Haxa
Member
All of these maps were played as Sonic. I wish I had time to play through them multiple times with every character, but sadly I do not and Sonic is the most fun character for me. The levels will be in descending order from most to least favorite, and I will also put a thing at the bottom where my scores are all neatly there just in case nobody wants to read my ramblings, I know y'all have a lot to look over. Also, all links are to Imgur so they're safe to click on. That said, here we go!
Pagoda Park Zone
Pros
Wow, so...where to start. This level is ambitious for sure. I believe most of these textures are custom made from the level designer, which in and of itself deserves respect. Then you have all the funny little NPCs strewn around the map, which is also characteristic of this creator's levels and I've never seen it done anywhere else (though I'm not saying it hasn't been, just I've not seen it). Then you have all of the little references to the Sonic franchise thrown in too, it's just chock full of personality. The level design itself is great too, each segment of the level ramps up in difficulty as the music in the level changes, ending with the hardest part of the map with the autoscroller, and it all comes together very nicely. Having played the map creator's full mod, I think this shows a lot of improvement from that, which was already impressive itself. This level to me encapsulates the spirit of SRB2 modding, and you can feel the hard work and effort that was put into it. Personally, I hope this wins.
Cons
There aren't too many. I did fall into a portion of the level as Sonic that I got softlocked in and had to hit the retry button, but a simple yellow spring could fix that. The autoscroller is a tad glitchy, if you hit one of the buzz saws it can be finicky to get your rings back, and it's very easy to hit them so I died a couple of times. The level design, while great, I feel like it also doesn't promote exploration as much as some of the other levels in this contest, as it's mostly hallways leading into hallways. Small potatoes in the grand scheme of things though, and I can't think of much else I didn't like.
Score: 9.8/10
Shadow of Aztlan Zone
Pros
Wow, this level is amazing. This is one where I can just tell how carefully crafted it was. So many custom aspects to it, an interesting bit of mystery shadowing over everything, and from what I can tell from a cursory Google search it ties to things from the real world. It's all really atmospheric and cool. I believe levels like this also encapsulate the spirit of the SRB2 modding community, using SRB2 as a platform to tell your own stories in unique ways. The level design leaves a bit to be desired, at least in terms of exploration and secret finding (although I haven't gotten to explore it as much as I'd like, which I'll get into here in a second), but nonetheless it's serviceable for the general idea you're going for.
Cons
Score: 9.5
Dark Marsh Zone
Pros
Wow, that level was extremely cool. Aesthetically I think it's my favorite of the whole bunch. It reminds me of those bog levels from the original Spyro the Dragon, and those were always my favorite. In terms of level design, it's challenging, which I love! I'd say it's the hardest level here. A lot of the challenge comes from badnik spam, which is a tiny bit irritating at times, but I won't count it as a con because I think there's room for that kind of design in open levels like this one. I'd love to see this get a 1.0 release as a standalone level, I'd probably use it in my randomizer playthroughs, I really do like it a lot.
Cons
The only con I really have is that the marsh is a death plane rather than, say, retextured lava. I think that would make the level overall more enjoyable, but it being a death plane isn't the end of the world. I'm also not too keen on the trampoline things, but that's minor as well, I just don't like holding still for that long until I gain enough upward momentum.
Score: 9.4/10
Pros
Wow, that level was extremely cool. Aesthetically I think it's my favorite of the whole bunch. It reminds me of those bog levels from the original Spyro the Dragon, and those were always my favorite. In terms of level design, it's challenging, which I love! I'd say it's the hardest level here. A lot of the challenge comes from badnik spam, which is a tiny bit irritating at times, but I won't count it as a con because I think there's room for that kind of design in open levels like this one. I'd love to see this get a 1.0 release as a standalone level, I'd probably use it in my randomizer playthroughs, I really do like it a lot.
Cons
The only con I really have is that the marsh is a death plane rather than, say, retextured lava. I think that would make the level overall more enjoyable, but it being a death plane isn't the end of the world. I'm also not too keen on the trampoline things, but that's minor as well, I just don't like holding still for that long until I gain enough upward momentum.
