Review Information
Game Reviewed Super Mario Bros. Dimensions, by LangtonLion64
Review Author SuperMuppet
Created Mar 12 2015, 6:42 PM

General Commentary and Game Overview
Super Mario Bros. Dimensions has been brought to you by LangtonLion64, and is a balanced part of this nutritious website.

This fangame takes place between the events of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. Bowser is angered by yet another defeat by Mario, though really he shouldn't be surprised. On a walk, he finds a weird device that allows him to switch dimensions between the Mushroom Kingdom and a dry, dry desert. Bowser experiments with this idea, using it on his minions for a sure-fire way he can defeat Mario.

The boos are assigned to turn green and shoot lasers for the alternate dimension, and one shy boo named Polter gets scared off from the idea. He later bumps into Mario, and after Mario discovers the dimension-switching powers of Polter, together they find a way to stop the evil King Koopa.
 
Pros - Unique gimmick, used to its full extent
- SMB3 aesthetic design used without looking too dull
- An original(?) story
- Very good remixed music
- Game Over screen reminds me of those weird bootleg games that involve the characters getting killed in some way
 
Cons - Awful Ghost House remix
- Some levels aren't at all shy about dumping you in bad places when you least expect it in dimension-switching
- Continuing from a Game Over will not grant you your starting amount of lives (a problem shared with the original DragezeeY Engine)
 
Impressions
Gameplay
9 / 10
This game plays like any other Mario game plays. Jump, hit blocks, earn lives, etc. The new gimmick, dimension-switching, is used throughout the whole game, very unlike an official Nintendo gimmick where it's forgotten within just a few seconds. The dimension-switching gimmick also isn't thrown at you too much where you need to use it every two seconds.

Every level contains 6 star coins, 3 in the normal dimension, and another 3 in the alternate dimension. So if you want to collect all those star coins, you'll have to play the levels multiple times. When you get all of the star coins, you're granted a 1-up.

Why is this important? Well, getting your maximum amount of coins doesn't grant you a 1-up. Sometimes a random 1-up happens, and I'm not really sure if it's for coins, but whatever. Coins are used to get items from the item shop, which can be seen as very important places to go, especially in later worlds.
 
Graphics
8 / 10
Custom graphics in the guise of Super Mario Bros. 3 without being too bland or too dull. Sprites like the Bowser Bomb are unique compared to a generic flag or item-card, and the backgrounds and tilesets are done wonderfully.
 
Sound
8 / 10
Like most fangames, music is put into a folder to save file space, and LangtonLion64 was nice enough to allow people to change the music in the game.

The remixes in this game are really good (save for the Ghost House music) and sound rather lavish. Some of the music was done by Captain Southbird, whose Super Mario Bros. 3Mix game has grown to popularity.
 
Replay
7 / 10
Thanks to the scattered star coins, a minigame, and other nifty secrets, there is some replay value to this! If you like doing things 101% complete, you should try finding this kind of stuff.
 
Final Words
8 / 10
Super Mario Bros. Dimensions is a prime example of what an engine-based game should be like, with a fun gimmick, unique storyline, and terrific level design.

Comments
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LangtonLion64
Mar 13 2015, 5:54 PM
Thanks for taking the time to review the game. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

On the story: honestly, I'm surprised people thought it was a good story. I thought it was a bit too random or poorly-written, but I guess it's fairly original.

On the music: I didn't find the Ghost House music to be that bad; it was kinda difficult to find remixes for it. Good thing one can change the music, huh?

On Game Overs: I tried to make it so your lives are reset, but I had no luck due to how save States work in Game Maker. Ah well.

On unexpected death: admittedly this is true for some of the level designs that I had, but it wasn't entirely intentional. It's kinda difficult to design levels like that since I find it difficult to think like someone who has never played the level before.

Overall this is nicely written whilst still being critical. Thanks again, and also thanks for sticking around and supporting the game through its development. :) May I ask how far into the game you got before writing this review?
 
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SuperMuppet
Mar 13 2015, 7:40 PM
Quote (LangtonLion64 on Mar 13 2015, 12:54 PM)
May I ask how far into the game you got before writing this review?

I got into World 8 before writing, I'm still in it though. I'm not sure if it's good to make a review if you're not completely complete with the game but are simply late into it.
 
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