Entry 1 - Skylight ------------------ Design: 13/20 A level simple in its execution. The swaying feathers make for a challenge when trying to land between all of them, but mercifully capes are given to give you a better degree of control. There are few other obsctacles around however, with the few parakoopas present not being much of an obstruction. It was a fun level, and given more time I feel it could have had some more depth to it. Creativity: 17/20 The use of fading light + spotlight was nice, I liked it even if I found it a little distracting when it started. The feathers being light is another take on the theme, and was thoroughly integrated into the design of the level. Aesthetics: 10/10 Absolutely nailed it on this end. It's very visually appealing and I liked the choice of music for it as well. I enjoyed the moving background in particular. Entry 2 - The Cheap Lamp ------------------------ Design: 6/20 This level has its fair share of problems. This interpretation of the darkness gimmick comes with the added detriment of halting your progress if you enter certain pipes while the lights are off, making it feel extra punishing. Certain enemy placements here are borderline unfair. The second half of the level shifts to being about dodging various thwomps, with the one homing in on you being particularly nasty. It felt better in replays, but this level left a painful first impression. Creativity: 12/20 The light switch gimmick is a fair interpretation of the theme. The main problem is that it didn't make for a fun level here, adding an extra thing to keep track of while dealing with some tight enemy placements. Aesthetics: 7/10 I do like the prototype SMW graphics used, though the music in the second half clearly didn't fit. Entry 3 - COSMIC JUMPS ---------------------- Design: 20/20 Everything works here from a gameplay and fun perspective. The level and its gimmick go hand in hand and it feels pretty smooth. There's clear communication from the author as to what you should do to clear the obstacles, though some parts are pretty easy to screw up if you don't pick up on it quick enough. Immediate reloading of the level upon death helped to keep things moving along. I could see myself wanting to replay this level sometime. Creativity: 20/20 Being lightweight in space is an interpretation I like, and it blended well into the gimmick the level was going for. The sun peeking over the planet as a source of light was also a neat touch. You did well with what you were going for and I'm quite impressed. Aesthetics: 10/10 The space theme is super neat. The visuals and music work together with the level design to make a fun experience. Entry 4 - SKY HIGH DINOSAURS ---------------------------- Design: 18/20 The level is solid. Very clear in establishing a gimmick, how it works and what the obstacles you face really are. It takes advantage of not only newly established rules of Yoshi, but also his vanilla behavior. At times it felt a little bit too "trial and error" for my liking, but once you get it down this level is a blast to play. Creativity: 18/20 Yoshi makes you light, huh? That's some out of the box thinking. It led to an interesting and unique gimmick, something I hope will be revisited in the future. Aesthetics: 7/10 The level looks fine. Not particularly standing out in it's choice of foreground, the background is at least unique and the music choice felt fitting. Entry 5 - Blackout factory -------------------------- Design: 16/20 A very nice level that follows more traditional design cues in its layout, I found it quite enjoyable. The two distinct styles of outside the factory and in it are both nice. The custom Mechakoopa was interesting and brought attention to the light gimmick in a way simply turning the lights on and off wouldn't. Creativity: 18/20 I liked this interpretation of a light gimmick. The contrast between the lights being on and off wasn't too excessive, thereby not hindering the ability to make progress. As mentioned before, I liked how the custom Mechakoopa was integrated into the gimmick. Aesthetics: 10/10 Both parts of the level looked very nice. Giving the Koopas winter gear outside was a nice touch. The music for both sections worked well too. Entry 6 - CAVERN ---------------- Design: 10/20 The diminished visibility of the level, combined with pits and munchers around, lead to a very stressful experience. The second half takes it a step further with temporary explosions as the only light source, which have an expansive hitbox in a level design where you don't have much breathing room. It does lend itself to getting easier as time goes on, but you'll likely have died a dozen times before you get the level suitably memorized. I felt the first half was more friendly to the player. Creativity: 15/20 Absence of light is a fair take on the theme, but it didn't do the level any favors. I like those sprites in the first half that made more light as more of them were present on screen. Aesthetics: 