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While names have been provided for convenience, all judging was done blind. This HTML file is just an enhanced, better looking version of the original txt version.
#1: Skylight by WhiteYoshiEgg
Design 13/20
Lots of fun. Found myself drifting off the bottom a bit. Unless you go for the dragon coins, it's really easy to just glide through this level, due to the preponderance of capes and lack of anything other than circular moving koopas to really hinder you. Wonder if another enemy sprite might have been in order. There's some slowdown when a lot of feathers are on the screen, but that might not happen in snes9x.
Creativity 14/20
Creative and varied use of the theme including feathers, light windowing and a sunset. Really enjoyed the sunset combined with the windowing. Would have liked some more variety in setups.
Aesthetics 8/10
Clouds and feathers mix well, aesthetically. Good music choice. Dimming effect is cool.
Total 35/50
#2: The Cheap Lamp by EternityLarva
Design 8/20
First half was fun. A unique way to enforce a time limit for sure. Second half...didn't really fit as much. A lot of time spent waiting. Once I solved the thwamp/pipe interaction puzzle, I kinda liked it, but not sure it was a good puzzle.
Creativity 10/20
A good direction for the theme to be sure. Definitely added to the level, but not sure it added enough. The time limit in the first half was a more interesting concept than the unrelated thwamp in the second half. Refilling the meter instantly could have helped, but I found myself sitting around waiting a lot.
Aesthetics 4/10
The light meter used garbage characters for the one’s place... Really could have used some different music.
Total 22/50
#3: Cosmic Jumps by Stivi
Design 18/20
I really enjoyed this one. My only gripe was reusing the falling rocks for a timer several times, but honestly, it's a small gripe. Overall, the level played and flowed well. Took great advantage of the gimmick to inform the level design, rather than shoehorning it in.
Creativity 17/20
Took the theme to a logical place. I kinda wished there was a bit more to it, but again can't complain too much. Lightness--as in gravity--is a solid choice, and this level explored it well.
Aesthetics 9/10
Good choice of backgrounds and music. The small-yoshi yoshi head is my only complaint, and even then, not much.
Total 44/50
#4: Sky High Dinosaurs by Heraga
Design 18/20
Felt like a level cut from JUMP. That's a good thing. Some minor issues around not being able to see the death plane, but I really enjoyed this. Also found the text message about the pillar confusing, since you really just wanted to hint yoshi taking damage. Kinda didn't care for the duplicated statue eating obstacle...but also didn't realize I needed to eat them the first few times. Easily cheesable, I guess.
Creativity 18/20
Lightness is a fine interpretation of the theme. Found myself enjoying the setups. Kinda funny to have a yoshi that can survive being dropped in a pit, but won't.
Aesthetics 7/10
Good music. Good backgrounds. Good, clear blocks. Just all around solid.
Total 43/50
#5: Blackout Factory by codfish1002
Design 10/20
Fairly solid, if generic design. I never felt threatened by the stop-and-go mechakoopas. There were just kinda...there. Level was pretty short and I don't think you really explored the gimmick to its full extent. First half was kinda fillery.
Creativity 13/20
Stop and go lights are a good choice of a theme. I like the idea of remixing two good ideas from DKC1 into a single level
Aesthetics 6/10
Didn't care for the mechakoopa's palette too much. The conjunction of snow and factory tilesets is fine. Just kinda found myself wanting more stuff aligned with the theme.
Total 29/50
#6: Cavern by MarioFanGamer
Design 8/20
First half was fun. I enjoyed the various levels of light and the options that killing or not killing the firefleas gave. Second half...I didn't enjoy. Basically, it turned into a memorization fest. The bit at the end seemed a bit cruel. Kinda wish there'd been a second midway instead of a reset pipe.
Creativity 11/20
The firefleas were cool, and a good use of the theme. The TNT blasting was...a bit shaky. Not quite as reliable as I'd've liked.
Aesthetics 4/10
Music was too loud. When I could see the level, I enjoyed it, but I ended up basically seeing Mario+Sprites for most of the second half. A black screen is kinda hard to rate highly.
