Any 2D platformer level design tips or advice?

Jurgen

I am currently working on a 2D platformer in Game Maker Studio called "Skallen" and I want my levels to be as awesome as they possibly can be.

I found this on the web:
devmag.org.za/2011/01/18/11-tips-for-making-a-fun-platformer/
devmag.org.za/2012/07/19/13-more-tips-for-making-a-fun-platformer/

Is there a formula for working out how a level should be designed?

Steamhat

there is one single rule for 2D platformer level design, which made the genre so beloved.
explored humorously here:
Megaman Design and Love

because of the limited axis of the 2D platformer, you can manipulate and position the player to teach them every aspect as they encounter it. Don't cheat the player with a trick, show them the trick first, then let them approach it and figure out where to go from there. Beyond that, there's a focus on escalating the tricks and giving the player a progressive challenge from simple jumping to a lot more complex precision and avoiding dangers, from static and moving.

Wonderfully explained by Edmund McMillen in several interviews for super meat boy. take a challenge for a player, then implement that challenge in increasingly different ways (static saw > panning saw > Rotating saw > Player seeking saw)
Overall: look and research as much as you can and always take constructive criticism and make adjustments to your levels.
There's nothing perfect, and you aren't going to do superbly immediately, just as most things, there's practice to be had.
personally, I'm not amazing at this, but it helps to know the theory.

Jurgen

Wow, awesome 20mins. Learned a lot form that:) I'm still a big Megaman/Rockman fan, especially Rockman X4 which I still own. @Steamhat, you are right. I doesn't help hoping the game will be perfect first time round, it's partly about having the guts to just get it done and then sharing it with the world.
Can't wait for Skallen to be revealed on MGSA.