Lime and Lame

2nd: Lime and Lame Make a Good 48 Hour Mega Man Level

Hey now, second place isn't lame at all!

Overview Creator(s): NBlast Composer(s): SEGA, Takashi Tateishi (originals) Reyn The Insane (cover) Statistics Scores: 93 72 97 87 Total: 87.25 / 100 Rank: 2nd Elements: 1 Box Items: Hotchkiss'n Komasaburo Peterchy Block Train Lever Enemies: Hotchkiss'n Komasaburo Peterchy Gimmicks: Block Train Key Barrier Lever Reflect Block Bosses: Quick Man Other Information: M-Jacq's Favorite

Theme Music Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - Hydrocity Zone Act 1 Boss: Mega Man 2 - Boss Stage Order Location: Tier 11 Previous: Deep Within the Jungle Next: Mystic Museum

Lime and Lame is the second place entry in Make a Good 48 Hour Mega Man Level. A level with a predominantly lime green palette, it focuses on using Levers to add and remove terrain from the level, with a secondary gimmick in Block Trains that usually travel in short loops. A common enemy in the level is Komasaburo, whose tops can ambush Mega Man if he isn't careful.

Strategy

The Search Snake is useful in the first section, as both Komasaburo and Peterchy remain on the ground. In the section following it, timing jumps past the tops is crucial; jumping through with the Flame Mixer works, but isn't completely foolproof. After pulling down a Lever, Mega Man can travel along the Komasaburo's height and climb a ladder leading to a Key; this alcove can be seen from the previous section. The next area introduces Block Trains that move from left to right and vice versa, as well as Hotchkiss'ns that attack from the air. In the drop before the next area, Mega Man should fall down the left pit rather than take the ladder, as he will flip a Lever that activates a ladder to another key. However, hold left or right while doing this, as otherwise he will fall into a bottomless pit on the next screen. This next area combines the two gimmicks by having Block Trains circling near Levers, which need to be pulled to create solid ground. The Homing Sniper and Flame Mixer are useful for clearing away Hotchkiss'ns, while the Rush Jet can skip over the Block Trains and bring Mega Man up to the enemies' level.

Just before the next checkpoint are a pair of Komasaburos shielded by Reflect Blocks; close by them, below some spikes, is a Lever that will remove the ground under them, sending them into a pit. A few rooms down below has a slide passage that can be reached by creating a ladder using a switch; inside are some pickups, a friendly Komasaburo on strike, and yet another key. The main path, meanwhile, continues with a long Block Train ride, which requires a Lever to appear. The train crawls over a long chasm and past multiple hazards, including Levers that spawn additional enemies. With the large number of enemies that can appear, the screen can quickly get very cluttered, so liberal use of the Rain Flush helps Mega Man avoid being left behind. At the very end of the ride is the boss door, as well as a trio of Key Barriers; if all three keys have been collected and held onto, Mega Man can unlock them and reach a large Bolt, a 1-Up, and an M-Tank. The boss of the level is Quick Man, who fights in an arena with a slightly uneven floor and two short Block Trains on either side, which he often jumps onto.

Judge Comments

Judge Comments
ParmaJon  : 93 / 100
Design Creativity Function Fun Aesthetic 33 / 35 14 / 15 10 / 10 23 / 25 13 / 15 I love this level a lot. In other reviews, I frequently mention how you can create new gimmicks and new experiences out of existing gimmicks. This is one of those levels that others should look at as an example. The block trains were beautiful. While some could make the argument that there should be visual cues, I don't think they're even necessary since they're usually in very short sections and you can immediately pick up on what you should be doing. Just about every challenge was fun, engaging, and creative. I spent the whole level being excited about what was going to happen next and it delivered. Using keys as collectibles is a pretty cool challenge for essentially bragging rights since there aren't collectibles, but even so I sorta wanna go back and try that since it just seems fun. My only gripe is that the last section can get tedious since it is mostly instant death based. I still like what's there, it's just that there is too much to mess up on and do the longer early section again. The visuals and the music just make the level, it feels so open and so much its own. Overall, fantastic level. Thank you.
PKWeegee  : 72 / 100
Design Creativity Function Fun Aesthetic 23 / 35 11 / 15 10 / 10 17 / 25 11 / 15 Hey, that's pretty good. Enemies were used in creative ways, like the tops being dropped from the ceiling, making a neat timing challenge. Or the flying enemies appearing when flipping certain switches. The Snake blocks were also handled really well, having some really fun and intriguing sections. It's lime, but not lame.
M-Jacq  : 97 / 100
Design Creativity Function Fun Aesthetic 35 / 35 15 / 15 10 / 10 24 / 25 13 / 15 Now here's the sort of level I love. Cramped little hallways, full of nooks and crannies that you crawl through and toggle with, perfectly designed to appeal with my catlike obsession with rummaging around in tight spaces. But this level isn't my favorite just because it caters to my personal neuroses: the central conceit of the level means that there's a fantastic mix of challenges, often on the same screen. Enemy challenges and tricky platforming sidle up right against each other; there's deliberate puzzle platforming and speed segments rubbing shoulders; and the difficulty is fair throughout. MM4 levers are the glue that holds this level together, because they let you fit so much into a tiny space without it looking or feeling like a squeeze. (I feel the same way about Yoku Blocks, actually, although those are super ripe for misuse.) Now, where this level falters ever so slightly is with the block trains, which are used here not merely for an extended (and enjoyable) Citadel Basement homage but as makeshift moving platforms. These, I didn't care for - they make your movement bumpy and clippy, and it's tricky to figure out exactly where they begin or end. (I think all you needed to fix that is to just alter their sprites a little.) I'm not super enthused with the Quick Man fight just by dint of not liking to fight Quick Man, and being mildly irritated by boss rooms that shoehorn in the surrounding stage gimmicks. But these are really minor flaws in a level with a lot of ingenious setups. I'll single out my favorite section in this level - and the entire contest, possibly. It's the section where the Top Boys (not their name, but admit it, you call 'em Top Boys too) are positioned at the top of the screen, where they function as makeshift crystal droppers - until you flip a switch and remove the gaps between them, letting you backtrack and mow them down in rapid succession. And then when you climb up to get the key and head back down, they've respawned and are ready to "ambush" you. Now *that* is some slick design. And there's plenty of moments which are similarly brilliant. Fantastic stuff.
Freems  : 87 / 100
Design Creativity Function Fun Aesthetic 30 / 35 13 / 15 10 / 10 22 / 25 12 / 15 I had a lot of fun with this one. You had a clear idea of what to do with the pieces handed to you and you made it work out really really well. The block train wasn't just used as the normal train and had plenty of uses throughout the level (though the ones going left and right were a liiitttle janky at times, it wasn't a deal breaker), I'm a little sucker for good usage of the levers changing how the level works and they were never unfair with what they spawned or how you activated them (any blind jump would catch you with plenty of room to spare). I also enjoyed how the Top enemies usually stayed at the top to provide another hazard while platforming rather than acting as your normal enemy type. I would say that a couple sections might go on just a taaaaddd too long (or has a tad too much going on) but it's rather minor in the grand scheme of things. And there were plenty of checkpoints to compensate and it never really felt stale, which is important if you're going to make a longer level. Also shoutouts for getting me to think "Quick Man isn't going to be affected by these blocks???" and the first thing he does is land on it to prove me wrong. Good show!

Notes

• In v1.0 of MaG48HMML, one Peterchy intended to be imprisoned by a Lever-controlled platform would escape upon entering the section. This bug was not in the original level submission, and was fixed in subsequent versions.