Code Landfill

Chapter 3: Code Landfill Make a Good Mega Man Level: Episode Zero

In Tier X, having spaghetti code is equivalent to having a large carbon footprint. Recycle and don't litter, programmers!

Overview Creator(s): snoruntpyro Composer(s): flashygoodness, SUNSOFT (originals) 8BitDanooct1 (cover) Statistics Rank: Chapter 3 Collectables: 024: Dr. Cossack 044: Steel Massimo 089: Cloud Devil 2.0 Enemies: Beach Koopa Bullet Bill Crash Blaster Glitch Gremlin Jumping Piranha Plant Koopa Troopa Gimmicks: Ball 'N' Chain Falling Platform (MM2) Glass Platform Lock Pool Maze Warp Reflect Block Thwomp Bosses: Cloud Devil 2.0

Theme Music Super Secret Service - Defend the President! Boss: Shanghai II - Panic Stage Order

Code Landfill is a level in Chapter 3 of Make a Good Mega Man Level: Episode Zero. A dual-combination of Pollution Park from Make a Good 24 Hour Mega Man Level and Mario Land from Make a Good Mega Man Level 2, the level has Zero entering a poorly-made simulation created by the extradimensional Tier X. Along with enemies and gimmicks from Mario Land, enemies from Pollution Park appear in glitchy and altered forms, while the major standout gimmick is brown pools of water floating in the air. If Zero enters one such pool, he will be completely locked in place and reliant on his momentum to carry him out. This level can be quite unforgiving, with many Lock Pool challenges requiring quick thinking and reflexes to avoid instant death.

Strategy

Beach Koopas and Koopa Troopas are introduced, alongside Jumping Piranha Plants lurking inside pipes. Very quickly, a high wall blocks the main path, while a Lock Pool hangs in the air. The only way to scale the wall is to perform a moving jump into it, so that Zero's momentum carries him up and over. Mastering the use of momentum with Lock Pools is essential, as soon after (and many times later on), long pits or spike floors can only be crossed by jumping or dashing through the brown water. A CD marker to the left of a Glass Platform and a Thwomp trio indicates a short sidepath, where multiple Lock Pools must be used to cross hazardous terrain, often requiring split second decisions before a Falling Platform drops out from under Zero. The first CD lies at the end, which also loops Zero back to the room right below the Glass Platform.

After the first checkpoint, Bullet Bill blasters start appearing, and will shoot at Zero when he's not directly up against them. A vertical-scrolling area soon appears, again requiring the use of Lock Pools to climb, and not long after, Crash Blasters appear, and will shoot Crash Bombs at Zero as long as he's in range. Past them is the second checkpoint, located in a long hallway filled with Ball 'N' Chains. While many of them spin in a 360 degree circle, the last one in the area instead swings back and forth like a pendulum. These spinning maces quickly become more perilous, with some orbiting small blocks over bottomless pits. Another minor split path appears, again with a CD marker indicating the split; the bottom path is a comparatively simple set of enemies, while the upper path is filled with more Lock Pools and Ball 'N' Chains in the way of the second CD. Falling here, however, allows Zero to backtrack and try again.

Even more Ball 'N' Chain perils follow, including four swinging around a small platform. If the Icicle Chip is in Zero's possession, the Blank Drive's ice shield can prevent the maces from damaging him, though they will quickly deplete the shield's durability. Otherwise, more careful movement is key, especially with a row of pendulum Ball 'N' Chains above a Lock Pool - to avoid damage, airdash through when the maces are about to swing from behind. Just beyond a long diagonal stream of Lock Pools (which requires a dashjump to cross) is another checkpoint, and the first appearance of Glitch Gremlins. They often appear in large numbers, making the Z-Burst a useful weapon. Yet another marker denotes a CD path to the left of some infinitely spawning Beach Koopas, and this one is entirely dedicated to fast-moving Ball 'N' Chains. Once again, careful timing is needed to get past them without falling into the pit, with the Icicle Drive and/or Double Jump helping immensely. If Zero gets to the end, he'll find a CD and return to the main path via Maze Warp.

The last stretch of the level combines all the myriad gimmicks and hazards together into one challenging gauntlet, with Ball 'N' Chains and Thwomps not only working as standalone threats, but as proxy shields for other enemies. The final challenge right before the boss door stands out, with three Ball 'N' Chains orbiting a Bullet Bill blaster while surrounded by a bottomless pit. While the Double Jump can easily jump into the Lock Pool above it, without the upgrade it can be tricky to safely time a jump onto the blaster. If Zero makes it, however, he will be met with the level's boss, Cloud Devil 2.0.

Z-Phone Dialogue

	Contact	Transcript
	Dr. Wily	Code Landfill? What the heck? You entered a simulation, somehow, but something about this seems horribly wrong. Oh, dear lord. This data is so unorganized and incomprehensible that I'm not even going to try. Did you enter some bootleg simulation?! Don't accept simulations from strangers. That's my best advice.
	Agent Krantz	Krantz: Code Landfill? That place looks really bizarre... I'll call that brown water a "Lock Pool" since it seems like it'll lock your movements. If you enter, you won't be able to move until you leave the pool, but you'll keep your velocity. You can use that to your advantage by aiming your velocity in a particular direction before entering. Zero: So, what happens if the direction I aim at has a wall? Krantz: Hmm... by that logic you'd get stuck, but I doubt that'd actually happen. These aren't black holes after all. I'd say you'd be fine, but avoid getting stuck just to be safe.
	Galaxy Man	(CD #1): Oh, for this one, when you drop down in the level for the first time, climb over that left ledge! Then you'll be on a super secret path with some dangerous challenges! Brrr! (CD #2): Oh, keep your eye out for a ladder off to the right guarded by a spikey mace thing! Climb up it! After that, you gotta master your momentum! Dashing isn't always the answer! (CD #3): Keep an eye out for a big ledge where turtles are constantly sliding down, and go left there! Then, you'll have to dodge some maces, and the CD's yours! Just be careful. Shield if you need to.
	Yamato Man	Yamato Man: Cloud Devil 2.0? Where's the first? In any case, when it lightningbolts the center of the screen and creates sparks that fly out, just stand still close to the corners and you'll be fine. That series of fast blue bolts might be hard to dodge at first, but it always fires them out in the same exact order, so just memorize it! Don't underestimate it though, I'm pretty sure it's got a trick up its sleeve once it's injured enough... Zero: Why are you being so vague, are you not trying to help me? Yamato Man: I can't just ruin the surprises, can I?! Fighting isn't just about winning easily, it's about creating an exciting experience! It's about the romance! Either way, he won't change his strategy too much once that happens, you'll just have to adjust to different... battle conditions.
	Knives	Knives: Ewww! This place isn't even hazardous, it's just gross. A no-go for a date! Have you even seen the brown water?? Who wants to go in brown water?? Not even discussing that! And all the bombs and glitches and stuff. That place's like a big onion! Makes me wanna cry! Zero: Why? Knives: The very fiber of its existence is flawed, and as such I can do nothing but pity it! For it is nothing but a lost soul, corrupted by sinful programming practices! Zero: Okay.

Trivia

• The use of Mario Land assets in a level themed around glitches and bad programming is a thinly-veiled jab at Mario Land's notoriously buggy and error prone status both during MaGMML2's development and after its release.
• Ironically, during the later stages of development many problems arose with the Megamix Engine's lock pool system (after which the brown water gimmick is named), meaning even the main gimmick ended up fitting the level's theme.