The Delicate Art of Designing Platformers (or how to make Super levels that don’t suck) By Chris Zukowski

Wizard Golf RPG (iOS) Dead King (In Development) 1980 - Chris Zukowski Born (US) 1985 - Bros. 1 Released (US) 2015 - Super Mario Maker Released (US) Sketchbook c1988

YOUR MARIO HAS NO CHILL Metatiles + + = Platform Design 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 23 - Blank, Used On Bricks Or Blocks That Are Hit 5E - Brick (1-Up) 01 - Black Metatile 24 - Flagpole Ball 5F - Hidden Block (1 Coin) 02 - Bush Left 25 - Flagpole Shaft 60 - Hidden Block (1-Up) 03 - Bush Middle 26 - Blank, Used In Conjunction With Vines 61 - Solid Block (3-D Block) 04 - Bush Right 00 - Vertical Rope 62 - Solid Block (White Wall) 05 - Mountain Left 41 - Horizontal Rope 63 - Bridge 06 - Mountain Left Bottom/Middle Center 42 - Left Pulley 64 - Bullet Bill Cannon Barrel 07 - Mountain Middle Top 43 - Right Pulley 65 - Bullet Bill Cannon Top 08 - Mountain Right 44 - Blank Used For Balance Rope 66 - Bullet Bill Cannon Bottom 09 - Mountain Right Bottom 45 - Castle Top 67 - Blank Used For Jumpspring 0A - Mountain Middle Bottom 46 - Castle Window Left 68 - Half Brick Used For Jumpspring 0B - Bridge Guardrail 47 - Castle Brick Wall 69 - Solid Block (Water Level, Green Rock) 0C - Chain 48 - Castle Window Right 6A - Half Brick (???) 0D - Tall Tree Top, Top Half 49 - Castle Top W/ Brick 6B - Water Pipe Top 0E - Short Tree Top 4A - Entrance Top 6C - Water Pipe Bottom 0F - Tall Tree Top, Bottom Half 4B - Entrance Bottom 6D - Flag Ball (Residual Object) 10 - Warp Pipe End Left, Points Up 4C - Green Ledge Stump 80 - Cloud Left 11 - Warp Pipe End Right, Points Up 4D - Fence 81 - Cloud Middle 12 - Decoration Pipe End Left, Points Up 4E - Tree Trunk 82 - Cloud Right 13 - Decoration Pipe End Right, Points Up 4F - Mushroom Stump Top 83 - Cloud Bottom Left 14 - Pipe Shaft Left 50 - Mushroom Stump Bottom 84 - Cloud Bottom Middle 15 - Pipe Shaft Right 51 - Breakable Brick W/ Line 85 - Cloud Bottom Right 16 - Tree Ledge Left Edge 52 - Breakable Brick 86 - Water/Lava Top 17 - Tree Ledge Middle 53 - Breakable Brick (Not Used) 87 - Water/Lava 18 - Tree Ledge Right Edge 54 - Cracked Rock Terrain 88 - Cloud Level Terrain 19 - Mushroom Left Edge 55 - Brick With Line (Power-Up) 89 - 's Bridge 1A - Mushroom Middle 56 - Brick With Line (Vine) C0 - Question Block (Coin) 1B - Mushroom Right Edge 57 - Brick With Line (Star) C1 - Question Block (Power-Up) 1C - Sideways Pipe End Top 58 - Brick With Line (Coins) C2 - Coin 1D - Sideways Pipe Shaft Top 59 - Brick With Line (1-Up) C3 - Underwater Coin 1E - Sideways Pipe Joint Top 5A - Brick (Power-Up) C4 - Empty Block 1F - Sideways Pipe End Bottom 5B - Brick (Vine) C5 - Axe 20 - Sideways Pipe Shaft Bottom 5C - Brick (Star) 21 - Sideways Pipe Joint Bottom 5D - Brick (Coins) 22 - Seaplant

Think of Design in terms of Metatiles Mario Golden Ratio [Demo]

Lateral Vertical

2-3 2-4 2 3

Formal Metatiles + Design + = Platform 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 Rh y t h m Rhythm Vision Rhythm Time

Surprise 2-3 3 Resources 4-4 2-1 5 3 Elevation 2 Hazards Space Rh y t h m Rhythm 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 Vision “With platform games, only Rhythm playing the difficult parts Time can really take it out of you. Surprise It feels good to play parts Resources that you can breeze through as well. Elevation [Prevents] that feeling that: Hazards "I'm still useless at this!" Space -Miyamoto 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 Vision Rhythm Time Surprise Resources Elevation Hazards Space Formal Metatiles + Design + Organization = Platform Design Elements 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 Formal Metatiles + Design + Organization = Platform Design Elements 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 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 '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