Alright, got another hot 'n fresh episode comin' up here.

https://youtu.be/GUxX6mwl8Fw

This week we're taking a look at:

Pink Space - bruce-lee1947
Ancient Fantasy - keepinwavey
The City! - TaRrBoiY
The Adventure of Floating Islands - vollpiix
HARD 3 v1.15 - blindfire07

For the most part a pretty fun batch of levels here. Was really happy how the hub turned out as well, so that's neat. Took a bit longer to put together than expected, but still, done with time to spare.

Behind the curtains stuff: We're in the process of putting together episode 38 as we speak...i keep on doing this to myself, don't i? Getting some idea at the last minute, and having to do a ton more set-up and testing than entirely necessary. Eh...as long as it keeps working out, i suppose it's fine.

i'm typing this up on LBPC, and hoping the post will go through. Who knows?

As always, i'm glad you're all having a good time with the series, and i hope you're trying and finding some levels that you like. Keep the feedback coming, every little bit helps.

Y'all have a great day, now, yeah? Thanks for everything!

Eep oop ork ah ah, that means Tueday Takeaway.

Pink Space - bruce-lee1947
Man, i wish you could just skip the title drop bits, they feel like they take forever. i actually beat it this time (turns out only two others did, and one was bruce), and i can say, as much as i hate to, that at no point does this become a good level. It remains kludgy and cobbled together, poorly communicative, and just plain confusing throughout. That bit we got stuck on in the video is a great example. See, you're supposed to pull both switches, then go back and reset them to their original positions. There's no indication this is a thing to be done, no visual or auditory cues, i only tried because *shrug* why not? Bruce seems to be trying a lot of different things here, and i have to give them that; but maybe, just maybe, they should focus on one, get it right, and build a level around that.

Ancient Fantasy - keepinwavey
Still a very solidly presented level with a quite good BGM, but the gameplay can be frustrating as heck. Part of that is cameras, i think. Wavey does a good job showing the environment, but not always such a good job at showing what's important in it, and where you ought be going. There are also a number of places where the most sensible path is distinctly not the one presented (a good example is at the start of the really frustrating hook hat bit at the end). That's not necessarily a bad thing, mind; sequence breaking is, after all, one of the best things about Metroidvanias. As an aside, but i seem to have the devil's own time trying to judge when to jump onto or off of climbing bits that are moving through layers.

The City! - TaRrBoiY
Yeah, it's the LBP equivalent of Rickrolling (thanks for pointing that out, KG!).

The Adventure of Flying Islands - vollpiix
i broke the level! Turns out if you die while the Adventure Board is wrapping things up, it causes the game to freak out a little. i respawned at the last checkpoint, except everything was blurry and out-of-focus. Got back to where the end should be, and the Board wouldn't retrigger. but you can see the board's frame, just a bit above. How weird. It's good something new happened, because there wouldn't be much else to talk about. It's still a very pretty level, with fairly slight gameplay. Really quite quick if you don't bother with point bubbles. i noticed this time, that vollpiix does have a bit of a bob on their islands, but only the ones with the propellers on them; so they're not unfamiliar with the concept, at least.

HARD 3 v1.15 - blindfire07
i still don't know what Super Jump they're talking about in the loading screen. i quite liked the music here, it's just so bouncy (though it will get repetitive after 5minutes or so). Limited myself to 5lives, because i've got things to do, and otherwise i'd be here all day. This isn't my favourite level in this style, but i do appreciate the almost monomaniacal focus on gameplay over visual presentation. Still, i think my fever for these types of levels may be slightly on the wane, and a bit of a break may be for the best; hopefully we won't have a spate of them in the next few episodes (i'm pretty sure there aren't any in the next one, but last Thursday feels fairly far away at the moment). Anyways, HARD is hard. At least for me. Wasn't able to reach my last best of Stage 22 this time, but i'm fine with that.

So that's the that. Everything has some value, even Pink Sky (if only as a learning exercise). i probably would've been more forgiving of The City! if i hadn't been recording it (or, at least, just confused as opposed to cheesed). Though, on the other hand, i guess that can be its own kind of entertainment.

Behind the curtain stuff: We're in the middle of setting up the hub for the 18th's episode. i've got things to the point of details and then dialogue/cameras. i've got a week's vacation coming up, with no money, and my wife out of town for a chunk of it, so i'm not in a particular rush. There should be a few more weeks of alternate hubs, but we're going to have to settle on something a little more long term eventually; i don't think i can keep the pace of making a new hub every week for the remaining 17episodes of the season. i'm also going to try for that LBP1 platinum. i'm basically free to play anytime between the 11th and the 14th. i'll have to put up a "help wanted" post in the LBP forum.

As always, i'm glad you're all enjoying this, and appreciate all the support and feedback. Y'all have a great day now, eh?