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[sh00takai]

Updates

* 2011-05-31
This level pack is finished and will not be updated anymore. I was too lazy to finish all 20 levels after failing numerous times in the creation of certain levels, so instead of 20 levels you can find 13 from SMW.

The list of levels

01. Kid Icarus
   - Original part: The beginning of stage 1-1
   - Level name: Hindenburg
   - Level number: ???

02. Faxanadu
   - Original part: Outskirts of Eolis
   - Level name: Haxanadu
   - Level number: ???

03. Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
   - Original part: Parapa Palace (getting the candle) (3:24 ->)
   - Level name: I AM ERROR.
   - Level number: ???

04. Bomberman
   - Original part: Stage 1
   - Level name: Kaczynski
   - Level number: ???

05. Wizards and Warriors
   - Original part: Level 1 (falling inside the tree) (0:52 ->)
   - Level name: LARP
   - Level number: ???

06. Megaman II
   - Original part: Game intro's scrolling part
   - Level name: Narcissist
   - Level number: ???

07. Megaman IV
   - Original part: The beginning of Skull Man's stage
   - Level name: Egotist
   - Level number: ???

08. Bubble Bobble
   - Original part: Stage 99 (21:20 ->)
   - Level name: Bubble Wrap
   - Level number: ???

09. Cheetah Men
   - Original part: Level 2 (2:07 ->)
   - Level name: Cheetah Boy
   - Level number: ???

10. Bionic Commando
   - Original part: Area 3 (4:40 ->)
   - Level name: Master-D
   - Level number: ???

11. Castlevania
   - Original part: Stage 16 boss (Dracula) (1:47 ->)
   - Level name: Pot Roast Boy
   - Level number: ??? (middle boss)

12. Ice Climber
   - Original part: Mountain 8 (6:57 ->)
   - Level name: Frostbite
   - Level number: ???

13. The Adventures of Rad Gravity
   - Original part: Asteroid Belt (0:37 ->)
   - Level name: U Rad?
   - Level number: ???

*** Levels I didn't finish ***

xx. Contra / Probotector
   - Original part: Stage 1
   - Level name: Sandanista
   - Level number: ???
   - Notes: Initially created stages 5 and 6, but they didn't look familiar enough.

xx. Ninja Gaiden
   - Original part: Stage 2-2 (1:54 ->)
   - Level name: Hayabusa
   - Level number: ???

xx. Batman
   - Original part: Stage 2-2 (3:15 ->)
   - Level name: Zur-En-Arrh
   - Level number: ???

xx. TMNT
   - Original part: Stage 2 (underwater part)
   - Level name: Turtle Soup
   - Level number: ???

xx. Super Mario Bros. 3
   - Original part: Airship 1 (2:56 ->)
   - Level name: Bad Glove
   - Level number: ???

xx. Battletoads
   - Original part: Stage 6 (Snake Pit / Karanth's Lair) (0:38 ->)
   - Level name: Toad Licker
   - Level number: ???

xx. Metroid
   - Original part: Mother Brain
   - Level name: Trenbolone
   - Level number: ???

*** Discarded levels ***

xx. Duck Tales
   - Original part: The Amazon (6:08 ->)
   - Level name: Duck's Sake
   - Notes: Discarded for not having enough hints about the original game and for being visually depressing.

xx. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
   - Original part: Dracula's castle
   - Level name: Curse Breaker
   - Notes: I nearly died of boredom while creating this level. I tried to make it enjoyable, but it just didn't work.

[valzi]

Excited! I'm staying away from the levels until the editor comes out - or maybe after 310ing it.

[Stevolutionary]

Nice work Sh00takai!

Here's a few suggestions for level segments and alternate titles. As in the main game, i'll try to keep the alternate titles dark and/or esoteric with an obscure reference to the source and an interesting sounding word.

Kid Icarus - Hindenburg (both came down in flames)

Batman - Zur-En-Arrh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_of_Zur-En-Arrh)
Good choice due to walljumping mechanic, but not sure how well people will recognise this.

Bionic Commando - Master-D (Renamed end boss for western release. Original was Hitler!)
I'd also recommend this part - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSUg8uqCSKU&feature=related (4:40-4:56)

Bomberman - Kaczynski (Unabomber - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unabomber)
A tough one to implement as most of the levels look the same, but will be recognisable as a result.

Castlevania - Cullen (ineffectual vampire from Twilight)
Best area would probably be the clocktower. You can replace cogs with blades and medusa heads with homing flies.

