Critical-Gaming: Mario Melodies: Variation part.2

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Mario Melodies: Variation part.2

Last time in Mario Melodies: Variation part.1, I talked about the different types of variation. Before leaping into open variation, I wanted do a few more examples on strict variation using Super Mario Bros.

Remember, the mechanics of Super Mario Bros. are...

0. Idle position (doing nothing)
1. Jump (a level.2 mechanic)
2. Run, Duck, Slide, Swim, Throw fireball
3. Starman powerup, Koopa shell attacks

Minimum difference: Super Mario Bros. is quantified by the unit brick. This means that all the attacks, level elements, enemies, and players are designed to take up space by the brick. Small Mario is about the size of a brick, and ducking Big Mario is a brick high as well. The shortest jump possible clears a distance of two bricks while Mario's largest jump clear a distance of 5 bricks. Little did I know when I first concluded that Super Mario Bros. was quantified by teh brick unit that the elements in the game are set into a grid system that is made up of units that are as large as a single brick. So, in this special case, the game really is quantified by the unit brick.

Things to note...

Click to enlarge all images
The world and level are displayed at the top of each example
Unless explicitly stated, the strategies and possibilities discuss are based on the assumption that the player is small Mario and he/she can't simply take a hit and use the invincibility time to run through dangerous situations.
For the bonus stages, assume that the player wants to get all the coins and secrets.

BOWSER BATTLES

Elements: level = bridge, bricks, axe, and a floating platform. enemy = fire blasts, fire chain, fire balls, Bowser, and hammers
Overall Trend: refining.
Method: conceptual variation
1-4: This is the first encounter with the boss Bowser, and it is also the simplest. Bowser moves back and forth and mixes things up with fire blasts while the floating platform above him act as training wheels giving the player a large safety area where they don't have to worry about falling on Boswer and getting hurt. This platform also carries the player close to the axe at the right side of the stage. The player is in very little danger on this platform.
2-4: The set up for this battle is the same as 1-4 with one notable exception; the low brick "ceiling." This ceiling restricts movement for Small Mario. And when Bowser approaches from the right, it can turn the area into a death trap. Jumping over Bowser in such a situation is very tricky. Fortunately, if you're Big Mario, you can punch a hole in the ceiling, and perform a running jump to get on top of it. Once up in that area, overcoming Bowser is as easy as walking from the ceiling to the floating platform to the axe.
3-4: Like the set up in 2-4, the bricks function to restrict possible jump paths for Mario. This time, the bricks don't make a ceiling, but a hanging wall that hangs even lower that the ceiling in 2-4. As Big Mario, this wall can be destroyed transforming the stage into one that functions as 1-4. But because Small Mario can't break bricks, the window for the winning jump that is only possible during the limited time when Bowser backs up to the right side of the stage has been reduced.
4-4: This time the floating platform have been removed and the safe window for jumping over Bowser has been reduced. The player will have to coordinate the timing of 4 threats, each with their own unique timer, to successfully overcome this stage; the fire chain, fire balls, fire blast, and Bowser. Fortunately the fire ball comes up in the same place each time.
5-4: This stage is like 2-4 but with a fire ball placed in the perfect spot that Mario needs to keep his distance from Bower or to break through the ceiling as Big Mario. Just like my old orchestra director Mr. Lacefield used to say, "familiar" territory can be the most dangerous because you'll want to treat them like you did before. This can make the smallest changes the most deadly.
6-4: This is where Bowser starts to get down to business. The hammer projectiles are some of the most dangerous attacks in the game. Unlike the Hammer Bros., Bower throws a lot of them at once. Like the Bowser battle in 1-4, the player is given a chance to become acclimated to this new deadly approach. So, even though the set up has less enemy elements as previous battles, the trend is still refining. Also, it's important to note that Bowser does not shoot his fire blasts in this level. Overcoming the hammers and the fire ball is enough. And just to help the player out, the floating platform is there to increase the safe jumping zone.
7-4: This battle is identical to the battle in 6-4, but this time the floating platform is gone. Good luck.
8-4: This battle is like the battle in 7-4 except this time, instead of a fire ball mixing things up, Bowser resumes uses his fire blasts. Remember, his fire blasts can come out and level off at one of 3 different heights. Because these blasts move horizontally and they come from Bowser's mouth, the safe area underneath the arc of the flying hammers can easily be compromised. The hammers threaten passage over Bowser, and the fire blasts threaten passage underneath him when he jumps. Also, it's important to note that world 8 has very few opportunity to gain mushroom or fire flower power ups. What you have entering world 8-4 on your first try, is all you'll have to work with. The chances of being Big Mario at this point are slim. This is truly the hardest and ultimate battle between just you and Bowser. No additional platforms, fire balls, or fire chains this time. Winner takes all.

