User:Bwf8398/Draft
Creating Separate Level Pages in Super Mario Platformers, and Reworking Use of World Pages
Since the creation of this site, users have been told that if a level has a name, such as Awesome, it gets its own article, but if the level is a number, such as World 2-4, then it does not. Currently, World articles are being used to house information about 6 or 7 different levels, in places such as World 3 (New Super Mario Bros. Wii). If the levels had names, they would most certainly be given separate articles, and the idea that the entire position and most of the writing quality of a level article is based on its name is absurd. People say that it is because it can be hard to find a specific level, such as world 2-4, when there are multiple levels under that name, but the current system is no better! Users have to find World Articles instead, and there are even more articles about World 2 than there would be about something like World 2-4. It is much better to have many short to medium length articles that use infoboxes to be easier to understand than to create long, useless world articles, where information about the levels are basically non-existent.
People say that inconsistency is a bad thing, and this is another case of it. The fact that some games have their own level articles, while others are instead lumped together in world articles is very confusing to someone not familiar with the site. I remember spending a long time trying to find an article for World 9-6 in NSMBW before I was on the site, because I thought that the description on the world page was just an overview, and that the actual article was elsewhere.
Though in theory, it is true that articles will be the same length regardless of if they're in a World Article or a Level Article, this is not true in practice. The truth is that there are several paragraphs in a well-written level article at least, and writing quality suffers severely in the level articles. The reason is that the page is already so long, and seems to have so much information that users do not feel it necessary to add more. However, it becomes a problem when articles turn out to be this short:
This is the only level that features Huckit Crabs. There are also a lot of Urchins and Mega Urchins. From World 4-3 (NSMBW)
This gives no information about the level, just that three enemies appear in it. Compare that to articles such as this, from Super Mario World, and you realize how much having its own article affects if people actually work on it.
Components of an Article
Many users oppose this, claiming that this would just create stubs. However, these articles will certainly be longer than things like the minigame articles, such as this, if written correctly. In each platformer article, there should be:
- An infobox, containing a picture sized at 260 px. There is already an infobox available for New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which could probably be recycled for other games, such as Super Mario 3-D Land.
- A short introduction, describing the setting of the level, any unique characteristics the level has, etc.
- One section for each room in the level. A room is defined as a continuous sections of a level, such as the beginning of a level to the first Warp Pipe. If the screen has to redraw, then the player has entered a different room. Rooms which must be gone through in order to complete the level should be called "Main Room (Number)", and optional rooms, such as those that only contain 1-Up Mushrooms or Star Coins, should be labeled as "Secret Room (Number)", where the numbering is based on how early on they appear in the level.
- One section containing a list of all enemies in the level, such as in the Super Mario Galaxy 2 levels.
- One section briefly describing position in world; what levels it unlocks, and what levels are prerequisites to play this.
- One section describing any Hint Movies for the level, if applicable
- One section for trivia
- If available, a level map, such as what is currently featured here.
- Description of Boss Battle (Fort and Castle levels only)
Components of a Room Section
- Brief description of setting, if changed (e.g. grassland to underground)
- Any Star Coins or 1-Up Mushrooms in it
- Hazards: Enemies, Pits, Scrolling Camera
- For main rooms, any rooms it leads to.
- For secret rooms, what room leads to them.
Using Template:Main
The other main complaint users have as that this would require a lot of extra clicking, and navigation. To counter-act this, I propose that we write brief descriptions of each level in the world article, and then link these to the main article. That way, the world articles could focus more on the world itself, rather than merely being a collection of disjointed information about different levels.
Example
World 2-4
- Main Article: World 2-4
This level has many floating coins and Koopas, as well as POW Blocks. Every few seconds, Wind blows in the level, forcing the player to the right. There's a secret exit near the end that'll take the player directly to World 2-Castle. This exit, along with some Star Coins, makes use of Propeller Mario.
This could be used to give a short summary of the level, so that readers can distinguish, without going to over-the-top detail.
Though this will require a lot of work, it will make the information many times easier to understand, and improve the quality of writing on all Super Mario Platformer levels greatly. Please consider carefully, and post any questions in the comments.
