FA+
Shop
The Seven Tennants of a Perfect Action Platformer
11 years ago
My seven rules for a perfect action platformer.
1: Tight controls. No slipping or immediate loss of momentum or long stun periods, and especially no having to wait through a character's animations before the action you called is performed.
2: Readable environments. A player should never be able to lose themselves behind a foreground piece, and elevation should be immediately recognizable.
3: Reward exploration and achievment, not patience. Grinding for upgrades is a cheap way to increase play time, and does not feel as rewarding as discovery or victory through skill.
4: Enemies should require thought to defeat. If a single technique (that is method of attack, not the attack itself) can effect everyone, then that's all a player will use, and play will become repetative.
5: At least three ways to attack, but not too many. Three gives enough variety to a player without overwhelming them.
6: Backtracking, if available, should be rewarding, especially in games where this is a requirement.
7: Teach new concepts in as few words as possible (and for Myamoto's sake, don't repeat item-get messages or hold them for seven seconds. I'm looking at you, Super Metroid).
The only game I've ever found to follow all these rules in Spyro: the Eternal Night on GBA. It's a fantastic game as well as a gorgeous piece of eye candy if you're a pixel enthusiast.
1: Tight controls. No slipping or immediate loss of momentum or long stun periods, and especially no having to wait through a character's animations before the action you called is performed.
2: Readable environments. A player should never be able to lose themselves behind a foreground piece, and elevation should be immediately recognizable.
3: Reward exploration and achievment, not patience. Grinding for upgrades is a cheap way to increase play time, and does not feel as rewarding as discovery or victory through skill.
4: Enemies should require thought to defeat. If a single technique (that is method of attack, not the attack itself) can effect everyone, then that's all a player will use, and play will become repetative.
5: At least three ways to attack, but not too many. Three gives enough variety to a player without overwhelming them.
6: Backtracking, if available, should be rewarding, especially in games where this is a requirement.
7: Teach new concepts in as few words as possible (and for Myamoto's sake, don't repeat item-get messages or hold them for seven seconds. I'm looking at you, Super Metroid).
The only game I've ever found to follow all these rules in Spyro: the Eternal Night on GBA. It's a fantastic game as well as a gorgeous piece of eye candy if you're a pixel enthusiast.
I'm not 100% clear about what you mean in the first rule, but I think Dust: An Elysian Tale satisfies all of those as well.