Unfortunately, I'm unfamiliar with most of the games the entires came from, so I can't say anything in terms of accuracy. I'm not really much of a reviewer anyway, but I figured I could at least give a few of my thoughts on each stage.
This includes the examples too, even though they aren't really part of the contest.
BalconyNice textures here on the earth and stone blocks. The scrolling clouds are really cool. The dull colors and ruins make this stage feel pretty deserted. The music fits well. It's kind of empty in the middle, but the scrolling clouds keep it interesting.
Metro CityThis stage is very well-designed, the space is filled quite evenly, there's lots of interesting details, and plenty of activity going on. I particularly like the triceratops-like creature that appears on the left side of the stage, and the guy being harassed by the litte black fuzzy thing. Some very catchy FM synth music.
Blue LakeVery nice work on the raster effects of the water. Must have been a pain to rip. Very good parallax between the various layers. I keep wanting to grab those "P" things, whatever they are.
BrinstarCool music. The bug things hopping about and flying out of the hatch provide some good visual interest, as do the falling particles (whatever they are). The parallax seems a bit odd, but a very nice stage overall.
Cave of SpiritsThe mirrored sprites look pretty strange. There's little differentation between the "columns" and the layer behind them, so you really can only tell them apart while you're scrolling. A darker back layer might have helped.
Comix ZoneMy lifebars! ;_; More great FM synth music here. Cool intro with the page turning. Very unique idea for a stage. Plenty of animation and a big variety of settings keep this stage interesting the whole time you play.
Final JudgementThe stage looks nice, the only real issue I have is the difference in saturation between the two layers... the sky is a very bright blood red, while the lighting on the stage itself is a very subdued pinkish hue. I'm not a big fan of the music, but that's just me.
Ice Temple of QuinnsvethVery interesting original stage here. The floor almost looks like it's parallax, even though it's not. Normally I'm against large objects in the foreground, but due to the fact the spires here are translucent, it's not that big a deal, and actually looks pretty cool. The jagged edges of the skull's nasal opening are kind of distracting, considering how smooth the rest of it looks.
Butter BuildingI remember this level! Very cool idea for a Mugen stage, and the end result is great. The turning of the tower is executed wonderfully, the sky parallax and sprites moving about are cool touches. Nice song, too.
KremlandCould use some parallax between the layers, IMO. No vertical scrolling! Normally I'd say this doesn't matter, but with how high the ground level of this stage is, it might be nice to give a little vertical scroll for when characters jump. The fireworks look great.
Another WorldInteresting vertical movement here. The setting itself looks good, and the animation is nice.
Simba's ReturnThe foreground is pretty good, but the backdrop is a bit plain. Interesting color scheme and music.
Welcome to Moneky WorldVery cool stage. I'm not as big a fan of Yoshi's Islan'd graphic style as some others out there, but you did a great job with it here. Everything's arranged well. The monkey throwing the cactus thing is a wonderful touch. Kinda wish you had included the music from this level, but I guess it's easy enough to look up and download if anyone wants it.
ZebulosAnother nice FM synth tune. Good parallax between all the layers, and the multiple scrolling cloud layers look great.