Score: 9.4/10
Foliage Furnace Zone
Pros
Right off the start, I'm in love with the theming of this level. It feels very Sonic CD to me, mixing industrial with nature. The usage of the textures is amazing too, the level is really easy on the eyes. Also, something that can be easily overlooked, the background of the level, is just awesome to look at. You guys absolutely nailed the overall aesthetic of the level, and kudos for that! There's a lot to see and do here, with multiple branching paths through the level making replaying it and checking for secrets worth your while, so far I've played it three times and enjoyed each time. One thing that many could see as a con would be the fast moving platforms, and while they would be difficult to time for newer players I personally found them challenging enough to be enjoyable, but not difficult enough to be frustrating. You also seemed to be aware of how useful a double jump would be on these platforming sections and provided multiple lightning shields throughout the level, so I feel like you give players the chance to make these sections easier for themselves. You guys seem pretty modest in the starting message, which is great, but personally I found this level to be close to official SRB2 map developer standards. People may disagree with me, but I feel comfortable saying that! With a 1.0 official release I don't think there's a lot of instances where I wouldn't load this up in my addons and play with it in the randomizer, I genuinely love this level a lot.
Cons
One thing I notice that's particularly odd in this level is enemy placement. In certain areas there's huge clusters of enemies, but in others it feels like there's none where there should be. The firefly clusters are more annoying than they are a genuine obstacle, and that many of the same enemy in such a close proximity together just throws me off, and if I want to explore an area where they are I feel it necessary to kill them when I'd rather ignore them. The point in badniks is to kill them of course, but still I'd like to feel like I have the option, but they make so much noise and creep up on me all the time when I don't expect it. Also, I feel like the level could use some threatening ground enemies. The spring crabs are great in platforming lava sections, but sometimes they just feel like they're there to get in your way, but not really threaten you, those annoying turtles might fit in well, or red crawlas. Then there's places where I feel Robo Hoods could be placed that are currently not being utilized at all, like here and here. Finally, the extremely fast moving stream boosts are very loud and also a bit awkward to time your jumps with. Forward momentum across pits can be a bit odd feeling when you don't have time to anticipate the boost and move accordingly.
Score: 9.3/10
Pros
Right off the start, I'm in love with the theming of this level. It feels very Sonic CD to me, mixing industrial with nature. The usage of the textures is amazing too, the level is really easy on the eyes. Also, something that can be easily overlooked, the background of the level, is just awesome to look at. You guys absolutely nailed the overall aesthetic of the level, and kudos for that! There's a lot to see and do here, with multiple branching paths through the level making replaying it and checking for secrets worth your while, so far I've played it three times and enjoyed each time. One thing that many could see as a con would be the fast moving platforms, and while they would be difficult to time for newer players I personally found them challenging enough to be enjoyable, but not difficult enough to be frustrating. You also seemed to be aware of how useful a double jump would be on these platforming sections and provided multiple lightning shields throughout the level, so I feel like you give players the chance to make these sections easier for themselves. You guys seem pretty modest in the starting message, which is great, but personally I found this level to be close to official SRB2 map developer standards. People may disagree with me, but I feel comfortable saying that! With a 1.0 official release I don't think there's a lot of instances where I wouldn't load this up in my addons and play with it in the randomizer, I genuinely love this level a lot.
Cons
One thing I notice that's particularly odd in this level is enemy placement. In certain areas there's huge clusters of enemies, but in others it feels like there's none where there should be. The firefly clusters are more annoying than they are a genuine obstacle, and that many of the same enemy in such a close proximity together just throws me off, and if I want to explore an area where they are I feel it necessary to kill them when I'd rather ignore them. The point in badniks is to kill them of course, but still I'd like to feel like I have the option, but they make so much noise and creep up on me all the time when I don't expect it. Also, I feel like the level could use some threatening ground enemies. The spring crabs are great in platforming lava sections, but sometimes they just feel like they're there to get in your way, but not really threaten you, those annoying turtles might fit in well, or red crawlas. Then there's places where I feel Robo Hoods could be placed that are currently not being utilized at all, like here and here. Finally, the extremely fast moving stream boosts are very loud and also a bit awkward to time your jumps with. Forward momentum across pits can be a bit odd feeling when you don't have time to anticipate the boost and move accordingly.
Score: 9.3/10
Overgrown Heights Zone 2
Pros
Instantly, I adore the emerald lighting giving everything this relaxing green glow. It overall adds to the theming and atmosphere of the level. This is another one where I think you nailed the overall aesthetic of the level, everything from the lighting to the textures to the background paints perfectly what you were going for. Also, I love when a level has a little hidden thing at the start encouraging the player to always be on their toes in searching for secrets, and I love the beams of light effect guiding your eye to it, very cool! In fact, there's a lot of cool secrets in this level, I found it to be among the most rewarding to explore. It's on the harder side in terms of difficulty compared to many of the maps here. I never found it frustrating, but newer players may. This is another one which I feel is so close to being on par with official SRB2 level design, I enjoyed every second of playing this level. So fun!
