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ETEC 544

6.2 Game Deconstruction

Jon, Navid, Samantha, Tom

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

01

02

03

04

THE GAME

Super Mario Bros.

FORMAL

Rules

Procedures

Conflict

Mechanics

DRAMATIC

Story

Character

Premise

Challenge

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DYNAMIC

Strategy

Behaviour

Relationships (between game entities)

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THE GAME

01

Super Mario Bros.

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Super Mario Bros. (1985)

Super Mario Bros (1985) is a classic platform side-scrolling game where players control Mario, a plumber who is attempting to rescue Princess Toadstool from the villain: Bowser. Set in Mushroom Kingdom, the game has a variety of levels, enemies, and obstacles for the player to overcome.

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The player can navigate Mario through these environments by running, jumping, and collecting power ups (e.g. mushrooms and fire flowers), which give him special abilities.

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Considered by many to be a foundational franchise in the video game industry, Super Mario Bros. offers many components that can form the basis of our analysis.

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Formal

02

The rules, procedures, conflict and mechanics

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Mario’s Formal Elements

Three of Super Mario Bros.’ formal elements will be focused on here:

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  1. Rules & Procedures
  2. Conflict
  3. Mechanics

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Mario’s Formal Elements

  • Rules & Procedures:
    1. There is a set time limit for each level to reach the end
    2. Coming in contact with obstacles and enemies causes damage to Mario
    3. You have a certain number of ‘lives,’ which when they expire causes the player to die
    4. There are no turns, gameplay is continuous and in real time

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Mario’s Formal Elements

  • Conflict:
    • Overcome obstacles, enemies, and environmental hazards
    • Primary antagonist: Bowser

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Mario’s Formal Elements

  • Mechanics:
    • Jumping
    • Running
    • Crouching
    • Power-Ups
    • Enemy interactions (jump on or shoot)

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Dramatic

03

Story, Character, Premise, Challenge

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Mario’s Dramatic Elements

Super Mario Bros.’ dramatic elements consist of its:

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  • Story
  • Characters
  • Premise
  • Challenge

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Mario’s Story

  • Mario is on a quest to rescue Princess Toadstool (also known as Peach) from Bowser
  • Mario must navigate through various ‘worlds’ in the game, battling enemies and overcoming obstacles to reach his objective
  • In the final battle, Mario confronts Bowser in his castle and defeats him
  • Princess Toadstool is rescued, and peace returns to the Kingdom

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Characters

Mario:

  • Plumber
  • Personality: Brave, determined, heroic
  • Goal: rescue Princess Peach and save the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser
  • Abilities: Jumping, Speed, Power-ups

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Characters

Princess Peach:

  • Leader of the Mushroom Kingdom
  • Personality: Kind, gentle
  • Role: Focus of rescue; exists in relation to Mario

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Characters

Bowser:

  • King of the Koopas
  • Personality: Aggressive, Power-Hungry
  • Abilities: Breathing fire, Spikes
  • Role: Main antagonist

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Premise

  • Players immerse themselves in the shoes of Mario, who is a plumber seeking to save a captured princess
  • Opportunity to explore new worlds and confront different challenges
  • “Hero’s journey” narrative→ordinary individual tasked with an extraordinary mission
    • Spirit of adventure

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Challenge

  • Overcome the obstacles and enemies in each level
  • Beat the level within the given time limit
  • Avoid losing your ‘lives’ to survive the game

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Dynamic

04

Strategy, Behaviour, Relationships

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Mario’s Dyanmic Elements

Super Mario Bros.’ dynamic elements consist of its:

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  • Strategy
  • Behaviour
  • Relationships

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Strategy

  • Maximize efficiency using optimal routes for each level
  • Precise jumping
  • Explore hidden tools (e.g. warp zones, hidden blocks, etc.)
  • Recognizing patterns of enemy movements

Super Mario Bros. Speedrun in 4:55.913 (Former World Record), Kosmic (2018)

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Behaviour

Mario’s Behaviours:

  • Walking and running
  • Jumping to avoid enemies or obstacles
  • Super Mario: Stomping on enemies (when in giant mushroom form)
  • Collecting items and power ups
  • Moving up and down pipes

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Relationships (among objects)

  • Dynamic relationship between Mario and the environment
    • E.g. pipes, powerups, etc.
  • Collecting Mushrooms changes Mario’s relationship with obstacles (e.g. breaking blocks or surviving hits)
  • Enemy behaviour also affects Mario’s movement

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Works Cited

  • Egenfeldt-Nielsen, S., Smith, J. H., & Tosca, S. P. (2020;2019;). Understanding video games: The essential introduction (4th ed.). Milton: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780429431791 – Read chapter entitled: “What is a Game?”
  • Kosmic. (2018, September 24). Super Mario Bros. Speedrun in 4:55.913 (Former World Record). YouTube.
  • Patel, Anuj. “The Satisfying Motion of Super Mario Bros | Game Feel Deep Dive.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Sept. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwONt4r2rMM.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gum4GI2Jr0s&ab_channel=Kosmic.
  • The official home of Super MarioTM – history. The official home of Super MarioTM – History. (n.d.). https://mario.nintendo.com/history/.

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Super Mario Bros.