The Reverse Design series looks at all of the design decisions that went into classic games. This is the third installment in the Reverse Design series, looking at Super Mario World. Written in a readable format; this game breaks down nicely into relatively short, separate sections. Reverse Design: Super Mario World is broken down into four sections with the final section a guide for level-by-level. The first three sections look at design history, cadences, skill and themes. The ideal experience of this Reverse Design is for you, the reader, to play each level as you read its analysis.
Key Feature
Learn how classic games game to be and the ground-breaking design decisions that made them such hallmarks.
Introduction. Super Mario World Game Design History. Measurements and Their Meanings. Challenges, Cadences and Skill Themes. Introduction to Skill Themes. The Moving Targets Skill Theme. The Periodic Enemies Skill Theme. The Preservation of Momentum Skill Theme. The Intercepts Skill Theme. Mini Theme: Vertical Levels. Extra Thematic Levels: Isolated Concepts. Extra Themetic Levels: The Intros. Extra Thematic Levels: Oddities. Conclusion. Appendix: Cadence Analysis.
Biography
Patrick Holleman founded The Game Design Forum in 2010 with the specific goal of publishing scholarly articles about videogame design. On that site he originally published the Reverse Design series, which has been used by game designers and students across the world to improve their understanding of their craft. Material from that series has been used in online courses as well as University settings, including the University of Toronto and Cornell. His writing has also appeared in Paste Magazine, Indie Game Magazine and Tutsplus. In addition to his writing, Holleman has worked as a part-time producer and consultant in the game development industry. He lives in Pennsylvania.
