20th January 2008, 5:37 PM
The worst part about level two is the warps -- while in level one finding the exit isn't too hard because of how the level is pretty much a straight (curving) path from start to end, level two is much more involved, with large interior platforms, etc, and the exit is in an area separate from the rest of the level. You have to take a warp to get there, and you need to take another warp to get to the area with that warp in it... it's obvious something special is needed because on the map there are walls separating you from those areas and there are no transit tube passages going through the gaps, and indeed there are warps... I think the warp paths are semi-visible as dashed lines (maybe), but even so finding them is hard. I eventually said "okay, it's GOT to be in the area past that wall of flames" and indeed, there it was. That level was quite frustrating before I figured that out... (and yes, getting past the fire isn't easy. I did manage it eventually, though... it pretty much requires full health and some luck, I'd say, unless there's a trick I didn't figure out (can it be disabled or something? If it can I didn't manage to figure out how.)... can't walk over it on the other side of the passage, that little lip there knocks you into the air and the gravity of the side with the flames will grab you and pull you down... no getting around it...)
It's annoying, though, that passwords don't save which music you've unlocked, so every time you play you start with the first song again... (or at least, that's how it seemed to me) but yes, that is a nice touch.
Yeah, that only really works in that mini stage you access through the purple warp. Anywhere else and some other platform's gravity will pull you down before long.
As for the confusion, yes, a lot of it is because of how fast you can go and that when you are going fast you cannot see what is coming at you, so either you have to slow down, just hope you won't get into trouble (and you will!), or constantly check the map, and none of those are really great solutions. Being able to see farther would make it less confusing, as would not being able to go as fast... but they clearly wanted it to be disorienting, so I don't know if they wanted that. :)
Good question, I really have no idea... wait, one goes a little bit higher than the other. Also, in the higher one you flip over in the animation, while in the lower one you just jump -- vital difference there! :D Really, I don't know why they needed two jumps, as you only usually need one of them... but they are slightly different, for as much as that matters.
Quote:I like how if you change the music, you see the character change it in his CD player.
It's annoying, though, that passwords don't save which music you've unlocked, so every time you play you start with the first song again... (or at least, that's how it seemed to me) but yes, that is a nice touch.
Quote:Hmm, this game might have been better had they scaled back the view a bit. It'd be less confusing, I think, to see more of the picture. I'm having trouble doing a speedy jump off a platform and orbiting it, any tips for this? With the way the player does it in the youtube video, it looks like it only works if you have a small planet.
Yeah, that only really works in that mini stage you access through the purple warp. Anywhere else and some other platform's gravity will pull you down before long.
As for the confusion, yes, a lot of it is because of how fast you can go and that when you are going fast you cannot see what is coming at you, so either you have to slow down, just hope you won't get into trouble (and you will!), or constantly check the map, and none of those are really great solutions. Being able to see farther would make it less confusing, as would not being able to go as fast... but they clearly wanted it to be disorienting, so I don't know if they wanted that. :)
Quote:What's the deal with having two different jumps? To look cool?
Good question, I really have no idea... wait, one goes a little bit higher than the other. Also, in the higher one you flip over in the animation, while in the lower one you just jump -- vital difference there! :D Really, I don't know why they needed two jumps, as you only usually need one of them... but they are slightly different, for as much as that matters.