7/10 From what I could see the level looked nice, but with it being too dark most of the time I didn't really get much time to enjoy the view. The music was great for the mood though. Entry 7 - Calciferol -------------------- Design: 8/20 This level's difficulty sways from "challengingly fun" to "unpleasantly hard" several times. The multiple checkpoints do mitigate this somewhat, but there's still things like a despawning saw or losing a platform that just take away from the enjoyment. There's a jump in particular towards the beginning of the level that was just too frustratingly precise. Creativity: 15/20 The level changing based on the presence or absence of light is a neat touch. I did like the frozen sprites part of the gimmick as well. Aesthetics: 9/10 I liked the looks of both the light and dark parts. The music choices worked well. The vanilla foreground looked surprisingly fresh with its palette and mixture of styles. Entry 8 - Light as a feather ---------------------------- Design: 8/20 Parts of this level required precise activities with a custom sprite, and I found that detrimental to the enjoyment of it. It was not explained by the level how to get significant upward boosts from the propeller block, despite the level requiring that in several places in order to advance. Some placements were pretty difficult to get through even when the mechanics of what to do were simple. It certainly has some nice ideas going for it but they are drowned out by some of the afformentioned difficulties. Creativity: 14/20 The propeller block making you light is on theme, and the level was designed with that in mind. The middle part of the level is a different take on using them than the beginning and end, and made for an interesting change of pace. Aesthetic: 7/10 The level looks good. Music choice, palette and visuals all fit together. Entry 9 - A Light(ning) Storm ----------------------------- Design: 7/20 If I had to sum up this level as succinct as possible, I'd say it embodies "hurry up and wait." The level wants you to rush, but at many points waiting around for the right opportunity seems to be the way to actually beat it. The level's difficulty is also a cut above most of the other entries, which in a vaccuum isn't a problem but the level itself is very demanding in its precision. Multiple checkpoints could have helped to aleviate some of this, as repeating certain tasks became a chore. Creativity: 14/20 That being said I do like the idea. This lightning with key idea is fairly unique and it's a gimmick I would like to see again in less difficult circumstances. Aesthetics: 8/10 The cloudly, stormy sky is a very nice touch. Audio and visually it all ties together quite nicely. Entry 10 - Timed Lane. ---------------------- Design: 11/20 A pretty straightforward level. Message box explains the gimmick, and said gimmick works well. The green Rexes also teach you their gimmick pretty efficiently. Creativity: 1/20 I have no idea how this level fits in with the light them and there is no file included explaining it. The level was alright at least. Aesthetics: 4/10 Custom background is pretty nice. The level music doesn't seem to work at all, between emulators or real hardware. Entry 11 - UI (ugly interface) ------------------------------ Design: 15/20 The opening cutscene is a nice touch. The level itself was pretty easy to get through, with that one part of balancing on the wiggler to get across being a little tricky. It ended up being a short level unfortunately and I kind of wish there was more of it because I had fun. Creativity: 17/20 A highly unique take on the theme of light. That opening cutscene helps set the stage for the level in a way that enhances the experience. I don't think it manifested too much in the level itself though. Aesthetics: 10/10 I love the way this level looks. You went with a machine theme and knocked it out of the park in all areas. Entry 12 - LIGHT SLEEPERS ------------------------- Design: 19/20 I love the use of the edited Rip Van Fish here. Everything is structured well to create a fast and fun challenging level. I had no trouble reading what to the level wanted me to do even at the pace it was set at. I feel like that very last ending room was a bit rough but overall this was a very good experience. Creativity: 15/20 As a light sleeper myself I can certainly relate to the chosen interpretation of the theme here. It's a creative play on words and I am here for it. Aesthetics: 6/10 It's pretty much the vanilla SMW graphics here, yet it works. The music was the right kind of track for an upbeat and fast level. Entry 13 - AFLARE FREEZE ------------------------ Design: 17/20 This level did very well implementing its gimmick. It took some time to learn the climbing controls and physics well but once I got it down I had a lot of fun with it. While the level's layout is varied, the enemies are limited to two. They fit into the level well but I feel if not for the gimmick constraints there