The Wonderland Board

I have been gone from the forum for a while now, but i have come back to ask a question. What, in your opinion, is the worst level of the Wonderland Adventures Trilogy (WA, MOFI and POTZ).

I think the worst level of any wonderland game is the last one!
The feeling of satisfaction is shortly followed by the sadness of having completed the game, but more sensibly I'm not sure, currently going through MOFI again and I've no doubt I will come up against a level soon that I felt I completed more by luck than skill, they are the ones I disliked.

I really, really hated the Thwart Cave level in the postgame of POTZ. It is the second to last level you play before you can return to Star Town. What makes me hate it is how it appears to set up a plot point that will likely never be resolved and was likely never intended to be resolved. I saw that level and i believed that it would be resolved the mystery would be resolved in the final few levels of POTZ, but it was never touched upon again.

Maybe Mystery Island, but I'm not entirely sure if it's my least favorite since I didn't give it enough thought.

You mean the one where you travel from island to island? Why don't you like it?

Yeah, Mystery Island is definitely the worst of the whole trilogy. Unlike the other three levels, there's no legitimate challenge whatsoever, it's the closest thing Wonderland has come to trial and error. I did solve it, but it probably took almost two hours (that was on my third 100% playthrough of MOFI which I did a couple weeks ago, where I solved the whole game without walkthroughs).

Other levels I can think of as contenders for the worst in their game are Wakka Wakka 2 in WA1 and Star Crossing in POTZ.

garirry wrote: Sat Oct 10, 2020 2:36 am Yeah, Mystery Island is definitely the worst of the whole trilogy. Unlike the other three levels, there's no legitimate challenge whatsoever, it's the closest thing Wonderland has come to trial and error. I did solve it, but it probably took almost two hours (that was on my third 100% playthrough of MOFI which I did a couple weeks ago, where I solved the whole game without walkthroughs).

Other levels I can think of as contenders for the worst in their game are Wakka Wakka 2 in WA1 and Star Crossing in POTZ.

I was okay with Mystery Island, actually. As far as I remember, it's doable so long as you create a map while playing and use the gates to mark each island in a distinct way.

I wouldn't say that it has no legitimate challenge. MOFI's Mystery tetralogy generally consists of really unconventional levels whose main challenge lies not in playing them, but in figuring out how you're supposed to play them.

It is very long winded, though. I have a pretty high tolerance for repetition, but I could see people hate this level if they lack that.

Mystery Island is very much trial-and-error, but I'd say the worst design is Dark Maze in POTZ. It's less annoying, but it's just so completely pointless.

But yes, Mystery Island would be a very close second.

Kilicool64 wrote: Sat Oct 10, 2020 6:43 pmI was okay with Mystery Island, actually. As far as I remember, it's doable so long as you create a map while playing and use the gates to mark each island in a distinct way.

Yes, that is what I did. The problem is that there are trap exits all over the level which would get you stuck in a loop with no way out. The only strategy that seemed to work was to try to figure out a path that would bring you back to a room that's already marked (that you've been in). However, this was extremely tedious and took a very long time to do. It wasn't fun. Most of the other tough or even tedious levels in MOFI were at the very least stimulating to play.

Muzozavr wrote: Sun Oct 11, 2020 12:31 am Mystery Island is very much trial-and-error, but I'd say the worst design is Dark Maze in POTZ. It's less annoying, but it's just so completely pointless.

Yeah, I forgot about that level. It's very bad as well, but at least it's not too frustrating.

Now that i remember, i really hate the "Out of Sight" level in WA1. It's the one where the buttons are hidden underwater and you have to rescue all the wee stinkers. I remember be and my dad spending hours trying to find the right buttons to press. It was an interesting concept for a level, one of the most unique in the series, but god is it frustrating.

Muzozavr wrote: Sun Oct 11, 2020 12:31 am Mystery Island is very much trial-and-error, but I'd say the worst design is Dark Maze in POTZ. It's less annoying, but it's just so completely pointless.

But yes, Mystery Island would be a very close second.

