So last month I posted a thread introducing my Minecraft Parkour project, lemme continue that. There are so many parkour maps that are rushed through without thought. They often are bland, are just about "fence parkour" or "cactus parkour". It's boring. I want to spice it up. Instead of fence parkour, I want mechanics. Mechanics like switching tiles, portals, trampolines, and more. Genuinely fun stuff. Level design is the game design practice of aligning these mechanics up fairly.
The level design pattern in my map will be inspired by a criminally underrated platformer- Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze. This game is a masterpiece in every way. To the lovely and cute graphics, or the bloody hard but fair difficulty curve. Here, I want to analyze the level design in DKTF (Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze). So each level in DKTF often features a whole set of mechanics. For example, take Horn Top Hop, this level features horns. Horns where they blast DK up into the air, horns where they blast enemies up... and so on. But this level also features leaves that drift down. DK (despite being an ape) can stand on these gigantic leaves while they take him down. He can sit on a leaf so he can get down an area safer, there are enemies that throw projectiles at him, and more. However, where DKTF really shines is where the level takes the mechanics established earlier, and sticks them together. In Horn Top Hop the leaves can float down on horns, where the horns blow them up. I really like this, there are only so many ways a single mechanic can be explored, but by putting 2 mechanics together you get so many more ways and combinations to play around.
This is only with 2 mechanics, mind you. There are plenty of other levels with 3, 4 or even more mechanics. My parkour map will basically steal this idea, but with a few more knicks and knacks. For one, each level will be non-linear, meaning players will have different options on where to go. For two, levels mechanics will be played throughout the world. In DKTF, and in every other Mario game mechanics stay in that level where it was born, never to see other levels. But in my map, it will be explored even more through out the world. This can lead to bonkers levels where there are 6, 7, or even 10 mechanics in a single level, and because those mechanics were taught properly and fairly, it will be doable. G'day folks and good bye.
The level design pattern in my map will be inspired by a criminally underrated platformer- Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze. This game is a masterpiece in every way. To the lovely and cute graphics, or the bloody hard but fair difficulty curve. Here, I want to analyze the level design in DKTF (Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze). So each level in DKTF often features a whole set of mechanics. For example, take Horn Top Hop, this level features horns. Horns where they blast DK up into the air, horns where they blast enemies up... and so on. But this level also features leaves that drift down. DK (despite being an ape) can stand on these gigantic leaves while they take him down. He can sit on a leaf so he can get down an area safer, there are enemies that throw projectiles at him, and more. However, where DKTF really shines is where the level takes the mechanics established earlier, and sticks them together. In Horn Top Hop the leaves can float down on horns, where the horns blow them up. I really like this, there are only so many ways a single mechanic can be explored, but by putting 2 mechanics together you get so many more ways and combinations to play around.
This is only with 2 mechanics, mind you. There are plenty of other levels with 3, 4 or even more mechanics. My parkour map will basically steal this idea, but with a few more knicks and knacks. For one, each level will be non-linear, meaning players will have different options on where to go. For two, levels mechanics will be played throughout the world. In DKTF, and in every other Mario game mechanics stay in that level where it was born, never to see other levels. But in my map, it will be explored even more through out the world. This can lead to bonkers levels where there are 6, 7, or even 10 mechanics in a single level, and because those mechanics were taught properly and fairly, it will be doable. G'day folks and good bye.