3 ms·

ugh, most indie platformers haven't yet reached the level of the original super mario bros. nintendo spent a LOT of time fine tuning the controls. The lack of

ugh, most indie platformers haven't yet reached the level of the original super mario bros. nintendo spent a LOT of time fine tuning the controls. The lack of fine tuning is very noticeable in games like this (another really good example is meatboy). Intuitively the controls don't feel "tight". What's really going on is that there is a lack of a way for the player to create repeatable conditions so they can do experiments and thus learn the fine degree of control exhibited in speed runs of SMB. This generally happens below the conscious level.

waitwhat 15y ago
ugh, most indie platformers haven't yet reached the level of the original super mario bros. This is hardly surprising when Super Mario Bros is widely regarded as one of the very best games of all time, some would say the best [1], and sold more than 40 million copies, making it the best-selling game ever until 2009 [2]. You don't rubbish a new play by complaining that it's not as good as Shakespeare, or a new album that's not as good as Thriller. And you don't rubbish a platformer for not being as good as Super Mario Bros. [1] http://top100.ign.com/2005/001-010.html http://top100.ign.com/2005/001-010.html [2] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros.
- eropple 15y ago
  Bad controls sink a platformer. I haven't played this one to evaluate it, but if it's sloppy, that really does make it a no-go--the difference, for me at least, between "good and worth playing" and "unacceptable, give it a pass" is really narrow. Given that developers have had about twenty years to study and reach deep into the guts of games like the original Super Mario Bros, it really does make it harder to rationalize that, as the GP poster noted, very few games are really even in the same ballpark in terms of fluidity of control.
- leon_ 15y ago
  Well, controls are some of the things you shouldn't compromise on. If it takes you more time to get them done right then take that time and skip some fancy graphic effects.
rkowalick 15y ago
One of the best platformers I have ever played is jumper and its sequel jumper redux, which is available for free by the maker at http://mattmakesgames.com/games/JumperRedux.zip http://mattmakesgames.com/games/JumperRedux.zip The controls are very tight and honestly have to be for the level of difficulty of the game. A very, very good game and one of the best I have played in a long time. You should check this out before you say that every indie platformer doesn't have tight controls
JoshTriplett 15y ago
I agree with you on the value of "tight" controls; I really wish someone would characterize what "tight" actually means in gaming controls, and explain some of the common failings in loose control schemes.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
dbattaglia 15y ago
I totally agree the controls are tough here, BUT I wonder if that also has to do with the keyboard/mouse interface a bit? It just feels a lot harder than the old-school 8-way directional and 2 buttons. I haven't been much of a gamer since the Nintendo days when I was a kid though so maybe it's just me.

waitwhat 15y ago

ugh, most indie platformers haven't yet reached the level of the original super mario bros. This is hardly surprising when Super Mario Bros is widely regarded as one of the very best games of all time, some would say the best [1], and sold more than 40 million copies, making it the best-selling game ever until 2009 [2]. You don't rubbish a new play by complaining that it's not as good as Shakespeare, or a new album that's not as good as Thriller. And you don't rubbish a platformer for not being as good as Super Mario Bros. [1] http://top100.ign.com/2005/001-010.html http://top100.ign.com/2005/001-010.html [2] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros.

eropple 15y ago
Bad controls sink a platformer. I haven't played this one to evaluate it, but if it's sloppy, that really does make it a no-go--the difference, for me at least, between "good and worth playing" and "unacceptable, give it a pass" is really narrow. Given that developers have had about twenty years to study and reach deep into the guts of games like the original Super Mario Bros, it really does make it harder to rationalize that, as the GP poster noted, very few games are really even in the same ballpark in terms of fluidity of control.
leon_ 15y ago
Well, controls are some of the things you shouldn't compromise on. If it takes you more time to get them done right then take that time and skip some fancy graphic effects.

rkowalick 15y ago

One of the best platformers I have ever played is jumper and its sequel jumper redux, which is available for free by the maker at http://mattmakesgames.com/games/JumperRedux.zip http://mattmakesgames.com/games/JumperRedux.zip The controls are very tight and honestly have to be for the level of difficulty of the game. A very, very good game and one of the best I have played in a long time. You should check this out before you say that every indie platformer doesn't have tight controls

JoshTriplett 15y ago

I agree with you on the value of "tight" controls; I really wish someone would characterize what "tight" actually means in gaming controls, and explain some of the common failings in loose control schemes.

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]

dbattaglia 15y ago

I totally agree the controls are tough here, BUT I wonder if that also has to do with the keyboard/mouse interface a bit? It just feels a lot harder than the old-school 8-way directional and 2 buttons. I haven't been much of a gamer since the Nintendo days when I was a kid though so maybe it's just me.