BONUS STAGES

Elements: level = bricks, coins, secrets bricks.
Overall Trend: refining.
Method: linear variation
Note: These levels are bonus levels because there is no threat to Mario (outside of running out of time) and the player is free to collect coins and powerups without fear of moving the camera too far. Also the exits are clearly marked.
example 1: The platform is 3 bricks high. After landing on the platform, the coins are easily obtained. This bonus could hardly be simpler. By making the platform 3 bricks high, the player must hold down the jump button to surmount the obstacle. I guess Mario still lives in a world where he has to to work for free things.
example 2: The jump for the upper area is 4 bricks high. Mario can also get the coins by punching the bricks from underneath. Either way, Mario has to use more advance techniques to get the coins. The last brick before the end contains coins. This is an interesting place to put a secret. Most players would simply run for the pipe after they cleared all the coins. But the player who nabs the upper coins from underneath, and thus using a more advanced, more efficient approach, has a higher chance of discovering this secret.
example 3: The upper coins in this level are still on a platform that is 4 bricks high. For Small Mario, grabbing all the bricks and the powerup inside the lone brick that hangs over the pipe is an simple task. But for Big Mario, achieving the same level of success requires the use of some fairly advanced techniques. In order to get the coins underneath the structure, Mario must execute a perfect run-slide in the short distance between the left wall and the structure. Once underneath the structure, Big Mario can clear out all the bricks. The by performing a run-slide-ducking-jump, Big Mario can fit himself under the powerup brick and clear the level. This bonus level is an excellent example of a variable difficultly puzzle.
example 4: Big and Small Mario must master mid air control and the concepts of momentum to get the coins in this stage. Using the run butting in mid air helps. Attempting to jump and pull back using the run button requires Mario to jump up off the top of the screen temporarily. This in itself tests the player's understand of timing due to the game's gravity. When I was a kid, I thought that the coins on this stage couldn't be obtained. Little did I know....
example 5: In this final underground bonus stage, Big Mario is needed to destruct the structure and make it to the coins on top. To fit up into the spaces after specific bricks are destroyed, players have to use their knowledge of momentum, reversing direction, and the ultimate height of the run-jump. This series of bonus stages provides a great example of adding difficult in a variety of ways that test and require the player to use their knowledge in interesting ways.

ENDS OF LEVELS

Elements: level = blocks, bricks, floating platforms, secrets bricks, pipes, platforms, pulley platforms, pits enemy = piranha flower, buzzy beetles, koopa, para koopa, bullet bill
Overall Trend: refining.
Method: conceptual and linear variation

As an exercise with these end of the level distinct sections, notice how the variation goes back and forth between linear variation, conceptual variation, and static/diminishing/refining trends. It should be obvious that in world 8, the segments are the most difficult. Once you start noticing the variation in a game like Mario, you'll begin to hear the "voice of the developers." More on that later.

