The Measure of Mario pt.1

It all started with the brick. This small equal sided object is the degree that all the gameplay elements in Super Mario Brothers are organized by. Small Mario and most of the enemies in the game are the size of 1 brick. Big Mario stacks up to about 2 bricks. Mario's standing JUMP clears 4 bricks, while the running JUMP clears 5. Recognizing this quantified unit of measure was essential for understanding how SMB was built and why all the elements fit together like puzzle pieces.

Over a year ago I wrote the Mario Melodies series exploring the design of the original Super Mario Brothers. It was all in an effort to establish and become familiar with the concepts and language necessary to completely understand game design as a system of interconnected parts. Analyzing video games and articulating nuances of game design is hard. To make things easier, I often compare other games to the SMB model. Now that New Super Mario Brothers Wii is out, it's time to compare all 7 games. Barring Super Mario Land 1 and 2 for the Gameboy, I intend to put an end to the popular debate of how the 2D Mario platformers measure up against each other.

 Here's the line up:

1. Super Mario Brothers
2. Super Mario Brothers: Lost Levels
3. Super Mario Brothers 2
4. Super Mario Brothers 3
5. Super Mario World
6. New Super Mario Brothers
7. New Super Mario Brothers Wii

First Mario's Mechanics. 

I've detailed Mario's basic mechanics throughout this blog in addition to creating this comparison chart. To sum up, all the 2D Mario games have these core mechanics. WALK. RUN. JUMP. DUCK.

 The following mechanics are not present in every 2D Mario platfomer.

• DUCK while small Mario: added in SMB2, removed for SMB3-SMW, and returned in NSMB-NSMBWii.
• GRAB and THROW: added in SMB3 - NSMBWii. 
• SLIDE on slanted surfaces: added in SMB3-NSMBWii.
• SPIN JUMP: added in SMW, removed in NSMB, and altered for NSMBWii.
• DOUBLE/TRIPLE JUMP: added in NSMB - NSMBWii. 
• GROUND POUND: added in NSMB - NSMBWii. 
• LIFT and THROW: added in SMB2, removed in SMB3-SMW, and altered for NSMB-NSMBWii. 

Controlling Mario by using the above mechanics is what many refer to as the "feel of the game." Though these mechanics may look about the same from game to game, there are subtle differences that if ignored can throw one's entire game experience off. It's all about expectations that are learned for one game and assumed to be the same for another. This is why some of the most bitter critics of long running series are also some of the biggest fans. For some gamers, if the smallest detail like how quickly Mario skids to a stop from running is changed, it's automatically bad. 

From a critical perspective, we know that the real issue isn't that some versions of Mario's RUN or JUMP are better than others. After all, the quality of mechanics is measured by a game's level design. Considering that mechanics are primarily designed to be used to overcome challenges, a game's level design is where we must look. For a mechanic out of the context of its game is just potential. So if Mario is designed to carry over a lot of momentum when changing directions, designing levels with very small platforms and precise jumps may be deceptively difficult and counter intuitive to some experienced gamers. Looking at how all the elements work together is key.

Designing levels for a Mario game starts with creating challenges through a counterpoint between Mario, the level obstacles, and the enemy elements. Based on the player's maneuverability, the level design can shape the gameplay. For example, in SMB and SMB:LL players only have the core JUMP mechanic to move through the air. Every JUMP must be carefully made to avoid pits and emergent enemy traps. Even with the air control that Mario is famous for, Mario has fairly limited vertical options. The levels were designed around this limitation to challenge and empower players to JUMP and JUMP well.

Some have commented how the difficultly of Mario games is undermined by new mechanics. For example, the SPIN in Super Mario Galaxy can be used like a mini double jump to help players "get out of danger for free." The problem with thinking about the game in this way is that it doesn't take into account how the game creates challenges that can't be undermined with the SPIN mechanic or challenges that aren't designed around JUMPing and falling into pits in the first place. Sure, some jumps by no longer be as challenging in Galaxy as they would be in Super Mario 64, but as long as levels are designed to challenge/engage the player in some other way, there isn't a real loss to criticise.

If you're upset about the newer Mario games and the new undermining mechanics, you should know undermining design has been happening since the beginning.

