[Review] Program 0.3 by Thriller

I’ve been around Atmosphir for quite awhile, nearly one-and-a-half years. In that time, I’ve seen some pretty crazy stuff come out of Atmosphir, both from the users and the designers themselves. Whether it’s been a ban hammer or a crazy climb through Mario’s intestines, I thought I had seen quite a bit. Today, I was proven wrong when I stumbled upon a new level by the name of Program 0.3 by Thriller.

Immediately you can see why this level is named “Program.” The whole world is a green world resembling some kind of virtual space. A green haze hangs in the air, giving a series of floating shapes (letters, as I discovered after staring for awhile) a very eerie feeling. The design of the level itself is based on the color green, with green blocks making up the structure with small green tiles placed to give of the feel of a computer chip.

The design of the level itself also reminds you of a computer. If you’ve ever looked at something like a motherboard, you’d notice that it appears to be a series of wires that have no symmetry whatsoever. In this level, it’s an organized mess. With random platforms jutting out from every direction, sometimes linking to other floating computer parts, you’ll see how unorganized it is, making it completely organized in a strange way.

The basis of the level is simple enough: collect the treasure and find the finish flag. The treasures themselves are not difficult to find, and you might even stumble upon a secret or two along the way. Of course, you’ll also encounter some difficulties. Upon trying to reach one of the final treasures, you will be assaulted by several skulls, which seem to be invincible. If you use them correctly, they can make it extremely easy to reach other treasure. If not, you’ll be suffering a bit if you want first place on the leaderboard. Reaching the finish flag can be a difficult task if you have skulls attacking you, so try your best to not get them caught in the teleporter!

In terms of unique design, Thriller really takes the cake here. He has done so much with this level in such a short time (the level itself only takes a few minutes to beat if you have any idea what you’re doing), such as creating the strangest noise I’ve heard so far, a door constantly opening and closing within seconds. It sounded like a typewriter or printer of some kind, so of course I was puzzled when I discovered it. This level has truly been programmed to be a thriller, and for that, I applaud you. Keep up the good work, Thriller!

Review by Colinnn.

Midnight Search (Treasurehunt10) by Thunder7102

Some users like longer levels. Some people like the shorter levels. But if you are a player who likes the longer levels, like me, then you will love Thunder7102's level, Midnight Search (Treasurehunt10).

You start off on a floating island. Go through a teleporter that takes you to a cubed shaped object. There are plenty of hidden treasures, which makes this level great for a leader board challenge. The use of gravity in this level is amazing. The end room was outstanding! Thunder used the new gravity tools to make it a room with no gravity, which enabled you to fly. Fly around collecting as much treasure as you possibly can. When you're finished, touch the finish flag, and see what spot you have on the leaders board.

The environment was also awesome! He used the new half blocks to make a cube, while also placing sand blocks, and other props around to make the level more appealing. The treasure was hidden really well. I really love how he didn't make the whole level just on the one cube he had made. You'll see floating islands in the distance, and want to know how to get to them. So you'll need to search for ways to get around.

Review by Trashcan444.

[Review] Capital Ridge [Treasurehunt2010] by Hello

Every review I write comes from the heart. I thoroughly enjoy each and every level I write about for various reasons. Some make an excellent leaderboard challenge. Some have an awesome new concept. Some are just fun in general. Yet despite how much I love the levels I write about, there are only a select few that really blow me away in one way or another. There’s really no definition for what does this and what doesn’t, but tonight I was lucky enough to stumble upon one of my new favorite levels, Capital Ridge by Hello.

It was love at first sight with this one. To begin, let me say that Hello has made the best use of the new blocks since their initial release. Every angle of this level seems to be flawlessly designed, forming what appears to be a very natural level. These rough edges are decorated with patches of grass, bushes, trees, and various structures that give Capital Ridge a very interesting atmosphere. Torches add to the effect, casting a warm glow over various areas of the level, almost enough to make you feel the heat coming from their flames.

