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In this case, rows of coins are turned into platforms that allow Mario to avoid various hazards lurking below. In addition to changing Brick Blocks into collectible coins, the P-Switch can also be used to make level traversal much easier.

This is an example of an interesting Starman mechanic: the Wooden Block dispenses the invincibility powerup, and if Mario is invincible while bumping certain other “?” Blocks, they will also release Starmen instead of coins.Īlthough quite challenging to time, this allows the player to blaze through the level instead of following the more exploratory route. Although it’s possible to destroy them with Raccoon Mario’s spin-attack, the plethora of Buzzy Beetles ensures that the player has many chances to use the enemies in order to carve a path through the level. These tight tunnels are filled with one-off brick walls. Once at the top of the platform - which contains a neat-looking enclosed pool - the player is given a chance to discover another fun continuous-flight mechanic: bumping a horizontal line of Brick Blocks that all dispense coins. This draw the players attention and guides him to discover that he can fly and smash through the entire column without losing any elevation. The top-left corner of the level’s starting position shows a narrow gap plugged up with a bunch of Brick Blocks. When the player gets past the Tweester, the sun detaches from its static position and begins swooping down on Mario. The entire level is designed with this dodging gameplay in mind as its layout is fairly flat and it doesn’t contain many enemies. The Angry Sun doesn’t scroll with the rest of the background, immediately making this level feel unique. The lone brick that survives the destruction also proves to be a Coin Block, rewarding the players that risk activating it. Some of the bricks are deliberately turned into Used Blocks when hit, penning the shell inside and ensuring that it clears a path to the exit pipe. This causes a chain reaction where the shell destroys many of the blocks, but this is far from a randomized event. It’s unlikely that the player will choose - or be able - to dispatch the enemies without stomping on them and sending a stray shell rocketing into the bricks. The end-level pipe is covered with a mound of Brick Blocks patrolled by a couple of Koopa Troopas. It’s also worth noting that the other fortress levels often work to build a similar feeling of suspense (even when they’re actually not any more difficult than the regular stages). Although it’s still possible run underneath them, the player can’t be sure he’ll make it until he’s all the way through. In order to sustain tension, the above Thwomps are positioned at different heights, each one closer to the ground than the last. Of course once the first hazard is avoided, it’s easy to figure out that the others won’t pose any threat.

It’s a common technique to place falling obstacles side by side on the ceiling so that the player can “narrowly” dodge them while running underneath. SMB 3 is filled with great levels, so I decided to pick out a bunch of clever, fun or simply unique moments from the game that originated with its architecture. I skipped over a lot of possible examples trying to keep the list down to 30, but I think I came up with a good collection that complements the original post. In this example, the first appearance of a Chain Chomp is marked by two columns that indicate its range and allow the player to safely observe its behaviour. The elegant introduction of new mechanics is still present throughout SMB 3.

A lot of them naturally dealt with introductory tutorials, but I wanted to take a slightly different approach with this article. In my previous post, I took a look at the various level designs lessons gleaned from Super Mario Bros.