• SMB-SMB:LL: The Fire Flower powerup gives players a highly effective range weapon. Though well balanced to influence the player to JUMP and platform in new ways, the powerup still undermines many of the game's enemies based challenges. This is not even mentioning how Big Mario can take a hit and run straight through enemies or even the Koopa bosses. Also, the Starman is a temporary powerup that gives players temporary invulnerability. The very nature of a powerup is to undermine game challenges.
• SMB2: The differences in character abilities can be used to undermine some challenges. Peach's float ability specifically makes avoiding pits very easy. 
• SMB3: The Super Leaf and Tanooki Suit give players the ability to reduce their fall speed to adjust their landings. With these powerups and a little speed, players can also fly up and over large sections of levels. The rare P-Wing powerup gives players the ability to fly indefinitely. 
• SMW: The spin jump allows Mario to jump off of dangerous enemy elements. From Piranha plants to buzz saws, the once harmful become platforms. Similar to the Super Leaf from SMB3, the Cape Feather gives Mario the power of flight. And with a bit of skill, you can fly forever. If you collide into an enemy element while flying, instead of losing the powerup, you simply lose your flying state. At this point, you can reduce your fall speed and float to the ground. Furthermore, with Yoshi's help you can take an unlimited amount of hits without losing your powerups. 
• NSMB: The wall jump makes dying in small pits a thing of the past. That is, unless an enemy fall into the pit on top of you. Also, to delay one's fall, it's possible to use a ground pound to hover slightly in the air. With some dexterous finger work, you can repeatedly ground pound in the air to significantly delay your landing. 
• NSMBWii: In co-op play, putting yourself in a bubble is an easy way to undermine just about any dangerous situation. The repeated air ground pound maneuver is also in this game. Furthermore, by twirling in the air with the shake of the Wiimote, Mario will slightly hover similarly to the SPIN mechanic in Super Mary Galaxy. 

With Mario's mechanics cleared up, we can move on to the bulk of this series. Level design.

The Learner's Garden: Video

In case you had a hard time picturing the level from my description...

Improvisation #1 (P)layered Elements

The purpose of this article is to highlight 4 examples of (p)layered level design in a LittleBigPlanet level I made: Improvisation #1.

• Section #1: In this section a "moon" orbits around an "earth." The moon can be grabbed and a nearby spring pad encourages players to shoot for it. After grabbing onto the moon, the player will be pulled up to the top of the world where they can progress to the right side of the level by platforming off of the square blocks. What's interesting about all levels in LBP is the physicality of all elements. Objects have weight, friction, and grab-ability. Furthermore, motors have strength. If you weigh down a motor with too much pressure, it'll fail to rotate completely or even break! Such is the case with the mechanism that rotates the moon.
• For just one player, the moon motor has enough strength to continue rotating. Any more than that and the motor will struggle and fail. Getting two or more players to the square boxes and across from the earth & moon section is much more challenging than just one player. This is compounded with LBP's camera problems. In general, for each player you add to an LBP game you add more stress to the camera system. I talk about LBP's camera issues in greater detail in my review & repair. 

• Section #2: In this area, there are two main ways to progress to the center of the stage (the spinning triangle structure). Players can either use the spinning "watch arms" to go clockwise or counterclockwise. If a solo player decides to go counterclockwise, they must jump and grab onto the tip of the watch arm as it swings by. As the watch arm nearly finishes swinging up, the player can let go and land on a stable structure. 
• From this simple set up, things get a lot more challenging with more players. The rotating watch arm is designed so that one and only one player can easily grab the tip as it swings by. To get up, the 2nd player must grab the feet of the first player and hold on for the ride. With 3 - 4 players, a chain of Sackpeople can be made. Because this platforming challenge is physics based, the longer the chain of players, the more rotational inertia the player at the end of the chain will have. On top of this physics based dynamic, players can hit "X" to throw their weight around. So, with increasing skill it's possible for players to make a chain, use the momentum, throw their weight around, and coordinate when they release so that all 4 players can ascend like a group of acrobats.

• Section #3: To finish off the level, players must make it to this area. The goal is somewhere in the sky, and player must ride floaty bubbles to fly. The bubbles are only emitted if the circles under the "#3" are lined up correctly. To spin the circles, players must grab the circle to start and release to stop. Things get interesting when you consider that the platforms players are standing on is what's being spun. If you're not careful, you'll be spun off the side of the platform. Not to worry though, if you keep holding on you'll eventually come back around on top.
• Playing solo, this challenge is pretty simple. The player can do all the grabbing, spinning, and fine tuning to get the job done. But with 2-4 players, the challenge turns into an exercise of "don't rock the boat." As players attempt to steady themselves, they might grab ahold of circle. Doing so activates the spin action. If one player tries to line up the circles by spinning the circle, they might throw another player off the side whom might then grab onto the circle to keep from falling. Without coordination, chaos will ensue.

• Finally, with the circles lined up the floaty bubbles will be emitted. A solo player needs only to grab on to a large bubble and ride it to victory. If 2 players try to ride the same large bubble, they'll soon realize that their combined weight is too much. However, if the 2 players get on top of the bubble, they can jump repeatedly to get the job done. You can imagine that with 3-4 players, the team would need to coordinate using at least 2 large bubbles. What's interesting still is that the circles can emit large and small bubbles. The small bubbles don't have enough lifting power to carry even a single Sackperson. But, if you leave a small bubble alone for a few seconds, it'll gain enough upward momentum to rise with great speed. With the added momentum, even the small bubbles can provide a serious, short term lift to a Sackperson. So while rising, groups of 3-4 can orchestrate a sort of aerial ballet of bubbles as they rise higher than the sun. 

(P)layered level design is wonderful. Though the sound design of Improvisation #1 is unrelated to the level's challenges, it's shaped by emergent gameplay and (p)layered gameplay. With more players, more notes are played. And at each gameplay section, the more the players work together, the more complete the emergent song will sound. This is a level of sound design you'd be hardpressed to find elsewhere.