could have been more variation. Creativity: 12/20 The enemies are things that can be a source of light, which fits the definition but it wasn't the highlight of the level. The climbing gimmick overshadowed that aspect considerably, and is tied to it only by virtue of said light enemies being obstacles. Aesthetics: 9/10 The music of this level fit very well. Vanilla graphics were well used and the palettes carried them far. Entry 14 - PHYSICAL PROPERTIES ------------------------------ Design: 13/20 The two halves of the level felt pretty disjointed, tied together only by the modified fire flower powerup. The start had some quickly established rules with the bullet bills and shooters. I felt like it was a little claustrophobic at times, but a fair experience nonetheless. The second part dropped the ball a bit. While the level opened up, and had a creative pass-through-objects gimmick the invisible boos, faster shooters and invisibility powerup quickly changing from help to hinderence brought the level down for me. The reset door not cancelling said invisbility powerup also made that one part with the reset door pretty frustrating. Creativity: 18/20 That being said, I liked the ideas put forth for the most part and their relation to light was a unique take. Each individual idea had some interesting things going for it, I just feel like together they clashed a bit. Aesthetics: 9/10 Visually speaking everything fit very well together. Music had a sciency vibe going for it, and I appreciated it. Entry 15 - Fireworks Factory ---------------------------- Design: 17/20 Consistent and straightforward. It was a fairly simple level but the execution of its obstacles were very successful. I particularly liked the change in direction for the second half. The obstacles were present, but not overwhelming. Found myself wishing it would be a little longer by the end. The firework during the course clear march was a nice surprise. Creativity: 14/20 Fireworks are one of the most pleasant sources of light there is, if you don't mind the loud booms that come with them. Felt like there was more emphasis on the "fire" part though, but as I said the real thing was a nice touch right at the end. Aesthetics: 9/10 I liked the look of this place a lot, the SMAS-SMB2 background fits perfectly for a factory setting. Music was alright, definitely adding to the level's atmosphere. Entry 16 - BOOTSRAP PARADOX --------------------------- Design: 15/20 I kind of like what this level is doing. It had many puzzles and situations that involved its gimmick of a boot that when you hold it makes you float upwards. While none of it was too crazy, the speed at which you ascend from the boot is quite fast. It gives you little time to act accordingly. Creativity: 16/20 The "boot holding makes you light" gimmick is pretty neat and on theme. The level you built around it is quite good. Aesthetics: 8/10 It's a bright and interesting look, and good use for vanilla graphics. I did like the choice of Kirby music for the level. Entry 17 - Nation Blue ---------------------- Design: 18/20 This level's visuals are immediately eye catching. The construction of the level is pretty solid, and doesn't ask too much of the player. However the obstacles the level presents are at times placed in unfortunate ways, like fish popping out of opaque water, or parachuting enemies while you're close to the top of the screen. I also found the pipes in the foreground at times too obscuring for my liking. Looking past these nitpicks leaves a quick paced and enjoyable level. Creativity: 15/20 I dig the neon lights you have going on here. It made for an excellent setting and pretty much everything else in the level adapted to it well. Aesthetics: 10/10 The background is superb, between the wave motion effect and parallax. The glowing elements in the foreground are very nice as well. The music choice fit it all like a glove. It all came together in such a neat way. Entry 18 - The Lighthouse ------------------------- Design: 17/20 The structure of this level flowed well, and the gimmick adapted to it felt seamless. When the lights were out, the level was still visible thankfully, but even then the obstacles didn't require too much in the way of ability to clear. The level had some moments of weirdness like an extra on/off switch ruining a puzzle, and the spark effect getting confused at one point. I did like the challenges the level presents and I don't feel that it's held back by those minor flaws. Creativity: 20/20 I found the electric flower powerup a delight to use. Using it to turn the lights on and off of the level was a neat application. Going for the theme in two connected ways like that was a treat. Aesthetics: 8/10 Mostly vanilla graphics but with a very heavy dose of green. The energetic song was a great fit for the action going on. Entry 19 - Flashlight Cave -------------------------- Design: 15/20 The level was going for a cramped dark cave, and it delivered. Fortunately, the