Treasurehunt10 brought quite a few of levels where the goal was to collect as much treasure as possible within a time limit. Hello has been generous enough to give us a whole hour to search the ridge, hunting for treasure in every corner. You’ll really have to keep an eye out for the secrets in this level. Hello has hidden some very rewarding caches in some incredibly sneaky places, hidden by carefully placed bushes and discreet holes in the wall. The only requirement for ending the level is collecting 20,000 points and touching the finish flags. On my first run, I managed to reach the flag with 19,000 points and had to backtrack a bit to find the pieces I was missing.

Of course, as with any good treasure level, there’s much more than 20,000 points to keep you going. It will take a true treasure hunter to dig around enough to find the hidden treasure holes spread everywhere. One aspect of the level that had me puzzled (and of course I intend on solving this mystery) is the collection of treasure chests you’ll see as you go through the level. Many of them appear locked, but because I failed to find a key despite how much I looked, I’m left to guess that they’re either activated by triggers or simply there for decoration. Somehow I seriously doubt the latter.

So Hello, you have earned a tremendous amount of respect from me for this lovely level of yours. We haven’t received the Treasurehunt10 results yet, but I wish you nothing but the best of luck. This is truly an Atmosphir masterpiece, and my hat goes off to you for it. I can only eagerly await your next creation. I hope I once again have to pleasure to review your levels.

Side Note: The screenshot above truly does not do this level justice. I encourage you to see the sights for yourself to get the full effect.

Review by Colinnn.

[Review] Sonic Adventure - Emerald Coast AR by Thunder7102

Thunder7102's "Sonic Adventure: Emerald Coast" is a pretty good attempt at a sonic remake. It didn't quite have the same "flow" as the 2D sonic games I remember playing did, and I didn't recognize any of the scenery in the level, but I haven't really played that many sonic games, so that isn't for me to say. The hardest part of the level is where you collect the four temporary jump and run powerups, and have to jump off the purple "ramp".

As the level is slightly challenging, it makes it a great leaderboard level; especially with the scattered gems and hidden treasure. If you're aiming for the top leaderboards, I recommend playing the level for score, then for speed, then both.

I like Thunder's idea of using atmosphir springs to emulate sonic style springs... although it isn't quite the same. Be careful, though, on them. The high run speed makes it tricky to keep from flying off the path, so be careful.

Overall, even though this level has not much variety, the leaderboard and gameplay properties, I think, make up for it. This level gets an 81/100 rating.

Review by Entity.

[Review] Frozen by Creator7

The first day of autumn was not too long ago, and already the effects can be felt here in the state of Iowa. Only this morning, I was sitting outside waiting for the rest of my group to arrive for our field trip. There were some fierce winds, and I shivered in the morning air whipping against my face. Soon enough, autumn will be gone and winter will grasp us with its icy fingers.

As it turns out, I was in a similar situation nearly a year ago. It was -1 degrees in Iowa, and I was sitting at my computer playing Atmosphir. I needed to find a level for my weekly review as a member of the Editorial Staff. In the spirit of the season, Creator7 created a level named Iced. The level took place in an icy hole in the ground, with the player struggling to break free and survive the cold. Interested, I played through the level and absolutely loved it.

Now I’m sitting here in September, still shivering at the thought of the morning’s cold winds. I knew Creator7 was hard at work with another level in design mode, but I hadn’t thought about it too much. As I was surfing the play browser, I stumbled upon his creation. Memories of Iced returned to mind as I began Frozen, the latest level by Creator7 and the sequel to his award-winning level nearly a year ago.

Frozen follows the same concept as Iced. The player begins as the lower end of the level and is expected to climb higher and higher. The atmosphere is a little different this time around; instead of being enclosed area, you will be navigating floating chunks of ice. It’s not as simple as jumping, of course. Clever uses of the spiked owl trap and various other hazards require the player to time their moves carefully and stay out of harm’s way. An extremely low jump value makes it difficult to maneuver, forcing you to use the ladders and ledges provided to you.

