Through the Lens: Video Games - Game Design Theory - page 125

randomized its levels: Spelunky for Windows (apparently an Xbox Live
Arcade version is on its way as well). There need to be more.
The issue is that after the first time you play through a platformer
level that's not randomized, you begin to memorize it and the level be-
gins to get solved. After playing a Super Mario Brothers level just a few
times, a player will pretty much have it memorized. As I mentioned at
the top of this chapter, memorization means that with each play, your
skill is being tested less and less.
3D Platformers Are a Bad Idea
I've stated that there are problems with almost all third-person 3D
games, but the issues are particularly pronounced with platformers.
The reason is that in a platformer your spatial positioning is absolutely
crucial information: pixel-perfect precision in jumps can mean the dif-
ference between life and death. Yet in a 3D platformer, players have to
translate so many different angles without the use of depth perception in
order to make jumps that more often than not, they miss jumps simply
due to missing information.
Figure 22 shows a 2D platforming situation: the amount of distance
that the player has to cover is quite clear. All of the important informa-
tion is there—there is no guesswork involved in determining precisely
how far away that next platform is. The player can say with absolute cer-
tainty that the gap is roughly three character-widths wide.
Figure 23 shows a similar situation in a 3D platforming game. Now,
can you tell me how far away that other platform is? The answer is, you
really can't. The best you can do is estimate—make a guess. It could be
three character-widths, but it could also be two or four. It's also possible
that it could be a mile away and absolutely huge.
Figure 22 . Perspective in a 2D platformer.