Guys, we really don't need to argue about this...
Anyway, here's my ten levels. (Goodness, I'm the thread-starter here and haven't even answered my own question yet!) I've tried to select levels that aren't necessarily my "top ten" but are levels that I don't believe anyone has mentioned yet (myself included) in their own lists, nor are they levels I've designed. And for the sake of variety, I've selected levels from ten different designers as well. So, in no particular order:
And the Buttons Were Gone (Ida Roberthson): One of the most fun aspects of CC1 was its wide open levels. Who didn't love running around Nice Day or walking around the room in the expanse outside the room in Lemmings? It's just one of those original game charms that was lost with the "compressed cleverness" of CCLP3. In this level, there's a puzzle, but the puzzle is quite simple, isn't crammed into a tiny room, and certainly isn't obfuscated by layers of deception. There's freedom to walk around, which is a plus. All in all, probably one of the most non-complicated and enjoyable "monster manipulation" levels out there.
Firewall ("tensorpudding"): CCLP1 needs some good old-fashioned dodging levels. I've always said that one of the hallmarks of a well-designed CC level is knowing just how far to take a concept. It's especially difficult with levels that are purely about dodging because of the lack of an undo or checkpoint feature in the game: the longer the level, the more frustrating failure can be for a player. This level, however, is just the right length. It takes a concept that feels easy at first sight - fireballs traveling through lines of teleports in a predictable manner - and forces the player to learn the gimmick as he plays at a pace that's reasonable. What's even better is that the linear "maze" through which the player travels starts off incredibly simple so the player can get used to the dodging and then gets a tad more twisty toward the end. Very well designed!
Stairs (Archie Pusaka): There's a level called Skiing from TomR1 that played around with this zig-zag design style, but unfortunately, it fell into the trap described above of filling up the entire map with the same concept. This level, on the other hand, features a single set of "stairs," but the challenges therein consist of four different "stages." It's actually a really simple itemswapper, but it's just so fun to play that it's hard not to enjoy it! The end may look like a cheap "dodging near the exit" challenge, but thankfully, the hint reveals that it's quite a bit more straightforward than it appears at first glance. Good stuff.
Corral ("ajmiam"): Some people who aren't named Rock Généreux may think this sounds crazy, but I actually enjoyed Blobdance from the original CC.
This level features a similar challenge with rectangular rooms and blobs, but it's a lot less frustrating and includes a fun strategic element: using arsenals of blocks to box blobs in. I can think of a lot of players who'd have fun with that outside of the goal of exiting, but beyond that, the level itself doesn't feel stale. The rooms have a variety of sizes, which make the smaller rooms a lot more intimate in terms of blob dodging and boxing. Overall, this level is very enjoyable to play and just screams CCLP1.
Roundabout ("jbdude55"): There have been many levels over the years that have emulated what CC1's Colony achieved, but this is one of the few levels I've seen that takes the concept and breathes some new life into it. The elements in the spaces between the rooms add some itemswapper fun to the mix, and the ones that seem a bit iffy at first (blue walls, invisible walls) are used to great effect and don't feel cheap because each room is 4x4 and contains only one monster, allowing the player plenty of time to explore. Aesthetically speaking, the level is a triumph. Note how the spaces between the rooms alternate from room to room - the pattern they form when all four are viewed from a single room has a beautiful symmetry.
They're Not Called Blocks for Nothing (Eric Schmidt): So far, I've been listing levels that have been rather easy - or if moderate in difficulty for a beginner, at least easy to grasp. The concept here is quite easy to grasp, but the level in which it's featured is what I like to call a "difficulty curve" level: one that teaches the player the "trick" at the start while steadily increasing the difficulty throughout. Thankfully, the challenges here are quite reasonable. The last room, while being the most challenging, is actually deceptively simple. And to top it all off, there's a nice "end at the start" touch that brings everything full circle.
ChipWeave (Henri Potts): CC1 had its fair share of maze levels, and CCLP1 could use some, if only to get things "back to basics." This level combines the game's objective of chip collecting with a maze that looks easy but is actually a tangled web of well-laid paths. Incredible design here, and a lot of fun to navigate.
