Game Design Deep Dive: Platformers

Description

The Game Design Deep Dive series examines specific game systems or mechanics over the course of the history of the industry. This book examines the history of jumping - one of the oldest mechanics in the industry - and how it has evolved and changed over the years. The author looks at the transition from 2D to 3D and multiple elements that make jumping more complicated than it looks from a design perspective. 　Key Selling Points: The first in a series of books that focus entirely on a singular game design system or mechanic, in this case: jumping. A perfect read for anyone interested in understanding game design, or just curious from a historical standpoint. A must read for anyone interested in building their own platformer or just interested in the history of the game industry's most famous game mechanic. This book is a perfect companion for someone building their first game or as part of a game design classroom. Includes real game examples to highlight the discussed topics and mechanics. 　 Joshua Bycer is a Game Design Critic with more than seven years of experience critically analyzing game design and the industry itself. In that time, through Game-Wisdom, he has interviewed hundreds of game developers and members of the industry about what it means to design video games. He also strives to raise awareness about the importance of studying game design by giving lectures and presentations; his first book was titled 20 Essential Games to Study. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Acknowledgments Foreword: A Game Design Deep Dive into Platformers 1. The Legacy of Jumping 1.1 The Timelessness of Platforming 1.2 Why Platforming Is Not Going Away 2. The First Jumps 2.1 Defining the Platformer 2.2 Pitfalls and Plumbers 3. Committed Jumping 3.1 What is Committed Jumping? 3.2 Committed Jumping Limitations 4. Variable Jumping 4.1 What Is Variable Jumping? 4.2 Committed vs. Variable 5. The 2D Mascot Platformer Era 5.1 Genesis Does What Nintendon’t 5.2 Mario’s World 5.3 Sonic’s Boom 5.4 Mascot Popularity 5.5 The Wide World of Mascots 6. Basic 2D Design 6.1 Jumping Logic 6.2 Camera Angles 6.3 The Factors of Jumping 6.4 Creating Multiple Jumps 7. Advanced 2D Design 7.1 Level Flow and Structure 7.2 Teaching the Player 7.3 Obstacle Design 7.4 Platforming Challenge Design 7.5 The Hardest Jumps 7.6 Fall Damage 8. The Adventure Platformer 8.1 Story-Driven Jumping 8.2 Heroic Platforming 8.3 The Pros of Adventure Platforming 8.4 The Limitations of Adventure Platformers 9. Puzzle Platforming and Design 9.1 The Thinker’s Jump 9.2 Skill vs. Thought 10. First-Person Jumping Design 10.1 Jump and Shoot 10.2 The First-Person Camera 10.3 The Limits of First Person 11. The 3D Platformer Era 11.1 Two and a Half D Games 11.2 The Rise of 3D 11.3 The Mario 64 Formula 11.4 The 3D Mascot Rush 11.5 Three D Adventure Platforming 12. Three D Design 12.1 The “Depth” of 3D 12.2 Three D Camera Design 12.3 The Shadow Knows 12.4 Subjective Difficulty 12.5 Auto-Jumping 13. The AAA Shift Away from Platformers 13.1 The Growth of the Game Industry 13.2 The Blending of Genres 13.3 The Limits of 3D Platformer Design 13.4 Endless Runner Design 14. The Indie Impact 14.1 The Indie Movement 14.2 Bringing 2D Back 14.3 Celebrating Celeste 14.4 The Modern Retro Market 15. Physics-Driven Platformer Design 15.1 Incalculable Jumping 15.2 Technical Level Design 15.3 Physics Problems 16. Super Mario Maker and Kaizo Culture 16.1 Making Mario 16.2 The Legacy of Mario 16.3 What Is Kaizo? 16.4 I Wanna Be a Platformer 16.5 Bringing Kaizo to the Masses 16.6 The Limited Appeal of Kaizo 17. Expert 2D Design 17.1 Level Philosophy 17.2 Creating Mechanics 17.3 Challenging vs. Frustrating 17.4 Collision Detection 17.5 Tracking Timers 18. Conclusion Glossary Index