Cons
Very minor texture glitches here and there, but nothing distracting to the point of immersion ruining. There are also sections of the level that aesthetically and mechanically come off a bit awkward, such as the section where you have to roll the ball up the sloped water. The ball doesn't stay on the surface as you're rolling, so you just kinda roll forward until the ball hits the ground and then slowly float up. Also, the torches throughout the level are shorter than I think they should be, they're even with Sonic and you can accidentally run into the flame part and take damage. Perhaps that's by design, but I wasn't a big fan of it the second time it happened to me.
Score: 9.1/10
Galactic Facility Zone
Pros
The first thing to say about this level is that it's very fun. I love the low gravity sections, they're much longer than what you're used to from low gravity sections in SRB2 and if you want to fully explore them, you actually have to cut it dangerously close a lot of the time, which adds to the challenge and fun. Speaking of, this level is among the most interesting to explore! Since I've only played as Sonic I haven't had the chance to yet, but once I get around to testing other characters I bet I'll find all kinds of things I missed the first time around. My favorite part has to be the section with the turret and the moving walls, it's a cool and interesting way to utilize a sadly under utilized enemy in the game in a way that isn't as easy as running and simply standing behind a stationary object until it's done.
Cons
Personally, I don't think the textures necessarily paint the aesthetic you were going for, unless I don't understand what your vision was. The purple and green don't make me think of an advanced galactic civilization, and the brown tile floor almost at times looks like a wooden floor, which I wouldn't expect in a galactic facility. Honestly though, I can't think of much else. It was a consistently good level!
Score: 8.8/10
Emerald Aether ZonePros
Knothole Coast Zone 1
Pros
There's certainly more to this level than meets the eye. I played through it four times to see if I could find all the secrets because the level is short and easy enough that you don't have to run a gauntlet every time you play the level. The creator showed discipline with their scenery objects too, and the general aesthetic of the level is really pleasant and invokes perfectly what the creator was going for. There's a really cute reference to SRB1 in there that caught me off guard, and despite being able to run from A to B in a very short amount of time there's enough there to make exploring and checking the corners of the map worthwhile. Texturing in this level, aside from a specific issue I'll mention later, is very well done. I noticed no bugs in my playthroughs. Overall, there isn't much to say. It's a charming, simple level.
Cons
The level design can at times be convoluted and feels like obstacles are there just to pad out the level. Things such as the spinning launch things through the canyon that lead to an emblem and some extra lives feels out of place, and like the creator wanted something there just to make the level feel longer than it is. It didn't really give me a feeling of accomplishment when I got through it, and since there's no way back up if you fall it feels frustrating to have to enter and leave the level to try again. A section like this could be integrated naturally into the level, but for now feels shoved in. Also, this is a texturing issue, but moving through the pipes with the diamond patterned walls is nauseating, a smoother texture for the pipes would be better. Lastly, the rolling hills at the end feel tedious to me, they just slow me down and don't pose any challenge. Lowering the amount could be helpful, but honestly stuff like that just feels unnecessary to me in padding out the level.
Score: 8.1/10
Pros
Instantly, I adore the emerald lighting giving everything this relaxing green glow. It overall adds to the theming and atmosphere of the level. This is another one where I think you nailed the overall aesthetic of the level, everything from the lighting to the textures to the background paints perfectly what you were going for. Also, I love when a level has a little hidden thing at the start encouraging the player to always be on their toes in searching for secrets, and I love the beams of light effect guiding your eye to it, very cool! In fact, there's a lot of cool secrets in this level, I found it to be among the most rewarding to explore. It's on the harder side in terms of difficulty compared to many of the maps here. I never found it frustrating, but newer players may. This is another one which I feel is so close to being on par with official SRB2 level design, I enjoyed every second of playing this level. So fun!
Cons
Very minor texture glitches here and there, but nothing distracting to the point of immersion ruining. There are also sections of the level that aesthetically and mechanically come off a bit awkward, such as the section where you have to roll the ball up the sloped water. The ball doesn't stay on the surface as you're rolling, so you just kinda roll forward until the ball hits the ground and then slowly float up. Also, the torches throughout the level are shorter than I think they should be, they're even with Sonic and you can accidentally run into the flame part and take damage. Perhaps that's by design, but I wasn't a big fan of it the second time it happened to me.