How is Dark Maze pointless. It is just trying to find your way around a maze in the dark. Their are no enemies, but the challenge lies in finding your way around. The only thing i did not like were those orange mists which sort of light up the level a bit.

gottfriedjacob5 wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:19 pm Now that i remember, i really hate the "Out of Sight" level in WA1. It's the one where the buttons are hidden underwater and you have to rescue all the wee stinkers. I remember be and my dad spending hours trying to find the right buttons to press. It was an interesting concept for a level, one of the most unique in the series, but god is it frustrating.

Honestly this level bothered me too, but I can't say it's any more tedious than many levels in WA1.

That was the only tedius level in WA1, besides "The Pyramid", which bothered me when i was younger, but not now. "Out of Sight" still does frustrate me though. MOFI has MANY tedious levels, and so does POTZ to a lesser extent.

Out of Sight. It's a totally unique level. The idea was never repeated, and you can see why. Invisible buttons that could be anywhere? Not for me. Especially when the order of the buttons and the spacing with the gates have to be so precise, and the Wee Stinkers are Wee Stinkers.

Avalanche Alley. Not because it's frustrating or boring, but because it's so unfathomably low effort. When I play this adventure, I don't know what I'm looking at. I don't know what the intended difficulty is supposed to be. You freeze a Spikeyball, then you walk to the star. [video]

Mystery Island. If you don't go up as your first move, then it's already over. If you go left or down as your first move, then you are stuck in a loop between five areas that don't lead anywhere, and it takes an unnecessarily long time to realise that it's over, then you're stuck wondering if it's possible. You have to realise that the very first area is different and try restarting adventure then try going up then realise that circumstances have changed. Then after that there are plenty of routes that take you back to the five area prison. I don't know why it was made so that you could get trapped and have to restart. If it just sent you back to the beginning then that would be fair, but to have to continually guess between three options and then for it to be unbeatable if you guess wrong is bizarre.
All in all? It's too big. How many areas you ask? Eighteen. Eighteen areas of clueless trial and error. [video]

Flight to the River. 2½ minute autoscroller. There's no way near enough going on for that kind of wait. Worst part of speedruns. Not because it's difficult, but because it's boring. The only difficulty is not falling asleep. [video]

Dark Maze. I have to do this without the Glow Gem in Any%, and the adventure is completely dark. Admittedly, I already start with a red key, so that makes things easier. I don't mind it from a speedrunning perspective (others definitely disagree), but from a casual perspective where you haven't a clue where anything is, it's just silly. There are automatic doors everywhere just to stop you from using the mouse, otherwise you could use that resource to guide yourself, but then that would mean that the level wouldn't be trial and error enough.
A really annoying detail is that the red gate is at the end of the adventure instead of blocking you from going up at the beginning, which means that if you go up at the beginning then you eventually get to the star, and you think that you're getting close after all that tedium, then there's a red gate in the way. It eventually turns out that you have to return all the way to the beginning then choose a different path in vague hope of finding a red button or key, then it turns out that there's another area downstairs, then after finding the key you have to return all the way back. Then there are the three gems and coin, and most of them seem to be down unnecessarily long paths.
Even if you know where everything is, this adventure cannot be 100% completed in less than 3 minutes and 50 seconds (without starting with a red key). [video]

Rescue Mission B. No matter which way you go about it, it's a nightmare. Flash is the easiest, Floing is the fastest. Blink is also possible. The relief now that we don't have do this in Any%.

I think the intention with Avalanche Alley was to force players to avoid pressing the buttons. It totally failed at that however because you can easily survive the Spikeyball avalanche by either freezing one of them or just hiding out on the other side of the water. WA's level design generally has more exploits than its sequels, but I'd argue this is the absolute worst example. This level is so easy to break that many people probably don't even realize the intended solution. And even if you play it the way it was meant to be played, it's still just an extremely simplistic gimmick level with zero challenge. (In contrast with something like The IXS-2 Water Lock, which is also very broken, but makes for an okay puzzle if you don't break it by walking diagonally.) There are various levels I dislike more for being either frustrating or tedious, but it would be my pick for the most poorly designed level in the trilogy. It's just over so quick that it's easy to forget about its existence.

Let me level with you - the entirety of Uo's Levels or the final boss fight in PoTZ.

Uo's Design itself was great, but some of those levels were just... shudders

And the final level of POTZ was just... ehhhhhh.

