GAME ANALYSIS
FEZ
PROS + Stunning visuals + Innovative Mechanic + Great use of sound
CONS - Gameplay can be repetitive - Very ambient - Story not fully explored
ABOUT Fez is a puzzle/platform game developed by independent software developers Polytron Corporation. Fez is presented as a 2D platform game in which Gomez can walk, jump, climb and manipulate objects. However, the player can shift perspectives at any time, rotating the world 90 degrees relative to the screen.
RELAVANT CONTENT Level design is bright, detailed, complex and beautiful. The world feels alive with characters and animals that blend into the surroundings. Unique mechanics make the game’s puzzles mindbending to play.
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LIMBO
PROS + Depth created through layering + Great atmosphere + Clever use of blurring
CONS - Hard - Depressing - Bleak
ABOUT Fez is a puzzle/platform game developed by independent software developers Polytron Corporation. Fez is presented as a 2D platform game in which Gomez can walk, jump, climb and manipulate objects. However, the player can shift perspectives at any time, rotating the world 90 degrees relative to the screen.
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RELAVANT CONTENT The subtle visual effects in limbo, which include blurring, layers of background scenery and monotone colours.
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JAMESTOWN
PROS + Cool map + Always background characters + Epic feel
CONS - Low-res graphics - Confusing controls - Convoluted story
ABOUT Jamestown: Legend of the Lost Colony is a vertically scrolling shoot’em up video game developed and released by Final Form Games in 2011. The game takes place on Mars in an alternate history steampunk 17th century, where the planet is a British colony contested by the Spanish and the indigenous martians.
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RELAVANT CONTENT Pixel art style. Stylistic user interface. Use of powerups. Large, difficult bosses and broad weaponry choices.
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BIT TRIP RUNNER
PROS + Rewarding gameplay + Learn through playing + Retro vibe
CONS - Can be very frustrating - High difficulty level - No checkpoints
ABOUT
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Bit.Trip Runner is a 2D platformer in which the player takes control of Commander Video, the main protagonist of the Bit.Trip series who had appeared only during cut-scenes in the previous titles. The game is split into three worlds, known as “Impetus”, “Tenacity” and “Triumph” respectively, each containing 11 stages and a boss encounter.
RELAVANT CONTENT Nostalgic in both visuals and sound. The music is intrinsic to the feel of the game to extent that you feel as if you are making music as much as progressing.
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JOURNEY
PROS + Stunning visuals + Doesn’t hold your hand + Learn through playing
CONS - Lack of direction can lead to confusion - Not a strong use of music
ABOUT In Journey, the player controls a robed figure in a vast desert, traveling towards a mountain in the distance. Other players on the same journey can be discovered, and two players can meet and assist each other, but they cannot communicate via speech or text and cannot see each other’s names.
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RELAVANT CONTENT Tranquil gameplay, quite medititive. Discover how to play as you go along. Simple concept done well.
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PIXELJUNK MONSTERS
PROS + Bright colours + Easy controls + Inventive map
CONS - Frustrates easily - Not kind to beginners - Only availible on PSN
ABOUT
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Gameplay in PixelJunk Monsters has similarities to various tower defense titles. The objective is to build defense towers along the enemies’ path to keep them from reaching a hut, or base. Several small creatures dwell at the base. For each enemy that survives the defense towers and reaches the hut, one creature is killed. If all creatures are wiped out, the level is failed.
RELAVANT CONTENT Simple but rewarding gameplay. Simple map and mechanics. Various characters/towers. You learn as you play and the difficulty of the game increases throughout.
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BASTION
PROS + Great use of Commentator + Blurry effect + Constantly shifting world
CONS - Busy: Lots going on on screen - Commentary can get repetitive - Short and little replay value
ABOUT
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Bastion is an action roleplaying video game produced by independent developer Supergiant Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is an action role-playing game with a level structure. The player character, “the Kid�, moves through floating, fantasythemed environments that form paths as the player approaches the edge.
RELAVANT CONTENT Not a large area of movement. Blurry edges and shifting world create good pace. Lots of different weapons and unlockables.