level's obstacles didn't get too difficult even with limited visibility. Much of what was going on was conveyed easily to the player. Being able to carry some springboards from earlier in the level rendered some unused and some obstacles skippable. Overall I had a good time with it. Creativity: 15/20 I liked the flashlight gimmick. It worked with the level design to remind me of times I relied on a light like that for visibility in a power outtage, and it didn't intrude on the gameplay. Aesthetics: 8/10 Looked to be the vanilla cave foreground, but the palette of it made it look fresh. Between that, the gimmick and the Endless Mine track, the ambience of this level was great. Entry 20 - mario commits arson ------------------------------ Design: 15/20 The idea of this level was really good, but I found a couple parts of it to be finnicky. The red hot blocks were placed in some ways that made trying to use a fireball around them a hair too precise for my liking. Quick retry and every room being a checkpoint could have helped the experience flow better too I feel. Parts that snagged me, like the fireball chasing, did seem to get easier with each attempt. Overall an interesting concept that I feel could be revisited and expanded for an even better experience. Creativity: 14/20 Fire is a light source, but I feel there is more emphasis on it being a "fire" level rather than a "light" level. It integrated fire well into its design though. Aesthetics: 9/10 The part of the level that truly shined was this. One of the better applications of vanilla graphics with a custom palette I've seen so far. The music was great at adding to the atmosphere. Entry 21 - Photoshoot --------------------- Design: 19/20 This level really stood out from the pack in terms of what it set out to do. I found it a highly engaging and interesting take on puzzle levels. My only nitpicks involve a could of not so obvious things, like needing to get rid of Yoshi in the one part and the goal screen requiring the opposite of what the picture asks to finish the level. The tightness of some activities made them finnicky, but definitely not to a point that it took away any enjoyment from the experience. Creativity: 18/20 A camera flash is a take on light I wasn't expecting. It tied into the level well with the gimmick. Aesthetics: 5/10 I hate to say it but the level falls flat in this one regard. Vanilla SMW graphics and music are passable but when virtually everyone else was able to make even subtle changes, this sticks out like a sore thumb. Entry 22 - a glimmer of hope ---------------------------- Design: 17/20 This level has a pretty neat idea behind it. I like how at first the gimmick reveals helpful things, but soon they can turn into enemies as well. The level structure itself was alright, working alongside the light columns to create interesting set ups. The secret exit did not really add much to the experience though, as it only necessitated bringing a key through the second half of the level, which had no real effect on the gameplay. Creativity: 18/20 The light beams were a creative take on the theme. It was integrated into the level as a means to progression, and it felt really smooth. Aesthetics: 8/10 Vanilla graphics but with interesting palette changes. The music helped the atmosphere a lot. Entry 23 - THE BLINDING LIGHT ----------------------------- Design: 15/20 An interesting level, largely due to its gimmick. The level was fair and fun, with the screen obscuring bright ball being a motivator or a time limit in a way. I appreciated that it was never used to hide anything dangerous, at least at the pace I played it that was never an issue. If I had to lean on being nitpicky for a bit, I feel like this level could have went for more jumps over pits and whatnot, seeing as the ball was aligned to the top of the screen. Creativity: 20/20 Out of all the vision obscuring gimmicks, this one might be my favorite. It was done in a unique and interesting way, not limiting the player directly. Aesthetics: 10/10 In all areas by which aesthetics could be judged, I find this level did a great job. The graphics and music were excellent. Entry 24 - ARCTIC MOUNTAINS --------------------------- Design: 17/20 A pretty fun ice level. I find its biggest strength to be how the dragon coins were all hidden. The level itself is short and straightforward, but if you want and extra challenge the coins are all there for you to find them. A bit on the easy side, which is appreciated, but overall a good experience. Creativity: 14/20 The light theme was well represented in the sky as the northern lights. Outside of a backdrop it didn't lend itself to the level's design too mcuh. Aesthetics: 10/10 This level was one of the prettiest looking in the contest. The winter theme is fully on display in both graphics and music. Entry 25 - Variable Floats -------------------------- Desgin: 17/20 This level was pretty neat. There was an emphasis on one tile jumps with some of the