Vah Ruta getting reviewed by the person that made it

One year ago I got 2nd place in Sirinitea’s Retro Layout CC. The rules were simple, you just had to make the best layout you could using a remix of a song from a retro game. I was the first person to complete their layout, getting it done in just under 3 days after working on it nearly around the clock. The full, decorated level would take me a LOT longer...

Here is the layout I submitted. Looking back, I could’ve done a lot of things better and honestly I don’t think I deserved the #2 spot. The second half of the level was REALLY rushed, and the gameplay was really unbalanced in difficulty. But let’s stop talking about the layout and more about actual level!

Level Info:

Objects: 47381

Length: 1:07

Song: Legend of Zelda (Remix) by Antaren

Time Spent Building: ~12 months

I will be reviewing the level part by part, so sit back and enjoy!

- 6-17 -

This is one of the oldest parts of the level (i mean obviously it’s the first part), and it shows. I still think the decoration and block design holds up, but there is a lot of copy+paste and some pretty stupid design choices. I actually really like the golden/glowy blocks in the part and they get reused later in the level. At 16% there is a big golden block that the 8-bit Link sprite walks along which I’m honestly not a fan of, it looks really out of place and ugly but it would be too annoying to change now. Overall, pretty average section. 6/10.

- 17-28 -

This part is a big step up from the first, with a simpler but more appealing design and more interesting gameplay. Now is a good time to bring up the rays of light shining from above because I ran out of room in the last paragraph. They were actually quite a recent addition, and I think they’re really nice and add a moving element to the first ~30% that makes the level feel more lively. One of the better sections imo. 8/10.

- 28-38 -

The first part of this section looks a lot like the first, but is followed by a wave that takes the player way up into the sky with a semi-tight mini wave section with a few glow effects. When the player goes up with the mini wave, a bunch of moving arrows appear on screen which I personally think is a pretty nice touch. The arrows are actually in player colours, but since my colours are black and white they all appear white. 7/10.

- 38-46 -

I made this part shortly after Zylenox released his factory style tutorial, which I think is pretty obvious, but instead of making a factory I decided to make a cave instead, which makes more sense in the context of a Zelda themed level. There is a big spinning obstacle in the middle which actually used to have a saw in the middle, but it got nerfed because the straightfly was a bit extreme. There’s also a coin in this section, which is not too hard to get. This part has aged pretty poorly and reeks of early 2.1 deco, so i’m giving it a 6/10.

- 46-55 -

And here we arrive at the worst section of the level by far. The custom bg is horrible and distracting, the block design is nonexistent, and there are even some layering issues I only noticed after ing the level. Not really proud of this part, not even sure why I left it in the level. 4/10.

- 55-67 -

This part is much better, it looks way cleaner and has a more consistent design. There are a few beams of light, some pixel art and lots of glow. The gameplay is a bit more difficult here, with a tight ship part featuring some spinning golden blade things. What isn’t there to love about that? 9/10.

- 67-76 -

This part is very different compared to all others, taking on the theme of the ruined Hyrule Castle full of malice and calamity goo :tm: . The sawblades are decorated like the eyeballs that can be found in the divine beasts and in the castle, which I think is a pretty cool touch. The gameplay is fast and tense, with lots of blue orbs and tight robot jumps. 9/10.

- 76-80 -

This is more of a filler part, using mostly the same design as the first part but only lasting a very short time. Difficult to rate this because it’s so short but I’m going to go 7/10.

- 80-85 -

This part is unique, because it is actually a key maze puzzle. The combination is very easy to figure out after a go in practice mode, but Siri noted that in the original layout, this was one of the more bullshit parts because there was no indication of what the code was, and I’d have to agree. Hopefully I fixed that issue in the full version lol. Design wise, this part is really nothing special, just a bunch of pillars, rocks and chains. 7/10.

- 85-92 -

This is the final proper part in the level and it’s surprisingly nerve wracking. It is a tight wave section with a whole bunch of glowy effects in the background. It also has a bunch of Aquatic Auroras inspired golden crystals in the ground, which add some detail and help fill up empty spaces. Not the best part, but I think it’s more than enough. 7/10.

- 92-100 -

Not much to say here, some wavy effects, a triforce, and then one of the most fappable endscreens in an easy demon ever. Zora fish waifu Mipha is present here, staring off in the distance as you complete the level. 10/10 because of fish girl.

Thank you so much for reading this review, I worked really hard on this and the level and I hope you enjoyed both! If you want to play the level for yourself, you can search for it (it’s the only level with its name) find it on my gd AtomiKaL, or search for the ID, which is 61474604. Goodbye, and here’s to many more levels!

now someone feature this post so this dead ass amino can have some content for once