Frozen revives some of the old tricks used in Iced, but it also brings some concepts that are unique to the series, making use of Atmosphir’s newest features, such as moving while hanging and the rotation of the owl traps. These new additions, though admittedly small, are used wonderfully by Creator7.

As of yet, I have not completed this challenge. I’ve come close several times, but there are definitely obstacles I need to perfect. If you’re feeling skeptical, don’t worry; this level is easy when compared to a Biznatch level, but it will definitely cost you a few, if not all, of your lives. At the time of writing, there hasn’t been a victory on this level. I talked to Creator7, who assures me it’s definitely possible, though he’s considering fixing a few things up in the level. As with any level, there’s always room for improvement, and I don’t doubt that Creator7 will manage to make Frozen better than ever before.

So I take my hat off to you, Creator7. I had the honor and pleasure of reviewing Iced, and now I find myself saying the same things about your newest creation. Your levels are definitely enjoyable, and I look forward to your next appearance in the play browser.

Review by Colinnn.

[Review] Mineralogy Labs: Mission Opal [Birthstone2010] by BadBoys

In Mineralogy Labs: Mission Opal [Birthstone2010] by BadBoys, you are shrunk and teleported into an opal... For science! The inside of the opal is laden with limitless color and self-regenerating bacteria. Not to mention little tidbits of 'information' that increase your score! Now, those bacteria are viscous, but you can kill them to get more points.

Regardless of this slightly funny storyline, the layout of the level is gorgeous. The random colors seem to extend forever! You can wander through the place for an hour and still find treasure that you couldn't find before! The score on the level is limitless, as the enemies constantly respawn, and there is no time limit. Besides the fun of finding treasure in this explore based level, the main thing that stays in your head is: "Where the heck is that key?" Yes, you do have to find a key to open a treasure chest to get a bomb to beat the level. After exploring for about a half hour, I found where it was housed.

The room that the key was in seemed like an entire different level, other than the environment. It had spike traps and boxes and towers and moving platforms. In order to get the key, you had to push one of the boxes all the way up the red pedestal via moving platforms. BadBoys was kind with boxes and added 4 boxes, in case one accidentally gets stuck. After getting th key, you can also use those boxes to get other treasure.

As I was playing, it was like being immersed in two seperate levels at the same time! It was incredible, and stayed fun for the entire half hour I played it! It could probably keep the player entertained for as long as it would be needed for them to finish the level. The experience of this level was incredible. This was a GEM of a level by BadBoys, and I hope to see more levels like this from him.

AtmoScore Staff Score: 103,506 – MaximumDragon

Atmosphir Player Score: 103,506 - MaximumDragon

Review by MaximumDragon.

[Review] Moonshine Temple by Daimon and AleMagno

Collaboration projects are a rare event within the community, but they do occasionally happen. Without a proper co-op design mode or the ability to share drafts, it tends to be a somewhat difficult feat to accomplish. Some users have worked out their own systems to bypass these obstacles and work together to create a masterpiece. AleMagno and Daimon are two such designers.

If you’d been around the forums long enough, you’ll recognize the names of these two designers. Daimon has been with the community for awhile, known for his breakthroughs with new concepts. He took an impressive victory in Gravity10 with his award-winning level Frost, and helps to design the first spherical-shaped structures in design mode. AleMagno is an actual employee of Minor Studios, and by far the most active DEV in the community. While most of the Minor Studios staff make rare appearances, it’s hard to find a day where AleMagno hasn’t been hard at work helping the community in one way or another. He may be hired to do it, but he seems to genuinely enjoy his job.

Interaction between DEVs and regular users is a rare event in itself. So it’s no surprise that the community was shocked to learn that AleMagno and Daimon were forming an alliance in Design Mode. As it turned out, this dynamic duo made perfect matches for one another. The result of their hard work is Moonshine Temple.