angel block setups, but none of them felt too hard or dangerous. It had a good arrangement of obstacles so you couldn't just blow through everything either. I found the dragon coin placement to be nice as well. The numerous pipes kept making me expect a secret subroom but apparently nothing like that was around. I still loved the level though. Creativity: 15/20 There's some lightweight objects and light colors, which are both nice. The lightly floating blocks were integrated into the design of the level quite nicely. Aesthetics: 9/10 Graphically this was pretty much vanilla, but the palettes were very nice. The angel blocks without wings looked a little odd, but that's besides the point. The floating snow or feathers, whatever it was in front of the screen, was a neat touch. Definitely dug the song for the level. Entry 26 - Crossover Cave ------------------------- Design: 18/20 I really liked what this level put down. The switch gimmick was very well done, giving you the right amount of time to handle situations and the setups themselves were all readable at a quick glance. Changing the speed of the sprites to make them faster was a good call as well. Fortunately I am not photosensitive because the light flashing could have been an issue. If you took that out you wouldn't have a light gimmick, but you'd still have a solid level. Creativity: 14/20 I like the flashing light idea up to a point. It felt more like it was an accessory to the sprite stopping gimmick, rather than anything to do with it directly though. Aesthetics: 7/10 The music choice for this level was really great. It added to the experience by making it feel fast paced and energetic. The graphics were more or less vanilla though. Entry 27 - Neon Dreams ---------------------- Design: 16/20 Right off the bat I found this level eye catching. The abstract neon look set the stage for a nice level. None of the obstacles were all that intense, but it wasn't free either. In the second half the rather quick cycling of lights going on and off was good, as it did not leave the player feeling blind. The level felt like it has good speedrunning potential, but I was glad to take my time and take it in. Creativity: 19/20 I love the neon light theme you have going on in this level. A very nice interpretation that led to an interesting level. Aesthetics: 10/10 I very much adored the neon aesthetic, it was a feast for the eyes. The music choice rounded it out well. Entry 28 - Molded by it ----------------------- Design: 17/20 I've given this level a lot of thought, feeling on the fence about how it plays. I have fallen onto the side in which I like it. The light gimmick here has a switch but it's never necessary to use it. The flashes revealing things on its own would be kind of unfortunate but between that and the switches you're never really left in a bad position. The boss fight, memes aside, was unique and a little bit of a challenge. Creativity: 16/20 I like the flashing lights and the light switch tandem gimmick. Like I said before it helped the level such that you're never really stuck. The memes, I don't know. It'll work for some people but I feel it kinda dates the work? In either case the creativity shown here is great. Aesthetics: 8/10 I liked the look of the background a lot, and the music choice was nice too. Entry 29 - Spittin' Straight Fire --------------------------------- Design: 16/20 This is a level that kept me on my toes. The gimmick is introduced safely in the first room, where you are given a mushroom you cannot directly access again for some reason. Then it's onto the main part, with a lot of dodging of fireballs while moving through some difficult jumps. The second part is an autoscroller in an even tighter space, but for the most part it's not as bad as it looks. I kinda dug it by the end, but I admit to some reactionary saltiness in my first impressions. Creativity: 15/20 Fire is a source of light, and I like its use here. Between the fireballs, fire pillars and background looking like it was on fire, the theme was integrated into the level nicely. Aesthetics: 8/10 The background and the palette were very nice. The song captured the mood of a constant barrage of fire as well. Entry 30 - Moonlight Teleport ----------------------------- Design: 13/20 I find myself both liking and disliking the main gimmick of this level. On the one hand, it's a glitch I had no idea about used in a unique and interesting way. On the other hand, almost every application of this glitch happens to be right next to munchers, so if you don't have great control of your momentum, you take damage or die. The last application of it in the level happened to be the safest one. It should have been swapped so you could start at first with an easy one to practice, then work your way up to the hardest one at the end. Creativity: 12/20 Light only really tied into the level due to its name. Moonlight is pretty cool but not much of a gimmick tie in. Aesthetics: 9/10 The level