Score: 9.1/10
Galactic Facility Zone
Pros
The first thing to say about this level is that it's very fun. I love the low gravity sections, they're much longer than what you're used to from low gravity sections in SRB2 and if you want to fully explore them, you actually have to cut it dangerously close a lot of the time, which adds to the challenge and fun. Speaking of, this level is among the most interesting to explore! Since I've only played as Sonic I haven't had the chance to yet, but once I get around to testing other characters I bet I'll find all kinds of things I missed the first time around. My favorite part has to be the section with the turret and the moving walls, it's a cool and interesting way to utilize a sadly under utilized enemy in the game in a way that isn't as easy as running and simply standing behind a stationary object until it's done.
Cons
Personally, I don't think the textures necessarily paint the aesthetic you were going for, unless I don't understand what your vision was. The purple and green don't make me think of an advanced galactic civilization, and the brown tile floor almost at times looks like a wooden floor, which I wouldn't expect in a galactic facility. Honestly though, I can't think of much else. It was a consistently good level!
Score: 8.8/10
Emerald Aether ZonePros
The first thing that stands out to me is the beautiful level design. It looks and feels like a classic Sonic level. Very disciplined use of scenery objects like flowers and trees. The map is very spacious with wide open areas, but it's filled with pillars and loops and slopes and cliffs so it all feels very explorable and I never feel like I'm lost, there's just a lot to see and do. Also, it's extremely well put together texture wise. In the two times I've played it I haven't noticed any texture bugs, so if they're there they're not glaring problems.
Cons
I feel like the creator was a little too generous with the rings. Most of the monitors are either ring monitors, or they help you get more rings. Rings are a great way to guide the player through the level, but too many of them can end up cluttering things. Also, it's also a short level outside of how sidetracked you can get checking every corner for secrets and goodies. That's not necessarily a downside though, the level is still beautiful and most of my enjoyment comes from seeing a classic Sonic design level built in the SRB2 engine, even if you can't use those loops.
Score: 8.4/10
Cons
I feel like the creator was a little too generous with the rings. Most of the monitors are either ring monitors, or they help you get more rings. Rings are a great way to guide the player through the level, but too many of them can end up cluttering things. Also, it's also a short level outside of how sidetracked you can get checking every corner for secrets and goodies. That's not necessarily a downside though, the level is still beautiful and most of my enjoyment comes from seeing a classic Sonic design level built in the SRB2 engine, even if you can't use those loops.
Score: 8.4/10
Knothole Coast Zone 1
Pros
There's certainly more to this level than meets the eye. I played through it four times to see if I could find all the secrets because the level is short and easy enough that you don't have to run a gauntlet every time you play the level. The creator showed discipline with their scenery objects too, and the general aesthetic of the level is really pleasant and invokes perfectly what the creator was going for. There's a really cute reference to SRB1 in there that caught me off guard, and despite being able to run from A to B in a very short amount of time there's enough there to make exploring and checking the corners of the map worthwhile. Texturing in this level, aside from a specific issue I'll mention later, is very well done. I noticed no bugs in my playthroughs. Overall, there isn't much to say. It's a charming, simple level.
Cons
The level design can at times be convoluted and feels like obstacles are there just to pad out the level. Things such as the spinning launch things through the canyon that lead to an emblem and some extra lives feels out of place, and like the creator wanted something there just to make the level feel longer than it is. It didn't really give me a feeling of accomplishment when I got through it, and since there's no way back up if you fall it feels frustrating to have to enter and leave the level to try again. A section like this could be integrated naturally into the level, but for now feels shoved in. Also, this is a texturing issue, but moving through the pipes with the diamond patterned walls is nauseating, a smoother texture for the pipes would be better. Lastly, the rolling hills at the end feel tedious to me, they just slow me down and don't pose any challenge. Lowering the amount could be helpful, but honestly stuff like that just feels unnecessary to me in padding out the level.
Score: 8.1/10
Gate Garden Zone
Pros
This level is really cool with all the custom little bits you've thrown in! I love the little crystals that are worth points, it's a great way to earn lives and it incentivizes exploration. Speaking of, this level is chock full of secrets, including a chaos emerald (I only found one, but I assume there's more). The custom enemies are cool, even if they don't fully blend into the SRB2 style, though they mostly seem like reskinned Crawlas I still appreciate that level of effort. I also found these things at the beginning of the level. I'm not too sure what they do (I assume they do something to Tails), but it's just another cool little thing you put in the level to give it a distinct flavor and that's worthy of praise.
