Misc Level Design
This page is for featuring some of the best levels I’ve made in games that aren’t my own.
Currently, you’ll only find platformer levels here because they’re fairly straight-forward and can be explained in text and gifs, whereas a map in – say – a strategy game might need a video to properly convey all its aspect without taking up a ton of space. Eventually I’ll get those done 🙂
Lucia 2020
One of the 15 featured levels in the Ultimate Chicken Horse Holiday 2020 level design event. Given that Ultimate Chicken Horse is a game about making building on the levels with platforms, traps and power-ups as you compete to reach the goal, these levels are more about the theme than any mechanics or intricate layouts. Still, some big jumps aided by small platforms make this level a good ground for setting traps at key positions. You can try this level with the code TKU4-054K
Shields Up!
This is a short Mario Maker level in which you need to find a way to make it to the end without being crushed by a long row of Thwomps.
As you begin, you’ll quickly see the obstacle. Mario is too fast to run past the Thwomps and jumping on top of them is also impossible due to the Piranha plants. I left some gaps in the row to tempt players to carefully navigate the path ahead but that’s merely a ruse.
The solution lies with the blue Skull Raft. The name of the level “Shields Up” gives you a clue to its purpouse.
Thwomps will not go through the raft, so the player can use it as a moving shield. It’s easier said than done, though. Mario’s top speed is greater than the raft’s, so you have to slow down a bit to keep an even pace, while also making sure to stay under the back end of the shield, as the Thwomps start coming down ahead of Mario’s horisontal position. This usually takes a couple of tries to get the hang of, especially when you have to short-jump over enemies on the ground.
At the very end, I throw the players one last challenge where quick thinking and reflexes are needed. Mario has to pass three enemy stacks, each with a different movement and projectile pattern. While it is possible to stand back and defeat them one by one, the projectile capabilities of these enemies make it really difficult. The best way to overcome this challenge is to jump on the raft as it passes over these enemies and then go for the axe to finish the level. All in all, the level takes about 10 seconds to complete in a good run.
You can try this level with the code 012A-0000-002F-E172
P for Balance and Speed
This level is similar to Shields Up, in the sense that you have a series of obstacles ahead of you, and the solution for getting past them are found in front of you as the level starts, with the level name once again giving a small hint. As the level begins, the player is faced with four items: two shells (one’s a helmet) and two P-switches and all of them are needed to pass the level.
The first obstacle is seemingly the most straight-forward one. A row of coins that will become blocks as Mario walks on the first P-switch.
Running across the lava pit, the player will come across an audio/visual clue in the form of samba dancers. At this point, this clue will not make much sense and next, Mario will find himself at a dead end and it’s clear that another P-switch is needed to be brought across. After each challenge, there’s a door that takes the player back to the beginning of the level, so the player will never get stuck or be forced to commit suicide to restart.
Bringing a second P-switch is rather easy but after making the next series of jumps, the player will need the shell to proceed further. The question then becomes how to get both and shell and the P-switch across at the same time.
Here, the solution lies with a somewhat obscure mechanic, where a P-switch will gently bounce off of a shell Mario’s holding. By keeping a steady, somewhat fast pace, the player can transport the P-switch to the other end of the lava pit while holding the shell. This is a bit of a balancing act and here’s where the samba dancer’s clue makes sense, letting the player know he or she is on the right track.
With the shell carried across the series of jumps and used to drop another P-switch onto a treadmill, it’s time for the final challenge of this level.
At this stage, the P-switch is on a treadmill above Mario. A caged Thwomp and an arrow lets the player know there are Thwomps ahead and they can be used to activate the switch. However, as the Thwomps hit the switch, Mario will need to be in mid-air, as the ground will turn to coins and vice versa.
After that, a series of challenging jumps await as the player quickly needs to make it to the end before the blocks turn back to coins. Keeping up momentum is also important, as the final series of obstacles are a row of Thwomps. The helmet will protect Mario from the harm but only if he’s fast enough, preventing the Thwomps from landing in front of him. Retaining top speed and short-jumping to the axe without touching a Thwomp is also possible, so if you lose your helmet, it’s still possible, albeit more difficult, to win.
Hitting the axe will complete the level which takes about a minute to complete on a good run. You can try this level with the code 045F-0000-00D2-A4BF