looked quite pretty in spite of just vanilla assets. The song is just an amazing fit for this atmosphere. Entry 31 - IN SEARCH OF LIGHT ----------------------------- Design: 8/20 The completely black level is hostile to the person playing it. The sprites provide some idea of where it is safe to stand, but as you move it is hard to keep track of those safe areas and as such it is hard to enjoy the level. It boils down to trial and error in a way that interrupts the flow of gameplay. At least the actual structure of the level isn't too challenging in terms of jumps or enemy placement. Creativity: 10/20 The goal of finding the light was neat, but it resulted in a level that's a mess of feeling your way through blindness. I can't help but feel more could have been done to assist the player in figuring out where is safe. Aesthetics: 5/10 The music was nice, but as the level was completely black aside from sprites there really wasn't much to judge visually speaking. Entry 32 - GRAVE INTENTIONS --------------------------- Design: 11/20 The first half of this level was pretty nice. It offered a fair amount of challenge and the lightning gimmick set a nice mood. Once I was past the midpoint the level took a hard turn. Suddenly the podoboo placement was much more difficult to get around. The level was exepcting jumps with little room for error, followed by surprise enemies that either dropped on you or were just in the way. It's hard to believe one person made both parts of this level, given the complete change of focus. Creativity: 15/20 Lightning has light in the name, so you got it right there. It didn't really lend itself to the level's construction itself, but just a backdrop. Aesthetics: 10/10 There is no fault of the level in this department. I loved the look of the setting and the music choice to go with it. Entry 33 - Castle To The Blinking --------------------------------- Design: 7/20 This level did not seem to play well with its gimmick at all. Enemies placed near the light damage shelters, one of which is invincible, made playing through this level a frustrating experience. The light effect's damage seemed to always last longer than I anticipated, as I constantly found myself dying to it when I felt it was safe to move. The shelters had almost no let either, with even just having the pixels of Mario's nose not behind behind them enough to cause damage. The Big Boo fight at the end was its best application of it, done in a way that is actually fair to the player. With some polish this level could have truly shined but as it is it feels like an arduous task to play. Creativity: 15/20 This reminds me of the gimmick of the last castles of New Super Mario Bros 2, where the Koopalings would flash light that would stun you unless you were behind a brick wall. Was that your inspiration? Either way I feel it's a strong idea, just not executed that well. Aesthetic: 7/10 Graphics were alright, if a little drab. Music choice felt good for the level. Entry 34 - FEELING LIGHTER -------------------------- Design: 14/20 The level leans into its gimmick well enough. There are some moments that require precise navigation around obstacles though, particularly with spikes and koopas. At times it was smarter to not use the balloons at all, as trying to use them would just lead to getting hurt. The last part had spiny eggs falling at seemingly random, as coins did not seem to guarantee saftey or warn against obstacles. I think it is fair to say this level had as many fun parts as it did frustrating. Creativity: 17/20 Light gravity, lightweight balloons, both good stuff. The only points I have to dock are from how deceptive it made playing the level feel at times. Actions I thought were safe ended up being not so. Aesthetics: 9/10 This level looked marvelous, and the music helped create a great atmosphere. I do have to nitpick though, that several elements with differences had no look to suggest such. Standard rotating blocks looked identical to breakaway blocks. No differentiation for rotodiscs either, and when kept in close proximity with different behaviors it would have been a nice heads up. Entry 35 - Aurora Hills ----------------------- Design: 15/20 The simplicity of this level was welcome. I don't feel every level needs to go out of its way to include gimmicks or be excessively difficulty to make an impact. It felt wide open, but welcoming. The obstacles were spaced out to be infrequent but nothing was much of an impediment to progress. With mostly vanilla and SMM2 graphics, I wouldn't be surprised if I was told this level was made by a Nintendo employee. Creativity: 16/20 The Northern Lights are a good take on Light in my book. While it didn't add a gimmick to the level, it certainly helped add a theme. Aesthetics: 10/10 This level brought in Super Mario Maker 2 graphics and used them seemlessly with the original ones. The music from Super Paper Mario at first didn't feel like it fit but as time went on I definitely feel the