Total 23/50
#7: Calciferol by Quietmason
Design 18/20
Lots of fun. The setups were clear and well executed. My only real complaint is I found the green shell in the light side to be a bit inconsistent, but just a bit. Appricated the number of midpoints, given how long this level is. Boss felt a bit unnecessary, given the length.
Creativity 17/20
Light side/dark side was a cool interpretation. The contrast in how you need to approach the same obstacles on either side posed an interesting challenge and showed great care in how you built the level. Would have liked to have seen more integration of the theme into the boo fight. Cycling light/dark on each hit could've been cool.
Aesthetics 9/10
Solid. Good music choices. Palettes worked great for the light/dark sections.
Total 44/50
#8: Light as a Feather by algae5
Design 7/20
Definitely had some interesting setups, but felt overall that things were a little too fiddly and spawn dependent. Like that red koopa near the start. Didn't get the second message box. Not sure how... Final area where I went back and forth with the thwamps felt more like a drag than a victory.
Creativity 13/20
Theme was definitely used with the spinny box. In general, felt that the theme and concepts could have been explored more. Felt a bit too much in the Kaizo direction.
Aesthetics 6/10
Good choice of music. Otherwise, vanilla tiles with a unique palette. Didn't really like that palette.
Total 26/50
#9: A Light(ning) Storm by MiracleWater
Design 4/20
This is a hard level. Probably close to, but not quite, Kaizo. I can't imagine very many people who aren't Kaizo people enjoying this level in its current state. Basically, each half too long. Having another midpoint, or even two or three midpoints, would really help make this palatable. The setups are unique, but babysitting items in this game can get really frustrating because of the Y button's dual use. I spent a long time trying to beat this legit on an SNES, but it definitely defeated me post H. If it had ended on the H, I'd probably thought it a tough, but somewhat enjoyable level, once my hands stopped hurting.
Creativity 10/20
This is a very interesting level, but it's definitely not for everyone. Or most people. Some of the setups were interesting. Others boiled down to wait for all the assorted cycles on the screen to line up. Really loved the rope room, and kinda wish there were more, less lethal tricks you needed to do. The metal blocks made the second half more interesting. Would have liked to seen more use of those.
Aesthetics 8/10
Lightning is well done. Vanilla otherwise. Good choice of music.
Total 22/50
#10: Timed Lane by Sping Bot
Design 10/20
This was a decently fun level. Your use of the DKC style lifts was a bold choice, but not one that really felt like it paid off. This is a perfectly acceptable level, but ultimately didn't seem to go anywhere. Would have enjoyed it more if there was a vertical section maybe?
Creativity 7/20
Didn't really include the theme. Some of the setups were fun, but overall, kinda felt like I was playing a level made for a different contest with a different theme.
Aesthetics 5/10
Broken music. Weird choice of the victory theme on the OW. Mostly vanilla otherwise.
Total 22/50
#11: UI by TickTockClock
Design 10/20
Really enjoyed the second half, but found the whole thing to be kinda short. Would have liked a section per part of the switch, but what I played I liked.
Creativity 17/20
Really interesting use of the theme all the way to the title screen. Plot got me invested in the level. Really wish there was an epilog rendered in Discord mode. Top posting is also weird. Made it harder to read.
Aesthetics 9/10
Music, level and tileset all were in concordance. What I thought was a bug was a feature. Made me laugh.
Total 36/50
#12: Light Sleepers by ft029
Design 19/20
Fun. Just plain fun. You found a concept you liked and kept going with it. No part dragged and no part felt superfluous. Adding light-fish-switches in the second half gave the gimmick a whole new dimension and made the level very memorable. The final obstacle was a joy to play.
Creativity 19/20
The use of light as in sleeping was definitely an unexpected one, but it worked. The gimmick felt well explored, but still left me wanting more. Well done. The key puzzle was well executed and the fish orb felt very apropo.
Aesthetics 7/10
Good music. Vanilla otherwise, but it all worked well together and communicated the gameplay intent clearly.
