Hello Mario 2D Level Design
1 week project
GENRE
2D, Singleplayer, Platform
GAME ENGINE
GameMaker Studio 2
MY RESPONSIBILITIES
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Designed levels
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Wrote and debug script
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Build the levels in GameMaker
Level Design Document
Metrics
Features
The level is designed for the beginning level. The level should help players to understand how to play the game. The level has a theme which is the mountain. According to the altitude of the mountain, I designed three different environments in the level, they are flatland, lava and snow. The primary level should keep easy difficulty and I want to focus the rhythm of the level. The player can easily go through it. The side levels are harder than the primary level and they are hidden.
The Timeline of process
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In the starting, I was thinking about themes for my level. My theme is about nature and mountains.
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I needed to confirm the position of level in the game. I decided my level is the beginning level. So, the difficulty of the level should be easy.
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I do not want my level is too easy. So, I decided to make a primary line and two sidelines.
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I thought the primary line should keep easy difficulty, and I needed to pay attention to the rhythm of the level.
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According to the mountain theme, I have an idea which is on the basis of altitude to design the level.
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I want to pay attention to guidance, safe zone, foreshadowing, and rhythm in the design.
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I was starting to draw the level on the paper.
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I finished the first edition design.
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I started to use Game Maker to build the level.
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I made a testing level to debug Mario’s value, such as speed, jumping height, body height, jumping distance.
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I followed the drawing level to build it in Game Maker.
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When I finished every part of the level, I will test the part of the level. I primarily tested the difficulty and avoiding stuck. In the other way, I need to keep the rhythm of the level.
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According to the testing, I changed the level design.
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After I tested every part of the level, I started to playtest the whole level.
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I found some issues and fixed them. After that, I tested again.
Level Design Detail
Blue line (primary line)
In the beginning, the level design looks like the traditional Super Mario Bro. I wish the player can find a familiar feeling. Same as the old Mario game, there are one big Mario block and two coin blocks. The player can kill three enemies and jump over the orange blocks. The play could use the orange blocks to know how height Mario can jump. In addition, there is a foreshadowing on the top. The player may see it.
The player can easily go through this part. The player could jump over the spaces to pass this place. The player can know how far Mario can jump. The coins are guidance at this part. But the last part of coins is for hiding the sideline (Yellow line).
The player could kill the two enemies firstly. Then, the player is going to a hard part in the blue line. There are two goombas and one corpse flower. The flower can shoot the fireballs. The player could kill the goombas and avoid the fireballs.
In the other way, the player may see a sideline (green line) on the top. The player may try to jump on the coconut tree. There are two hidden coins on the tree. The player can go to the sideline by the coconut tree.
There are two coins block and a star block. The player can get invincible from the star, and fleetly collect the coins and kill enemies. Before the end, the player can gain a cool feeling before the end of the level. In addition, there is a foreshadowing on the bottom. The player can see the sideline. The end is like the original Super Mario Bro design. It is classical.
Blue line summary(primary line)
When I was designing the primary line, I want to keep this level easy and rhythmic. The level is designed for the beginning. I think the rhythm is important for the primary level. I should avoid the player to be stuck.
Yellow line(sideline)
The yellow line is a short level. But the entrance is hidden, the player may miss it. This place is a little bit hard. The player needs to avoid three fireballs and kill five enemies. The player could use the tortoise to kill the other two enemies. Then, the player should avoid a corpse flower to jump on the red blocks to the coins room. There are a lot of awards here. The player probably will get the hidden coins. The player can get a bigger Mario from the block. The big Mario can break the top blocks to back the primary line. The player may head the blocks to kill the top enemies.
Yellow line summary(sideline)
I want to make a hidden sideline and conform to the lava theme. The player should get a lot of awards, because the difficulty is harder and difficult to find the entrance.
Green line(sideline)
In the beginning, if the player goes to the reverse direction, they will find a sideline. It is a surprise. At first, the player will see three coins. When the player tried to get coins, they probably will touch hit the hidden block. The player can get the 1up life from the block. Then, the player will see two coins, which is guidance. It leads to the player to go up. If the player goes left, there is an enemy. The player can kill it and get a multiple coins block. After that, the player will go left, because there is guidance. The player will see three coins on the top. Next, the player can kill the first tortoise and jump on the coconut tree. Those two coins are guidance too. Because the player will know Mario can stand on coconut trees. If the player goes down, the player can get multiple coins and big Mario. The player may get coins and hidden coins in the hidden cave. I used different texture to dispose the entrance, it looks like open. The player can go through the cave to back the primary line. Also, the player can jump on the blocks to back the sideline. Finally, the player could kill the second tortoise to go the next.
Most coins are guidance in this part. The player follows the coins to keep jumping, the player can see there is a jumping corpse flower. The player should over it and dive in the water to get coins. Meanwhile, the player should care for the two finishes. The gold coins are guidance here, they lead to the player can get hidden coins. After that, the player can see there are a tortoise and three goombas. The player could use the tortoise to kill others. The rhythm is important in this part.
The player follows the coins can see the mountaintop. The environment changes to the snow area, it is a safe zone. The player can get two coin blocks and a big Mario block. I put a big Mario block in this place, because I want to reduce the difficulty. I use the cubes to make ladders. Because the mountaintop is steep, I wish the player can feel it. I did not use slopes. After that, there is a dead zone. This place is really hard. There are two corpse flowers, a turtle and three goombas. The player can use the turtle shell to kill goombas. But the turtle shell will be back to hit Mario. In the other way, the player can back the primary line in this part.
In the final part, the player will get a lot of coins. The gold coins will guide the player to get hidden coins. I design this part seems skiing. The player may have a cool feeling.
Green line summary(sideline)
For this sideline, I focus on the rhythm and guidance. The difficulty is harder than the primary line. I wish the player can feel the different terrains in the level.
Process:
Safe Zone:
The Revision of Level
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Added two coins here for guidance.
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Changed the hidden block height.
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Removed the three coins on the turtle area, because there are too many collectables at the same area.
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Changed the distance of platforms
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Changed the position of coins for rhythm.
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Added three coins here for guidance.
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Added two enemies for increasing the difficulty.
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Added a bigger Mario block for reducing the difficulty.
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Changed the position of goombas for rhythm.
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Changed the position of coins for rhythm