Contra / Probotector - Sandanista (Opposition to the Nicaraguan Contras - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contras)
First level is probably most iconic.

Metroid - Trenbolone (A steroid put in beef, or a "Meat Roid" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trenbolone)
I think the Mother Brain area is the most iconic. Lots of opportunities for missile and saw launchers too.

Megaman 2 - Narcissist (Calling yourself a "Mega Man" is quite vain!)
I'd argue rather than a level in the game, the most iconic bit is the opening tower shot on the title sequence. I'd remake this, making the entire level a vertical climb but with a ridiculous amount of hazards blocking the way, and have Bandage Girl where Megaman is at the top. Possibly have a rising laser to force scrolling too.

Super Mario Bros. 3 - Bad Glove - (reference to The Wizard - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_%28film%29 - and the infamous Power Glove scene. "I love the Power Glove. It's so bad!" in fact, anything from that film would work!)
Definitely agree on the airships. Would probably put a moving blade wall in to simulate forced scrolling.

The Adventures of Rad Gravity - Black Hole (a gravitational collapse)
Again, a good choice, but probably not too recognisable to most.

TMNT - Turtle Soup (Shredder always used this as a threat!)
The underwater level seems to be the most memorable (and hardest)

Wizards and Warriors - LARP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_action_role-playing_game - where people dress as Wizards and Warriors) another good one for similar reasons would be Cosplay
Not sure which bit to use, but just wanted to say what a GREAT game this was!

[sh00takai]

As in the main game, i'll try to keep the alternate titles dark and/or esoteric with an obscure reference to the source and an interesting sounding word.

Wow, thanks for the effort you put in these! These are ALL amazing suggestions.

Kid Icarus - Hindenburg
* This is spot on.

Batman - Zur-En-Arrh
* This name is great, but I was also thinking The traumatized kid for the childhood trauma of Mr. Wayne that made him Batman. That name would also have a slight reference to us when we played horrible NES games / after beating the Kid's warp in SMB. Let's see what part I choose and let that set a pointer towards the correct name.

Bionic Commando - Master-D
* This is perfect! Also, the part you suggested looks very good.

Bomberman - Kaczynski
* Hahaha, good name. I was also thinking about Claustrophobia for the level will probably be very small, filled with fast moving saws / other traps and pretty hard to navigate. We'll see about that.

Castlevania - Cullen
* I know nothing about Twilight except for it's title. Kinda meh in my opinion, but I really don't know anything about it. I initially thought U Belmont? for Castlevania and The Curse Breaker for Simon's Quest.

Contra / Probotector - Sandanista
* This is a good name and yes, the first level could work well. I was also thinking about the snow stage and the final level with alien textures, so there are still numerous alternatives to choose from.

Metroid - Trenbolone
* Hahah, "Meat Roid". This is a perfect name.

Megaman 2 - Narcissist
* Very good idea! The name and the level suggestion are both great.

Super Mario Bros. 3 - Bad Glove
* Hahaha, that name suits NES better than anything. I'll force the level to scroll, but I haven't really decided which stage to make yet. I might even change the airships to descending spike ceilings. We'll see about that.

The Adventures of Rad Gravity - Black Hole
* This is good, but I also thought Avant-garde. Rad Gravity was a game that repeatedly blew my mind with it's unique ideas and kept me glued to the screen until the end. The game was pretty much apart from the main stream and filled with dark humour unlike most games during that time.

TMNT - Turtle Soup
* Great name suggestion.

Wizards and Warriors - LARP / Cosplay
* Again,  great suggestion.

I'll update the possible names to the topic soon. Thanks again for all these thoughts!

[Stevolutionary]

Batman - Zur-En-Arrh
* This name is great, but I was also thinking The traumatized kid for the childhood trauma of Mr. Wayne that made him Batman. That name would also have a slight reference to us when we played horrible NES games / after beating the Kid's warp in SMB. Let's see what part I choose and let that set a pointer towards the correct name.

Well, the Zur-En-Arrh does reference that. When his parents were murdered, they were coming back from the cinema from a screening of Zorro.