level owns that track now. Entry 36 - Desert Sunlight -------------------------- Design: 6/20 This one missed the mark considerably. There are sprite spawning issues, one of which rendered the level unbeatable in one of my playthroughs. The gimmick forces you to be conscious of the Y button in ways that make the experience irritating. Almost every movement felt like it had to be precise with no room for error. I did not have a good time with this level. Creativity: 10/20 Your txt file mentioned the lens flare effect as how your level tied into light. Unfortunately, due to how difficult the level ended up being it came across as white noise to what was happening. Lighting the dynamite plungers to make explosions can be a secondary tie in that's more to the heart of the level but it didn't make the level very fun. Aesthetic: 10/10 When I can observe the level and not have to focus on trying not to die, it does look quite nice. Music choice was solid. Entry 37 - ACCELERATE --------------------- Design: 11/20 I found this level to be quite rough around the edges. Sometimes situations were clear, other times they were not. Sometimes the level worked right, others it did not. The margin for error was very low, giving little time to think or experiment with course elements. The balloon sprite's weird effect on the music was also quite jarring. The boss was the least stressful and irritating part of the level, actually offering the player room to think and the abiltiy to make a mistake. I get what you were going for, but it didn't work for me. Creativity: 16/20 Sparkly lights, bright sprites, and balloon flights. This level looked at multiple approaches to the theme and they were welcomed. Aesthetic: 8/10 Mostly standard graphics but with a fresh coat of paint. The music fit the level well for an action packed race against rising death water. Entry 38 - I should have been the one to fill your dark soul with LIGHT! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Design: 14/20 A pretty standard fare kind of level. The custom sprite usage was a nice touch, and I liked the use of Waluigi to freshen up the player sprite. None of the obstacles were too difficult and the pacing felt good. The shorter second half being a water level was a direction I wasn't expecting though. The Shy Guy graphics replacing Fishbones looked a little weird. Overall a decent experience. Creativity: 12/20 A twilight looking sky is a nice touch. It didn't interact with the theme much beyond that though. Aesthetic: 9/10 The first part of the level nailed it. It looks beautiful, no debate about that. The solid clouds covered up most of the background in the second part sadly. Music choice worked well for the level. Entry 39 - Refraction Airway ---------------------------- Design: 17/20 This level was an enjoyable experience for me. The first half didn't stand out much to me, it looked nice visually speaking and the obstacles were more or less fair. I had troubles parsing what I could stand on when it came to those mirror panels. I do like the detail of the rainbow laser things only interacting with panels or prisms. The second half is where I feel the level picked up. The laser obliterating sprites gimmick was super neat. The use of it in multiple ways, between destroying obstacles or necessary platforms, was pretty neat. Creativity: 20/20 Everything related to light in this level worked out so well. The laser gimmick I talked about before was my favorite touch. Using a rainbow as a replacement for podoboo was pretty neat too. Aesthetic: 9/10 Excellent use of Super Mario Maker 2 assets. The songs fit the level pretty well too. Entry 40 - Blue Mystery Data ---------------------------- Design: 14/20 This is as clever a level as it is a hard one. The setups vary wildly in difficulty, with ones beyond the first third of the level being real hair-pullers. Any damage is instant death and any mistake renders the puzzle unsolvable, so there is no margin for error in almost every case. Some of them can be influenced by the way you approach them, making some puzzles inconsistent. I do like a lot of these setups (the one where you have to guide a coin across a gap while avoiding a mace is my favorite) but they get frustrating pretty quickly. Creativity: 10/20 I have to say, this level is likely the one that gave me the most difficulty when it comes to scoring it for Creativity. I had to have this one's relation to light explained to me, as apparently it is based on something from a game I've never played. I suppose it's a prism but it's not refracting light but refracting attacks. The level goes hard on that it's connection to the contest theme feels very loose at best. Aesthetics: 7/10 The level did do well with mostly vanilla graphics. I do happen to like that song as well, it was a good choice here. Entry 41 - You are the light that get rid of my darkness -------------------------------------------------------- Design: 13/20 I found this level enjoyable, if