Dev Commentary Time! This Remix Was Made Early Enough That The Foreground Tiles I Mentioned In The Main

dev commentary time! this remix was made early enough that the foreground tiles i mentioned in the main level, Saltine Sewer, were a core part of the remix as well. when i made the decision to cut them, i had to consider the implications in both levels; this kind of back-and-forth between designing the main level and the remix was pretty common!

the most important change is that the Buzzy Beetles hanging from the ceiling would spawn in behind the walls and crawl out into the open, as though they were hiding just out of view. this was a cool effect, but ultimately, axing the foreground tiles completely was more important than a cool effect in one level. so the beetle spawns were replaced with a canned animation, and i called it a day.

looks like i also changed the palette of the beetles; the black is slightly more readable on the gray walls, but the blue is significantly more readable over the dark background.

the red "graffiti" tiles that replaced the foreground tiles are of extra importance here, because the arrows point to the same locations where stars were in the main level – except the bricks are harder to see. did you notice that, in every remix, stars are always in the same locations as their main level counterpart?

the blocks are less obvious than before, but possibly more helpful.

the other big change is that the platforms and gel were in much more frustrating locations in the original version. like, what even is this nonsense? the new version is much more straightforwardly designed while still requiring the player to think about what they're doing.

between this and the old version of Marshmallow Mash-Up, i seem to have really enjoyed getting experimental with the platforms for some reason.

surprisingly, that's... all there is to go over this time! this is another one that i more or less got right when i designed it in old versions of Mari0, which should come as a surprise after everything i described in the previous dev commentary.

you might think that the remixes would have less commentary overall, considering most of the layout work went into the main levels... but i actually have a LOT to say about the rest of the remixes. these are more than just "hard mode" palette swaps, they have as much development history as anything else!

Mango Mantle (A-2) | Retrush

Located deep beneath a castle, this twisty passage features platforms and gel that try to slow your descent enough to bleed the timer dry. Don't let it get to your head, or the enemies will get a bite of you instead!

Blueberry Blizzard (4-1) | Retrush

An icy mountain ascent with slim platforms and enemies flying overhead. Just one slip could cost dozens of precious seconds! The shortcuts here are very technically impressive... and very punishing if you miss.

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!

Tilapia Trench (A-3) | Retrush

The fish might be swimming in this sandy reef... but you still have normal gravity! Some well-timed enemy bounces will help you catch Red Coins dropping in from the top of the level, making for a fun, dynamic run~

Earl-Grey Electricity (4-2) | Retrush

This storm-driven power plant is a maze of portals and platforms aplenty, making the routes hard to follow and the shortcuts even harder to spot. Running this level takes a keen eye and solid execution!

if i were to stream this weekend – possibly even tonight – which would you most like to see