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Updated Critical-Glossary

All + All -

Critical-Glossary

+ - Alphabetical
- + - abstract mechanic
  - Some gameplay mechanics are completely artificial, meaning they do not make logical sense based on the form of the game. When such mechanics are privileged within a game's design, we tend to label these games as being "arcade" like. I describe these gameplay mechanics as being abstract.
    ~ see article
- + - accordion level design
  - Folded level design that folds back and forth at multiple creases that creates a pattern either in the types of creaes or a patten of some concerte nature.
    ~ see article
- + - asynchronous time (async)
  - It is a design innovation that applies to games that are played in real time. By taking the progression of real time and breaking it down in specific contextual ways, a new level of game design can be reached. This is the essence of asynchronous time, or async.
    ~ see article
- + - clean design
  - Following form fits function and relatively simple gameplay that is layered for effect.
  - ~ see article
- + - cluttered design
  - Design elements/choices that create more negative space than actual space. Also, design elements that ignore form fits function.
    ~ see article
- + - conceptual variation
  - adding or subtracting a different elements than what was modified in the previous step.
  - ~ see article
- + - counterpoint
  - In music, Counterpoint is the writing of musical lines that sound different on their own, but harmonize when played together. How the melody of a song interacts with the other lines is the focus of Counterpoint.
    Counterpoint, in gaming, is a word for the way gameplay develops past optimization by layering interactive elements into a single gameplay experience. When each layer influcences, interacts, and enhances the functions/gameplay of each other layer the gameplay emerges into a medium of expression that reflects the individuality of a player and the dynamics that reflect the complexity of the world we live in.
    ~ see article
- + - crease
  - The point at which a level folds upon itself.
  - ~ see article
- + - diminishing trend
  - A diminishing trend is one where game elements are either added or subtracted that reduce the amount of consequences and allow for mechanics to be executed less precisely.
    ~ see article
- + - direct (mechanics)
  - A measure of how the changes in the method of input are paralleled with the action in the game according to the form of the mechanic. If you quickly press the green button on your controller, does the game quickly press the button on the screen? If you hold the button on your controller, is the button on the screen held down as well?
    ~ see article
- + - distinct section
  - When a section contains an individual gameplay idea that isn't significantly and directly related to another section, then that section is considered a distinct section.
    ~ see article
- + - dynamic (mechanics)
  - An measure of how the game world responds to the action. According to the form of the game world and the mechanic, does the world react realistically? What is the extent of the properties of the mechanic? Are the reactions to the mechanic special cases or can the resulting actions continue to effect the game world?
    ~ see article
- + - elements
  - Any variable element in a videogame.
    