Total 45/50
#13: Aflare Freeze by CosmicTiff
Design 17/20
This level kinda confused me. Didn't feel like I was playing SMW, so much as one of Nifflas’s Knytt games. I found myself enjoying the level, even though most of the standard SMW mechanics weren't allowed. Most vertical upward levels I've seen aren't quite as good, mostly because the mechanics of SMW kinda require a lot more going left and right to go up, and the ASM kinda removes that constraint. Given me something to think about here.
Creativity 12/20
Not sure where the theme comes into play. Mountain air is kinda thin, but that's not light. It's evident that a lot of thought went into this, both in design and aesthetics, but the lack of a clear use of the theme is a bit of a killer here.
Aesthetics 7/10
Music fits the level well. Really liked the touch of applying the layer-3 fix for the message boxes. Well chosen blockset to communicate your intents.
Total 36/50
#14: Physical Properties by qantuum
Design 8/20
The first half and second half didn't really feel connected. Very different ideas in how it should be played. The spawners kinda felt unnecessary, except for the theme purposes. I really wanted to like the RAINBOW SHOT, but found myself stymied by the odd hitbox of the projectile.
Creativity 14/20
Definitely creative. Tried to use the theme in different physical ways, which was interesting. I thought that the RAINBOW SHOT was a cool idea, but didn't care as much for the invisible ghosts, especially in the speed run part.
Aesthetics 9/10
This is a cool level. The music and aesthetics come together in a satisfying way. Only complaint really is that the pillars look a little too much like tiles you can stand on.
Total 31/50
#15: Firework Factory by Blue Leaf
Design 15/20
I enjoyed the second half a lot more than the first. Really, I was hoping for more sections, but what I played pleased me. Left me wanting more. Another section--or even a Fryguy boss fight--would have been really good.
Creativity 17/20
I loved the Fire Flower => Fire => Fire Works pipeline. Just a fantastic use of the theme, which you managed to keep going the whole way through. Firework Ted is definitely awesome.
Aesthetics 10/10
Firework Ted. Factory aesthetics. Firework Ted. Well chosen music. Firework Ted.
Total 42/50
#16: Bootstrap Paradox by FrozenQuills
Design 17/20
A bit of a puzzle level in some ways. The addition of dragon coins added some additional challenge and encouraged exploring the boot mechanics. Definitely felt well explored as a concept. The bit with the thwimp going back and forth on the conyers makes me laugh for some reason. It's a cute bit.
Creativity 17/20
The flying boot was an interesting interpretation of the theme. It works and lent itself to some interesting possibilities and setups. Much like the yoshi level above, I rather would have liked to have seen the death plane, but it's probably fine.
Aesthetics 7/10
Largely vanilla. Fun, bouncy music. Good for boots.
Total 41/50
#17: Nation Blue by KitikuSa
Design 15/20
Solid level. Nothing too tricky, but an enjoyable use of the sprites you allotted yourself. Dragon coin placement was well done and gave a reason to backtrack.
Creativity 17/20
A pretty straightforward use of the theme, but definitely a good choice. Having a level take place at twilight is a pretty fun and gives a lot of interesting opportunities for creative additions. Lots of glowing things to drive the point home. Beachball footballs were pretty funny too.
Aesthetics 10/10
Good music choice. Loved the wobble effect for the ocean. Goombas with sunglasses. The level reflection in the water. All fantastic.
Total 42/50
#18: The Lighthouse by Centipede
Design 18/20
This is a cool one. The electro balls are a really interesting ASM, but I found myself confused by some of the puzzles. After the greenbeans, the puzzle to the right was kinda...not required due to some cheese. The first electro ball and run room also seemed like it was trying to teach me something, but I never quite figured out what.
Creativity 19/20
Very creative. Good use of the theme both literally with the lights (and light blocks) going on and off. Setups were interesting. Really enjoyed the room where I had to build a bridge for the electro balls.
Aesthetics 10/10
Very cool choices. Music fits. Blocks communicate what's going on. The electro balls make intuitive sense with the rods.
Total 47/50
#19: Flashlight Cave by Green Jerry
Design 7/20
I found myself trying to figure out what new sprites did when I couldn't see them all too well. Really would prefer to see a sprite before it's going to try and kill me. Because of how slow you have to go through the caves, it felt like a real slog every time I died. Would have really liked another mushroom at some point in the level.
