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