[singing beautifully] Your levels reviewed real good!
575gjlr | “Tree Tree Tree Death” by stofSt0rm | Quick, Package Jump, Panic Moments
This has got to be my favorite package jump level, for a number of reasons. It is short, achievable and generous with checkpoints. It has a theme instead of being pure spikes, and it makes good use of jems and at least one hidden area.
I can wholeheartedly give this the Popdonk Recommends badge!
vqp9z39 | “Some Simple Shenanigans” by Sjosz | Puzzling, Beginner-Friendly, Quick
This level is a very well designed invisible prize block level. Most such levels are trolly, annoying and trivial. This level instead has jems for score hunters, missing blocks for added challenge and is mercifully short. A really great take on the idea.
h3ldv0f | “Flip Flop Flingo” by Zivix @ex37qy | Quick, Casual
A fun casual level by Zivix. It was nice to have a flingo level that encouraged exploration and experimentation, compared to some of the nightmare fuel that was created with flingos first came out.
There is a good use of blending and different tile types to create different visual sections. Good inclusion of checkpoints. The jem gate is easily visible and guides the player. The hidden area is subtle and make the player feel smart when they find it. The clouds create a sense of danger with minimal risk to the player. Overall a good level.
bgm1vx8 | “Crush It Quietly Nicely” by Morp @1swnd2 | Casual, Quick, Simple
A fun, simple level that’s well paced, broken into 3-4 different sections and challenges. It uses a variety of obstacles to stay interesting, and it is generous with the checkpoints. I appreciate the escalating difficulty in such a simple level.
I would consider slight more use of backdrop and terrain to tie together the floating bits a bit more. Also, if this were a much longer level, I’d suggest having separate paths for speedrunners versus jem seekers. Given it’s simplicity, however, that would be overkill here.
wfbxsk7 | “Ramshackle Race Way” by RetrophileTV @d29oze | Waylay, Quick, Casual
This is one of the rare levels that takes a look at the platformer genre of Levelhead and says “How about we not?”. Another example of that is someone making a pinball machine. This level simulates a multi-lap race and nails the theme. The checkerboard flag is such a nice touch.
I found it fun to run around, although I had some trouble getting past the first corner, as I need to get better at flingos. The level overall looks attractive and colorful.
As a proof of concept, this is perfect and i wouldn’t change a thing. But as a new genre, there is so much potential to be explored. for example, I’d love to see a version that has all three of the power ups, and requires each one to complete the laps. Reall innovative stuff!
v0010jn | “Crombler Turbo Jem Dig” by QuantumAnomaly @ya0lqh | Beginner-Friendly, Panic Moments, Quick
Whenever I see Beginner-Friendly and Panic Moments, I am always a little skeptical, but this level pulls it off. It has a nice variety of mechanics, but nothing is ever particularly overwhelming. I love the theme of Cromblers being conscripted to dig a quarry. I want to see a drawing of them with little hard hats now. Overall, a solid level.
0wmrrtw | “Through The Whatever!!” by Retro Banana Man NL @kdkswt | Clever, Quick
Through The Whatever is a great example of what an engaging beginner level should look like. It provides a direct route for speed runners, it provides lots of jems for high score seekers, and it provide plenty of checkpoints for casual players. It’s short, but engaging with interesting puzzles. For me it took 75 seconds the first time exploring, and 33 second speedrunning it.
I really liked the surprises and exploration aspect. Players are encouraged to jump off a cliff into the unknown. There is a mega jem just barely poking out. There is a hidden cache of explosives. All of these things encourages players to explore, gives the non-speedrunner somthing to do, and they all make the player feel smart.
Other brilliant touches is the use of multiple paths in the first puzzle, forcing players to cover the same physical space in multiple ways. I love that there is multiple ways to deal with the flipwip enemies, providing a way to explode them, fight them directly, or completely avoid them.
Another smart piece is the gating mechanism. Retro Banana man uses a package cam to lock the player into the last section of the map. This is great for subtly guiding new players.
Overall, a fun level that meets the needs of multiple audiences. A concise example of good level design. Popdonk Recommends!
vsr4c0r | “Easily… Open Leap Gently!” by Andresian @xxkjkl | Casual, Package Jump, Quick
This is a fun little casual level. The use of backdrop and layout makes it feel like a real place. I really enjoyed the puzzle of having to throw down the package to get across. I loved that there was a single block in the way that prevent you from cheating by just getting a high jump at the beginning.
If it was a bit longer or harder, I’d want a checkpoint, but it is quite short. I only have two possible improvements. First, the second package is a bit of a distractor. I assumed I was going to need it later on and then never did.
Second, I would give some thought to the difficulty level. I would consider making the second half of the level a little harder, since the first package jump does take a bit of skill to accomplish.
Overall a fun little level!
059634d | “Hello, Meet Spike Chainer!” by Bmiclock @smqp4f | Quick, Intense, Panic Moments
Short, sweet and fun. Challenging without being punishing. Forgiving use of checkpoints. Great overall, no recommended changes.
Popdonk Reccomends.