Creativity 13/20
Good use of the theme. Not a huge fan of this ASM, but it was appropriate. Some interesting challenges, but they would have been just as fun without the spotlight.
Aesthetics 6/10
Very cavey. Lives up to its name. What I could see was vanilla and good.
Total 26/50
#20: Mario Commits Arson by Sancles
Design 19/20
Lots of interesting puzzles and the addition of Technical Fire allowed for some interesting set ups and some slop on the side of the player. Very generous reset/mid way opportunities. All in all, really fun level that I'm certain to remember.
Creativity 19/20
The name is fantastic, for one. Gets the point across almost instantly. Loved the goal being frozen gimmick. Explored the space of arson very well. Fun puzzles.
Aesthetics 9/10
Groovy music. Great use of the Bowser fire graphics. Blocks conveyed the information they needed to. Fire was fun.
Total 47/50
#21: Photoshoot by KevinM
Design 18/20
Very fun level. After a lot of platforming trickery, this was a nice breath of fresh air. Really, my only complaint was that waiting out the balloon timer took a while, but getting gud probably would have solved that. Really would have liked a few more sections, but as it is, I'd definitely recommend playing this entry for a few minutes of fun.
Creativity 20/20
Very interesting take on the theme. Reminds me of Keytastrophe, which is definitely a good thing. The photograph + matching gimmick was well executed, and very unexpected.
Aesthetics 8/10
Vanilla blocks and music. Sepia tone was a nice touch.
Total 46/50
#22: A Glimmer of Hope by NerDose
Design 18/20
Very cool. The title screen shows the mechanic and makes it very clear how we're going to play here. A well executed gimmick, though some of these things aren't exactly plants. Left me wanting more. Would love to have seen what another section would have brought about. The second lap for the key felt a little silly, since it was basically the same level.
Creativity 18/20
Really creative use of the theme. The rays of light making things grow was a clever choice and informed the level design. Using it in an autoscroller give a sense of pressure that wasn't in the first half, but really drives home the theme.
Aesthetics 9/10
Classic music. Very fitting with the theme. Vanilla outside of that and the rays, but dang those rays.
Total 45/50
#23: The Blinding Light by yoshiatom
Design 17/20
Lovely level. The sun provides a constant reminder to keep moving, and the level delivers by letting you go fast if you're paying attention. At several points, you're missing out on like 1/2 of the screen and have to make assumptions about how sprites will move and where'll end up. Provides a good challenge, while never quite feeling unfair. As long as you keep going fast.
Creativity 19/20
This is an interesting one. I really like the idea of timers that aren't explicit watch the numbers tick away timers, and this definitely is one. The fact that you can basically render the level unplayable by being too slow is kinda amazing. But, if you're clever and watch your feet, it's not as big of a deal as you'd expect.
Aesthetics 10/10
Definitely nailed the desert aesthetic. Everything is clean and clear.
Total 46/50
#24: Arctic Mountains by Fullcannon
Design 14/20
Pleasant level. Liked the use of a more Sonic like design where you have multiple different layers to explore. Good dragon coin placement gives a little more playtime to the level. All in all, just very solid.
Creativity 11/20
Not sure where the theme came in. Closest I can reckon is the background is kinda lighty...dunno. Would have liked to see something explicit to tie into the theme. The AURORA BOREALIS is a nice background, though.
Aesthetics 8/10
Nice and wintery. Definitely had a theme and kept it constant. Loved the Christmas trees.
Total 33/50
#25: Variable Floats by E-man38
Design 12/20
A lot of the setups in this level boil down to either hitting a floating box while standing on a floating box or waiting for a floating box and riding it. Really would have liked to see a little more variety in how these boxes were used. The puzzly section at the end started getting into more interesting things you could do with these things, but didn't really go far enough. Some simple platforming glued those sections together. Nothing groundbreaking, but still enjoyable.
Creativity 13/20
Using floating blocks/fish for your theme was a decent choice. Not sure removing the wings makes the blocks all that much more floaty. Definitely makes them look a little odd. Some fun setups. Liked the Yoshi bit at the end, even if it got me.
