My SMM2 NSMBU Super World Thread (tips appreciated!)

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Fizzle

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Fizzle1491
I'm not good at making traditional levels, I'll just state that. And I want to make an NSMBU Super World with some custom missing enemies that I already have designs for. So, what're some tips or tip videos y'all know about doing this? And I want to follow this level layout, the world names are just placeholders for now(F=fortress, C=castle, T=train, A=airship, GH=ghost house, EX=extra level, ???=idk yet):
World 1: Grass
1-1: Lofty Lift Plaintiff
1-2: Pushy Plant Path
1-F: Decapokey's Fortress
1-EX: Poison Mushroom Panic
1-C: Larry's Lavahot Castle
World 2: Desert
2-1: Plucky Plumes
2-GH: ?
2-2: ?
2-EX: ?
2-A: Roy's Airship
World 3: Underground
3-1: ?
3-2: ?
3-F: Another New Boss
3-EX: ?
3-T: Morton's Mining Train
World 4: Snow
4-1: ?
4-GH: ?
4-2: ?
4-EX: ?
4-C: Wendy's Castle
World 5: Forest
5-1: ?
5-2: ?
5-F: Dino Piranha redesign
5-EX: ?
5-A: Ludwig's Airship
World 6: Sky
6-1: ?
6-GH
6-2: ?
6-EX: ?
6-T: Lemmy's Train in the Sky
World 7: Castle
7-1: ?
7-2: ?
7-F: Iggy's Fortress
7-EX: ?
7-C: Bowser's Castle
World Star: Space
Star-1: Meteor Shower
Star-2: ?
Star-F: Enemy Factory
Star-EX: Boss Bunker
Star-C: Bowser's Final Castle
 
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Here are some general tips that I've picked up on for traditional level making.

  • Try to figure out a target difficulty. Would you like the world to be on the easier or harder side?
  • Base each level around a few specific course parts, and expand on them as the level progresses. This is to avoid clutter and generally allows for a good flow of the level.
  • Put some thought into making it look nice. Use semisolid platforms as backgrounds, use the little background elements that pop up on ground tiles, and try using slopes. I've also found that if a section feels empty, some coins to fill in the space works wonders.
  • Clarity and readability are important. What I mean by this is that (unless maybe it's a Ghost House,) it should be clear where to go to proceed, and there should never be blind guesses or trust jumps. Let them see what's coming.
  • Don't waste the player's time. Riding a moving platform for 30 seconds with no obstacles just isn't fun. Adding checkpoints is great for reducing tedium especially if your levels are long.
  • Since you said that it's a NSMBU world specifically, I'd suggest taking advantage of Mario's full moveset when applicable. Ground-pounds and wall jumps are NSMBU's pride and joy.
  • Adding secret coins and 1-ups on optional paths are great for players to try and get. The feeling of choice makes levels feel alive, if you know what I mean.
  • A light usage of sound effects can make a level pop. Using different music for bosses and bonuses is also a good idea.
  • Don't add infinite powerups in boss rooms. This is fake difficulty; you can't lose fights like this and it comes across as really boring.
  • Know the source material. If you play official Nintendo levels, you'll probably get a better grasp on what works and what doesn't.
  • Playtest and fine-tune your levels, and try getting other people to playtest them too. If you'd like to share level codes in this thread as you make progress, I'd love to play them and give you more direct feedback rather than these general tips. Don't forget that you can always delete your uploaded levels from the server and edit them if you need to.

Odyssey Central's Mario Maker 2 videos are pretty good videos for tips and inspiration.

Hopefully this helps!
 
Thanks. I'm using some of Weegeed Soulz's missing enemy designs, such as Fuzzies, Ptooies, and a track-riding Dorrie. I'll probably upload these levels one world at a time, and my maker code is somewhere on my profile. I'll also edit the first post, with new developments or changes. Like how I've decided to not use Boom Boom and instead make my own new bosses.
 
I just posted W1-1, tilted Loft Lift Plaintiff. My Maker code is 6F3-JBS-F2G, where it is my most recent upload. Every level will have three Big Coins (posing as star coins) and a hidden 1-UP, with a difficulty of one to five stars in the description. More levels will come soon, and I'll update the top post with the level names.
 