Cons
I'll start with the minor things. Firstly, there's some buggy textures and slopes throughout the level. Nothing major, but they're there. There's also the new fire flower enemy things that remind me of the enemy from Super Mario World. These are cool, but they're very disruptive and also indestructible, which makes them a little bit frustrating. If I could kill them I'd think they were an awesome addition, and they're still cool but as they are I just wish I had the option to kill them. Then there's this section. I don't believe it's built for Sonic, but as you can see I'm there and I'm Sonic. I believe it's a Fang section as there's an arrow pointing to a hole in the wall which says "gun" with an immovable spike blocking anyone but Fang from getting through, and there's a zap shield in there that you need to finish this section that is unobtainable for pretty much every character (unless I'm dumb, if I am let me know because I'd love to know how to beat this part without devmode). If there's another way through the level as Sonic, I've yet to find it on my two playthroughs. This is the only way I've found to beat the level, though that could also be on me and I've missed the real path for Sonic. Either way, I don't think Sonic is supposed to be here.
Score: 7.6/10
Pros
This level is really cool with all the custom little bits you've thrown in! I love the little crystals that are worth points, it's a great way to earn lives and it incentivizes exploration. Speaking of, this level is chock full of secrets, including a chaos emerald (I only found one, but I assume there's more). The custom enemies are cool, even if they don't fully blend into the SRB2 style, though they mostly seem like reskinned Crawlas I still appreciate that level of effort. I also found these things at the beginning of the level. I'm not too sure what they do (I assume they do something to Tails), but it's just another cool little thing you put in the level to give it a distinct flavor and that's worthy of praise.
Cons
I'll start with the minor things. Firstly, there's some buggy textures and slopes throughout the level. Nothing major, but they're there. There's also the new fire flower enemy things that remind me of the enemy from Super Mario World. These are cool, but they're very disruptive and also indestructible, which makes them a little bit frustrating. If I could kill them I'd think they were an awesome addition, and they're still cool but as they are I just wish I had the option to kill them. Then there's this section. I don't believe it's built for Sonic, but as you can see I'm there and I'm Sonic. I believe it's a Fang section as there's an arrow pointing to a hole in the wall which says "gun" with an immovable spike blocking anyone but Fang from getting through, and there's a zap shield in there that you need to finish this section that is unobtainable for pretty much every character (unless I'm dumb, if I am let me know because I'd love to know how to beat this part without devmode). If there's another way through the level as Sonic, I've yet to find it on my two playthroughs. This is the only way I've found to beat the level, though that could also be on me and I've missed the real path for Sonic. Either way, I don't think Sonic is supposed to be here.
Score: 7.6/10
Fatal Factory Zone
Pros
So what you have here is really cool. I'm a big fan of the retextured lava to make it look like some kind of acid, it plays to the overall theme of a dystopian factory. The level design is simple hallway designs, but since it's a factory that can be seen as a strength of the level rather than a weakness. The autoscroller at the end worked like a charm too, which is a welcomed sight.
Cons
The main con I have are textures that take me out of the atmosphere that you're trying to build here. I like that there's small sections of scenic foliage and stuff, but I feel like there's too much of it throughout the level. The factory to me is supposed to give this feeling of industrialization gone too far, so the many instances of there being little areas with bushes and flowers I think would compliment the level more if it were reduced down to maybe one or two sections like this. Also, more importantly, there's some odd texture choices throughout the level. I took a screenshot when I noticed them, but basically it boils down to using the grass texture too much. For instance, here it'd come off much more aesthetically consistent if you used a metallic texture between the glass. Here it's much more noticeable because the glass texture is so wide. There are sections where I think the grass texture makes sense, such as the aquariums, but there I also believe underneath the glass texture should be a metallic texture, it'd also make it clear how thick the glass pane is here. This area used the grass texture the whole way through which put me off, and this one actually used grass on the ceiling, which I believe is an error. These are details that have nothing to do with the level design itself, but I do think these are important in building an atmosphere.
Score: 7.4/10
Pros
So what you have here is really cool. I'm a big fan of the retextured lava to make it look like some kind of acid, it plays to the overall theme of a dystopian factory. The level design is simple hallway designs, but since it's a factory that can be seen as a strength of the level rather than a weakness. The autoscroller at the end worked like a charm too, which is a welcomed sight.