Aesthetics 7/10
Good music. Vanilla tiles and palettes.
Total 32/50
#26: Crossover Cave by Darolac
Design 19/20
This is a fun level. The mechanic involved--namely stopping certain kinds of sprites when the on/off switches are pressed--is well explored and leads to some interesting setups.
Creativity 17/20
Red/Green light is a solid concept. Really enjoyed the setups and found that the theme permeated all the platforming. The callback to DKC's similar level was a nice little surprise.
Aesthetics 4/10
Megaman X music is always a good time, but my big issue with this level is that the bright green and red colors for the boo fight hurt my eyes. Toning it down might been a good call. Also, flashing red and green is lights...not a good idea.
Total 40/50
#27: Neon Dreams by MegacesarCG
Design 15/20
Fun platforming. Straight forward first half which lead into a far more interesting second. Really wish you'd started out with the platforms fading in and out because that really made the level come alive. Another section with all of the colors fading in and out and different rates might have been too much, but I really dug that green and blue were on clearly different cycles.
Creativity 18/20
Neon light was a good choice for the theme. The colors and their pulsing/fading felt pretty natural and impacted gameplay in a positive way. The big powerups drawn with the neon lines were a nice touch.
Aesthetics 10/10
Good music choice. Lots of neon. Sometimes the koopas look a little bad when they're cycling through to black, but honestly, it's a pretty small gripe.
Total 43/50
#28: Molded by It by singlepat
Design 19/20
Very fun level. The gimmick lead the level design, and in this case it's a very good thing. Keeping the flickering instead of simply having it on or off gives the player a second chance if they don't move fast enough, and it was definitely useful at times. Both sections were quite enjoyable and the boss was icing on the cake.
Creativity 20/20
The boss was definitely out of left field, but in a good way. Enjoyable fight and interesting use of samples. Using flickering lights was very thematic and lead to some interesting setups with guessing the position of moving platforms and bouncing rocks.
Aesthetics 9/10
Great music choice. The boss looked pretty good. Palettes were chosen well, given the gimmick.
Total 48/50
#29: Spittin' Straight Fire by JupiHornet
Design 12/20
My biggest problem with this is that the fire ball color and the background colors are so close that they blend together making it difficult to see the dangerous projectile. Also, there was a lot of slowdown around certain areas if you waited at all. Fire seems to stack in a kinda bad way. The autoscroller section was definitely the better half. Having to work around the fast projectiles under time pressure made for a more intense playthrough than the kinda sedate first half.
Creativity 13/20
Lighting things on fire definitely matches the theme to a T. Kinda wish you'd done more with the bouncing fire, but since I killed all the Mario 3 fire bros on sight, that might have just been me. The flying hammer bro replacements kinda got in on it, but it've been nice to see some more setups like that. Other than that, you definitely explored the concept well.
Aesthetics 7/10
Pretty level. Mostly vanilla with a new palette and background. Good music choice.
Total 32/50
#30: Moonlight Teleport by SammmUuU
Design 9/20
Interesting choice to base your entire level around accordion blocks and their glitch. Some fun tricks here, but I didn't care for reusing the same short hop off the accordion block onto the flying block setup. It's too short of a level for that, really. Liked the fact that all the blind jumps down were safe. The glitch is also a fun one.
Creativity 10/20
I guess the theme is the levels's background? Wasn't really used for gameplay purposes, and didn't feel too tied in at all. Munchers everywhere is not a style I care for, but it does get the job done. You chose very few sprites for the level, but you used them well. Definitely jived well with the accordion block theme. Would have liked some more effort to make the theme cohesive, but what's here is okay.
Aesthetics 7/10
Good music. Vanilla tiles. Nice custom background and palette.
Total 26/50
#31: In Search of Light by 7 up
Design 7/20
This is a hard level to score since I can't really see most of it. Not sure why both message boxes had the same text, but the second one was pretty helpful. A level that depends heavily on observation when you're not just hopping from one sprite to the next. Not sure I like it, really. Had a lot of fun hopping between things, but felt that it kinda subverted the challenge.
