Level Design with Super Mario Maker 2.
I have created a variety of levels in Super Mario Maker 2 to showcase my abilities with level design. On each level I have set a goal or challenge I am trying to solve with each level I create.
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The levels cover a range of difficulties but I am interested in creating levels that the majority of players can finish. I am not interested in creating levels that only the top 1% of players can complete.
Level 1 - A Simple Course
My personal goal: Create a level simple enough that those new to platformers would be able to progress through, but still make it interesting.
In the Warp Zone (0.15 secs in the video) I used the night theme specifically to take advantage of the powerups moving in unusual ways. Even though the Super Mushroom bounces around, I surrounded it (and the player) with pipes so the powerup could not escape.
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Next I introduced the player to their first jump over a gap, a couple of patrolling red shell Koopa Troopas, then a jump between slowly moving elevators, nothing too taxing for an experienced player, but visually interesting to a beginner (0.37 - 0.42).
I created two routes for the second part of the level.
One straightforward route with jumps over high gaps (0.55) and winged Goombas. (If the player were to fall from the clouds there are platforms underneath to catch them.)
The second route involves more exploration, taking a pipe back to the warp zone. Here the player can find a moving Fire Flower (1.21) that can escape offscreen. Red pipes highlight which pipes will contain a Piranha Plant (useful information for a beginner).
The exit pipe (1.35) leads to more enemies, trickier jumps, but rewards the player with a 1up before the end of the level.
Level 2 - Big Fish, Little Fish, Dead Fish
My personal goal: Create a medium difficulty level that was mostly underwater but featured a few sections on land too.
I built it with the Super Mario Bros. 3 style to have access to a variety of water enemies and the Frog Suit.
In the opening section both underwater (0.07 - 0.15 secs in the video) and on the first island are boxes where the player would expect to find a Super Mushroom, this is a misdirect, instead the player needs to go down the pipe on the first island.
This drops the player into a Warp Zone with coins to collect. The pipe takes them to the centre of the largest island in the level (0.35) which is underwater. One of the boxes contains the Super Mushroom, further to the right is a large coin. At the top of the screen (on land) are tough enemies the player can face later; this is to give the player insight on what is to come.
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The player needs to backtrack into the warp zone and this time take the red pipe (which is one way).
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The red pipe places the player at the beginning of the stage underwater (1.00). The early actions of the level are dodging red Cheep Cheeps and swimming under the first small island and collecting coins.
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(1.14) The player reaches an arrangement of blocks. The player has the choice to go above the blocks and encounter a giant red Cheep Cheep. Or the player can go under the blocks and avoid the blue Spike Tops.
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(1.24) The player now goes under the island, moving between the spaces avoiding the Cheep Cheeps.
At the end of this section is the Checkpoint Flag.
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(2.01) The player can now jump onto the large main island, avoiding the two Spike enemies, a Thwomp that moves sideways, a winged Goomba and a Chain Chomp. This section is all about timing jumps and if the player successfully makes it through, they finally reach the
Frog suit (2.24). The player has the choice to jump off the island into the water and swim through a previous section (which is tricky), or make their way back across the island avoiding any remaining enemies.
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(2.37) With the Frog suit the player can now swim faster. In this area the player can work their way round the blocks avoiding the giant red Cheep Cheep, Dry Bones and Fish Bone enemies. This section assesses the players' reflexes and lets them work out which route through the maze of blocks is best for them.
(3.02) In this penultimate section the player needs to duck into the spaces and avoid the patrolling giant red Cheep Cheeps this all comes down to timing.
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The player can then complete the level or dive into the water pool area, avoiding a few enemies and collecting a 1up (3.34).
Level 3 - On Firm Ground
My personal goal: Create a level the player would need to explore to find red coins for a key to the exit, rather than a straightforward sprint to the end.
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I built it in the Super Mario Bros. 3 style, so the player could use the Goomba Shoe, throw shells and use the Raccoon Suit. All of these mechanics help in collecting red coins.
The level opens with the player jumping up a couple of steps with an arrow directing them to go left and jump onto the floating blocks. Here the player is presented with a locked door and a Mushroom.
I want the player to understand that getting the key is the objective for the level.
The player then heads right (0.13 in the video) jumps over the winged Munchers.
(0:19) the player encounters the first red coin guarded by Chain Chomps, they can sacrifice their Mushroom to reach the red coin but there is a better way, revealed later in the level.
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​Next the player encounters three pipes, one contains a Fire Piranha Plant. The blue pipe contains a Warp Zone (0.27). Having watched people play this section I changed the colour of the pipe as players were missing the Warp Zone (which contains red coins).
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The layout of the Warp Zone is intentionally designed to be different and utilise slightly different skills to the overworld level. There are Spike enemies (which are nowhere else in the level).
(0.29) The Munchers need speed and a longer jump to clear, there are two red coins in this Warp Zone (0.50 and 1.03). The Warp Zone section loops back on itself, so the player can collect the two red coins and exit from the pipe they started from.
(1.11) Back in the main section of the level, there are a couple of jumps, a steep hill to climb with red Koopa Troopers to kill and the checkpoint flag (1.22).
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The next section involves a long jump, a Hammer Bro, and a red coin (1.25), below is a small island with a box containing a Mushroom.
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(1.31) The next jump leads to an island full of enemies, a Hammer Bro, flying Goombas and a Rocky Wrench. Next a hill covered in Buzzy Beetles. This section is challenging for players but gives space for players to bounce from enemy to enemy (if the player can get the timing correct).
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(1.40) In the next section the player reaches a lot of breakable blocks. By throwing the red Koopa Shell the player can get the next red coin (1.45).
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Going through the door leads the player to a small room surrounded by blocks and another red coin (1.53), in one of the question mark blocks is a Raccoon Suit. This room is as far as the player travel without needing the key to reach the end of the level. If the player missed the locked door at the beginning of the level, this room gives them a safe space to stop moving and consider what they need to do next.
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The player now needs to work their way back to the beginning of the level and reach the locked door. The blue pipes (before the breakable blocks), contains a continually respawning Goomba Shoe (2.22). The combination of the Goomba Shoe and the Raccoon Suit makes it easier for the player to kill enemies on the way back through the level.
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(2.54) The player can use the Goomba Shoe to kill the Chain Chomps at the beginning of the level and get the first red coin the player saw; this gives the player the key to the locked door.
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(3.03) While wearing the Goomba Shoe the player can stand on the winged Munchers and launch themselves to the locked door, to reach the end of the level.
Level 4 - Out In The Woods
My personal goal: Create a level with tricky platforming in the first section, and a race against time in the second section.
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Built in the Super Mario World style to have access to Yoshi, who is the main powerup the player needs to use on this level.
Description of Level