DONKEY KONG: ANALYSIS

Donkey Kong was the first game designed by Shigeru Miyamoto at Nintendo in 1981. It was a truly original concept: not only did it add jump-ing to the platformjump-ing model pioneered by Space Panic one year earlier, defining a fundamental game action common to most platform games ever since, but it also introduced brief cut scenes to describe a simple story.

To support these, it also featured easily recognizable characters that were destined to become game icons, starting from Jumpman the carpenter, soon to be renamed Mario the plumber.

The simple cut scenes are actually extremely important to set the tone of the game and to involve the player emotionally in the action. Watching Pauline, originally named Lady, being abducted by Donkey Kong and then desperately crying for help throughout the game (Figure 7.1) was sure to push the player into Jumpman’s shoes and raise our protection instinct: who can resist such a charming and defenseless damsel in

distress? The protection instinct is indeed the main driver behind the gameplay, which is a simple race to an end (we need to reach Pauline) while avoiding different hazards (barrels, flames, etc.). The game also gives Jumpman a chance to defend himself for a short while by giving him a hammer to smash the incoming barrels, though doing so prevents him from climbing ladders and advancing toward Pauline. Later stages also add a few of Pauline’s belongings, like an umbrella or a bag, adding a collecting component to add some variety and reinforce the experi-ence. The AGE framework analysis for Donkey Kong is summarized in Figure 7.2.

7.2 KITTY & KATTY: DESIGN

Our platform game will take Donkey Kong as a model, maintaining a gameplay built around avoidance and race to an end and relying on our protection instinct to save... a damsel in distress? No, we saved too many already. Let’s try to be a little more original this time!

Our player is going to play the role of a guy having a relaxing holiday in a chalet on the Alps with his two beloved cats, named Kitty and Katty.

FIGURE 7.1 Lady Pauline screaming for help in Donkey Kong first stage: how can we resist such a desperate cry? Off we go, no matter if we will get run over by rolling barrels! (© 1981 Nintendo.)

Kitty & Katty, a Platformer    ◾   97  

One morning he wakes up and realizes his cats are missing: they must have adventured off the beaten path on the nearby mountain peak, and now they are lost somewhere, unable to get back home. We need to res-cue them!

The game will include moving platforms in the shape of clouds, vertical paths working as ladders we can climb on, and, to make things challeng-ing, two different types of boulders falling off from the top of the moun-tain. Note that we will not script the path for the boulders: we will use the underlying physics engine instead, with gravity being responsible for moving the boulders down toward the valley.

The player will start with three lives and will be able to run, jump, and climb in his quest for rescuing Kitty and Katty.

This time we should also take more care in programming a proper game structure: we will design a splash screen and a high score table, and we will also plan for different levels that get unlocked as we proceed in the game.^*

All these ideas, including the AGE analysis, are summarized in the one-page game design document shown in Figure 7.3.

* We will design only the first stage though, leaving the others as practical exercises to the attentive reader. If different stages are planned, an additional game design documentation page should also be added to describe the various layouts and sequences.

Identification

FIGURE 7.2 AGE analysis for Donkey Kong. Protection clearly drives the game-play motivating the game-player. Collecting is also present in some stages, where we can pick up different bonus objects.

Kitty & Katty 10-05-13/V.1.0“During a relaxing holiday on the Alps, Tim’s cats, Kitty & Katty, disappear on a high peak. Can we rescue them before it’s too late?” # of lives left

Clouds are floating platforms. Player can jump on them High Score - Score - Bonus Falling boulders, kill the player on impact. Kitty and Katty The player needs to rescue his two cats lost on the mountain. Player starts with 3 lives, can run, jump and climb dotted paths. Boulders fall down driven by the physics engine.

• Kitty and Katty are worth 100 points each when rescued. • Jumping over a gray boulder is worth 10 points • Jumping over a brown boulder is worth 20 points • Boulders are spawn at different intervals form four predefined locations (see

picture). • Time bonus starts at 500 and decreases by 10 every second.

Climbing pathsPlayer Joy

PrideExcitement

Protection

Identification

Game Over

GameSelect LevelHigh Scores Next level unlocked Submit Hi Score

Splash Screen Avoidance Race to an end

Running Jumping FIGURE 7.3One-page design document for our platform game: Kitty & Katty. Note that the AGE analysis doesn’t explicitly include the collection instinct, which was present in Donkey Kong, because we didn’t plan for extra bonus objects to be spread around the level.

Kitty & Katty, a Platformer    ◾   99  

TAKE AWAY

For our second game, we decided to reference an evergreen classic: Donkey Kong, taking it as a model for a platform game with simple physics-driven features. Like in Donkey Kong, we are going to rely on players’ protection instinct to motivate them to climb the mountain and rescue two little cats who couldn’t go back home otherwise. This game will also feature a proper game structure and framework, including a splash screen, a high score table, and a stage selection screen.

101 C h a p t e r

8