Creativity 8/20
Getting the lightbulb at the end, definitely tied the whole concept together. I couldn't see anything other than the enemy placement. The level would play out pretty similarly without the gimmick, at least the first half. The second half had a few spots where you needed to watch spinies to know where the ground was...but you could also make a decent guess based on the next sprite.
Aesthetics 2/10
Music fits. You chose a concept and stuck with it, but really there's not much to talk about here. It's very black. Just black.
Total 17/50
#32: Grave Intentions by J2DaBibbles
Design 7/20
Not a fan of some of the setups. The single block climb after the midway seemed kinda cruel till I got the hang of it. The intended solution to the watery section after seemed to be a very careful nutral buttslide + jumps. There might have been an easier way, but that intended way was a bit more kaizo than I'd like. Lots and lots of one tile jumps. Dragon coins were basically all podobo jumps, which lacked variety and didn't really encourage me to go get them. Some extra power ups would have been nice.
Creativity 10/20
Using lightning for the theme is fine. Not a huge fan of how this impacted gameplay in practice. Basically made everything more drawn out with little to gain. Loved the vampire koopas though. Very thematic in that Dark and Stormy Night way, but the theme was light. The clouds being a similar color to the skulls made some things a bit too hard to see, but that could just be up my set up.
Aesthetics 3/10
Really, everything was just hard to see. Appropriate music.
Total 20/50
#33: Castle to the Blinking by DTA450
Design 8/20
This level kinda...needs something. I basically felt like every setup was pretty much the same. Wait for the flash. Go. Jump on something that would kill me. Wait for the flash, etc. What there is here is solid normal platforming. Minus the gimmick, this would be a pleasant level in a Standard
Creativity 12/20
Normal hack, but the gimmick doesn't really carry the level. Liked the dragon coin placement. Gave me something to rush for between flashes.
Aesthetics 8/10
Thanks to the yoshi house, I now know that blinking lights definitely fit the theme. Don't really think the setups got more interesting than jump on this thing or else be killed by the background flash. Really would have liked to see something aerial. Careful jumping to stay behind the blast shield while moving from platform to platform.
Total 28/50
#34: Feeling Lighter by Sockbat Replica
Design 14/20
Fun level. The three sections all played out in different, but interesting ways. My two biggest issues are that there was a lot of slowdown in the first section, and I really would have liked a second midway before the upward balloon section. The coin trails in that section also felt a little misleading, what with the spiney dropping down through the coins at times. Maybe a better camera would have helped there.
Creativity 17/20
Lots of interesting setups. Using both light gravity and balloons was a fine concept. Having three, distinct sections with differing play styles also wins you points here. Would have liked the last section to have been a bit longer, if there was a midway there. Enjoyed the flying fish as an obstacle. Very well done.
Aesthetics 9/10
Felt like I was at a closed carnival, but not the kind with killer clowns. Somehow the muted balloon background, space tiles and dreary music all worked?
Total 40/50
#35: Aurora Hills by MORC
Design 12/20
This is a pleasent Standard
Creativity 12/20
Normal level. Even with the ice physics, it plays well. Not much to say. It's a solid level that would be a good start to any hack.
Aesthetics 9/10
Northern Lights are a type of light. A very nice type. Level is fairly straightforward run and jump platforming. Doesn't bring a lot of new stuff to the table, but what's here is good.
Total 33/50
#36: Desert Sunlight by Enan63
Design 5/20
This level did not jive with me. The main element really seemed to be bomb box jumping, and it...doesn't feel great when they're bouncing. It's really easy to regrab one of the thrown blocks too, resulting in falling through the level a lot. Really, just don't like that sprite and it made the level feel unfair and unfun due to it's inconsistent nature.
Creativity 10/20
The lens flare is cute, but there's not much light here beyond that. Lots of heat from explosions though. The first half was interesting. Taught you the setups and whatnot, but the second half felt kinda sloggy and you repeated some of your setups. You got pretty creative near the end of the level, with the falling platforms and backtracking. Would have liked more of that and less throwing a box and jumping off of it.
Aesthetics 9/10
It's a very pretty level. Desert aesthetics combined with lens flare is a classic western cliche, and it works here. Well chosen music.