Badlands (Tyler Sontag): I absolutely adore this level. It's not only a fun level to play, but it also looks beautiful. Remember back in CC1, when levels like Drawn and Quartered or Spooks would contain tons of dirt without requiring the player to be incredibly precise with how it's used, as was the case in CCLP3? Here's one of those levels. Much of the dirt here is used purely for aesthetic effect, but it works. The spacious room at the top is also a welcome touch. There's something about a level that starts off in rather close quarters and then "opens up" into a grand room that's just so satisfying. The challenges around the edges of the level are fun and non-complicated. It's also welcome to see a room with fireballs that isn't meant to be a "monster manipulation" section. And how about that fire! I can't help but be reminded of CC1 levels like Paranoia, Slide Step, and Corridor when I see "arbitrary" fire like that. This level feels just like the CC of old.
Heat Wave (Daniel Bouwmeester): If you were to ask most veteran chipsters what they think of when they see a level that involves fire and water, as can be seen from the start of this level, they'd probably go for CC1's Steam or the many ripoffs of it that have been made over the years. Thankfully, this level is its own animal: a fire maze with walker dodging. It's reasonable enough for the neophyte crowd, but it's a fun ride for players of all skill levels. It takes full advantage of fire being a "safe spot" against walkers, with its chip-snatching challenges reminiscent of the northwest room of Nuts and Bolts. There are also walkers that occupy their own squares and exist only as pure obstacles, which is a neat touch as well. The water is used to great effect as the "barriers" for the player, but the way it's laid out makes it look like several rivers are flowing and criss-crossing throughout the map. Plus, for anyone out there concerned about optimization, it's not terribly difficult to achieve the optimal time here. All in all, an enjoyable and well-designed level.
Straight Forward (Trevor Hedges): In racing games, there's a certain smooth "flow" to a track that has had a lot of thought put into its design. Trevor, who designs custom tracks for Mario Kart Wii, has obviously thought of that same "flow" in designing this CC level. It's only appropriate that I end this list with an epic campaign level. This one is fairly easy and is placed right after a bunch of tutorial levels in Trevor's custom set; however, I think it's better suited for CCLP1's 30s or 40s. (If I had my way, I'd use Chip56's Chip Suey as the "tutorial review" level in CCLP1, providing it was voted highly.) One of the dangerous aspects of building a lengthy campaign level for CCLP1 is that the longer it is, and the more opportunities exist for failure, the more frustrating it can be to inexperienced players. This level is certainly long, but the tasks to perform are anything but frustrating. The linearity is refreshing, with a return to the start that just works.
Anyway, here's my ten levels. (Goodness, I'm the thread-starter here and haven't even answered my own question yet!) I've tried to select levels that aren't necessarily my "top ten" but are levels that I don't believe anyone has mentioned yet (myself included) in their own lists, nor are they levels I've designed. And for the sake of variety, I've selected levels from ten different designers as well. So, in no particular order:
And the Buttons Were Gone (Ida Roberthson): One of the most fun aspects of CC1 was its wide open levels. Who didn't love running around Nice Day or walking around the room in the expanse outside the room in Lemmings? It's just one of those original game charms that was lost with the "compressed cleverness" of CCLP3. In this level, there's a puzzle, but the puzzle is quite simple, isn't crammed into a tiny room, and certainly isn't obfuscated by layers of deception. There's freedom to walk around, which is a plus. All in all, probably one of the most non-complicated and enjoyable "monster manipulation" levels out there.
Firewall ("tensorpudding"): CCLP1 needs some good old-fashioned dodging levels. I've always said that one of the hallmarks of a well-designed CC level is knowing just how far to take a concept. It's especially difficult with levels that are purely about dodging because of the lack of an undo or checkpoint feature in the game: the longer the level, the more frustrating failure can be for a player. This level, however, is just the right length. It takes a concept that feels easy at first sight - fireballs traveling through lines of teleports in a predictable manner - and forces the player to learn the gimmick as he plays at a pace that's reasonable. What's even better is that the linear "maze" through which the player travels starts off incredibly simple so the player can get used to the dodging and then gets a tad more twisty toward the end. Very well designed!
Stairs (Archie Pusaka): There's a level called Skiing from TomR1 that played around with this zig-zag design style, but unfortunately, it fell into the trap described above of filling up the entire map with the same concept. This level, on the other hand, features a single set of "stairs," but the challenges therein consist of four different "stages." It's actually a really simple itemswapper, but it's just so fun to play that it's hard not to enjoy it! The end may look like a cheap "dodging near the exit" challenge, but thankfully, the hint reveals that it's quite a bit more straightforward than it appears at first glance. Good stuff.
Corral ("ajmiam"): Some people who aren't named Rock Généreux may think this sounds crazy, but I actually enjoyed Blobdance from the original CC.
