Platformer Level Design - First Pass

Recently have completed an initial prototype-esque design for the platformer we'll be constructing this semester in Game Design! The level is currently called Doubloon Depths. Why? I'm glad you asked!

The game starts off in a relatively easy area which the player should find themselves comfortable in. After spawning, the player will learn how to move and jump around their surroundings. Not too long into the level will the player encounter their first enemy (likely a gator). An illustration or a sign next to the gator of it being stomped on by a boot may inspire the player to take care of it in a similar fashion. Next, the player is introduced to a moving platform above a spike pit. In order to advance, the player must learn how to jump onto the moving platform to cross the trap. Once the player has accomplished this and is feeling confident, they will advance towards the next area.

Before they enter the cave, there is a gauntlet of moving platforms. This is a bit of a jump in difficulty from the previous challenge, but as long as the player stays patient and persistent, they should be able to make it no problem. Here is also where the first "Challenge Coin" is introduced. Coins are not all that common in this level, and that is for a specific reason: I wanted to make coins truly a reward in the sense that they are often in hard to reach areas or areas which require an extra amount of finesse on the part of the player. That way, when a player does happen to retrieve a challenge coin, they feel particularly good about themselves and their accomplishments, and it drives them to play more. I am also thinking of including a potential special ending for those players which collect all challenge coins in the level.

After walking into the cave, the player will find an elevator with two unlit torches of different colors. To use the elevator, the torches must be lit. The player must then proceed through two different challenges (of which the entrances are color coded) to light the torches and enable the elevator. Each stage uses different elements to produce different challenges for the player. Once each area is completed, the player will step in between two colored blocks to teleport back to the main elevator room where they can take the elevator down to the gold room.

Upon taking the elevator down, it will get close to the entrance to the gold room, then suddenly break and fall into the lava below. There, the elevator will begin to float to the right at a steady pace, as the player is forced to keep up with it or become left behind. If the player makes it past all of the obstacles and completes this unexpected challenge, then they will find another lift which will take them to the real gold room, and thus ends the level. Huzzah!

I'm very excited to start translating this level over to unreal, and am interested to see what works and what doesn't work and the changes which will accompany that. Definitely looking forward to the near future! As always, thanks for reading.

Mega Man X Level Analysis

When it comes to great tutorial levels, the first stage in Mega Man X is absolutely amazing. This is a game which teaches you nearly all of the mechanics of the game, both old and new, in one simple yet eventful stage. Yet, it does so without even giving the player a single literal tutorial, control sheet, or any tips whatsoever. But how?

All of the teaching is done through the gameplay that occurs throughout the level, which is carefully constructed by the designers to continuously challenge the players and force them to use their heads to figure out how to defeat certain enemies and escape traps. To better understand what I am going into here, feel free to enlarge and then take a look at this analysis of the entire stage, which includes everything from the player (Mega Man X), the platforms, enemies, traps, mini bosses, and boss.

The design starts off right from the get go, leading the player to the right and instantly provoking an encounter with the first enemy, a (rather stupid) Spiky. The spiky rolls at a pretty high speed, but is small and can easily be jumped over by X. Wait, what? But how do you jump? The game forces you to explore the four buttons on the pad to figure out which one does which, until they figure out the right one to press to dodge the Spiky's attack. Phew! One enemy down.

Suddenly, the player encounters another enemy. A dreaded Gun Volt! These enemies are too big to jump over, so an alternative must be found. This is when the player is forced to use their buster for the first time. The Gun Volt will fire off projectiles that must be jumped over (now that the player knows how to do this), doing so until it is defeated by the players buster. Alright! Now the player has mastered firing.

The next enemies encountered are pairs of Crushers, who position themselves above the player and slam their spikes down to create sizable pits in the platforms below them and (ideally for them) the player. If the player successfully dodges their attacks, his only method of defeating them are to jump and shoot at the same time, combining the two previously learned techniques.

After fighting through a few more enemies and progressing to the second section of my analysis, the player encounters the first mini boss, a massive Bee Blader. With ever hit of the buster, the Bee Blader advances one more space to the player as it attempts to spawn enemies which slowly make their way to the player as well. Once the Bee Blader is defeated, it falls down on the platform below it, causing both the player, the remains of the Bee Blader, and the platform to crash down to a sort of cavern below. The player has absolutely no knowledge of how to get out of this predicament... Until they attempt to run towards the wall. This is when the player learns how to wall jump by jumping and holding themselves against the wall, allowing them to escape the pit and progress forward inside the level. In addition to this, the two health packs are visible as the player is stuck in the pit, allowing them to go down and retrieve them to test out their newfound skills.

For the remainder of the level, the player progresses through a gauntlet of enemies, running and gunning their way and jumping off of falling platforms until they get to a long straightaway road which leads them directly to the boss of the level, Vile. Vile spawns from an airship which approaches from the top of the screen, and starts to fight the player after a brief monologue. The player can try to fight Vile, but will do absolutely no damage, until Vile inevitably stuns the player and puts them into some sort of energy cage. It is at this moment when the player feels absolutely hopeless, as all of the tactics and methods that they have previously learned have failed them.

But! Out of nowhere, Zero (Another Mega Man) fires off a shot at Vile, causing him to flee and rescuing you in the process. He tells you that while you are powerful, you still have much to do and are not as powerful as you can be. This inspires the player to go forth and play through the game, where they collect armor and ability upgrades and various powerful weapons to defeat Vile and even bigger, badder bad guys later in the game.

This game is an absolute masterpiece in terms of teaching the player through its level and enemy design, and I cannot stress that point enough. Every game designer should know how it accomplishes this feat, and I reccomend that you play through it to see for yourself if you haven't already!

As always, thanks for reading!