ACStriker
SRB2Kart ArcadePak dev - living enigma
...to vote Round 1, at least. Might attempt to make something for Round 2 when it shows around, but for today I'm putting here my votes for OLDC Round 1. Many good maps, many decent maps with potential or that need fixes, and...well, we'll get to that.
1. Hollow Hill Zone
Visually stunning, loved the music, and while there were some few nitpicks about navigation (what Tatsuru had mentioned on his post about the waterfall with two ghosts not being immediately obvious to progress, and some spring platforms blending with the dark), everything else was 10/10. Definitely my top pick.
2. Lava Temple
Rayman enemies, an interesting concept and everything is very well executed.
3. Falcon Emissary Zone
Some few areas are a bit confusing to understand at first, but definitely some great level design and absolutely amazing visual design.
4. Mercury Mine Zone
Loved the simple visual design and a lot of slope stuff. Gave me a great first impression for being the first map I tried out.
5. Ante-Station Zone
Hey Twins, you're a wizard. Very unique in being an entirely 2.5D stage and the use of virtual portals.
6. Ridge Rapids Zone
Visually nothing pops out particularly but works good, and the layout is fun.
7. Zaxel's Thunder Yard
A lot of slope stuff is good for me.
8. Koopa Kastle Zone
Surprise brak at the end with Dark Bowser Core music playing put a huge smile on my face so I'm giving you that.
9. Fort Sunset Zone
The collectible aspect and everything in presentation being modified makes for quite an original map. Good but a bit quite simple.
10. Abyss Caverns Zone
Fun while it lasts, because it can be finished around a minute in.
11. Bombastic Beach Zone
I see potential from what the author can do which only needs to be expanded further, because this is a VERY small map. Fun while it lasted, however.
12. Teal Tundra Zone
Would benefit with a bit of extra visual spice/landmarks and replace the noisy textures, but the layout is fun.
13. Blizzard Bastion Zone
Several paths from what I found, and layout wise its pretty playable on the most part. The area with the pistons however could have much better directioning to know where you have to go. Good ideas but needs some visual tweaks and path clarity; trial and error just to know where to go is not exactly great
14. Drenched Dam Zone
Street racin' with Metal on a map, pretty original idea for a OLDC entry but also an one-trick pony for this map due to a big flaw. The concept is neat, but there are invisible bariers everywhere so the map is like "you gotta go where Metal goes" which feels a lie when the map is relatively open. A layout that doesn't feel cramped like this and that can have visible (but not forced) barriers instead of this could be good.
15. Emerald Glade Zone
This is definitely a beginner's first map which is why I won't spit on it like if it was the worst thing in the world...but it is indeed a simple map.
16. Music Mash Zone
I really wanted to give a shot to the new map...but when this is harder to stomach visually than Kodachrome (which means that Hypertower is playable compared to this as it doesn't have flashing lights)...yeah. I sort of saw what were you aiming for with the visual design of neon textures and stuff, but too many small patterns, colors and flashing textures give me a headache, so this ended up being the only map I didn't finish out of all these.
1. Hollow Hill Zone
Visually stunning, loved the music, and while there were some few nitpicks about navigation (what Tatsuru had mentioned on his post about the waterfall with two ghosts not being immediately obvious to progress, and some spring platforms blending with the dark), everything else was 10/10. Definitely my top pick.
2. Lava Temple
Rayman enemies, an interesting concept and everything is very well executed.
3. Falcon Emissary Zone
Some few areas are a bit confusing to understand at first, but definitely some great level design and absolutely amazing visual design.
4. Mercury Mine Zone
Loved the simple visual design and a lot of slope stuff. Gave me a great first impression for being the first map I tried out.
5. Ante-Station Zone
Hey Twins, you're a wizard. Very unique in being an entirely 2.5D stage and the use of virtual portals.
6. Ridge Rapids Zone
Visually nothing pops out particularly but works good, and the layout is fun.
7. Zaxel's Thunder Yard
A lot of slope stuff is good for me.
8. Koopa Kastle Zone
Surprise brak at the end with Dark Bowser Core music playing put a huge smile on my face so I'm giving you that.
9. Fort Sunset Zone
The collectible aspect and everything in presentation being modified makes for quite an original map. Good but a bit quite simple.
10. Abyss Caverns Zone
Fun while it lasts, because it can be finished around a minute in.
11. Bombastic Beach Zone
I see potential from what the author can do which only needs to be expanded further, because this is a VERY small map. Fun while it lasted, however.
12. Teal Tundra Zone
Would benefit with a bit of extra visual spice/landmarks and replace the noisy textures, but the layout is fun.
13. Blizzard Bastion Zone
Several paths from what I found, and layout wise its pretty playable on the most part. The area with the pistons however could have much better directioning to know where you have to go. Good ideas but needs some visual tweaks and path clarity; trial and error just to know where to go is not exactly great
14. Drenched Dam Zone
Street racin' with Metal on a map, pretty original idea for a OLDC entry but also an one-trick pony for this map due to a big flaw. The concept is neat, but there are invisible bariers everywhere so the map is like "you gotta go where Metal goes" which feels a lie when the map is relatively open. A layout that doesn't feel cramped like this and that can have visible (but not forced) barriers instead of this could be good.
15. Emerald Glade Zone
This is definitely a beginner's first map which is why I won't spit on it like if it was the worst thing in the world...but it is indeed a simple map.
16. Music Mash Zone
I really wanted to give a shot to the new map...but when this is harder to stomach visually than Kodachrome (which means that Hypertower is playable compared to this as it doesn't have flashing lights)...yeah. I sort of saw what were you aiming for with the visual design of neon textures and stuff, but too many small patterns, colors and flashing textures give me a headache, so this ended up being the only map I didn't finish out of all these.