Back in the SMW mines again- this'll be the last one for a while. Mostly because this hack was so large that I won't be feeling the thirst to play any more SMW for a long time.
Anyway, today's entry is about Mount Pentimento, by GBreezeSunset.
It's a successor to Spatial Whirl by the same author (and that I have already covered in entry #21), but with a tiny sprinkling more ASM in there- and more than DOUBLE the exits. In addition, the levels are longer, generally more elaborate, and the difficulty is raised significantly. If Spatial Whirl was too breezy for you, this one will more than satisfy.
Unlike it's predecessor, the world map is far larger and more complicated- I had to log it myself to keep track of all the exits. And there ARE secret exits this time, with some of them being particularly devious in execution or obscurity.
(Also, Dragon Coins don't do anything, but they are tracked- so I WILL be going for all of those. No matter how much suffering it gave me.)
The final thing of note is that castles all have a big boo at the end, with a varying arena and a TERRIBLE ghost-themed painter pun name. Great bit.
Just like last time, I'll be summing up every level in a restricted fashion- but this time, four sentences max instead of three, since the stages are meatier on the whole. Each level is covered in the order I played it.
And there will be two parts to this, since there's 117 exits- there's a LOT to cover, even in the intentionally abbreviated fashion I use for vanilla stuff.
I'm excited to get into this one, this is probably as broad a flex as you can get in (mostly) vanilla SMW.
Learn about the unique quirks of this hack here.
Sorry to interrupt your painting, toad... but I wanted that extra life.
ACRYLIC PLATEAU 1A
A perfectly pedestrian opening stage, with piranha plants, koopas, and Rexes.
Echoes of 1-1 are felt in the level, but with enough twists to not be derivative.
The underground Dragon Coin really tripped me up-
Thanks for the tip about Switch Palaces!
ACRYLIC PLATEAU 1B
Whirling platforms, round and round, at a leisurely pace.
Wigglers roam this blue forest, so don't set them off.
Grab Blocks and vines feature heavily in the puzzles here, so get tossin and climbin'!
The little claps in the music make it even better.
ACRYLIC PLATEAU 2A
It's a whimsical shoreline stage with leaping dolphins and lurking Porcupuffers.
Volcano flowers spurt fire in your way, and Chargin' Chucks serve as bounce pads.
Don't trip up on the final surge of cetaceans, and you'll get through fine.
The Urchin room with the key is a tight squeeze, but over quickly.
ACRYLIC PLATEAU 2B
A narrow cave, full of slopes to slip and slide on- often uncontrollably.
Buzzy Beetles and their relatives roam the hallowed cavern, waiting to sneak up on you.
Piranha plants pop out from their perches, hungry for your meat.
The P-Switch is difficult to obtain, but the rewards are worth it.
ACRYLIC SECRET 1
In this neon-tinted water stage, sleeping fish and Urchins float about.
But there are plenty of blue blocks to get them out of your way.
And lots and lots of stars to make the process even easier.
Find the secret room for really good rampage.
ACRYLIC PLATEAU 3
A fun underwater stage, occupied by a bombardment of Torpedo Teds.
They'll make your life hard as you swim through the bones.
There are a fair few Grab Blocks, but they're more for navigation than attacking.
Vertical and horizontal scrolling adds some nice variety.
KINTSUGI HOUSE A
This is a special ghost house- the objective is to obtain a certain number of coins.
It's a lovely, cute romp around the place, hitting blocks, dodging ghosts...
60 gold coins are what you need to exit.
Just make sure to get all the Dragon Coins first!
ACRYLIC SECRET 2
Circling and roving platforms for you to jump on in this pink and green stage.
Lakitus popping out of pipes try to get in your way, but the stage is too open for them.
The fuzzies are a bigger threat, with them roaming in the path of your jumps.
Many secret rooms lie under the Lakitus' lairs, offering great rewards.
YELLOW SWITCH PALACE
The first of the four switch palaces, gives you a star to rush across a sequence of falling platforms.
Just don't get caught with the last tunnel before the switch, or you'll feel really dumb.
And what do you mean, an acrobatic dog?
ACRYLIC PLATEAU 4
After a hot start, take in the lovely palette, with its blue hues everywhere.
Rush to the left, and don't get caught by the spike tops on small platforms.
Missiles, tight jumps, moles hopping out of the air, there's a lot to trip you up here.
The key here is really hard to get, requiring a precise pipe jump and carrying a p-switch across half the level.
#1A PABLO'S CASTLE
In this photonegative castle, fireballs roam the platforms.
Hit the switch blocks to open paths, but hurry up- there's barely any time!
The spin jump is your friend here, so hurry up and don't get stuck waiting for moving blocks.
Put down Pablo Boo-Casso, the first of many custom big boo fights, and you're home free!
