New Pre-stream Archive! In Which We Discuss Retrush, ADHD Meds, And Getting Out From The Holding Pattern

new pre-stream archive! in which we discuss Retrush, ADHD meds, and getting out from the holding pattern that such a big project put me in…

you've probably noticed the glitched out HUD by now – it just uses a custom foreground to display some static elements on top of the regular HUD. the effect covers up all but the last digit of the timer, dialing up the tension… as you never know how much time is truly left!

this would be a nightmare if the timer was ever too strict, but let's pull back the curtain here – every single section gives you the maximum 50 in-game seconds (20 real seconds). that's enough time that the player knows when they're going too slow, so timing over feels fair.

getting the checkpoints to look corrupted was also fun – i didn't want to give away that they're all set to 50, so i came up with six unique ways of representing the number. the simple ones to explain are hexadecimal, binary, and scientific notation (5x10¹).

the other three are more complicated, like "%)" are the symbols above 5 and 0 on the keyboard's number row.

there's also the number 1 50 times, which looks SO silly…

and my personal favorite, "settime(50)" except the number is obscured by one of the background tiles! hehehe~

one last thing to mention is the "game over" transition cutscene that starts with the glitched flagpole in Vinegar Void. it was super challenging to put together and uses a lot of shortcuts, so i'm amazed that the effect still shines through. i made the sfx myself in Famistudio!

the cutscene bridges the whole crescendo of World 4, building on the level-by-level ascent into space and crashing into the chaotic mayhem of the finale. it's the centerpiece of the main campaign, the wow factor, the one thing i most dreamed of seeing people's reactions to…

so imagine my horror when I ACCIDENTALLY BROKE IT FOR MY BETA TESTERS. they didn't realize there was supposed to be a cutscene at all, and it made me quite sad!!

luckily, that incident got me to make sure i had it fixed in time for the full release.

so i want to give a HUGE shoutout to @notquiteapex for having the best reaction to the cutscene that i could've ever hoped for… from confusion to shock to realization to laughter, everything i dared dream of. it was such a treat to see live 💖

to wrap things up, i have just two regrets about the stage itself… one is that people stub their toes on some rough edges, but this is the first time i've attempted to balance a level like this! the other is that i wish i could've used more corrupted tiles and sanity effects 😈

but i want to set aside those regrets, because i poured my heart and soul into this ambitious finale, and i am SO proud of myself for pulling through to the end. what an incredible way to cap off the main campaign of Retrush! i hope my first real game has a finale this good~

Marshmallow Mash-Up (4-4) | Retrush

FLAGRANT SYSTEM ERROR. sprint to the finish line as the game itself corrupts around you in real time, smashing together data from every previous level into the ultimate test of confidence and finesse!

Kolache Keep (3-4) | Retrush #Mari0

This classic castle features bridges that sink behind the lava on a timer, meaning less room to slip past the fire bars and other enemies. The cycles all line up for an impressive run, but the execution is extra tight!

new pre-stream archive! in which i announce a stream in advance, discuss my impressions of Tears of the Kingdom, and talk through just what exactly I'll be getting myself into on Friday...

i remember just enough about these levels that i can't contain my excitement. experimental blends of mario and portal elements. wildly inconsistent castles. WAY too many mazes. impossible to guess secret paths. levels so bad i buried them on purpose. an honest to god plot twist

y'all have NO idea what we're in for on friday it's gonna be magical. i'm going to be so nostalgic. i'm going to cringe into the stratosphere

FRIDAY'S FEATURE STREAM: come watch me replay my first ever Mari0 fangame, New Super Mario World! i haven't seen it in years, so i'll be live-reacting to all of my old levels – the good, the bad, and the VERY ugly. this is a one-of-a-kind stream that you don't want to miss!

New Super Mario World was the VERY FIRST time i got to make Mario levels, ever. before even Super Mario Maker! as we go through all 60 levels, you'll get to see where i got my start as a level designer while i reminisce on old memories and lessons learned. it's gonna be a good time~

the stream airs on Friday, June 2nd at 7pm central time (UTC-5)! you can view the time in your time zone or add it to your calendar from my Twitch schedule: https://www.twitch.tv/skysometric/schedule?segmentID=a1a31b05-4ed2-41c3-b998-504f22509537

you can also follow me here or on Twitch to get notified when i go live: https://www.twitch.tv/skysometric

new stream archive! in which we get lost in both sidequests AND main quests, eventually finding our way to the wind element! spent a lot of time with my head in the clouds, ehehe~