#10: Cadence
With an open world design there isn't a formula or a syntax. You can't tell the player when one part ends or when the next one begins. There's not 3 levels then a boss fight. There's not a break between each level. Without some kind of form or structure you can't build cohesion.
It's why I'm not a fan of the Elder Scroll's series or the Baulder's Gate series. I can't tell what's going on.
How does Super Metroid get around this? How does it tell the player when something important is about to happen or when one section ends? Super Metroid uses cadences.
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| Resolving a Perfect Authentic Cadence |
In music a cadence is like punctuation. Some cadences function as commas and other function as periods. The point of cadence and punctuation is to create a syntax - It let's the listener know what's going on. Where one idea ends and another begins.
There are three main elements in a cadence: Formulaic Harmony, Fragmentation, and a Change in Harmonic Rhythm. Super Metroid uses all three, but I'm only going to cover the first one. I have a degree in music, you probably don't. Deal with it.
Formulaic Harmony:
Just as with sentences there's different punctuation, there's different kinds of cadences. Each one uses a formulaic set of chords.
A Period is like..
...a Perfect Authentic Cadence. The harmony for a Authentic Cadence is V7-I. (For those that play guitar that means the chords would be: G7 to C. (In the key of C.)
A Comma is like...
...a Half Cadence. The harmony for a Half Cadence is IV-V. (In the Key of C, that's F - G).
A Question Mark is like...
...a Deceptive Cadence. The harmony for a Deceptive Cadence is V7-vi (In C: that's G7 to Am)
Games don't have chords and can't use vague roman numerals (you are probably like wtf is that V7-I shit.) Yet games use abstract harmony. They use tension and resolution.
A Period - Perfect Authentic Cadence
A Comma - Half Cadence
A Question Mark - Deceptive Cadence
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Cadences tell the player where the hell they are. They let you know when one idea section ends and another begins. Plus they give me an opportunity to nerd out about music theory. (Deceptive cadences!!!)
#9: See You Next Mission
As a kid, I chose to buy Super Metroid because it looked freaking awesome. The gameplay looked sweet. The enemies looked cool. The cover art looked great - Samus shooting ridley like a boss.
It's the same reason I bought Pokemon: Blue. Blastoise just looks super bad ass.
I'm a sucker for flash and awesome cover art. Yet why play the game? Well, probably to beat it. But once you've gotten to the end screen why play again? Maybe to collect everything or to finish an achievement.
Ok, you've done everything, why play again? I don't know.
Is there ever a point where you play a game just to play it? For me personally it just doesn't happen. I need a reason to play.
I've played Played Super Metroid so much that I'm running out of reasons. When I finish my pacifist no damage run through, I don't know what do to next. I'm not sure what reason I have to keep playing. (I makes me feel better that there are other people who are just as crazy.)
Super Metroid is more of a toy than a game. The locks are soft enough that you can sequence break. The mechanics are complex enough to keep me interested. Super Metroid has enough freedom I can sculpt my own experience. That's awesome.
This open ended nature is what I love about the ending screen. After you beat the game you've achieved your goal and are invited to achieve another. It gives you the space to create your own missions.
#8: The Wildlife
Of all the wildlife in Super Metroid only two species are your friends. The Heyna Guys and the Ostrich Thing. You can even save them from destruction.
The enemies aren't placed on a whim. They aren't meant for only destruction. The enemies are your tour guides. (Well for the most part.)
For example...
Some enemies show you where to go...
Some enemies make you behave in a certain way...
Some enemies 'conveniently' spawn weapons...
Some enemies teach you about items...
Some enemies provide a pattern to be broken...
Some enemies show you hidden paths....
Why this is so awesome is because it's not like metal slug, super mario, sonic, castlevania, or really any other platformer. Enemies serve a purpose beyond destruction. Instead of just being something to blow the shit up, they are there to teach and guide you on your trip through Zebes.
That's super extra awesome.
#7: Symmetry and Asymmetry
In Super Metroid the player can travels in all sorts of crazy directions. Up, down, right, and even left (The ability to go left would blow Mario's mind.) If you look at the design of each room, they knew about this and planned on it - they made rooms symmetric.
Travelling right is mostly the same as travelling left. This provides consistency as you move around the planet. It's not awkward going backwards. (Try running through a Sonic the Hedgehog level backwards, it doesn't work.) But that's not the saucy - awesomest part of Symmetry in Super Metroid.
What is so freaking amazing about symmetry is Super Metroid is that asymmetry means something. When there is a pattern break you should feel it. It speaks to you implicitly.
Implicit communication at work.
So we have this implied stuff. Why is it awesome? Well now I have to talk about the opposite - explicit information. Now while I love direct communication when talking to people, explicit/direct information is the reason Metroid Prime sucks.
In Prime if you want to find a secret you change your visor and scan the room.
**scanning**
"Oh! I should use a super bomb."
Designer: "(Now here's a cool secret item!)"
Player: "I'm the best!"
That's freaking horrible terrible design. It's ugly stupid and awful. Do designers think the players are idiots? Are they not willing to take a risk so that the player can have awesome 'A-ha' moments?
"By golly watson! I've deduced that we should use a Super Bomb on those rocks."
No shit Sherlock.
Give the player candy, but for pete's sake make 'em work for it. Have a fucking challenge. Follow Super Metroid's example. Make secrets implicit and awesome. Make the player use there amazing pattern recognition. Don't tell 'em what to do with words and bright/obvious colors. Secret's should be felt it in your gut and in your bones. Something subtle and implicit.
Give the player candy, but for pete's sake make 'em work for it. Have a fucking challenge. Follow Super Metroid's example. Make secrets implicit and awesome. Make the player use there amazing pattern recognition. Don't tell 'em what to do with words and bright/obvious colors. Secret's should be felt it in your gut and in your bones. Something subtle and implicit.
**** scanning rocks.
#6 The Morphing Ball Switch
I was gonna write about the map system and why that's so freaking awesome. But since I got going on Metroid Prime - I want to keep ranting about it. So maps got bumped for the morphing ball switch.
Another big problem with Metroid Prime is their switches. You scan them or walk up to them and press A. It's stupid and obnoxious.
The reason it sucks is because of Systems Integration. Now before you go like "wtf dude, Systems Integration" hear me out. While phrases like Systems Integration are used by politicians and corporate tools (ie it's a bullshit phrase like 'Improving Diversity') but it's actually important for game design.
When the player uses a set of mechanics that's different from the core of the game (Scanning, Quick Time Sequences ("press A now!")) it destroys flow. It sucks.
Stopping Flow may sound stupid, but it's important. Especially when you play a fast paced game. Imagine if Street Fighter borrowed some mechanics from final fantasy. If you want to shoot a fireball, you open up a menu. Scroll down to special attacks. Go over to hadouken. Press A.
Now your opponent wants to invincible ultra through it. So they open their menu. etc. It would be miserable.
This is why the morphing ball switch is so awesome. It's integrated. It's not a menu or a quick time event. It's why Samus shoots doors instead of an awkward series of scans or button presses. The morphing ball switch does not break the flow of the game.
To Metroid Prime's credit they did steal that idea and use it a bunch.
Well that warps up this one. Next time i'm going to cover reasons #5-1. I might give #1 it's own article. So you might have to wait on the last one.
And writing about symmetry and enemies really makes me want to do a sort of room by room walk through. Maybe I could make a video or something. Considering that this update is two months late, it's probably not gonna happen.
