Basics on Used Block Palettes

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Superjustinbros
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Post » 03 Nov 2012, 05:48

This is a small diagram I created showing something that struck me odd in Mari0, in that the used blocks that appear when you hit a block that normally releases an item power up, the ones created from striking brick blocks or any custom tile that has both "collission" and "breakable" properties use the incorrect color palette; it should use the colors from a used block that was once invisible. Underwater used blocks (which use the Castle colors by default) palettes are determined through extensive research of how the color palettes are used between environments.

Image
Last edited by Superjustinbros on 05 Nov 2012, 02:12, edited 1 time in total.

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Mr.Q.Marx?
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Post » 05 Nov 2012, 00:50

Superjustinbros wrote:...something that struck me odd...
it should use the colors from a used block that was once invisible. Underwater used blocks (which use the Castle colors by default) palettes are determined through extensive research of how the color palettes are used between environments.

Image
I'm not sure what this means as the text seems to refer to extracting the most prevalent colour from the block (like pbalazs did for block debris) but the image shows the pallete is Brown for overworld, Blue for underworld, Gray for castle and Green for underwater. Question Blocks aside of course. Wouldn't it make more sense (and probably be easier) to add this feature instead, seeing as it's how it is in SMB?

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Superjustinbros
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Post » 05 Nov 2012, 02:27

Probably. Though I feel with that pattern in place, it should only apply to brick blocks, while question and invisible blocks keep their designated palettes based on the current environment. Brick blocks hot with items inside would turn into the grey Used block, which now has its darker shade of grey made into pure black. Don't really know how else to word it.

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TripleXero
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Post » 05 Nov 2012, 02:47

I'm confused on what you are trying to say in this, but I'm interested in it still. What I got from it was that Mari0's underground blocks that were originally unused are the wrong colors. I'm not sure if this is about being consistent with the original game, or making this so it fits in better. Just one thing I wanted to point out if it's game consistency is that the original game, there weren't usable blocks underwater, and if you somehow managed to have some underwater, they did nothing when touched. I'm sorta guessing you knew that already either way

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Superjustinbros
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Post » 05 Nov 2012, 05:10

TripleXero wrote:I'm confused on what you are trying to say in this, but I'm interested in it still. What I got from it was that Mari0's underground blocks that were originally unused are the wrong colors. I'm not sure if this is about being consistent with the original game, or making this so it fits in better. Just one thing I wanted to point out if it's game consistency is that the original game, there weren't usable blocks underwater, and if you somehow managed to have some underwater, they did nothing when touched. I'm sorta guessing you knew that already either way
Well, if for some reason it was possible to make blocks underwater hittable in the original SMB, these would be the color palettes based on studying the color palettes for the other surface types in SMB and messing about with SMB utility. This itself is to bring consistency to SMB closer, alike how Bullet Bills in underground levels aren't the same color as underground Goombas (which are the resulting Bullet Bill palette if you placed a Bill Cannon in 1-2 or 4-2, or changed 5-1 or 7-1 so it plays like an underground stage). I even have an entire chart dedicated to displaying the palette differences between environments when it comes to entities:
Image
I can make one for standard tiles if necessary.

The used blocks are generated like this in SMB: Not counting underwater Question blocks, Question blocks always have all but one color the same throughout each environment, the dark portions, which is black in overworld levels, teal in underground levels, and dark grey in castle levels. Overwater, the color of the "?" on the block is brown in every environment, while underwater, it's the same hue as the water you're swimming in, a bright, crisp blue. When a ? block is hit and becomes a used block, the main portion of the block is the color of the "?", while the bolts and outline of said block being the color of the darker part of the block, as detailed above. If the Used Block is generated from a brick block or invisible block, the resulting Used Block's main color is the same palette as the level's main color for solid ground, which Q.Marx detailed in his reply: Brown for overworld, Teal for underground, Gray for castles and Green for underwater. And since Brick Blocks uses black in overworld, underground, and underwater levels and dark grey in castle levels, that color becomes the color of the resulting Used Block's outline.

As I said, experimenting in SMBUtility by placing both enemies and tiles in areas where said species/tiles didn't exist before is a good way to see the differences in color palettes. A good number of ROM hacks of SMB that only change level layouts; no palette or graphic mods, also display these correct colors, and even Nintendo's own Lost Levels shows what colors enemies like Goombas, Koopas, Buzzy Beetles, and Bloopers, would sport outside their natural habitats.

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