EmeraldusV
Multiple, by Violet CLM,
requires version 1.23 with JJ2+
Description
A JJ2+ remake of the “Emeraldus” tileset from my Sonic With A Gun JJ1 episode, which used a medley of original JJ1 graphics to evoke the vibe of Sonic 1’s “Green Hill Zone.” Most of the tiles from the JJ1 Emeraldus set are present, plus hundreds of new ones, including multiple background layers, better-looking totem poles, and more options for shaping the ground (e.g. a full set of alternate floor tiles at a 16px offset, to discourage constant flat platforms); a few tiles have however been cut, mostly some random plant tiles cribbed from Jungrock and Diamondus. (All non-original graphics are still from JJ1, except for the hook and destruct scenery from JJ2.) All enemies and other gimmicks from the JJ1 Emeraldus are also included, now with more complicated behaviors, plus some new additions or focuses to reflect the Green Hill Zones featured in Sonic Generations, Sonic Mania, and Sonic Forces.
The level serves as my entry to the Summertime Jazziness competition, and features an all-new level layout copied neither from Sonic With A Gun nor from any actual Sonic games, though it apes them both in style. Besides the basic JJ2 gameplay (more carrots on easy, more enemies on hard), gems are added as an additional protection against death, and collecting 100 gems even gains you an extra life. The level also makes extensive use of branching paths… in some parts of the level, up to four different paths sit on top of one another, and besides the beginning and end, there is only one point in the entire level that every playthrough will need to visit, and even that point may be reached from three different directions. As such, I encourage either exploration or multiple playthroughs.
(This is a Multiple upload, featuring both a Tileset (Conversion) and a Single Player level, meaning in this case it’s okay to rate the example level.)
(reuploaded to reinsert some One Way events that went missing)
Credits & Acknowledgements
Contains 7 Files
 EmeraldusV.j2l |
EmeraldusV | 45.34 kB |
 EmeraldusV.j2t |
EmeraldusV | 131.69 kB |
 EmeraldusV.j2a |
22.10 kB | |
 greenhill.it |
608.75 kB | |
 EmeraldusV.j2as |
54.89 kB | |
| MLLE-Include-1.4.asc |
9.55 kB | |
| EmeraldusV-MLLE-Data-1.j2l |
MLLE Extra Data | 17.71 kB |
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Reviews and comments
cooba 4 Aug 2018, 18:58
happygreenfrog 14 Aug 2018, 22:10
I’m just going to cut right to the chase with this one:
Positives:
+The technical feats. This stage is by far one of the most heavily scripted stages I’ve ever played, and I’ve played Ozymandius! Loop-de-loops, custom enemies, a custom boss, disappearing platforms that lower down a bit when you step on them (SURELY those must be scripted, anyways… either that or it’s a JCS technical feat, and either way it’s good stuff), and that’s not even the full list! If there is one thing this level deserves a play for, it’s this.
+Tile-set looks nice (hey, it’s also a tileset upload, so I pretty much HAD to mention it, lol). Oh, and the tile-set usage is pretty great too.
+Stage is perfectly playable as all three characters
+This stage has a TON of unique branching paths. Replay value is always a fun time, and this stage doesn’t disappoint with that. Exploring this stage is, quite frankly, much more enjoyable than simply trying to beat it, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing
+Some of the sections are really nicely designed, especially on the lower paths. For that matter, the way you reach some of the lower paths is in of itself pretty well-done
+Gem mechanic is an interesting concept in theory
Negatives:
-Oh gosh the MIDI music, why
-The upper path pretty much allows you to ignore all the enemies. Okay, I know, it’s Green Hill Zone and all that, but if you’re playing as Jazz or Lori this is a bit of a big deal since you can ignore about 50-75% of the level. This is honestly a big part of why I didn’t enjoy the stage as much on my first run through: I decided to try to see if I could ignore the enemies, and, well, I could. It’s MUCH more fun if you don’t ignore them.
-In practice, the gem mechanic feels a bit… pointless? I mean, you could use it for some neat self-imposed challenge stuff, but for regular play it doesn’t seem to really change how you go about playing the level much, honestly.
-Some of the enemy placement is a bit obnoxious.
-For that matter, some of the enemies themselves are a bit obnoxious, though that’s mostly because they’re faithful to their source material in fairness.
Overall, do I recommend a download?
Yes.
Absolutely.
This stage may not be perfect, but it’s great stuff.
(As a side note, why does this stage seem to have more to do with summer than most of the other Summertime Jazziness entries, despite its relation to summer being more incidental due to its tileset’s appearance than anything???)
Stijn 13 Aug 2018, 20:59
Excellent level and tileset. The whole thing looks beautiful and is challenging without being too difficult. The lavish eyecandy is a little confusing in the beginning but gets better after that. Most importantly, it’s a lot of fun to play and has some really good and surprising scripted features that add to the level without being a distraction.
SmokeNC 18 Sep 2018, 17:11
I like every single bit of this level. The enemies are cool, the sonic loop stuff and the stuff that you cling to blew my mind. Not to mention the amazing boss with some cool physics. Tileset was great too. background might have been slightly distracting (it’s damn good) but it wasn’t a problem. One of my favorite single player levels ever.
Sly 24 Feb 2022, 17:47
Thank god I’ve stumbled across this download lately! The gameplay mechanics akin to the OG Sonic games is the definition of neatness on the highest level. I especially loved the part where you do the loop thing, as well as when at certain speed you can stick to the vertical and semi-vertical surfaces, which reinforce the Sonic feeling even more. The boss fight is literally the best one I’ve had playing a JJ2 level.
What I kinda disliked was the fact that the enemy placement was occasionally cruel and unforgiving. Like, you are running like you just don’t care and enjoying yourself and then BAM! you just ram into a group of baddies, inevitably losing all your ri… I mean gems. Also, there were sometimes some spots at which the floor layer blended with the still background one, which was slightly confusing and led to me hurting myself because I didn’t actually know whether I was supposed to land on something or not.
Apart from the cons mentioned, the whole experience was totally great and I wish Violet released even more levels like that (maybe even the whole series, hee hee).
Def recommended