Castle Turtlevania

Rating
6.9
Reviews:
6
Downloads:
361
Date uploaded:
7 Dec 2016 at 21:44 (Minor update on 28 Feb 2017)

Download details

Re-upload/Edit Download
Author
Speaktrap (More uploads by Speaktrap)
Type
Single player
Credits
Some stolen snippets and music, too lazy to write them all down
Version
TSF+ (This file requires JJ2+)
Satisfaction
N/A
Screenshots

File contents

turtlevania.j2l Castle Turtlevania 25.20 kB 03 Dec 2016
HauntedH1fix.j2t HauntedH Fixed 364.86 kB 05 Jan 2015
Pip Malt - Amiable Arachnids.it Amiable Arachnids 4027.30 kB 04 Jun 2010
Pip Malt - Redemption.it Redemption (Shadows Fall) 2521.07 kB 07 Mar 2009
Pip Malt - The Serpent's Wings.it The Serpent's Wings 1317.24 kB 10 Mar 2009
fear2.mod fear 2 237.95 kB 03 Jan 2015
goodbye_world.mod goodbye world 128.08 kB 02 Jan 2015
life_of_stagelife.mod life of stagelife 117.16 kB 03 Jan 2015
turtlevania-music.mod castlevania 1 35.83 kB 03 Dec 2016
KNEW.S3M No one knew 956.22 kB 17 Aug 1996
WHISPER.S3M The Whispering Rain 383.66 kB 08 Nov 1996
._turtlevania.j2as 0.17 kB 07 Dec 2016
turtlevania.j2as 23.56 kB 07 Dec 2016

Description

A Castlevania inspired Metroid-like level.

After about a year of stagnant development I decided to at least roughly wrap this level up and upload here on J2O.
I’m not fully satisfied with the outcome, but I got tired of this tileset very long ago and there are few fun quirks I wish to share with you.
The code is a mess, but my next metroidvania level (and I hope this time will be finished much faster and more polished) is already leaner from the ground-up.
But if despite of this anyone is interesed in expanding this pack you’re free to go!
In the meantime I wish you at least half a fun :)

I almost forgot: here’s the missing file (just a climatic ambient on the start of the level)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6KmVRnBmlTNb2dzNmxtaXVfNGs/view?usp=sharing

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Quick Reviews Average: 6.8

gorkemdeniz rated 6.2

The Tileset is pretty solid, eyecandy.
Some interesting Script features but having no checkpoints is really disappointing for such as newbie as myself.
Liked the Music picks, surely fits on the atmosphere, especially for boss fights.

Recommendedcooba rated 7

While I agree this is flawed I believe it’s a bit more than the sum of its parts.

RecommendedPurpleJazz rated 7.2

Despite all of its flaws, I did enjoy this level. Despite the rather spartan visuals and simple gameplay, it was a decent attempt at bringing Castlevania style gameplay and atmosphere to JJ2, perhaps helped by the excellent music choices. I thought the ending was rather anti-climactic though; a final boss would’ve been nice.


User Reviews (Sort by Helpful Index or Date Posted) Average: 6.9

RecommendedReview by Blackraptor

Posted:
6 Apr 2017, 08:09 (edited 6 Apr 17, 08:09)
Way better than Aiko (862 Points)
Number of reviews with ratings464 Featured reviews35 Average helpfulness92%
Rating
7.3

Blacky’s Single Player Catch Up Review #4:

My time spent playing this map was in near equal parts awe and frustration. My advice would definitely be set up a checkpoint/lives system of some kind so you could expand the level, more routes and areas but less dead ends, less linearity but way more direction (I had no idea where to access the chaos realm and eventually ran into it by luck/accident for example, because it was hidden with no indication), spend the same focus and passion on eyecandy and actual level design as on the creativity of the scripting. You have done a better homage to Castlevania than I have with my sprawling colossal single player level, I have never been as hyped about something I rated in the 7’s as I am about this, I feel like the shortcomings in this level are a lot easier to improve upon compared to the stuff you did well, there is lots of potential here – it’s like a swing that was almost a grand slam but was ruled a foul ball or something. Looking forward to your next upload!