StinkyFTW wrote: Wed Jan 06, 2021 10:39 pm Let me level with you - the entirety of Uo's Levels or the final boss fight in PoTZ.

Uo's Design itself was great, but some of those levels were just... shudders

And the final level of POTZ was just... ehhhhhh.

By final level are you talking about Escape or the other secret levels?

gottfriedjacob5 wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 9:58 pm

StinkyFTW wrote: Wed Jan 06, 2021 10:39 pm Let me level with you - the entirety of Uo's Levels or the final boss fight in PoTZ.

Uo's Design itself was great, but some of those levels were just... shudders

And the final level of POTZ was just... ehhhhhh.

By final level are you talking about Escape or the other secret levels?

Probably Escape since it's the "official" finale. The secret levels are not supposed to be grandoise, just fun and a calm ending to test your intuition.
The finale manages to be quite bold but somehow compared to the WA and MoFI finales it doesn't have the same buildup, maybe because unlike the first two games you don't head towards the finale for as long.

- In WA, you have to go Forest - Desert - Void from hub
- In MoFI you have to go Island - Fortress from hub
- In PotZ you just go to PotZ from hub

Mystery Island. Everyone already explained.

Slinker wrote: Tue Mar 30, 2021 2:12 am Mystery Island. Everyone already explained.

Mystery Island is only doable with a piece of paper...the only other time in all 6 games I remember completely relying on paper is in TOW's math challenge level, world 10.

Having just played Mystery Island, I agree that it's dumb. After about an hour, I decided it wasn't worth it to figure out and looked up the solution. That being said, if anyone has any leftover notes that they used to figure out that level, I would love to see them!

Kamerson wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:08 pm Having just played Mystery Island, I agree that it's dumb. After about an hour, I decided it wasn't worth it to figure out and looked up the solution. That being said, if anyone has any leftover notes that they used to figure out that level, I would love to see them!

I came to the same conclusion as you...tried to draw a map of the directions but realized it was confusing no matter how you organized it.

Mystery Island Map

1: Left: 2. Up: 7. Right: 4.
2: Left: 5. Up: 3. Right: 4.
3: Left: 2. Up: 3. Right: 5.
4: Left: 6. Up: 2. Right: 5.
5: Left: 3. Up: 6. Right: 2.
6: Left: 5. Up: 4. Right: 3.
7: Left: 5. Up: 8. Right: 13.
8: Left: 13. Up: 14. Right: 9.
9: Left: 10. Up: 15. Right: 14.
10: Left: 18. Up: 17. Right: 11.
11: Left: 3. Up: 2. Right: 12.
12: Left: 1. Up: 1. Right: 1.
13: Left: 1. Up: 14. Right: 1.
14: Left: 15. Up: 2. Right: 3.
15: Left: 4. Up: 13. Right: 16.
16: Left: 17. Up: 7. Right: 7.
17: Left: 18. Up: 15. Right: 16.
18: Left: 1. Up: 1. Right: 1.

12: Key.
18: Star.

billy bob wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 1:24 am Mystery Island Map

1: Left: 2. Up: 7. Right: 4.
2: Left: 5. Up: 3. Right: 4.
3: Left: 2. Up: 3. Right: 5.
4: Left: 6. Up: 2. Right: 5.
5: Left: 3. Up: 6. Right: 2.
6: Left: 5. Up: 4. Right: 3.
7: Left: 5. Up: 8. Right: 13.
8: Left: 13. Up: 14. Right: 9.
9: Left: 10. Up: 15. Right: 14.
10: Left: 18. Up: 17. Right: 11.
11: Left: 3. Up: 2. Right: 12.
12: Left: 1. Up: 1. Right: 1.
13: Left: 1. Up: 14. Right: 1.
14: Left: 15. Up: 2. Right: 3.
15: Left: 4. Up: 13. Right: 16.
16: Left: 17. Up: 7. Right: 7.
17: Left: 18. Up: 15. Right: 16.
18: Left: 1. Up: 1. Right: 1.

12: Key.
18: Star.

Thank you for sharing this! It must've taken a ridiculous amount of time and effort to figure out!

Billy has a talent for this stuff

I never had trouble with Mystery Island, i guess i just got lucky. The Mystery Malfunction one was a nightmare, in more ways than one.