Lunar Magic
{{Short description|Super Mario World level editor}}
{{for|magic rituals related to the moon|Moon magic}}
{{Notability|Product|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Lunar Magic
| logo = Lunar_Magic_file_icon.png
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| developer = FuSoYa
| released = {{Start date and age|2000|09|24}}
| discontinued =
| latest release version = 3.51
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2024|12|25}}
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| operating system = Microsoft Windows
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| genre = Level editor
| license = Freeware
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Lunar Magic is a level editor created by FuSoYa for Super Mario World{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/super-mario-world-turns-20?pager.offset=2 |title=Super Mario World Turns 20 from |publisher=1UP.com |date= |accessdate=2013-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722053306/http://www.1up.com/features/super-mario-world-turns-20?pager.offset=2 |archive-date=2015-07-22 |url-status=dead }} that allows the user to edit and create custom graphics, blocks, sprites, levels, backgrounds, music, overworld maps, and full title screen and credits.{{Cite web |last=Joho |first=Jess |date=2017-06-12 |title=Why 'Super Mario Maker' Didn’t Kill the Mario Hacking Community |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/why-super-mario-maker-didnt-kill-the-mario-hacking-community/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=VICE |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Lunar Magic |url=https://sneslab.net/wiki/Lunar_Magic |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=SnesLab |language=en}} The program is distributed as freeware and runs on Microsoft Windows.
Lunar Magic has been used to create various custom levels, particularly kaizo levels. It inspired various creators, such as PangaeaPanga, who later used his mapping skills to create levels in Super Mario Maker and its sequel.{{Cite web |date=2019-06-05 |title=What has Super Mario Maker 2 got in store for us? |url=https://www.redbull.com/us-en/super-mario-maker-pangaeapanga-interview |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=Red Bull |language=en-us}}
History
According to FuSoYa, he started the development of Lunar Magic for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game Super Mario World, in February 2000,{{cite web |title=FuSoYa's Niche - Lunar Magic SMW Editor Introduction |url=https://fusoya.eludevisibility.org/lm/index.html |accessdate=29 June 2020 |website=fusoya.eludevisibility.org |publisher=FuSoYa}} with the first public release coming on September 24, 2000. FuSoYa, who coded the editor and reverse engineered the base game as a solo developer, also created Super Demo World as a way to showcase what the new editor was capable of creating.{{Cite web |last=Q |date=2016-07-16 |title=Interview — FuSoYa, creator of Lunar Magic, the Super Mario World editor |url=https://qsnes.home.blog/2016/07/15/interview-fusoya-creator-of-lunar-magic-the-super-mario-world-editor/ |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=Q's Gaming Corner |language=en}}
New releases with improvements have regularly come over the years, with the most recent update coming on December 25, 2024, to version 3.51. As of December 2024, it remains the only publicly released level editor for Super Mario World.
Reception
Reception for Lunar Magic has been positive. Kotaku praised it, noting it was a "Cool level editor for Super Mario World" and stated "Lunar Magic is sure to revive the seemingly, never-flagging love for the ultimate side-scroller." Boing Boing thanked the editor's creator for making it.{{cite web|author=Cory Doctorow at 3:26 am Thu, Oct 20 |url=http://boingboing.net/2005/10/20/super-mario-world-le.html |title=Super Mario World level-editor |publisher=Boing Boing |date= 19 October 2005|accessdate=2013-02-10}} Simon Carless' 2005 book Gaming Hacks by O'Reilly Media describes it as "One of the most spectacular, fully formed level editor hacks of all time".{{cite book|title=Gaming Hacks|publisher=O'Reilly Media|author=Carless, Simon|year=2004|authorlink=Simon Carless|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrqz84QUuSEC&dq=%22Lunar+Magic%22++level+editor+-wikipedia&pg=PA270|page=270|isbn=9780596007140}} 1UP.com stated that "This unprecedented editor allows for easy creation of brand new levels for Super Mario World." Vice noted that Lunar Magic has continued to stay relevant even after the release of the official editor Super Mario Maker, citing better customizability as the main reason.
The website Super Mario World Central, or SMW Central, was created in 2006 and is mostly dedicated to showing off ROM hacks made using Lunar Magic.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://fusoya.eludevisibility.org/lm/index.html FuSoYa's Niche]
- [https://www.smwcentral.net/ SMW Central]
{{Unofficial Mario media}}