I just finished playing through your 1-1. It's really good! I think you're underestimating your abilities, because this has me excited for the rest of your world.

The first thing about it that immediately stuck out to me was the decorations and aesthetics. You clearly put a lot of thought into those. I liked the way you used the mushroom platform stems specifically. I also liked the rails you added along the sides of the yellow lifts, which double as a nice visual touch and allow as a sort of indicator so you know how far the platforms move up and down. That's good stuff!

I like the Star Coin approach to your level too. I don't have any complaints about those; I think they were all in good spots. They were fun to get.

The only thing I'd want is just... more of it! Now this could just be my personal preference speaking, but I thought it was a bit too short. Take it with a grain of salt, but at the same time I think one pit between the checkpoint and the goal is a little... little. In my opinion, there wasn't enough time for the "development" part of the stage.

But yeah, I really liked it! I'd love to see what you make next.
 
Alrighty. And instead of following average Mario game procedures, where 1-2 is underground, the entire third world will be underground, and all of world 1 will be grass or castle, which is my intended path throughout. Thanks for your feedback, @ViableBunnyBudd! Did you find the hidden 1-UP, though? It was right above the first set of blocks. I also added new level types; Trains, which will appear in worlds 3 and 6, and Airships, which will appear in worlds 2 and 5, while Worlds 1, 4, 7, and Star will have Castles still.
 
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First, I did not expect my level to blow up (by blow up, I mean get nearly 50 plays in a week, which is a lot for/to me) like it did. Thank you all who played it. Second, 1-2 is nearly done, so that'll be coming soon. And I forgot what else I was gonna say. >:| I'll edit this later if I remember lol

EDIT: I remember now. The first four levels in every world except Star will introduce four gimmicks, such as moving platforms, pipe plants, and seesaws (spoiler alert for W1), and the Castle will expand on those gimmicks further.
 
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New level type! The EX, or Extra, Levels have been introduced! These levels will unlock after clearing the Fortress or Ghost House of each World, and are not required. Due to this, these levels are shorter, yet harder nighttime challenges, which use a theme that will not appear in the Castle and the World Type's Night gimmicks, such as Poison Mushrooms in W1. These levels will lack Checkpoints or Hidden 1-UPs, but will have a damage-related bonus challenge instead. On a related note, Boss Bunker has become an Extra Level, and Enemy Factory will be the Fortress instead.
 
FizzletheMovieTheatre said:
New level type! The EX, or Extra, Levels have been introduced! These levels will unlock after clearing the Fortress or Ghost House of each World, and are not required. Due to this, these levels are shorter, yet harder nighttime challenges, which use a theme that will not appear in the Castle and the World Type's Night gimmicks, such as Poison Mushrooms in W1. These levels will lack Checkpoints or Hidden 1-UPs, but will have a damage-related bonus challenge instead. On a related note, Boss Bunker has become an Extra Level, and Enemy Factory will be the Fortress instead.
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heres what i would like to know does your levels in a world follow a theme like for instance in my 2nd world which is cave themed the levels tell a story it follows you stoping mortons mining operation and almost all the mechanics have some thing to do with mineing/destroying blocks like useing bobombs and thwomps to destroy blocks and clearing path ways for your self
 
Boo1268 said:
heres what i would like to know does your levels in a world follow a theme like for instance in my 2nd world which is cave themed the levels tell a story it follows you stoping mortons mining operation and almost all the mechanics have some thing to do with mineing/destroying blocks like useing bobombs and thwomps to destroy blocks and clearing path ways for your self
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Not really. As stated above, each world only sticks to the level theme corresponding to it, and each world uses 3 gimmicks. Each of these stars in its own level, then reappears in the Castle. They might make into a theme for World 1's castle (spoiler alert), but that's to an extent.

Now that I'm here, just saying the the Castle's development is starting now.
 
It's been... a month since I last released a level. That changes today. World 2-1, Plucky Plumes has released! Yes, it sounds like a DK level name, and it is inspired by that series because I played through the rest of Tropical Freeze. The theme in this world is the Desert, and this level's theme is sand plumes, much like the lava plumes that appeared in World 1's castle. Keep your eyes peeled for another bonus room while searching for the Star Coins!
 
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