a little flawed. A lot of times it felt like enemies were placed to "gotcha!" the player, particularly the placement of bats near coins. Not sure if red plants not respecting proximity was a bug or a feature but it felt kinda lame to get hit from underneath by surprise. The level layout itself was spacious and combined with the fact it takes a while for the lights to go completely dark it hinder navigating the level at all. Creativity: 18/20 The gimmick of coins keeping the lights on in the level was pretty nice. The level integrated that into its design well for the most part. Aesthetic: 8/10 Pretty neat looking cave graphics. Music choice was pretty good too. Entry 42 - Nyctophobia ---------------------- Design: 14/20 The level did well to adapt to the physics changes it established. None of the jumps or other action felt too difficult without the ability to run. I feel the second part of the level is the weakest, with the random light switches on and off combined with somewhat dangerously thin ledges. Despite that I feel it was enjoyable, and with more focus on one of the aspects it could have felt a stronger entry. Creativity: 19/20 The multiple ways this level approached the Light theme were interesting. The darkness and slow physics were accounted for in the level design and I appreciated it. It did feel to have a little bit of a lack of focus between the three. Also the included txt helped explain the story, which was neat. Aesthetics: 9/10 Each area did well in setting the scene for what it was trying to be. Unfortunately, a lot of that was in the dark and I didn't get to see too much. Entry 43 - Lost Shrine of Light ------------------------------- Design: 15/20 Most of the level was fine. The boss fights are what hurt this for me a bit. The difficulty varies wildly between them, with the third one being much easier than the other two, and the second being much harder. They involve waiting for a random element while constantly under assault but shooters that are locked on to your position. Those parts weren't fun, and they dragged the level parts down. The level sections were fine, but like the bosses the difficulty fluxuated, with the blue part being harder than the others. There was a graphical error on the last screen unfortunately as well. The platforming and sprite placements were all fine however. Creativity: 17/20 Honestly I thought I would see more of the three primary colors of light in this contest, so I am pleased with this entry for that reason. It set the stage for the level very well. Aesthetic: 8/10 The colors felt a bit too saturated for my liking, and a tad lacking in variety. Music choices were good and helped fill the atmosphere. Entry 44 - Curse Lampshade -------------------------- Design: 16/20 I enjoyed this one. Removing the ability to grab made for some interesting setups. A few aren't immediately clear on what to do but you're not rushed through any of them, giving you time to analyze the situation. Instant retry helped keep the pace up when you would fail, keeping the level from dragging. Creativity: 13/20 A lamp is a source of light, but it played second fiddle to the level overall. It was an excuse to make a good level at least. Aesthetic: 9/10 That's a pretty nice looking cave you have there. The music helped set a nice atmosphere. Entry 45 - SPEED OF LIGHT ------------------------- Design: 18/20 Fast paced challenge rooms that for the most part are very fun. I like the idea of mini challenges in succession, but some of them get particularly finnicky. In the first half, the grab block column challenge had trouble working for me half the time. In the second half, one of the rooms has the switch immediately at the start, in a position where the timing is super tight to be able to hit it. With a little more let on these ones I think the level could have been perfect. Creativity: 19/20 A simple but very effective take on light. It was integrated into the level design exceptionally well. Aesthetic: 9/10 I like the music and I like the background, but unfortunately the foreground is predominantly one repeating tile. It's kind of bland, but the laser graphic was neat. Entry 46 - Boo's Blinding Bank ------------------------------ Design: 16/20 I enjoyed the concept of this level. Integrating the Star Block to be a vanilla gate, forcing you to collect coins was a great idea. The individual coin collecting areas were all nice little challenges. The boss was an interesting take on Big Boo as well. However, the gates are cheeseable by virtue of the fact you can arrive at them with a spare item and can feed it to Yoshi, meaning you don't have to enter any of the subareas. An unfortunate oversight, but playing the level legit was pretty fun. Creativity: 11/20 This level is certainly creative, but I don't know if just making it have a bright palette is a good integration of the theme. Aesthetic: 8/10 Vanilla graphics with a palette that invokes actual vanilla. Music added a nice touch to it.