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BRAID
PROS + Time machanic is inventive + Amazing visuals + One of the original indie games
CONS - Similar enemies used throughout -Complicated storyline -Boring main character
ABOUT Braid is a platform and puzzle video game developed by Number None, Inc. The basic story elements unfold as the protagonist, Tim, attempts to rescue a princess from a monster. Text passages laid throughout the game reveal a multifaceted narrative, giving clues about Tim’s contemplations and motivations.
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RELAVANT CONTENT Has all the traits of a good indie platformer. Clever level/ puzzle design. Well deisgned boss sprites/mechanics.
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SUPER MEAT BOY
PROS + Death as a game mechanic + Unique visual style + Crazy game concept
CONS - Frustrating - Lack of major storyline - Not suitable for all ages
ABOUT Super Meat Boy is an independent video game designed by Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes and developed by Team Meat. Super Meat Boy is a platform game in which players control a small, dark red, cube-shaped character named Meat Boy, who must save his girlfriend Bandage Girl from Dr. Fetus.
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RELAVANT CONTENT No in-game map. Nostalgic, references many other games. Makes clever use of pixels. Puzzle elements.
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CASTLE CRASHERS
PROS + Great multiplayer + Funny enemies + Humorous
CONS - Little focus on story - Intense gameplay - Less enjoyable singleplayer
ABOUT Castle Crashers is a 2D beat ‘em up video game independently developed by The Behemoth and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It features music created by members of Newgrounds. Castle Crashers is a side-scrolling beat-em-up that incorporates a small number of role-playing video game elements.
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RELAVANT CONTENT Bright colours and simple style. Humourous. Uses the lane system for character movement
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HOTLINE MIAMI
PROS + Ultra violence + Split scene animations + Great soundtrack
CONS - Very Difficult - Offensive content - Age restricted
ABOUT Hotline Miami is a 2D topdown action video game by Dennaton Games. The game has been described by Eurogamer as “a top-down f***-’em-up”, blending top down perspective with stealth, extreme violence and surreal storytelling, along with a soundtrack and visuals influenced by 1980s culture.
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RELAVANT CONTENT Pixel art, Pixel gradient background. Animated typography. Simple controls and goals. Powerup mechanic.
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INTRO ANIMATION
GAME COMPANY INTRO
ABOUT Sega have implemented this really well for such short clips. They also managed to create an aesthetic that worked over different consoles and franchises and as a result was adapted constantly. Particular aspects we thought were effective are the shimmer on the letters and the consistant use of the “SEGA� chant.
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RELAVANT CONTENT Shimmer effect in the logo is a staple of 90s gaming. Colour is injected into the logo and it is accompanied by a recognisable and satifying noise
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GAME COMPANY INTRO
ABOUT In terms of sound, Playstation has a very strong intro, utilising a two-part synth sound that is totally recognisable and evokes nostalgia. While dated, this intro is a classic part of gaming history.
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RELAVANT CONTENT Two-part jingle, which trails off and leads directly into the game intro.
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USER EXPERIENCE
BINDING OF ISAAC
OBSERVATIONS The entire UX system for Binding of Isaac is themed around scraps of paper that have loose sketches on. The logo is visually dominant throughout, being the only strongly coloured element on the page.
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Submenus are handled by a popup which maintains the handrawn feel. The drawings are fun and feature motifs from the full game, introducing the player to elements of the game even at this early stage.
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RUNNER 2
OBSERVATIONS This is an unusal UI approach compared to other games. While I do not think the typography is particularly effective, I like that it reflects the surreal illustration and introduction of characters and settings from the start.
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It is used in a loose style and letterforms are used inconsistantly at different scales, rotations and are stretched and squashed in different ways,
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SUPER MEAT BOY
OBSERVATIONS I really like the structure of the home screen, which contains just the logo, a blown up and stylised image of the main character and a list of options. The slick animation can’t really be shown in screenshots but it is definitely satisfying.
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However, I am not a huge fan of the overal visual approach Team Meat have used for their UI system, particularly the dullness of the popups they use as submenus.
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FEZ
OBSERVATIONS This is the best example of a title screen I have come across in this research. The isometric fez logo rotates around slowly and sucks you into a black, space-like background. It gives the game an epic feeling right from the offset.
