The Delicate Art of Designing Platformers
By Chris Zukowski
(or how to make Super Mario levels that don’t suck)
Wizard Golf RPG (iOS)
Dead King (In Development)
1980 - Chris Zukowski Born (US) 1985 - Super Mario Bros. 1 Released (US) 2015 - Super Mario Maker Released (US)
Sketchbook c1988
YOUR MARIO LEVEL HAS NO CHILL
+ = Platform Design Metatiles +
Super Mario Bros. (NES)
Metatiles
Super Mario Bros. (NROM) US Super Mario Bros. 2 (TSROM)
World 1-3
World 2-3
World 3-3
Metatile list
00 - Blank
01 - Black Metatile
02 - Bush Left
03 - Bush Middle
04 - Bush Right
05 - Mountain Left
06 - Mountain Left Bottom/Middle Center
07 - Mountain Middle Top
08 - Mountain Right
09 - Mountain Right Bottom
0A - Mountain Middle Bottom
0B - Bridge Guardrail
0C - Chain
0D - Tall Tree Top, Top Half
0E - Short Tree Top
0F - Tall Tree Top, Bottom Half
10 - Warp Pipe End Left, Points Up
11 - Warp Pipe End Right, Points Up
12 - Decoration Pipe End Left, Points Up
13 - Decoration Pipe End Right, Points Up
14 - Pipe Shaft Left
15 - Pipe Shaft Right
16 - Tree Ledge Left Edge
17 - Tree Ledge Middle
18 - Tree Ledge Right Edge
19 - Mushroom Left Edge
1A - Mushroom Middle
1B - Mushroom Right Edge
1C - Sideways Pipe End Top
1D - Sideways Pipe Shaft Top
1E - Sideways Pipe Joint Top
1F - Sideways Pipe End Bottom
20 - Sideways Pipe Shaft Bottom
21 - Sideways Pipe Joint Bottom
22 - Seaplant
5E - Brick (1-Up)
5F - Hidden Block (1 Coin)
60 - Hidden Block (1-Up)
61 - Solid Block (3-D Block)
62 - Solid Block (White Wall)
63 - Bridge
64 - Bullet Bill Cannon Barrel
65 - Bullet Bill Cannon Top
66 - Bullet Bill Cannon Bottom
67 - Blank Used For Jumpspring
68 - Half Brick Used For Jumpspring
69 - Solid Block (Water Level, Green Rock)
6A - Half Brick (???)
6B - Water Pipe Top
6C - Water Pipe Bottom
6D - Flag Ball (Residual Object)
80 - Cloud Left
81 - Cloud Middle
82 - Cloud Right
83 - Cloud Bottom Left
84 - Cloud Bottom Middle
85 - Cloud Bottom Right
86 - Water/Lava Top
87 - Water/Lava
88 - Cloud Level Terrain
89 - Bowser's Bridge
C0 - Question Block (Coin)
C1 - Question Block (Power-Up)
C2 - Coin
C3 - Underwater Coin
C4 - Empty Block
C5 - Axe
23 - Blank, Used On Bricks Or Blocks That Are Hit
24 - Flagpole Ball
25 - Flagpole Shaft
26 - Blank, Used In Conjunction With Vines
00 - Vertical Rope
41 - Horizontal Rope
42 - Left Pulley
43 - Right Pulley
44 - Blank Used For Balance Rope
45 - Castle Top
46 - Castle Window Left
47 - Castle Brick Wall
48 - Castle Window Right
49 - Castle Top W/ Brick
4A - Entrance Top
4B - Entrance Bottom
4C - Green Ledge Stump
4D - Fence
4E - Tree Trunk
4F - Mushroom Stump Top
50 - Mushroom Stump Bottom
51 - Breakable Brick W/ Line
52 - Breakable Brick
53 - Breakable Brick (Not Used)
54 - Cracked Rock Terrain
55 - Brick With Line (Power-Up)
56 - Brick With Line (Vine)
57 - Brick With Line (Star)
58 - Brick With Line (Coins)
59 - Brick With Line (1-Up)
5A - Brick (Power-Up)
5B - Brick (Vine)
5C - Brick (Star)
5D - Brick (Coins)
Think of Design in terms of Metatiles
2-3 2-4 2 3
Lateral Vertical
Mario Golden Ratio [Demo]
+ = Platform Design Metatiles + Formal Design
Elements
Formal Elements of Platformer Design
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space R m h t y h Rhythm
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space R m h t y h Rhythm
4-4 2-1
2-3
5
3
3
2
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
“With platform games, only playing the difficult parts
can really take it out of you. It feels good to play parts
that you can breeze through as well.
