Whereas the previous Making It Rainfall was focused on icy death, this one is all about the heat. This week’s stages have that extra spice, and that includes a bit of enhanced difficulty. Also heating things up, now we have another writer contributing their stages! Though he doesn’t normally contribute to oprainfall, our mutual love of Super Mario Maker 2 helped convince him to chip in. So join me in welcoming KenOD to the Making It Rainfall series, and you can check out more of his work by following him on Twitter. Now, let’s start off this week with some burning hot stages courtesy of Michael!
Michael’s levels
Level 1 – Fiery Jungle Fortress
Course ID – HNS-T1K-BYG
Mario finds a fiery fortress hidden in the jungle, but once inside, a Charvaargh begins to pursue him as the lava rises! There is a 50 coin and several 1-UPs hidden in this level. Mario will need to defeat the Charvaargh at the end of the fortress to escape!
This level starts out pretty easy, and ramps up very quickly once inside the Fortress. A big reason for that is the rising tide of lava. Another is the Charvaargh trying to devour you. There’s a lot of frantic puzzle solving as you jump your way to the top, and I love the challenge. I did die a few times as I went, but once you get the hang of things it’s not too tough. Plus Michael gives you plenty of tools to help survive. Just make sure you grab that Star to beat the fiery menace!
Level 2 – Mysterious Scorched Dunes
Course ID – THY-48L-XRG
Explore the mysterious ruins in the scorched dunes of the desert to find a number of entrances to an underground dungeon. If you dare to undertake the optional quest and enter them, riches await the one who can bring together the 8 pink coins to open the Great Pyramid. However, Bowser may not want to part with the treasure!
This Making It Rainfall stage was a vintage Fontanini masterpiece. It’s both very wide open and full of fun little detours, and has a bit of an Indiana Jones vibe. Collecting all the 8 pink coins is a great challenge, and I only missed one, which provides more incentive to play again. It’s a tough little stage, though far easier if you just run from start to finish. Just be prepared for an angry Sun to chase you in the second part of the Dunes!
Josh’s levels
Level 3 – Jr.’s Fiery Maw
Course ID – Y2M-59C-TWF
This stage of mine is a bit of a throwback to one I made for the original Super Mario Maker, called Maw of Fire. That one took place inside a massive airship and you had to run through a gambit of enemies. This one is more wide open, but no less challenging. It’s also the first stage I made with a scrolling theme. To add to your fun, there’s a hidden branching path that will take you to a waiting Clown Car, which makes the stage a bit easier. Either way, be ready for the showdown against a massive Bowser Jr. and friends before you can reach the flag!
Level 4 – Burning Forest
Course ID – 8YN-2D0-VHF
Despite how linear this stage is, I took a long time making it and adjusting the difficulty. I felt it was still a bit too easy, so before I finished I added the goal of collecting 65 coins. There’s more than that in the entire stage, but not many, so hopefully that will force people to be adventurous and brave. I personally don’t think this stage is all that difficult, so long as you’re patient and pay attention to the flames.
Ken’s levels
Level 5 – Bowser bonsai boiling bLava
Course ID – 15Q-80B-8QG
It’s a harder platform, just take your time and don’t rush.
I almost asked Ken if the title for this Making It Rainfall stage was a typo, but given the amount of alliteration, I figure it was probably intentional. Either way, this is a fun and challenging stage. In many ways, Ken’s building style rests somewhere between mine and Michael’s, so expect a good dose of challenge and tools to overcome it. I also love the use of “bonsai” trees amidst burning flames, since that contrast is pretty unique. Once you start cancelling Cat Mario’s dives strategically, this stage isn’t too bad. Just don’t sit around waiting, cause Cat Bowser will hassle you with fireballs if you do.
Level 6 – Fire is so delightful let it snow
Course ID – BN5-9JX-WLF
Looks harder than it is, fish are only dangerous if you stop.
This stage gave me a really hard time until I decided to listen to Ken’s description and just run like hell. This is a well crafted stage that will irritate you until you understand what’s happening. Basically, the goal is to run like crazy to a P Switch, then run back to unlock the pipe that takes you to the flag. It’s a challenging stage, but not unfair. Plus the contrast of ice and fire is very fun. Just don’t get burned by flaming Cheep Cheep.
Thanks as always for checking out Making It Rainfall. The next one won’t be until after I’m done covering PAX West for oprainfall, but we’ll try and make up for the absence with something really crazy. Thanks again to Brandon for the featured image, and Michael and Ken for their continued assistance!
