[2/1/2016] What Defines a Game

          Game design is crucial in the success of any video game; this has been apparent since the beginning of the industry. The games we know and love today are known and loved for their unique and professional design. These games were likely user-friendly, and helped to show the player how to play the game. Things I took for granted in Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda actually turned out to be critical in how the game works, such as a safe realm for the player to explore and adjust to. Even the more difficult games at least told the player how to go about playing that game. Many modern video games have tutorials in-game to further drive this point home.
          One prime example of good game design is in Metroid (1986) for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Sure, the game is confusing, and it is easy to get lost without a guide or a map, but the game introduces its concepts really well. In the first room, the player will instantly see some enemies. However, Samus Aran, the hero, is positioned in such a way that the enemies cannot do harm unless they are approached. The game also does not allow very much progression until the player discovers the first item, the Morph Ball, which is only a screen's worth of pixels away from the starting point. In the item area itself, once the Morph Ball is obtained, the room is impossible to escape from without using it, further teaching the player the mechanics of the game. It is game design like this that continues to make Metroid a favorite franchise of mine.

          Game design can also have the exact opposite effect if not taken into serious consideration. Take Super Mario Maker (2015) for the Nintendo Wii U for example. A great game in concept and structure, but the meat of the game, the user-created levels, can be a complete pain to navigate. In order to unlock everything the game has to offer, the player needs to complete the 100 Mario Challenge, where the game throws the player 16 random user-created levels, and with only 100 lives to complete them all. The 100 lives may seem like a bunch, but it is no cakewalk. Nine times out of ten, I get a level called something similar to "haha u gonna die LEL" and almost instantly die as soon as the level loads. Levels like these are commonplace: they are trial and error levels, levels that only the creator would know how to defeat, unless the player spends a lot of time, and lives, figuring out the level (although to be fair, I am guilty of making such levels as well). Too many times I find a room that has 4 doors, 3 of which are death traps, and I have no way of knowing that until I step foot inside. If it wasn't for the fact that the player can skip these awful levels without a cost to him or her, I wouldn't even bother with this game. Only very rarely do I find well-designed levels that actually capture the official Nintendo feel, and those levels are what keep me coming back to Super Mario Maker. The video below shows a level that exemplifies how bad some of these levels can become; abuse of glitches likely unknown to the ordinary player, obnoxious enemy placement, elements that only work on the first try, and more:

 

          If you are planning to make your own video game, you need to prioritize making your game design as perfect as it possibly can be. If this element of gameplay falters even a little bit, your game will not meet with the success that it could have. There is good reason for games to take time before being produced: they need to have the capacity to be learned and enjoyed by the general public. Perhaps the best game design is the secret to success in the video game industry.