[Prevents] that feeling that: "I'm still useless at this!"
-Miyamoto
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
0 10
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
0 10
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
0 10
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
0 10
Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space
0 10
= Platform Design Metatiles + Formal Design
Elements Organization +
Organization
Five Paragraph Essay Three Act Structure Setup & Punchline
Kishōtenketsu
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/168460/the_structure_of_fun_learning_.php?page=4
Introduction (ki)
Development (shō)
Twist (ten)
Conclusion (ketsu)
Super Mario World (SNES)
Forest of Illusion 1
ki
shō
ten
ketsu
= Platform Design Metatiles + Formal Design
Elements Organization +
Let’s Build
TIPS
Hunter S Thompson while at Time Magazine typed the entirety of the Great Gatsby
http://www.mariouniverse.com/maps
Bibliography
Design Theory
Your Super Mario Maker level has no chill - http://boingboing.net/2015/09/14/super-mario-maker-levels.html I am ERROR : The Nintendo Family Computer / Entertainment System Platform Reverse Design: Super Mario World - http://store.payloadz.com/details/2006117-ebooks-games-reverse-design-super-mario-world.html# Super Mario Maker do’s and don’ts - http://www.avclub.com/article/readers-lay-down-their-super-mario-maker-dos-and-d-225548 Antiepixelante - Level design lesson: to the right, hold on tight - http://auntiepixelante.com/?p=465 Antiepixelante - http://auntiepixelante.com/?p=459 Breaking the Law of Miyamoto http://gamersquarter.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1244&sid=51655ca7914bd7ba2430d25dbff1fa72 The Structure of Fun: Learning from Super Mario 3D Land's Director (kishotenketsu) http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/168460/the_structure_of_fun_learning_.php?page=4 How to make great levels in Nintendo’s Mario Maker (Erin Robinson Swink Quote) http://boingboing.net/2015/09/11/want-to-create-mario-maker-lev.html
Interviews
Iwata Asks - http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/nsmb/0/3 Iwata Asks - http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/mario25th/4/0 Time Magazine Miyamoto QA: http://techland.time.com/2010/11/08/shigeru-miyamoto-legendary-nintendo-designer-speaks-on-the-mythology-of-mario/
Talks and Podcasts
Scroll Back (GDC 2015) - http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1022243/Scroll-Back-The-Theory-and Puzzle Design - Braid, LimboNot part of Mario except ghost houses. But this is an interesting video about a puzzle level: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IBwvvNJ-mE&feature=youtu.be&t=2s
Cool Levels / Cool Designers
Tom Hall Designer from Doom and commander keen: 68B9-000-0036-A704 Chris Kohler:D05A-0000-0077-8974 Jeremy Parish: EDD0-0000-0024-CA8E Dereck Yu (Spelunky): BD99-0000-0062-6FC7 David Hellman (Braid Artist): B3CB-0000-0033-507C James Kochalka: 287C-0000-007A-E3E3
Made Here in Phoenix
14C5-0000-0034-E90B – Tim Winsky B671-0000-007B-C8B3 – Justin Walsh 9966-0000-0041-C582 – Chris Zukowski
Chris Zukowski @adventureMtn www.returntoadventuremountain.com Mailing List