Right off the bat, Moonshine Temple proves itself to be a level designed with great care. The structure of the level itself is built to be very natural looking, which means that there’s very little symmetry involves, and plenty of plants overrun the area. As you progress through the level, you begin to see more and more signs of life. Grass gives away to stone structures and spike traps, only to reach a happy medium later on. You truly get a feel for the run-down, ancient place the Moonlight Temple is supposed to be.

In terms of gameplay, Moonshine Temple is excellent. This level has a lower jump level, so you’ll find it somewhat difficult to find jumps that you can manage, especially when reaching higher ledges. Several obstacles you will encounter take advantage of this, forcing you to take it slowly and time your maneuvers perfectly. The first boss you meet is a nice change of pace from the usual combat bosses most levels use, causing you to manipulate the AI into the perfect position to be killed. Interesting challenges like that really made this level fun.

Moonshine Temple also had some of the coolest uses of triggers I’ve seen from a level these days. Upon killing the first boss, you actually receive a message saying its dead and that you can move on. When collecting a key, a spike trap appears behind you. My personal favorite use of triggers in this level was near the end, when the finish flag is within your reach. Just as you move to climb the ladder to it, a hand pushes you back to the ledge below where a Muka Boss is now waiting. In addition, there are also bombs and health packs waiting to be used. Daimon and AleMagno definitely get credit for their use of triggers.

If your computer is lower-end, I would recommend that you lower your graphics. This level has a lot going on at once, and will most likely cause some lag. Also, it’s recommended that you give yourself plenty of time to complete this level. While it’s fairly straightforward if you know what you’re doing, it could take you a decent amount of time (20 minutes?) to complete. Be sure to keep an eye out for extra treasure as you go, as it’s hidden everywhere!

All in all, Moonshine Temple is an incredible collaboration project between a standard user and a staff member. As unlikely as their connection seemed to most people to begin with, there’s not a doubt in my mind that these two are a force to fear (in a good way, of course). My hat goes off to both of you. Does the final info sticker after you kill the boss hint at a sequel…?

[Review] AR: Island Racer 2 by Yanahma

There are some people in the Atmosphir community known for making awesome levels. Yanahma is one of those people. He’s always making great concepts, awesome races, new ideas, and many more fantastic things. AR: Island Racer 2, is an example of an awesome race type level.

Yanahma’s level, AR: Island Racer 2, has you racing through candy islands, swamp areas, ice paths, and dark valleys. All of which have amazing environments. The candy section is a great example of what you can do with the new blocks. The dark environments near the end really adds some difficulty to the level, by making it harder to see. This being a fast pace level, you’ll have to find the next jump quickly.

Although Yanahma placed hazards on almost every island, you should be able to complete this level easily. With 30 minutes, and 30 lives, you have plenty of time, and lives to complete this awesome level. I highly recommend this level if you like the racing types.

Review by Trashcan444.

[Review] Osprey Cove [Treasurehunt10] by Prototype

This level is far from a Prototype (pardon the pun) in more ways than one. It's the designer's best level yet, but also quite different from anything I've seen come from him. The cove is dark, large, and filled to the brim with treasure, puzzles, secrets, and enemies. There's multiple levels of rock, each one holding different challenges and rewards. Water flows down one side of a cliff, and indents in rock provide handholds to assist you in climbing to new, undiscovered heights.

You must explore every nook and cranny to get the highest score possible. One tip: your jump power is higher than it seems. I often found myself making leaps I didn't think possible, and there's usually a gem reward. If you like munchy-esque levels, or a longtime fan of Prototype, Ospray Cove will not disappoint. (Also, if you win, you're allows to talk like a pirate for a whole extra day, courtesy of myself ;)

Review by EdacOnag.

[Review] The Unforgiven by Warchief6

There are some levels in the level browser that can get fairly hard.  They could even be expert. But the expert ones are my favorite. Especially when they’re a platforming type level.