       * player: character(s), cursor, avatar, HUD
       * level: non aggressive interactive (physical) pieces
       * enemy: hostile/aggressive forces
       * audio: sound effects, music
       * visual: non-interactive on screen elements
       * rumble: force feedback
    ~ see article
- + - elemental variation
  - see conceptual variation
- + - emergent structure
  - the coming together of a few rules in "unexpected" ways.
- + - expanded game idea
  - In counterpoint, If the player must combine secondary functions with primary functions to progress, then the game idea is considered to be expanded.
    ~ see article
- + - feminist criticism
  - Like Marxist criticism, the most successful Feminist critique of a game involves analyzing how the range of player functions that affect female characters directly or indirectly reveal the operations of patriarchy. When the player is encouraged or forced to play in a way that depicts men as strong, rational, protective and women as weak, emotional, submissive, and nurturing, then the game can be said to support and reinforce patriarchal genders roles and ideologies. Patriarchal values work to oppress women, and all feminist theory and criticism works to promote women‘s equality. A Feminist analysis can become more complex when finding examples of actions toward women if a game doesn’t feature any women or the game allows for limited interaction with women. Writing essays about such games often leads to finding evidence by absence. In other words, a Feminist critic’s central piece of evidence may be what can’t be done to women instead of what can.
- + - flow
  - How a game accelerates or creates forward momentum. This factor of gameplay isn't necessarily about speed. More specifically, it looks at how a game's interactions feed back into the player's options/experience like a snowball rolling down hill.
- + - folded level design
  - Level design that resuses a space with the second use containing an extra layer to the gameplay that builds on the knowledge and experiences established on the first layer.
    ~ see article
- + - form fits function
  - Form fits function is a powerful game design principle that has powered many of Nintendo's greatest games. Using familiar visuals, games can use their form to communicate to the player. If there is a ball resting on a tee and the player avatar has a golf club in their hands, they better be able to swing the club and hit the ball. Otherwise, why put such things in front of the player in the first place? Keeping the form true to the functions and limits of a game creates the cleanest most easily enjoyable experiences.
- + - function creates form
  - When a game's mechanics inspire, shape, and define the creation of ancillary parts of a game. ie. story, setting, premise, characters, music, audio
    ~ see essay
- + - game idea
  - The influence of a game element or group of game elements on a game's mechanics in a specific way.
  - ~ see article
- + - gimmick
  - A sometimes hidden innovation intended to attract attention and increase the unique value of a product or work. dictionary.com
- + - individual (mechanics)
  - A quality of a mechanic. Does the input yield the same action every time? Or can the input result in a variety of different actions?
    ~ see article
- + - interplay
  - Interplay is the back and forth encouragement of player mechanics between any two elements in a game. Put simply, interplay is where actions and elements in a game aren't means to an end, but fluid opportunities that invite the player to play around with the changing situation.
    ~ see article
- + - intuitive (mechanics)
  - A measure of the degree to which input method matches the form of the game. If there's a green button on the screen, and a green button on your game controller, the form of the game is liked to the input of pressing the green button on the controller.
    ~ see article
- + - linear variation
  - adding or subtracting a single game element or fixed group of elements in a specific arrangement.
  - ~ see article
- + - marxist criticism
  - Like Psychoanalytic criticism, Marxist criticism can seemingly critique a game by looking solely at a its fiction. However, both of these critical modes, in relation to videogames, achieve a deeper, more profound level of analysis when the elements of interactivity between the game and player are taken into consideration. Many Marxist critics of literature believe that film, literature, art, music, and other forms of entertainment such as videogames are the primary bearers of cultural ideologies. While we’re being entertaining by these medias, our defenses are lowered making us all the more susceptible to ideological programming. A Marxist critic of videogames looks for how a game supports or condems capitalist, imperialist, or classist values. Perhaps the best and most obvious place to look toward in games is the role and function of money. Some games represent money with actual U.S. dollars or some other form of real world currency. Others use fictional currency from bell, to gil, to star bits, or even points. What the player can purchase, how these items or services function, and how the money circulates within the game world all become important areas of analysis.
    ~ see essay
    ~ see example
- + - minimum difference
  - The smallest degree of change needed for a change to be significant for a particular mechanic. (minimum degree of difference)
    ~ see article
- + - momentum
  - is created when player mechanics layer and/or link into resulting states that create opportunities with a higher amount of risk/reward
- + - multi-element whole
  - emergent gameplay
- + - multi-fold level design
  - A level that is designed with multiple layers and creases that fold onto each other more than once.
  - ~ see article
- + - negative space
  - see static space.
- + - new classical criticism
  - "New Classical criticism focuses on identifying a game's primary function/action that sums up all of the player's actions, functions, and abilities into a single expression. This expression can be thought of as the interpretation of the game or what the gamer is actually doing when he/she plays. Sometimes the primary function can be encapsulated in a single word. For example, the primary function of the Super Mario platforming series is "jump". After the primary function is identified, the New Classical critic then looks at a game's formal elements to analyze how they promote the primary function. The formal elements include Sound, Music, Art style, Story, Graphics, level design, enemies, etc. Because the New Classical critic privileges interactivity over passivity (especially when focused into a limited number of rules and actions), such a critic is only concerned with how these elements shape the gameplay experience, and assumes that any formal element in a game is only meaningful when it supports the primary function and exists in a lower state of priority to that function. In other words, elements like story can't be more stressed and more important to a game than the gameplay. Even if a game is designed according to the conventions and assumptions of Western game design, it can still be critiqued in the Classical mode."