ACRYLIC SECRET 3
This level's practically Magicant, with its cotton candy clouds and pink palette.
Sadly, buzzsaws are polluting this pristine place, so don't get cut in half.
The sloped platforms aren't slippery, so they're a brief respite between jumps.
Spin-jump to victory, and try not to fall.
ACRYLIC SECRET 4
The first autoscroller of the hack, and it's a spicy one.
You can weigh down these mushrooms to reach higher places, but don't slip off!
Koopas of all types are a scourge in this map, but they're also the key to getting higher.
There's no checkpoint, either- one slip up, and it's all over.
#1B FRIDA'S CASTLE
This is a castle occupied by the dead- drybones of all varieties stalk these fuchsia halls.
Spikes line the ceiling, and flails wave about, to drive away unlucky guests.
Enemies in the walls throw bones every which way, so take heart!
Don't fall into the rising lava at the end, and put Frida Ka-soul down for good!
IMPASTO HIGHLAND 1
Up in the high cliffs, pink Dino Rhinos roam.
Moles are bursting out of the hills, and this place has a piranha infestation.
It's easy to slip off, so keep your feet steady!
To get the secret exit, climb up really high.
IMPASTO HIGHLAND 2
Fish of all types swim around- it's not a school of them, it's an academy.
The screen scrolls all around, and you can get caught pretty easily.
It gets faster towards the end, which is quite nerve-wracking.
But the peaceful green and blue palette makes it somehow soothing.
IMPASTO BYPASS 1
Oh shit, pizza tower music, let's go.
This stage has a lot of platforms on lines, and fuzzies with buzzsaws to go with them.
The patterns aren't too complex, but proper jump timing is required.
And don't get caught off guard by a stray piranha plant!
IMPASTO HIGHLAND 3
Mechakoopas roam around- they must have escaped the factory.
This level is a bit of a maze, making finding the Dragon Coins difficult.
Pokeys form living walls, and koopas clog the fences.
And there's slippery slopes and long drops EVERYWHERE.
IMPASTO BYPASS 2
This is a tasty level, with the tutti-frutti hills and red velvet ground tiles.
Banzai Bills first appear here, though their threat is limited.
The secret exit is ridiculous though- taking multiple hits from a muncher pit to get a star,
Then running all the way to the door in the munchers- ouch.
IMPASTO BYPASS 3
Here, the pipes extend up and down like wavy tube men.
The ones that don't, are clogged with piranha plants.
The dragon coins are all high up, and most are easy to obtain...
Just don't waste the p-switch, or you'll miss one.
IMPASTO SECRET
It's an ice level, full of blue lava to chill you to the bone.
Platforms swing down from your weight, so jump your way to safety.
Volcano Plants and Chargin' Chucks threaten you from the end of your jumps.
But the real enemy is slipping to your doom.
#2 VINCENT'S CASTLE
This castle's flooded, with the water raising and lowering and drawing you to the left.
Somehow the firebars aren't put out by it, and they can get pretty big.
Ptooies are infesting the level, and their spiked balls get in the way a LOT.
Keeping your control can be really difficult, but it's perfectly learnable.
IMPASTO HIGHLAND 4
A mostly flat plain indundated with Dino Rhinos.
The plant supporting cast often limits your space.
Dashes of line blocks and vines add a bit of spice.
But this is a nice breather after the castle.
GREEN SWITCH PALACE
Kick the shell down into the school of fish.
You'll get a lot of extra lives that way.
What the hell does Shape Your Watermelon mean?
FRESCO WOODLANDS 1
This gloomy green palette looks phenomenal, another winner.
Platforms infinitely scroll down from the ceiling, providing plenty of footholds.
Bats infest the place, and plants nip at your heels- the red ones are especially mean.
The secret exit is clever, using the bats to reach an obscure pipe- enjoy the pink clouds!
FRESCO BYPASS 1
Huge fan of this color palette, with the dark trees and blue sky.
This level has a lot of tight jumps off Koopas, under threat of pits.
Chargin' Chucks throw rocks, and bats swoop down to get in your way.
The secret exit is easy to find, if you smack a certain block.
FRESCO WOODLANDS 2
Green, green everywhere, this is a pretty forest indeed.
Lakitu roam these woods, dropping their children, while ninjas and piranhas support.
At least there are flying ? blocks around to patch yourself up.
And the music is very chill and relaxing.
FRESCO BYPASS 2
In this hilly stage, moles burst out of the background constantly.
Not just out of the hills, but tearing apart the bridges beneath your feet!
Volcano plants infest as well, so don't run too fast or you'll get burned.
And don't fall down, this level can get pretty high up!
FRESCO SECRET 1
This is the lair of the Mega Moles, and they clog up everywhere.
Tight squeezes abound, so don't get yourself caught between an enemy and a wall.