3 of 3 users found this a good review. Did you? Yes/No

Review by TreyLina

Posted:
8 Dec 2016, 21:45 (edited 10 Dec 16, 06:48)
Bee Boy Swarm (46 Points)
Number of reviews with ratings27 Featured reviews4 Average helpfulness63%
Rating
6.5
Ok, so apparently this level is Jazz-only…

The error should be specified that you have to play as Jazz (instead of totally nothing), and neither should Spaz be able to play since he looks incredibly awkward with Jazzes abilities (he has uppercut even though he lacks sprites for it). Which is inconsistent because Lori can’t play at all.

EDIT: Okay, “done” playing. Before anyone goes crazy at the rating, read the cons. This contains many spoilers.

Overview
In this level, you start as Jazz (or a Spaz that works weird), incapable of running. Instead of blaster, you get a weapon that behaves like a boomerang. Gain abilities such as running, turning into Chuck the bird and antigrav. You will also gain some (mostly) classic ammo and powerups along the way, to access more areas. Also, many custom bosses must be fought along the way.

Pros
More scripting fun – new bosses (or at least mechanically) and abilities you gain throughout the game.

You can play as the bird, Chuck! (later on)

A few points for creativity.

Overall good music choices. Each boss and sub-world has its own track. None of them have been used before and fit pretty well, if I recall.

Cons
This level completely eliminates the lives system and has no checkpoints. Infact, it doesn’t allow you to start from the beginning of the level after death either. So instead, you must tediously exit the level and restart from the menu. This is not fun by any measure. And gives no chance for the player to stop and take a break.

So, when you enter the Chaos Realm and collect all the coins then reach the warp, you arrive at “Yuo are dead” in its incorrectly spelled glory. Then I look up in JCS…OH, you have a wall to destroy in this room, and then you win! What is this moon logic?

Now, for the less bothersome cons

There’s no difficulty support, or at least there doesn’t seem to be.

Shooting upwards with your default weapon looks incredibly buggy/underpolished. The HUD flickers and an array of sound spam happens, though nothing comes out. Also, it would be nice if the default weapon made its appearance on the HUD instead of blaster.

The Clock tower to enter the Chaos Realm is layer 3’d. Such key areas are usually indicated by well, not being tiles that are normally completely solid. Which strikes as a bit unintuitive. It wouldn’t matter as a secret, though.

It looks pretty barren. Especially eyecandy-wise.

Maybe it’s just my bias for dislike of mazes for finding the Devils Gallery more tiresome and tedious than anything. But it’s also where the barren look sticks out the most. Some transitions aren’t so smooth, resulting in a part of the layout flicking away in a flash (particularly that bookcase and bottom-right window).

Enemies that respawn right in front of you. SDjksdjakjhjk.

Some empty deadends. :( Ammo could be placed into them.

At Castle Wall, there are thin platforms that invisibly lose collision when you get hit. It looks buggy (because absolutely no one would expect why it happens here – it’s not suggested in any way) and either way, it’s not really fun.

The full carrots are also unintuitive. On my first play attempt, I avoided them because I assumed they were just carrots that fully restored your health, not increased your max amount, since they looked exactly the same. Perhaps change the colour of them?

You can take normal carrots even though you have full health. This does not normally happen in JJ2. There’s a good reason for that.

I guess it’s just a nitpick/personal dislike, though I don’t like the run function being removed, even if running is made into a powerup. It feels kind of tedious. To me, a lot of the charm of JJ2 comes in being able to go fast. Even a jog would be more acceptable (faster than walking but slower than running).

The controls to get flight mode is awkward. I got it consistently eventually, but I think it would be a better idea to use one of the unused ammo numbers instead (like a toggle).

Conclusion
This level has some potential, though it has a lot of confusing design and a few elements I dislike, and too punishing on players for dying. Not recommended for less-skilled/easily frustrated players, but more seasoned ones may want to check it out.

…I preferred Damn Lava Planet. Sorry.

EDIT: I’d also like to note I only died twice. Which was on the first boss – so it’s not a matter of me rating 6.5 simply because of the no lives/checkpoint system. I could see this being a 7 or 8, depending on the amount of (or which) issues are fixed.

4 of 6 users found this a good review. Did you? Yes/No

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