Saturday 26 January, 2008

Gamelog Entry #2

GAMEPLAY

So after throughly exploring the multi player and having a very good time earlier this week I decided to explore more of the single player "campaign." The single player campaign offered a completely diverse experience. In "campaign" mode, the game incorporates the addictive battle feeling into a series of stages that must be completed in order to progress through the game. The "campaign" mode begins with simple battles, but soon develops into significant fights (my personal favorite being numerous amounts of small chrome warriors).

Another very original aspect of the "campaign" mode is found after completion. The designer of the game opted to present the game credits in a very original way. After the final battle, the player is immersed into a "star was fighter" like credit which gives the player a chance to enjoy a simple game while reading the credits. Overall, the "campaign" mode offers a truly unique experience. If you are alone, then the famous "Super Smash Bros" multiplayer game, can also be addictive by yourself.

DESIGN

Smash 64 pushed the innovative envelope of the fighter genre by incorporating elements from platformers and a new way to kill and be killed. The game broke away from the average fighters by placing value on position and height. Damage and successful strikes raise the percentage of the opponent, the higher the percentage, the farther the opponent flies when hit. This becomes important because in smash in order to KO an opponent enough damage must be accumulated to send them off the stage far enough for them to not be able to return or recover. This concept was not entirely original but the concepts had not yet been packaged together in a high speed multiplayer.
In most fighter types, you get to know your opponent's tendencies relatively quickly. In Super Smash Brothers the differences in characters, varying stages, and open environments allow for a great deal more personality to shine through. The game is designed with relatively easy, instinctive controls. Players who enjoy flailing will still be able to play but the design favors speed and precision, for example, a character attempting to recover (return to the stage and avoid a KO) may be attacked by someone jumping off of the stage who in turn is trying to prevent their recovery.
The stages are designed with heavy influence from the platformer genre. The majority of the games characters originate from platform games so stages styles, shapes and colors are derived from each character's games. Each stage has a unique design, some have moving platforms, and each provides a different scenario for fighters to survive in. The stage designs largely focus on the edges, where recovery gameplay sets smash apart from other fighters.
Fun fact: the orginal smash 64, now two consoles old, still goes for nearly $30 on eBay.

You hit the three main distinguishing characteristics of SSB: Simplified controls favoring position and timing over combos, percentages instead of hit points, and platformer-esque stages. Some people have compared the KO mechanic to sumo, where the goal is to knock opponents off of the stage, not knock them unconscious. The only thing that you could have added was things that needed to be improved (even things that have/will be improved in Melee and Brawl).


- David Seagal (Grader)