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in a nod to classic games of the 90s such as zelda and pokemon, which had limited save memory, The menu is almost completely devoid of the fun visuals that the game is known for, as if the menu exists outside of the game world.
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TYPOGRAPHY
POKEMON
OBSERVATIONS The pokemon typeface is extremely well considered and manages to maximise legibility over style. It has a thin frame and a very square appearance.
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The glyphs are monospaced to ensure they alwyas fit perfectly in the pixel grid. I think it particularly well implemented to the extent that you don’t notice the type at all.
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BIT TRIP
OBSERVATIONS The bit trip games use a really chunky, low res custom pixel font. It is used repeatedly and often in a two-tone shadow style which is a simple way of creating depth in pixel art. This typeface is part of the game’s overall aesthetic and really complements
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the style of the visuals well. Text isn’t really read, but it is constantly on-screen, existing almost as part of the image, not separate to it.
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JAMESTOWN
FEZ
OBSERVATIONS
OBSERVATIONS
Jamestown has tried in its display type to stylise too much and in too much detail as to look ugly. The body typeface is used consistently and brings a twist to traditional pixel fonts by introducing an off-centre slant is some of the letterforms.
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Fez uses a more traditionalstyle thin typeface. It is a clean aesthetic that suits the detail of the gameworld and characters. It does little to communicate the character of the game otherwise though.
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DISTROBUTION PLATFORMS
STEAM
WHY STEAM?
ABOUT Steam is a digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communications platform developed by Valve Corporation.
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There are nearly 2000 games available through Steam, and 54 million active user accounts. As of 2013, Steam has an estimated 50-70% share of the digital distribution market for downloadable PC video games.
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XBLA
WHY XBLA?
ABOUT Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft’s digital distribution network for the Xbox 360.
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Games available through the XBLA service range from $5-20 in price. As of October 2013, there have been 639 Xbox Live Arcade titles released for the Xbox 360.
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PSN
WHY PSN?
ABOUT PlayStation Network (PSN) is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service provided by Sony Computer Entertainment for use with the PS3, PSP and PlayStation Vita video game consoles.
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As of 2013, there are over 110 million registered PSN accounts compared to 48 million XBOX accounts.
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MAPS
SIDESCROLLERS
ABOUT The main character can be positioned in either top, middle or bottom of the screen giving them 3 lanes to move within to avoid enemies and collect bonuses etc. The map design is usually the same dirt floor with a changing background.
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Modern arcade games such as Castle Crashers are similar side scrolling action games where the players can move between 3 lanes. Height and aerial movement have been introduced to breathe new life into this design.
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PLATFORMERS
ABOUT Donkey Kong is an early example of the platform game genre. The gameplay focuses on manoeuvring the main character across a series of platforms while dodging and jumping over obstacles.
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Super Meat Boy is a more recent example of a platform game which concentrates on the jump mechanic. Because more pixels can be used in games today, maps can be far more varied and detailed.
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TOP DOWN
GTA GTA was one of the first openworld games. It presents the player with a large area to roam. Although the series has moved away from this style, it is still frequently replicated in games.
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HOTLINE MIAMI The game has taken influence from top down action games such as the original GTA and GTA London. Like Fez the game celebrates the use of pixel art by creating a style that is reminiscent of those old games.
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CHARACTER DESIGN
CHARACTERS
GOMEZ Gomez is the protagonist in Fez. He is a simple character which uses very subtle movements to be expressive. He is white to contrast against the colourful background. His power to manipulate the 3rd dimension comes from the fez he wears.
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MEAT BOY Meat boy is pretty much a red square. His movement is super smooth due to the physics of the game, which are aided by animations of tilting as he faces different directions or floats.
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CHARACTER ANIMATION
TIM Tim is the playable character in Braid. He is digitally painted and has very smooth movement due to the large number of sprite positions that are used to make up his animation.
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SAMUS Samus from the metroid prime series has an arm that can be directed in 6 positions, independent of movement. This makes the animation complicated. As a result, the joints of the suits need to be claerly defined
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