Caped koopas can catch you off guard as well, as you ride on their craniums.
The detour into the fiery cave can save a lot of frustration.
FRESCO WOODLANDS 3
Slopes, slopes everywhere, and a constant battle to stay on them.
Koopas slide around and Volcano plants puff, all to trip you up.
You'll get clipped constantly, but the soothing sounds of Cave Story will keep you going.
Oddly relaxing stage despite its slipperiness.
FRESCO FORTRESS
Note blocks everywhere, bouncing you all around in the hardest level yet.
Bowser statues spew, and thwomps fly down, so don't get startled.
The occasional Thwimp over tiny platforms can really make you sweat.
This dragon coin by the bowser statue is a real pain, though.
FRESCO SECRET 2
It's time for a delightful parade of line and block art!
Fuzzies and platforms travel 'round the fun shapes, just watch out for the buzzsaws.
I love how the blocks are math symbols.
This is a lovely breather of a stage.
BLUE SWITCH PALACE
Collect the flying 1-ups with the spring.
This is another cute stage.
But what does concentrating your mind all about?
FRESCO WOODLANDS 4
This forest is practically a sea of clouds, with the white and pastel everywhere.
Goombas and bombs rain from the sky above, so rush forward to safety.
Just dodge the bullet bills along the way!
The P-switch secret seems pretty inexplicable, though.
#3 PAUL'S CASTLE
In this emerald gauntlet, the stone footholds are unstable.
Fire bursts from the seas of lava and travel along platforms.
Tight jumps are the norm, so have a plan before your feet leave the ground.
And make sure time your jumps on the bone turtles!
MOUNT MINAKARI 1
These pink plains are home to hopping Koopas and Bowser statues.
The Chargin' chucks must have lost their balls, since they're bouncing around everywhere too.
You'll spend more time in the air than on the ground,
Make sure to look for the neon blue secret to access the alternate exit, it's gorgeous.
MOUNT MINAKARI 2
The first custom enemy debuts here, Albatosses from SMB2 that drop bombs on your head.
Boos and sine-wave ghosts provide additional obstacles in this breezy autoscroller.
It's very easy to slip off the vines sometimes.
And there's no checkpoints throughout any of this...
TOAD'S ART DEPOT
Free powerups for you, yay!
But also, mysterious secrets in hint boxes... where could they lead, one wonders?
If you want a hint, get the Red Switch.
(And do your research on SMW glitches!)
MINAKARI DETOUR 1
Sumo Bros wander the purple night.
Pipes rise and piranhas chomp, but they rarely cause problems.
The Dragon coins are hidden in pipes, so don't miss them.
Too many blocks to hit, seriously.
MOUNT MINAKARI 3
At the start, there are two paths- left and right, that leads to different exits.
No matter what, firebars, count platforms, and green bubbles are omnipresent throughout.
The right path is the easier one, and leads to the normal exit.
The left secret path is trickier, since the count platforms move to the right still- against the flow.
MINAKARI BYPASS
This blue underground stage is cramped and claustrophobic- and one of my favorites so far.
Spinies and Piranha plants are hard to dodge around in these narrow spaces.
The trick is, there are two levels to this place- upper and lower.
Use pipes to travel between them, don't get trapped by invisible blocks, and find the exit!
MINAKARI DETOUR 2
This stage has two of the biggest annoyances- chargin' chucks, and rainbow shells.
Add that to lava and sinking platforms, and you have a recipe for pain.
But you can make the shells and footballers kill each other easily, which is fun.
The secret exit makes good use of the disco shells, too.
MINAKARI SECRET 1
It's a goddamn footballer convention up in here, clogging up the air with leather.
Parakoopas rule the skies, Ninjis take up your precious platforms, and those goddamn red piranha plants bite your ankles off.
The string bean platforms are finicky as usual, so don't get caught unaware- those footballs can really fuck you over.
The secret exit is a simple P-switch fetch quest... through the most dangerous part of the stage, argh.
MINAKARI SECRET 2
An underwater stage with a new custom enemy- Boomerang Bros.
Bullet Bill cannons in the walls provide supporting fire, and hiding behind the foreground.
It's a vertical level all the way up, but then it opens up into a sprawling cavern.
The dragon coins are to the right of the second half, for your convenience.
PASTEL STRATUS 1
This level, bizarrely, has THREE exits!
For the first, Picking up the key activates the Phantos, so you've got to keep ahead on the left path.
But on the right, though, you have to hit the switch and go all the way back for the second.
And the third requires you go the rightward distance- but staying on these line platforms is quite difficult.
RED SWITCH PALACE
Play a roulette game with shells and a star!
It's more fun than it sounds.
And this switch is far from useless, just you wait.
Part 2 of the review is here:
https://froginaboxstudio.blogspot.com/2026/09/games-from-frogs-box-265-mount.html
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