Cons
The main con I have are textures that take me out of the atmosphere that you're trying to build here. I like that there's small sections of scenic foliage and stuff, but I feel like there's too much of it throughout the level. The factory to me is supposed to give this feeling of industrialization gone too far, so the many instances of there being little areas with bushes and flowers I think would compliment the level more if it were reduced down to maybe one or two sections like this. Also, more importantly, there's some odd texture choices throughout the level. I took a screenshot when I noticed them, but basically it boils down to using the grass texture too much. For instance, here it'd come off much more aesthetically consistent if you used a metallic texture between the glass. Here it's much more noticeable because the glass texture is so wide. There are sections where I think the grass texture makes sense, such as the aquariums, but there I also believe underneath the glass texture should be a metallic texture, it'd also make it clear how thick the glass pane is here. This area used the grass texture the whole way through which put me off, and this one actually used grass on the ceiling, which I believe is an error. These are details that have nothing to do with the level design itself, but I do think these are important in building an atmosphere.
Score: 7.4/10
Square City Zone 2
Pros
It's a quirky level, for sure. The government banned cars apparently and then bombed giant holes in the streets. I enjoy the city aesthetic, though. I think that's something that's hard to replicate in SRB2 and I think you did a pretty good job. The level design is simple and straightforward, but considering you're running through the streets of a city I think that's a good thing. I also liked how it turned into a beach at the end, I thought that was cute.
Cons
I noticed only one texture error, but I also wasn't paying particularly close attention to the fences as I passed them so it's possible there's more. Also, at the end of the level you had these rolling hills that I'm not a fan of personally. They're too awkward to move across and don't really present a satisfying obstacle. Overall though I don't have an awful lot to say about this level, I thought it was a fun little romp.
Score: 6.8/10
Aquatic Port Zone
Pros
This is a wacky little level. It's very enclosed, which makes it a bit difficult to hide a ton of stuff, but there's still a fair bit to explore in this level. I really enjoy the room with the floors that do different things, such as hurt you, bounce you, fall from under you, etc. Some would say that when you enter the room and it all not being initially clear what each floor does is a negative, but I liked the little surprise I'd have when I'd see what a different color floor's effect would be. My favorite part of the level by far though is the vertical movement pink gel segments. This is such a cool liquid I feel like has so much potential to be used for interesting level design that the main game sadly skimped out on, and I'm really happy to see it in this level!
Cons
Overall, the theming of the level doesn't work for me. It's supposed to be a port, but I don't really get any sense that I'm at a port. In terms of scenery and atmosphere, I feel like the level is pretty bare bones. Seeing things such as shipment containers, docks, boats, etc. would really make the level feel like what I believe you were going for. I started off by saying the level was wacky, because that's the best word I can come up with to describe water segments where there's no container keeping it from spilling everywhere! It makes for fun level design and platforming, but from an aesthetic viewpoint it doesn't look right. Not necessarily a con depending on what you're going for with your levels, since putting the pink gel in a container would have limited the amount of control you have for movement in those segments, but it's worth pointing out.
Score: 6.6/10
Pros
It's a quirky level, for sure. The government banned cars apparently and then bombed giant holes in the streets. I enjoy the city aesthetic, though. I think that's something that's hard to replicate in SRB2 and I think you did a pretty good job. The level design is simple and straightforward, but considering you're running through the streets of a city I think that's a good thing. I also liked how it turned into a beach at the end, I thought that was cute.
Cons
I noticed only one texture error, but I also wasn't paying particularly close attention to the fences as I passed them so it's possible there's more. Also, at the end of the level you had these rolling hills that I'm not a fan of personally. They're too awkward to move across and don't really present a satisfying obstacle. Overall though I don't have an awful lot to say about this level, I thought it was a fun little romp.
Score: 6.8/10
Aquatic Port Zone
Pros
This is a wacky little level. It's very enclosed, which makes it a bit difficult to hide a ton of stuff, but there's still a fair bit to explore in this level. I really enjoy the room with the floors that do different things, such as hurt you, bounce you, fall from under you, etc. Some would say that when you enter the room and it all not being initially clear what each floor does is a negative, but I liked the little surprise I'd have when I'd see what a different color floor's effect would be. My favorite part of the level by far though is the vertical movement pink gel segments. This is such a cool liquid I feel like has so much potential to be used for interesting level design that the main game sadly skimped out on, and I'm really happy to see it in this level!
Cons
Overall, the theming of the level doesn't work for me. It's supposed to be a port, but I don't really get any sense that I'm at a port. In terms of scenery and atmosphere, I feel like the level is pretty bare bones. Seeing things such as shipment containers, docks, boats, etc. would really make the level feel like what I believe you were going for. I started off by saying the level was wacky, because that's the best word I can come up with to describe water segments where there's no container keeping it from spilling everywhere! It makes for fun level design and platforming, but from an aesthetic viewpoint it doesn't look right. Not necessarily a con depending on what you're going for with your levels, since putting the pink gel in a container would have limited the amount of control you have for movement in those segments, but it's worth pointing out.