This level features a similar challenge with rectangular rooms and blobs, but it's a lot less frustrating and includes a fun strategic element: using arsenals of blocks to box blobs in. I can think of a lot of players who'd have fun with that outside of the goal of exiting, but beyond that, the level itself doesn't feel stale. The rooms have a variety of sizes, which make the smaller rooms a lot more intimate in terms of blob dodging and boxing. Overall, this level is very enjoyable to play and just screams CCLP1.Roundabout ("jbdude55"): There have been many levels over the years that have emulated what CC1's Colony achieved, but this is one of the few levels I've seen that takes the concept and breathes some new life into it. The elements in the spaces between the rooms add some itemswapper fun to the mix, and the ones that seem a bit iffy at first (blue walls, invisible walls) are used to great effect and don't feel cheap because each room is 4x4 and contains only one monster, allowing the player plenty of time to explore. Aesthetically speaking, the level is a triumph. Note how the spaces between the rooms alternate from room to room - the pattern they form when all four are viewed from a single room has a beautiful symmetry.
They're Not Called Blocks for Nothing (Eric Schmidt): So far, I've been listing levels that have been rather easy - or if moderate in difficulty for a beginner, at least easy to grasp. The concept here is quite easy to grasp, but the level in which it's featured is what I like to call a "difficulty curve" level: one that teaches the player the "trick" at the start while steadily increasing the difficulty throughout. Thankfully, the challenges here are quite reasonable. The last room, while being the most challenging, is actually deceptively simple. And to top it all off, there's a nice "end at the start" touch that brings everything full circle.
ChipWeave (Henri Potts): CC1 had its fair share of maze levels, and CCLP1 could use some, if only to get things "back to basics." This level combines the game's objective of chip collecting with a maze that looks easy but is actually a tangled web of well-laid paths. Incredible design here, and a lot of fun to navigate.
Badlands (Tyler Sontag): I absolutely adore this level. It's not only a fun level to play, but it also looks beautiful. Remember back in CC1, when levels like Drawn and Quartered or Spooks would contain tons of dirt without requiring the player to be incredibly precise with how it's used, as was the case in CCLP3? Here's one of those levels. Much of the dirt here is used purely for aesthetic effect, but it works. The spacious room at the top is also a welcome touch. There's something about a level that starts off in rather close quarters and then "opens up" into a grand room that's just so satisfying. The challenges around the edges of the level are fun and non-complicated. It's also welcome to see a room with fireballs that isn't meant to be a "monster manipulation" section. And how about that fire! I can't help but be reminded of CC1 levels like Paranoia, Slide Step, and Corridor when I see "arbitrary" fire like that. This level feels just like the CC of old.
Heat Wave (Daniel Bouwmeester): If you were to ask most veteran chipsters what they think of when they see a level that involves fire and water, as can be seen from the start of this level, they'd probably go for CC1's Steam or the many ripoffs of it that have been made over the years. Thankfully, this level is its own animal: a fire maze with walker dodging. It's reasonable enough for the neophyte crowd, but it's a fun ride for players of all skill levels. It takes full advantage of fire being a "safe spot" against walkers, with its chip-snatching challenges reminiscent of the northwest room of Nuts and Bolts. There are also walkers that occupy their own squares and exist only as pure obstacles, which is a neat touch as well. The water is used to great effect as the "barriers" for the player, but the way it's laid out makes it look like several rivers are flowing and criss-crossing throughout the map. Plus, for anyone out there concerned about optimization, it's not terribly difficult to achieve the optimal time here. All in all, an enjoyable and well-designed level.
Straight Forward (Trevor Hedges): In racing games, there's a certain smooth "flow" to a track that has had a lot of thought put into its design. Trevor, who designs custom tracks for Mario Kart Wii, has obviously thought of that same "flow" in designing this CC level. It's only appropriate that I end this list with an epic campaign level.
This one is fairly easy and is placed right after a bunch of tutorial levels in Trevor's custom set; however, I think it's better suited for CCLP1's 30s or 40s. (If I had my way, I'd use Chip56's Chip Suey as the "tutorial review" level in CCLP1, providing it was voted highly.) One of the dangerous aspects of building a lengthy campaign level for CCLP1 is that the longer it is, and the more opportunities exist for failure, the more frustrating it can be to inexperienced players. This level is certainly long, but the tasks to perform are anything but frustrating. The linearity is refreshing, with a return to the start that just works.