Game Design Q and A week 1

1. Imagine that you are a level designer working in the 1980s. Knowing the

limitations associated with this era, what type of game would you develop?

If I was developing a game in year 1980's. Because of a lack of technology that we today, I would create a game similar to like the old Donkeykong, where you just have a simple character for example Mario jumping over barrels that Donkeykong is throw to save the princess.

2. Play three games—one from the 1980s, one from the 1990s, and one

released after 2004. Compare and contrast how levels and environments are

designed in all three games?

The three games that I chosen are Donkeykong from 80's, Dr Mario from 90's and then the new Super Mario Brothers. When I had compared these three games, you could easily tell that the environment and game has evolved.

Starting off with Donkeykong the environment is just a simple black background with red bridge for Mario to climb to get to Donkeykong. The design for this game is very simple however most of the details went into Mario so people could tell which way Mario was facing, then they add details to Donkeykong, the bridges, ladders and barrels.

Then came Dr Mario, now Dr Mario started to have more details and looked better, firstly the background wasn’t just a simple black scream they add colours to it so it would fit in with the coloured blocks/pills. They also slowly start to make everything in 3d block/pills to add detail and make the game look better.

Finally Super Mario Brother this game is very new and a lot of fun, now the background has more details instead of being a single colour or a group of multiple colour it’s a background of an environment with clouds and other things, but also everything has become 3d and a lot more information like minor details that you wouldn’t see in the old games which makes the game a lot more fun.

Now with the information I have now told you can defiantly see that the game background has changed a lot and that the games have evolved.

3. How does a game’s genre affect the way its levels and environments are

designed? Choose one level from three different games—each from a distinct

primary genre—and compare how these levels are designed with regard to

setting, goals, puzzles, and risk–reward system?

The 3 games are a little bit similar but have different game genres the first to are both puzzles but Donkeykong is also an advantage game were you have to save princess peach from Donkeykong. Dr Mario is a puzzle game where you have dropping two-sided vitamins capsules into a playing field 8 blocks wide by 16 blocks high resembling a medicine bottle, populated by viruses of three colours (red, yellow, and blue).

Finally Super Mario Brothers is a Advantage/puzzle where you travel from one end of the level to the other so you can get to the boss and save princess peach.