Score: 6.6/10
Hakuryu Dojo Zone
Pros
I can tell a ton of effort was put into this level, and it's commendable. The custom enemies, the (I believe at least) custom textures, the length of the level, it's all very ambitious. You implemented a boss at the end too, which is something I wish was in the official SRB2 game third acts as it makes the game design more interesting. I also like the enemy fighting sections, although I do have my issue with them but I'll get into that in the cons. There's a lot here to be admired!
Cons
One thing that stuck out to me immediately is the scenery objects, I feel like the lantern things' scaling is off. They're the size of Sonic, but I feel like they should be a bit taller. It'd certainly make the level look more interesting. Then there's the rings. It's a long level, so it makes sense for there to be a lot of rings, but in certain sections the amount of rings is simply too much. Also, while I always appreciate the amount of work that goes into creating your own textures, they're a bit flat and can makes slopes blend into the ground. This is a problem particularly in the final badnik fight section with the Pumpkin dudes and the boss. As for the enemies, they're so small that sometimes I can't see them in front of me and get hit out of seemingly nowhere, and the bat in particular looks like it could be a freed animal. The first time I saw it I didn't even realize it was attacking me and was amazed when I took damage. The boss itself is extremely frustrating for multiple reasons. It's knockback is enormous, which is part of the challenge of course, but the fact that it can so easily home run you out of the arena and once you're in the air there's nothing you can do isn't fun. If there were ways to save yourself outside of the arena, such as flat areas you can land on with springs to jump back into the fight then I think the fight would be more enjoyable. The texture issue I mentioned earlier rears it's head in this fight especially, as the little divots in the arena are nearly invisible until you're already in them, so you can feel like you're running in for a good hit only to at the last second sink down and miss your attack.
Score: 6.1/10
Azlant Ruin Zone
Pros
The way you designed the level with the different segments that teleport you to different areas when you finish them is something I believe should be utilized more in SRB2, at least if it does what I think it does in alleviating strain in bigger levels (looking at you CA2). If I'm wrong about that then so be it, but huge levels aren't so kind to older PCs, and while I experienced slight frame drops on some of the more badnik spammy parts of the level overall I had a smooth experience. Also, implementing Metal Sonic at the end of the level was great, I love this kind of thing. This is also something I wish SRB2 did, rather than having the third act being a small boss arena. It makes for much more interesting gameplay!
Cons
The beginning of the level doesn't work the way I believe you want it to. Many of the keys you might be used to holding upon entering a level make Sonic turn a direction where he stops moving and gets stuck, because it's a 2D section with the character being able to face every direction they would in 3D. The best way around this is holding down the spin button upon entering, but then you have so much momentum you can actually skip the lower half of the level entirely, which seems to be your intention, but you should also encourage people to see what's going on down there! As for that section, I noticed there was some underwater lighting glitches with some of the rings placed underneath the bars and the walls around them. I'm also not quite sure what was supposed to be happening in the second segment you get teleported to, where there's a bunch of flat platforms with rings, and wacky underwater physics in the water. I feel like you were maybe going for "This section is supposed to have high current and Sonic is riding the currents", but it doesn't come across with the water looking so calm and still.
Score: 5.7/10
Alabaster Fountain Zone
Pros
The overall aesthetic of the level is really cool. Feels like some kind of angelic tomb or something, and I'm into that. I think the skeleton of the level shows a lot of promise.
Cons
The level simply feels unfinished. There's a lot of texture errors, and there's so much empty space where rings, badniks, monitors, and scenic objects could go but it's very bare bones. In a lot of the places the water is glitchy looking too, and isn't flowing when it should be. I think given some work this could be a very cool level, but in it's current state I just wasn't feeling it.
Score: 3.6/10
Pros
I can tell a ton of effort was put into this level, and it's commendable. The custom enemies, the (I believe at least) custom textures, the length of the level, it's all very ambitious. You implemented a boss at the end too, which is something I wish was in the official SRB2 game third acts as it makes the game design more interesting. I also like the enemy fighting sections, although I do have my issue with them but I'll get into that in the cons. There's a lot here to be admired!
