Did you ever spend so much time in a weird old game level that you'll never forget it, and it takes you to an unusual place in your head not quite like anything else?

Sometimes I think about, say, the caves from Yoshi's Island, Sleepywood from Maplestory, anything from DKC, or, maybe for a really simple example, Vanilla Dome from Super Mario World -- it's like this really weird unforgettable feeling. It was such a weird, mystifying looking place, and there's something about pixel art + childlike backgrounds that leaves a lot to the imagination.

Sometimes I look back at the large amounts of time I spent inside/staring at these levels and I literally wanna tear up.



I remember the Jungly Cave in particular from YI. Those rocks, windows in the back, and glowy plants would always put me in this insanely indescribable place. Like a place I'll never have back.

I want more of these experiences from pixel art. Like I wanna create them.

This post was last modified: Jun 21, 2017 at 7:27 PM by T-man.

Sleepywood from Maplestory

Mmmm, comfy. Maplestory was chock full of levels that invoke that surreal kind of feeling, the music made everything seem so grand and mystical.

>you will never grind bullshit platforming sections for gems ever again

everything from old maple story was the sh*t, but my nostalgia level has got to be rainbow resort from kirby's adventure

the music, the levels, pretty much everything from it invokes clear as day memories of when i used to play this game as a little tyke. it really is as if you were in a dream.

Burmecia for sure.
I was like 9 when I played this and I think this location was the one that really taught me how much I love RPGs.
Also it was the first time I had encountered a Mimic in anything and it genuinely frightened me and I didn't open any chests in games for a while.

Vanilla Dome from Super Mario World

Yeah I get it for this. A little bit for the caves from Yoshi's Island but I never liked that game as much as SMW

Also the more "enclosed" levels from Super Mario 64 like Hazy Maze Cave and Dire Dire Docks, they give me this same feeling

The closest I came to experiencing this feeling with a modern game was Undertale

Actually strange correlation between all the Mario levels that make me feel this way: I'm pretty sure Vanilla Dome, Hazy Maze Cave, and Dire Dire Docks all use reverb for the sound effects. It's possible this has something to do with it.

This was really difficult, but I think a level that really stood out for me is this one late stage from StarTropics that had all these traps. The big gimmick were these three rooms with big bowling balls that were basically the Indiana Jones rock scene.

Actually strange correlation between all the Mario levels that make me feel this way: I'm pretty sure Vanilla Dome, Hazy Maze Cave, and Dire Dire Docks all use reverb for the sound effects. It's possible this has something to do with it.

They were also just weird, darker levels. It's interesting how the dark levels so often ended up being the more atmospheric ones. Maybe because dark levels were the only moments where some of those old games decided to slow down, play slower music and tried to make the backdrops appear more mysterious.

But yeah reverb definitely always does it! It gives things a dreamy surreal vibe. Plus the echo totally makes everything sound bigger.