough, there were times where I felt I had to look for a way out... Only to find it once I turn like 45º to my sides, though I'd chalk it up to my bad luck.
I keep trying to think of it, but I can't exactly find much objective feedback to mention, so I apologize. The Knuckles path was nicely intricate though! It was nice.
Once again, pretty solid! Good job, Seaballer.
21) Follow Your Rainbow by Rogerregorroger
Last but not least, the one I was actually looking forward the most ever since I heard of its existence.
This level can be both long AND short, which was super unexpected to me.
My first go around had me go around and look into plenty of nooks and crannies and find different details, it was a joy!
I also managed to snag every emblem except the first one on my first go as well, so that was amusing.
The set pieces in the level gave me so many chuckles, though I constantly feel like I missed the last one, until a 3rd play through with Adventure Sonic I realized what was going on.
Initially, I did kinda get lost in the Super Mall area trying to find my away; I made it to the Christmas shop thinking that probably was a side area you could explore, but wasn't the path forward... And then I realized how the level progressed, you ARE meant to go there without skipping through.
The music choice was... Good? I enjoyed the Truck Chase remix, but the music for the city area felt kind of... Off. The music in the Super Mall was nice, but I grew weary of it from spending so much time there, so I have nothing else besides me to blame, haha.
I played it twice with Adventure Sonic after my first go around and found more enjoyment in traversing paths without stopping constantly for the little Easter eggs and the like, which made the level feel more digestible for sure.
Overall, I really liked this one! Not sure if one of my favorites, but it's a close contender. Great job, Rogerregorroger!
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