Note that I did not write this, and merely re-formatted the existing article, adding information according to the guidelines.
Sample Article 1
Template:NSMBW-Infobox World 1-1, the first level of New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a generic grassland level. In the beginning of the stage, just like in New Super Mario Bros., Princess Peach's Castle can be seen in the background.
Main Room 1
When the player starts, there are three ? Blocks, a few normal blocks, and a Goomba. The highest ? Block holds an item, either a Mushroom or a Propeller Mushroom. The player must move to the right to see a moving piece of ground. The first few blocks are in style of the first blocks in Super Mario Bros.. They should move farther ahead to find another moving piece of ground there. It has three platforms above it. It also has a green Pipe in it that moves around with it, which leads to Secret Room 1. By the Yellow Pipe, if they are playing a Toad Rescue Mission a Toad should be yelling out from the ? Block behind them. The player can head forward to find their first checkpoint. Then they should hit the ? Block to get a Propeller Mushroom and get the Star Coin in the air. Once that is done, the player must go past the two pieces of moving ground and hit the second ? Block for another item. If they spin upwards using the Propeller Mushroom and go through the Red Ring, Red Coins appear for them to grab. At the end of the platform the player should spin to the next platform and then skip the following platform with the Red Koopa and collect another Star Coin. They should then jump off the left side of the platform to find the moving piece of ground. A pipe moves around in this piece of ground, and when it comes by, the player should go inside of it, as it leads to Secret Room 2. Alternatively, the player can stay in the "compartment" and get three 1-Ups and dozens of coins. To the left of this is a hidden area. Just before leaving the hidden area there is a block, which they should hit to collect a 1-Up Mushroom. Continuing forward takes the player to the end of the level.
Secret Room 1
This room is accessible from the Green Pipe in the second moving area in Main Room 1. In the underground area there are blocks, coins, and a P-Switch. The player should hit the P-Switch and collect the coins that were blocks. The P-switch loses its effect and the player can collect the remaining coins and head out the yellow pipe.
Secret Room 2
This room is accessible by entering the pipe in the rotating ground before the third star coin. In this underground area, there is a Star Coin between two parallel pipes. It can be reached by wall jumping.
Enemies
Position in World
Being the first level in the game, it has no prerequisite stage. To the left is Princess Peach's Castle, and to the right is World 1-2, which is unlocked upon completion.
Hint Movies
- Super Skills: Mario uses a Koopa Shell to gain several extra lives, then speed-runs the rest of the level, collecting all three Star Coins.
- Infinite 1-Ups: Mario uses Wall Jumping and two Koopas to demonstrate a method for getting as many extra lives as desired.
Trivia
- This level has the lowest enemy diversity in the game, with only two different enemies appearing.
Sample Article of a Level with Only One Room
Template:NSMBW-Infobox World 2-1 is a level in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. This level takes place in the desert and is the first level with sand geysers. This level has only one room, and no secret rooms that are reachable. All of the Star Coins are in plain sight, and rely on using the sand geysers to get them.
Main Room 1
The level starts with a Koopa Troopa walking off of a platform onto a sand geyser towards the player. There is then a series of 4 sand geysers, the last of which is right below the first star coin. After this is another sand geyser, and a breakable block which contains a 1-Up Mushroom. Next is a section with geysers and many Goombas, which are continually being produced by a red Warp Pipe. There are more geysers, a Boomerang Bro, and the halfway flag. There are more geysers, this time with Koopa Paratroopas, and there also Piranha Plants on several of the main platforms. The second Star Coin is in a small indentation in one of the platforms. There is then a section with many Piranha Plants, one of which is elevated occasionally by a sand geyser. After some more geysers, there is the third star coin, which is obtainable by jumping on a red Koopa Paratroopa, and throwing the shell to obtain it. After this, there are more geyzers and enemies which lead to the goal.
Enemies
Position in World
This or World 2-2 can be played upon completion of World 1. After completing this level, a Mushroom House to the east, and world 2-3 to the northeast are unlocked.
Hint Movies
- Star Coin: Mario shows how to get the third star coin.
- Super Skills: Mario speedruns the entire level.
Trivia
- Boomerang Bros. make their only appearance in the game in this level.