Total 24/50
#37: Accelerate by Rye_
Design 18/20
A stage built around speedrunning. Loads of fun. The balloons were a nice touch to give it more verticality, in a stage where can't drop far down. Loved using the fast rising water as a timer. Reminds me of a few DKC2 levels that use that gimmick, which is fantastic. The penultimate room felt a little tacked on. Not sure why you wanted a 4th room there, but it wasn't very interesting and never killed me, even with a late start.
Creativity 16/20
Very creative. Lots of fun setups and a little space for cheese. The use of the theme wasn't clear on play. Reading the readme, I kinda see it, but it's a pretty small concession. Not sure what a "bioluminescent" koopa looks like, but it looks like a regular koopa to me. The ghosts were cool looking though. Really dug the palette.
Aesthetics 9/10
Vaporwaves. Literally. Really fit the speedrun aesthetic. Good music choice too, for the same reason.
Total 43/50
#38: I Should Have Been the One to Fill Your Dark Soul with Liiiight by AnEvilGhost
Design 7/20
Lots of enemy spam. Far too many kinds of different sprites. This level is kinda all over the place. I kinda liked the use of Shy Guys, but the firesnakes and the flying thwamps were kinda unnecessary. The water section was the better of the two areas. Had some fun exploring the nooks and crannies for dragon coins.
Creativity 7/20
There are some interesting ideas here, but I'm not sure there's any theme adherence beyond sunset. Even after reading your readme, I'm not sure you're convinced you used the theme. Some interesting jumps and the water section was kinda interesting.
Aesthetics 4/10
Good music. Liked the background. Lots of sprites were kinda broken in the water section.
Total 18/50
#39: Refraction Airway by Far
Design 20/20
Pretty much spot on. Felt like the maker of the level had made a lot of kaizo levels in the past. If not, damn. Some of the setups were more kaizoy than I'd expected, but nothing insurmountable. Just a damn fine level start to finish. Would have loved to have seen more done with the rainbow laser prism shooters. Definitely don't think that concept is fully explored in this level. Was disappointed when there wasn't a third section. Left me wanting more.
Creativity 20/20
Creative setups. Good flow. Loved how you integrated the theme of light refraction in both aesthetics and gameplay. The mirrors for the anchor points of the rotating platform fit the theme well. The triangular and rectangular prisms being used to reflect the rainbow lasers was a nice touch. Gave me some Pink Floyd flashbacks.
Aesthetics 10/10
Nailed it. I was promised refraction and you delivered. Love the prisms and rainbow lasers. Solid music choices.
Total 50/50
#40: Blue Mystery Data by snoruntpyro
Design 17/20
Very good puzzle design. Had a blast solving each and every one. My biggest issue is that on an SNES controller, the select button usually sucks. Would have loved it if the power up select had been bound to L/R, but ultimately a small gripe. Aside from a couple of puzzles being a little annoying to re-do, having well placed midpoints kept this level from being a bear. Did find a small amount of cheese in the green bean room, which made it a lot easier.
Creativity 14/20
The theme of the prism was definitely stated, but not obviously related to light till I read the readme. For all it matters, it could have just been a magic jewel, thematically. Very creative puzzles with a little chocolate enhancing vanilla mechanics. If this were in a full hack, it'd probably be a level I'd try and use to sell playing it.
Aesthetics 8/10
Vanilla aesthetics with well chosen music. Blocks communicated the things I needed to know well.
Total 39/50
#41: You are the Light That Get Rid of My Darkness by yogui
Design 13/20
Good choice of gimmick for the level you made. Was a fun, standard level with just the right number of unique sprites. Really, would have liked another section. Definitely nice that you didn't let it go full dark though. Been there. Done that. Still playable at the minimum light level.
Creativity 14/20
Despite what the start message tried to make me think, this was a really well done level. The light gimmick was well executed. Really enjoyed the time pressure--and greed for coins!--it evoked. Made the whole level feel a lot more tense. A well executed idea on an otherwise overused interpretation of the theme.
Aesthetics 8/10
Well chosen music for the cave aesthetic. Also, good cave tile choices.