In a recent story, Batman has a breakdown and calls himself Zur-En-Arrh, and the rationale is that the last thing his dad said was if someone tried to be a similar vigilante in Gotham, "the sad thing is they'd probably throw someone like Zorro in Arkham", which the very young Bruce only remembered as "Zur-En-Arrh", and this trauma inspired the Batman persona - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zur-En-Arrh#Modern_Age

[sh00takai]

Batman - Zur-En-Arrh
* This name is great, but I was also thinking The traumatized kid for the childhood trauma of Mr. Wayne that made him Batman. That name would also have a slight reference to us when we played horrible NES games / after beating the Kid's warp in SMB. Let's see what part I choose and let that set a pointer towards the correct name.

Well, the Zur-En-Arrh does reference that. When his parents were murdered, they were coming back from the cinema from a screening Zorro.

In a recent story, Batman has a breakdown and calls himself Zur-En-Arrh, and the rationale is that the last thing his dad said was if someone tried to be a similar vigilante in Gotham, they'd end up as "Zorro in Arkham", which young Bruce mis-remembered as Zur-En-Arrh.

Wow, I never realized that. Zur-En-Arrh fits in perfectly then. I'm the kind of person who usually skips all the trivia, so thanks for clarifying this.

[Stevolutionary]

The only issue i'd say about giving levels names such as "What were they thinking?", although apt, won't give any clue, no matter how oblique, to the source if people don't recognise the level visually.

With something like Cheetah Men, an obscure game at best, unless you hint heavily in the title or unless people check this thread, they won't have a chance at guessing the source visually. I played all the way through Rad Gravity as a child, but even I wouldn't recognise a level from it by memory, and if a stranger goes in cold by downloading this from the portal, it could undermine its status as a NES tribute if they have no concept of where the level comes from.

With very well known games like Kid Icarus, Mega Man, Metroid and Castlelvania you can afford to be more obscure, but for Cheetah Men and Rad Gravity, in order to be recognised i'd argue you need to stick very close to the original name.

If you're going for the theme of "glitching" for Cheetah Men, how about "Cheater Men"?

Couple of suggestions for the remaining levels...

Castlevania - Thirst (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirst_%282009_film%29)
Castlevania 2 - Hunger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_%28film%29)

...bit of synergy between the two...

Battletoads - Toad Licker (Rumour of getting high by licking toads, also a play on "taking a licking", for being badly beaten. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoactive_toad#Rumors_and_misconceptions)
Bubble Bobble - Struggling for this one. Only thing I can think of, is if this was the last level to call it Bubble Wrap, as in the phrase "That's a wrap!" when a movie finishes filming.
Mega Man 4 - Egotist (to tie in with the earlier name, same as Castlevania's naming)
Ninja Gaiden - Hayabusa (name of the main character)
Rad Gravity - Another hard one if you want to tie directly to the name, as it's quite obscure. I can only think of Anti Gravity.
Zelda 2 - Again, not much inspiration! Think i've exausted my brain! How about Broken Link? (as in a broken web link?)

Good luck with the levels!  

[sh00takai]

If you're going for the theme of "glitching" for Cheetah Men, how about "Cheater Men"?

Couple of suggestions for the remaining levels...

Castlevania - Thirst (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirst_%282009_film%29)
Castlevania 2 - Hunger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_%28film%29)

...bit of synergy between the two...

Battletoads - Toad Licker (Rumour of getting high by licking toads, also a play on "taking a licking", for being badly beaten. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoactive_toad#Rumors_and_misconceptions)
Bubble Bobble - Struggling for this one. Only thing I can think of, is if this was the last level to call it Bubble Wrap, as in the phrase "That's a wrap!" when a movie finishes filming.
Mega Man 4 - Egotist (to tie in with the earlier name, same as Castlevania's naming)
Ninja Gaiden - Hayabusa (name of the main character)
Rad Gravity - Another hard one if you want to tie directly to the name, as it's quite obscure. I can only think of Anti Gravity.
Zelda 2 - Again, not much inspiration! Think i've exausted my brain! How about Broken Link? (as in a broken web link?)

You're quite right about the problem with more obscure games and level names. I need to make this pack more accessible to everyone because some names are familiar only to certain groups of people. Thank you for pointing this out.

"What were they thinking!?" is a reference to AVGN who reviewed Cheetah Men some time ago, but "Cheater Men" sounds way better and more accessible. I still doubt if anyone even knows the game if not familiar with AVGN videos.

"The Curse Breaker" is the stripped plot summary of Simon's Quest and I think it's clear enough, but the name of the original Castlevania needs to be thought again. Something related to the continuity between the two games could work, like a reference to the first game's final twist where turns out that Dracula had already planned to die in order to lay a curse on Belmont and have a chance to reincarnate again much stronger.