Cons
One thing that stuck out to me immediately is the scenery objects, I feel like the lantern things' scaling is off. They're the size of Sonic, but I feel like they should be a bit taller. It'd certainly make the level look more interesting. Then there's the rings. It's a long level, so it makes sense for there to be a lot of rings, but in certain sections the amount of rings is simply too much. Also, while I always appreciate the amount of work that goes into creating your own textures, they're a bit flat and can makes slopes blend into the ground. This is a problem particularly in the final badnik fight section with the Pumpkin dudes and the boss. As for the enemies, they're so small that sometimes I can't see them in front of me and get hit out of seemingly nowhere, and the bat in particular looks like it could be a freed animal. The first time I saw it I didn't even realize it was attacking me and was amazed when I took damage. The boss itself is extremely frustrating for multiple reasons. It's knockback is enormous, which is part of the challenge of course, but the fact that it can so easily home run you out of the arena and once you're in the air there's nothing you can do isn't fun. If there were ways to save yourself outside of the arena, such as flat areas you can land on with springs to jump back into the fight then I think the fight would be more enjoyable. The texture issue I mentioned earlier rears it's head in this fight especially, as the little divots in the arena are nearly invisible until you're already in them, so you can feel like you're running in for a good hit only to at the last second sink down and miss your attack.
Score: 6.1/10
Azlant Ruin Zone
Pros
The way you designed the level with the different segments that teleport you to different areas when you finish them is something I believe should be utilized more in SRB2, at least if it does what I think it does in alleviating strain in bigger levels (looking at you CA2). If I'm wrong about that then so be it, but huge levels aren't so kind to older PCs, and while I experienced slight frame drops on some of the more badnik spammy parts of the level overall I had a smooth experience. Also, implementing Metal Sonic at the end of the level was great, I love this kind of thing. This is also something I wish SRB2 did, rather than having the third act being a small boss arena. It makes for much more interesting gameplay!
Cons
The beginning of the level doesn't work the way I believe you want it to. Many of the keys you might be used to holding upon entering a level make Sonic turn a direction where he stops moving and gets stuck, because it's a 2D section with the character being able to face every direction they would in 3D. The best way around this is holding down the spin button upon entering, but then you have so much momentum you can actually skip the lower half of the level entirely, which seems to be your intention, but you should also encourage people to see what's going on down there! As for that section, I noticed there was some underwater lighting glitches with some of the rings placed underneath the bars and the walls around them. I'm also not quite sure what was supposed to be happening in the second segment you get teleported to, where there's a bunch of flat platforms with rings, and wacky underwater physics in the water. I feel like you were maybe going for "This section is supposed to have high current and Sonic is riding the currents", but it doesn't come across with the water looking so calm and still.
Score: 5.7/10
Alabaster Fountain Zone
Pros
The overall aesthetic of the level is really cool. Feels like some kind of angelic tomb or something, and I'm into that. I think the skeleton of the level shows a lot of promise.
Cons
The level simply feels unfinished. There's a lot of texture errors, and there's so much empty space where rings, badniks, monitors, and scenic objects could go but it's very bare bones. In a lot of the places the water is glitchy looking too, and isn't flowing when it should be. I think given some work this could be a very cool level, but in it's current state I just wasn't feeling it.
Score: 3.6/10
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Vote Order/Scores
Pagoda Park Zone: 9.8/10
Shadow of Aztlan Zone: 9.5/10
Dark Marsh Zone: 9.4/10
Foliage Furnace Zone: 9.3/10
Overgrown Heights Zone 2: 9.1/10
Galactic Facility Zone: 8.8/10
Emerald Aether Zone: 8.4/10
Knothole Coast Zone: 8.1/10
Gate Garden Zone: 7.6/10
Fatal Factory Zone: 7.4/10
Square City Zone 2: 6.8/10
Aquatic Port Zone: 6.6/10
Hakuryu Dojo Zone: 6.1/10
Azlant Ruin Zone: 5.7/10
Alabastar Fountain Zone: 3.6/10
Vote Order/Scores
Pagoda Park Zone: 9.8/10
Shadow of Aztlan Zone: 9.5/10
Dark Marsh Zone: 9.4/10
Foliage Furnace Zone: 9.3/10
Overgrown Heights Zone 2: 9.1/10
Galactic Facility Zone: 8.8/10
Emerald Aether Zone: 8.4/10
Knothole Coast Zone: 8.1/10
Gate Garden Zone: 7.6/10
Fatal Factory Zone: 7.4/10
Square City Zone 2: 6.8/10
Aquatic Port Zone: 6.6/10
Hakuryu Dojo Zone: 6.1/10
Azlant Ruin Zone: 5.7/10
Alabastar Fountain Zone: 3.6/10