Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Compare this creature to another creature in
Mario
's bestiary you don't want to jump on—the
piranha plant that comes in and out of pipes. Its purpose is to create platforms that are tempo-
rarily safe and sometimes dangerous. The piranha plant's mouth, full of gnashing teeth, points
upward (see Figure
4.4
). Mario doesn't want to touch this thing from above.
Figure 4.4
The visual context of the piranha plant's gaping maw helps explain why Mario might not
want to jump on it.
Interestingly, one of the first creatures the player meets in
Super Mario Bros. 3
(1988) is a Venus
Firetrap plant that blows fire toward Mario's current position. Unlike the piranha plant, this
plant creature has its head turned to the side, aimed at Mario (see Figure
). As a consequence
of where this plant's mouth is facing, the top of the creature is a smooth, round surface. One of
the first things I thought to do when playing the game was jump on its head. Mario died, for no
clear reason. This is a case of visual miscommunication.
4.5
Figure 4.5
In a break with visual conventions of earlier games, the firetrap of
Super Mario Bros. 3
might make you think it's safe to jump on its head. It's not!