Total 35/50
#42: Nyctophobia by Segment1Zone2
Design 5/20
Limiting Mario's run speed was not fun. Makes jumping around odd. Unless you had a plan with it, it just seemed like a drag on the level design. The light window area wasn't too interesting. The ninji darkness area was just tedious. Waiting around to see if you can make a jump can be interesting, but your level design didn't really facilitate that. The space area was actually pretty fun. I really wish you'd just focused on that aspect instead.
Creativity 8/20
Definitely creative interpretations of the theme. Really wish you'd picked one and stuck with it. Either fleshing out the space jumping section of the cave section. Really, trying to fit too much, conceptually, into a single level. Really liked the treasure room ending, but the whole thing just felt confused.
Aesthetics 4/10
Liked the space section and the treasure room, but the vanilla levels filled with darkness weren't too interesting.
Total 17/50
#43: Lost Shrine of Light by yoshi9429
Design 8/20
Interesting choices. Level parts are fun, but I kept finding myself jumping and finding Tubular spawners just show up in my face. Not a huge fan of that. The bosses felt like they could have been fun. B and R being the better two, but waiting out the random shells was a drag. Having to refight the RNG bosses after getting hit in the face with an unexpected projectile was also kinda awful. I think you may have needed some more testing here, if you weren't the only person who played this.
Creativity 16/20
Very creative use of theme. RGB and light palace made it clear where you were going from the get go. Enjoyed the concept of the three bosses and the epilog after beating them was a nice touch.
Aesthetics 8/10
Interesting choices of background. Vanilla tiles. Not sure the standard forest background looks good behind mountains. Very strange choice. Nice musical accompaniment.
Total 32/50
#44: Curse Lampshade by OEO6
Design 12/20
Fun level designed around the gimmick of having a lamp glued to Mario's hands. Felt like it skirted the edge of Kaizo, but wasn't too difficult. Would have liked fewer setups that were "jump into this shell and figure out how not to die in a few frames". Lots of trial and error on those sections. Really enjoyed the yoshi kicking part. Didn't care for the flying platform that seemed there just to make you wait. Was that part of a setup that got changed? Not sure why you'd have it.
Creativity 15/20
The lamp was thematic, but didn't really play with the theme. Would have liked an effect on it of some sort, because it was functionally equivalent to having a key stuck in your hands. The level, on the other hand, was very creative. Some fun puzzles. Some unfair seeming puzzles.
Aesthetics 7/10
Pretty much vanilla with music. No complaints, other than that Peach sprite in the intro being terrifying.
Total 34/50
#45: Speed of Light by Nitrogen
Design 19/20
Loads of fun. Fast paced. Very much like Quick Man's stage from Mega Man 2, but filled with Mario style. Loved the troll at the end. Felt very much IWBTG-like. Would definitely recommend this level to people wanting to dabble in contest entries. Each screen has an interesting challenge with few of them feeling unfair beyond the first time through. Almost every room could be read instantly, and that's exactly how a level like this should flow. Excellent job!
Creativity 19/20
Using Force Beam lasers definitely fits the theme. The setups for each room were unique and lots of fun to play through. The concept felt well explored.
Aesthetics 9/10
Mario 3 blocks are a classic. Music keeps up with the frenetic pace of the level. Lasers are also classic.
Total 47/50
#46: Boo's Blinding Bank by Praseodymium
Design 9/20
You chose a sorta puzzly level archetype, which is laudable, but the puzzle is kinda broken. You can go through each section as many times as you want, so there is no need to scrimp and save every coin. Props for finding a way to do a coin door with no extra ASM though. The assorted coin rooms were fun. Didn't know you could kill the flying red coin with fireballs. Boo fight seemed unnecessary, and yoshi's torso was not present for it.
Creativity 7/20
Used bright white background as your theme integration. Unique, but kinda rough on the eyes. Didn't care for it and it didn't really tie into the banking theme. The little coin level puzzles had some creative setups, but ultimately, the whole thing feels a little disjointed. A more linear level might have suited you better here.
Aesthetics 4/10
Good choice of music. Not a fan of the bright white background. Vanilla otherwise.
Total 20/50