Mega Man Level 1 Feedback | 3/25/19

My level was a fairly simple introductory level for new Mega Man players. It contained 9 screens, a handful of simple enemies, spikes, ladders, health powerups, and an energy element to end the level. The level was straight forward with no hidden areas or over complicated puzzles.

I think this level was a good introductory level. Being fairly inexperienced with Mega Man, as I have only played about 2 hours total of Mega Man total, I created a level that I thought I would enjoy as a first level. The enemies only took 1-3 hits to defeat, so as to not frustrate the players with an overpowered enemy, and to demonstrate a small variety of the kinds of enemies one might encounter in a Mega Man Game. I included ladders to demonstrate the climbing mechanism, and to also demonstrate to the players that they can use height to their advantage. Spikes were put into place to demonstrate jumping. I scattered health powerups throughout the level to keep the players alive as they played though the level.

My playtesters enjoyed my level for the most part. There weren’t too many enemies crammed into the level, and there were plenty of health power ups scattered throughout the level. Each game mechanic was presented and executed well. However, my level was far from perfect.

Due to the fact that I am very inexperienced with Mega Man and platformers in general, this level would have taken me at least 10 minutes to complete. However, for the more experienced players, it took them just a few minutes to complete the level. 9 screens was far too short for a 10 minute introductory level. The screens also got a bit repetitive, with so many platforms with ladders and repeating enemies.

I think for my next iteration of this level, I would increase the amount of screens by a lot, as to make a longer level. I would also change up the kind and frequency of the platforms and ladders, to change up the screens. For the enemies, I think not having an enemy in every screen (whether strong or weak) would help improve my level a lot. Adding more obstacles would also be beneficial for my level.

I think this level was challenging, but not too challenging, for new players. I myself had a fun time trying to beat my own level and I have little to no skills in platforming games, if not just Mega Man. I think at times it may be a little too hard for someone who hasn’t played Mega Man (or a 2D platformer) before, as they can get overwhelmed by the enemies.

The critical path for my level was very obvious and straightforward. The flow of the level was smooth, with the ladders serving as loading zones for players to prepare themselves between the first, second, and third rows of screens. There were no hidden rooms for players to find, as to not confuse the players.

The circulation elements mainly consisted of the ladders, which acted as loading zones, and lobbies, or “safe” zones, where enemies could not see or hurt the player. The ladders leading from row to row acted as a loading zone, to give the players a bit of rest from all the action. The lobbies gave players time to prepare for the upcoming fights between them and the enemy.

I think this level was a success for players who are inexperienced with Mega Man. For the seasoned veteran, this might be a cakewalk, but for new players I believe it’s a good introduction to the games’ mechanics and controls. This level definitely needs work, and needs to be extended, however this opens up new opportunities to create new layouts and introduce different puzzle-like rooms.