    ~ see essay
    ~ see essay 2
- + - open variation
  - Doesn't look at examples from the game, rather it focuses on arrangements and groupings that the researcher creates. Such an approach looks at possible scenarios than existing ones.
    ~ see article
- + - origami level design
  - A type of multi-fold level design where the creases and layers are so flexible and/or dynamic that considering the possibilities within a single level are interconnected and complex. Considering the shape created from a multi-fold level is similar to observing an origami figure.
    ~ see article
- + - primary mechanic
  - Whether a game is defined by an action or a group of actions, a small set of mechanics rests at the core of every game. This mechanic is the primary function.
    ~ see article
- + - psychoanalytic criticsm
  - For those who aren’t careful, a Psychoanalytic critique of a game appears to only be concerned with the fiction of a game and the relationship of the characters. Unless the game is Psychonauts, most games seem to have little to nothing to do with the human psyche. Neglecting how the game fiction and the gameplay (or game rules) come together to create the Psychological work in a game is a common pitfall. Another easy pitfall is to get wrapped up in Psychoanalyzing the developers of the game, or what may be infinitely more embarrassing, accidentally analyzing one’s own psychological state while trying to pass it off as an analysis of the game. Though it is true that the fiction of a game is an important part of any Psychoanalytic analysis, the gameplay is where the most profound sources of material because the interactivity of the game can influence and transform the player in more powerfully subtle ways than a passive medium.
    ~ see essay
    ~ see essay2
- + - quantification
  - Breaking down the range of possibilites for a game mechanic into distinct parts for the purpose of analysis.
    ~ see article
- + - refining trend
  - And finally, the refining trend is one that increases consequences that force the use of mechanics in a more precise manner by adding or subtracting game elements.
    ~ see article
- + - secondary mechanic(s)
  - The set of mechanics that do not make up the set of primary mechanics. These mechanics usually aid and help shape the primary mechanic.
- + - sections (sub-sections)
  - All games can be broken down into sub-sections or sections. Whether a game is broken down by rooms, loading sections, cut scenes, stages, levels, rounds, or turns, if a game has a mechanic that is repeated, then it can be divided into sections.
    ~ see article
- + - species
  - The 4 varying levels of counterpoint with the last being a combination of the previous three.
  - ~ see article
- + - static space
  - The static distance between player and objective. Can occur when a strategy is repeated without escalation.
- + - static trend
  - A static trend is where there is no change between sections, or when the changes are inconsequential because they fall short of meeting the minimum requirement for the quantified mechanic.
    ~ see article
- + - strict variation
  - Examines the exact way the game "levels" are arranged or grouped
  - ~ see article
- + - structuralism/deconstruction criticism
  - Structures are probably the most recognizable feature of videogames. Because structures create the foundation for the game rules and player to learn these rules, analyzing structure develops a clearer insight into how a game works at its core. We're all familiar with the structures of genre. Any gamer can instantly recognize a first person shooter like Halo from a puzzle game like Tetris. Each gaming genre has a certain look to it that is the result of the gameplay structures. Like with any genre, the degree to which the conventions are followed or deviated from varies greatly from game to game. Recognizing a game's structure is an acute way of talking about how a game works in or outside of its genre.
- + - suspension
  - In counterpoint, when a game element or game idea is offset form the established pattern of game ideas to create scenarios where the element/idea can carry over and influence other game ideas.
    ~ see article
- + - tertiary mechanic
  - Any mechanic that is contextual to external forces to the players natural state.
- + - translation
  - The rewording or paraphrasing a game idea into another medium (typically words).
- + - variation
  - how a game's elements influence the use of game mechanics over increasingly larger segments of the game
    ~ see article

...about Critical-Gaming

We have come to a point where how we talk about video games is insufficient in expressing how we feel and think about them. With each year comes increasingly complex games, yet we are still, for the most part, writing and talking about games on a shallow consumer level.

It is time to start thinking and writing critically about games. However, before we can do this, we must approach gaming from a critical mode or mindset. To do this, we must first understand of how the different parts of a game work together (game design). Unfortunately, many of the who have experience in this area spend their time making video games. Beyond that, the body of knowledge that does exist is scattered at best. For this reason, it is hard for a thorough understanding of game design and critique to become widespread.

I have started this blog in efforts to inform both gamers and non-gamers of the complexities of gaming and how it compares to any other art form (music, literature, movies). Using literary critical theory and music theory as a starting point, I have developed a comprehensive set of critical modes for video game critique. By writing in these critical modes, and by critiquing other video game reviews, I hope to raise our understanding and expectations of video game journalism, critique, and even video games themselves.

We already have a loose idea of what it means to be a core gamer. A casual gamer. And a hardcore gamer. I hope with the right mindset, we can become critical-gamers, who don't shun our fellow gamers for thinking deeply about games but embrace the change we wish to see in the world.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Mario Melodies: Variation part.2

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