Warchief6’s level, The Unforgiven, is an expert level that takes place in an environment with dark fog, which makes it harder for you to see where your next move should be.  There are many times when you’ll have to time your jumps perfectly, or you’ll not make it. So it may take a few tries before you make it to the other side, and with the heavy fog blocking your view, you may not be able to see some of the things until you are closer, which makes it more challenging.

This level contains some great ideas, which makes this level amazing! One example is how he timed 3 moving platforms to come up right after the one before. Another great idea is how he hid a moving platform in a wall, and when you ledge hang onto the side of it, it’ll start moving on its path, while you have to dodge the hazards it’s headed towards.

Warchief’s level, The Unforgiven, is a great level.  People who like platforming, should definitely check Warchief’s level out.

Review by Trashcan444.

[Review] Tracking Linden 2-1 by Giantfishy

Normally, I don’t like low jump power levels. I feel too constricted in them. But Giantfishy’s series Tracking Linden has made me begin to love low jump levels. Today, I will be reviewing Tracking Linden 2-1, one of the best installments of the series thus far. After leaving the Prism Mountains, you journey to the floating ice masses deemed the Hedron Isles.

Giantfishy has a great track record with icy levels, and this one doesn’t end the trend. The magnet blocks, fan blocks and wooden switches that have represented all that this series has to offer are used in new and creative ways along with several traditional hazards. Even with the traps and hazards, the level still retains its puzzle-like feel that is shown in the other Tracking Linden levels.

Besides gameplay mechanics, the environment is starkly beautiful and the level is fun to play. Even if you get stuck, you have fun looking around for the switch or box or gravity block that you need to continue. Tracking Linden 2-1 is definitely one of the highlights of the series. Keep up the good work, Giantfishy!

AtmoScore Staff Score: 44000 - MaximumDragon

Community Score: 45700 - Biznatch101

Review by MaximumDragon.

[Review] 3 Simple Enigmas by MMM103

The Google dictionary defines "Enigma" as a "riddle" or "mystery". MMM103's "3 Simple Enigmas", indeed, has three of these. They are each amiably challenging (slightly more-so than the Title indicates), in their own unique way; classifying this enjoyable level as a "Puzzle" level. I'm willing to bet that even people who generally lean away from puzzle levels will love this level.

While the level mainly consists of the monotonic use of a single block, that single block is placed in ways that give the level its variety. The disperse diamond placement adds a slight sense of challenge for those "gotta get 'em all" players. A few are precariously perched, but most are within reach. Landscape gets 8/10.

The gameplay, mainly composed of the three puzzles, is wonderful. All three puzzles require you to think, and explore. The second puzzle is my personal favorite. Two doors are next to each other. They have a small room behind them, which can be entered through either one of the doors. The catch is, when you approach one door, it closes and the other one opens. Gameplay gets 10/10.

While some may consider this level a dab short, I think it was very well done. Whether you care for puzzle levels or not, I guarantee that this level will please you. The next time you're searching for a good level to play, look no further. This level receives an 85/100.

Review by Entity.

[Review] The Leach’s Pillar by KaitouKid

Before project stratosphir was released, platforming levels were very popular. When update 19 was released, puzzles, mazes, search for treasure, and other game types became more popular, and platforming levels weren’t made as often. But when the platforming levels are made, they’re really fun. They make you think back when the platforming levels  were popular.

KaitouKid’s level, The Leach’s Pillar, was a great example of an awesome platforming level. This level has you going around a pillar by climbing on ladders, jumping on slanted platforms, balancing on thin platforms, and many other great ideas.

The looks of this level are excellent! All of the blocks match up perfectly with it’s surrounding environment.

The difficultly of this level is advanced. Currently, only 6 people have beaten it. But if you are a good platformer, you should be able to get through this level easily.

Overall, this level is awesome. If you love platforming, you should definitely check this level out.

Review by Trashcan444