You're also right about the visual side of the levels. I need to pay a lot of attention to it and it will probably take a lot more time building noticeable back / fore layers than I initially planned. It doesn't bother me though, it will be fun to recreate these games visually.

Toad Licker, Bubble Wrap, Egotist and Hayabusa are awesome names, but Anti Gravity and Broken Link need more alternatives. I wrote one alternative for both in the topic, but the final names will popup eventually. For now, it seems like this is turning into a pretty solid entity and I can get a lot of levels done already. I'll start editing the Duck Tales level now and keep you updated.

[Stevolutionary]

"The Curse Breaker" is the stripped plot summary of Simon's Quest and I think it's clear enough, but the name of the original Castlevania needs to be thought again. Something related to the continuity between the two games could work, like a reference to the first game's final twist where turns out that Dracula had already planned to die in order to lay a curse on Belmont and have a chance to reincarnate again much stronger.

How about Curse Maker and Curse Breaker then? I think the use of The is probably redundant, and as space is limited in the title may make them too large for the text box on the level select, so it'd be best to check first.

Rad Gravity is definitely tough, as it's one i'm almost certain will not be known by sight by many people, so would need a variation of Rad or Gravity in the name. With Cheetah Men I must confess i'd never heard of it either as i'd not seen the AVGN episode, but as lame as Cheater Men is as a name, it would at least give me a reasonable chance of discovering the source.

Really can't think of many puns for Legend of Zelda 2. How about I am Error? - http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-am-error.

[sh00takai]

How about Curse Maker and Curse Breaker then? I think the use of The is probably redundant, and as space is limited in the title may make them too large for the text box on the level select, so it'd be best to check first.

Rad Gravity is definitely tough, as it's one i'm almost certain will not be known by sight by many people, so would need a variation of Rad or Gravity in the name. With Cheetah Men I must confess i'd never heard of it either as i'd not seen the AVGN episode, but as lame as Cheater Men is as a name, it would at least give me a reasonable chance of discovering the source.

Really can't think of many puns for Legend of Zelda 2. How about I am Error? - http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-am-error.

I agree with you 100%. Plain "Curse Maker" and "Curse Breaker" are fine and "Cheater Men" is the best choice in the end. I was actually a bit worried about the max length of level titles too. I love your suggestion for Zelda 2! I had completely forgotten about that townsperson, brought up a nice flash of memories.

I finished the Duck Tales level yesterday and I love speedrunning it, but I encountered an annoying visual problem that has to be handled somehow in many levels. For example, in the selected Duck Tales part, the level foreground is mostly white/gray stone and the background is a brown wall with some green elements. I recreated that by placing somewhat similar blocks and coloring the layers to match the original... and it came out horrible.

As meat boy is red, it's really hard to tell where he goes at times because he blends to the background too much, even after trying out several shades of brown. The foreground doesn't fit well into the background either and I don't think it's worth the annoyance to use the exact original colors. I will probably make them much more pleasant to the eye and try not to put too much decorative crap around.

Anyway, I'll post a video / screens about the finished Kid Icarus and Duck Tales levels tonight and move on to Zelda 2 next.

[Stevolutionary]

Good stuff! Glad I can give a bit of inspiration with the titles. Just a shame I don't have the editor, but I really want to avoid being sucked into the portal! May relent eventually though...  

Lastly, I finally had a Rad Gravity idea. How about U Rad? http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/u-mad

[sh00takai]

Good stuff! Glad I can give a bit of inspiration with the titles. Just a shame I don't have the editor, but I really want to avoid being sucked into the portal! May relent eventually though...  

Lastly, I finally had a Rad Gravity idea. How about U Rad? http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/u-mad

Perfect! Where would I be without your clever suggestions.

[Stevolutionary]

Good stuff! Glad I can give a bit of inspiration with the titles. Just a shame I don't have the editor, but I really want to avoid being sucked into the portal! May relent eventually though...  

Lastly, I finally had a Rad Gravity idea. How about U Rad? http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/u-mad

Perfect! Where would I be without your clever suggestions.

Hahaha! No worries man, you're doing the actual hard work!

[Stevolutionary]

Just realised you also requested a chapter title. How about Nesoteric? - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esoteric

[Phleabt!]

I think that the last level of the chapter should be something Mario related, like the last level, everyone knows the ending.