Game Design Deep Dive: Platformers

153 Pages·2020·15.92 MB·english

by  Joshua Bycer

Game Design
Deep Dive

Game Design
Deep Dive
Platformers
Joshua Bycer
CRCPress
Taylor&FrancisGroup
6000BrokenSoundParkwayNW,Suite300
BocaRaton,FL33487-2742
©2020byTaylor&FrancisGroup,LLC
CRCPressisanimprintofTaylor&FrancisGroup,anInformabusiness
NoclaimtooriginalU.S.Governmentworks
Printedonacid-freepaper
InternationalStandardBookNumber-13:9780367211387(paperback)9780367211417(hardback)
Thisbookcontainsinformationobtainedfromauthenticandhighlyregardedsources.Reasonable
efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher
cannotassumeresponsibilityforthevalidityofallmaterialsortheconsequencesoftheiruse.The
authorsandpublishershaveattemptedtotracethecopyrightholdersofallmaterialreproducedin
this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not
beenobtained.Ifanycopyrightmaterialhasnotbeenacknowledgedpleasewriteandletusknow
sowemayrectifyinanyfuturereprint.
Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted,
reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
nowknownorhereafterinvented,includingphotocopying,microfilming,andrecording,orinany
informationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublishers.
For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.
copyright.com(www.copyright.com/)orcontacttheCopyrightClearanceCenter,Inc.(CCC),222
Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that
provides licensesand registration fora variety ofusers. Fororganizationsthat havebeen granted
aphotocopylicensebytheCCC,aseparatesystemofpaymenthasbeenarranged.
TrademarkNotice:Productorcorporatenamesmaybetrademarksorregisteredtrademarks,and
areusedonlyforidentificationandexplanationwithoutintenttoinfringe.
VisittheTaylor&FrancisWebsiteat
www.taylorandfrancis.com
andtheCRCPressWebsiteat
www.crcpress.com
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Foreword:AGameDesignDeepDiveintoPlatformers xi
1 TheLegacyofJumping 1
1.1 TheTimelessnessofPlatforming...............................................................2
1.2 WhyPlatformingIsNotGoingAway......................................................3
2 TheFirstJumps 5
2.1 DefiningthePlatformer..............................................................................5
2.2 PitfallsandPlumbers...................................................................................6
3 CommittedJumping 9
3.1 WhatisCommittedJumping?.................................................................10
3.2 CommittedJumpingLimitations............................................................10
4 VariableJumping 13
4.1 WhatIsVariableJumping?......................................................................14
4.2 Committedvs.Variable............................................................................15
5 The2DMascotPlatformerEra 17
5.1 GenesisDoesWhatNintendon’t.............................................................18
5.2 Mario’sWorld.............................................................................................18
v
5.3 Sonic’sBoom...............................................................................................21
5.4 MascotPopularity......................................................................................23
5.5 TheWideWorldofMascots....................................................................25
6 Basic2DDesign 27
6.1 JumpingLogic.............................................................................................27
6.2 CameraAngles............................................................................................28
6.3 TheFactorsofJumping.............................................................................30
6.4 CreatingMultipleJumps...........................................................................32
7 Advanced2DDesign 35
7.1 LevelFlowandStructure..........................................................................35
7.2 TeachingthePlayer....................................................................................37
7.3 ObstacleDesign..........................................................................................38
7.4 PlatformingChallengeDesign.................................................................40
7.5 TheHardestJumps....................................................................................41
7.6 FallDamage.................................................................................................48
8 TheAdventurePlatformer 51
8.1 Story-DrivenJumping...............................................................................52
8.2 HeroicPlatforming....................................................................................52
8.3 TheProsofAdventurePlatforming........................................................53
8.4 TheLimitationsofAdventurePlatformers............................................54
9 PuzzlePlatformingandDesign 57
9.1 TheThinker’sJump...................................................................................57
9.2 Skillvs.Thought.........................................................................................59
10 First-PersonJumpingDesign 61
10.1 JumpandShoot..........................................................................................61
10.2 TheFirst-PersonCamera..........................................................................62
10.3 TheLimitsofFirstPerson........................................................................63
11 The3DPlatformerEra 65
11.1 TwoandaHalfDGames.........................................................................65
11.2 TheRiseof3D............................................................................................66
vi Contents
11.3 TheMario64Formula..............................................................................67
11.4 The3DMascotRush.................................................................................70
11.5 ThreeDAdventurePlatforming.............................................................71
12 ThreeDDesign 73
12.1 The“Depth”of3D.....................................................................................73
12.2 ThreeDCameraDesign...........................................................................74
12.3 TheShadowKnows...................................................................................77
12.4 SubjectiveDifficulty...................................................................................78
12.5 Auto-Jumping.............................................................................................80
13 TheAAAShiftAwayfromPlatformers 83
13.1 TheGrowthoftheGameIndustry..........................................................84
13.2 TheBlendingofGenres............................................................................85
13.3 TheLimitsof3DPlatformerDesign......................................................86
13.4 EndlessRunnerDesign.............................................................................87
14 TheIndieImpact 89
14.1 TheIndieMovement.................................................................................90
14.2 Bringing2DBack.......................................................................................91
14.3 CelebratingCeleste....................................................................................92
14.4 TheModernRetroMarket.......................................................................94
15 Physics-DrivenPlatformerDesign 97
15.1 IncalculableJumping.................................................................................97
15.2 TechnicalLevelDesign..............................................................................99
15.3 PhysicsProblems......................................................................................100
16 SuperMarioMakerandKaizoCulture 103
16.1 MakingMario...........................................................................................104
16.2 TheLegacyofMario................................................................................106
16.3 WhatIsKaizo?..........................................................................................107
16.4 IWannaBeaPlatformer........................................................................109
16.5 BringingKaizototheMasses.................................................................110
16.6 TheLimitedAppealofKaizo.................................................................111
Contents vii
17 Expert2DDesign 115
17.1 LevelPhilosophy......................................................................................115
17.2 CreatingMechanics.................................................................................119
17.3 Challengingvs.Frustrating.....................................................................121
17.4 CollisionDetection..................................................................................125
17.5 TrackingTimers.......................................................................................129
18 Conclusion 131
Glossary 133
Index 137
viii Contents
Acknowledgments
For the months I spent writing this book, I had a special offer for my fans
and supporters. For anyone who donated a select amount to my patreon
(http://patreon.com/gwbycer) or via online donation, they received an acknow-
ledgment in this book. Keep an eye out for future works of mine, as I’ll be
making similar promotions there. Without further ado, I would like to thank
the following people for contributing that helped me to focus on this book:
Charles Currer
D.S.
Mike M. Garcia
Robert Leach
Irish Mojo
ix