Final Platformer Level

For Game Design 2 and Programming 1 I designed  a platforming level. We were provided with the game mode and character asset, then had to create various moving platforms and hazards. It was a lot of fun and had some challenges along the way. I'm familiar enough to make games in C# for unity so making algorithms for coding wasn't foreign; however learning some of the syntax and flow of blueprint was a bit tricky. But by the end of this assignment I felt really comfortable in it and gained a greater understanding of how it works. Below is the commented code for the spike block. It's pretty simple, it uses a timeline to and some vector math for it's movement. The meshes colors are handled through the timeline and Dynamic Material instances, it's simple animation was done by toggling the viability of certain meshes.

Platformer Level Proposal: Factory Panic

For my level I wanted to play around with moving platforms, spikes and a mechanic that would launch the player upwards. I figured a factory kind of setting would work really well. With the platforms being different machinery parts and conveyor belts. The falling spikes could be pieces of metal falling off of the assembly line and the launch pads could be huge air vents. For this level i really wanted to play around with how these simple mechanics interact. Which is why the first area introduces all of the mechanics but then as the level goes on it gets harder. At first you'll just have to jump onto some moving platforms to get through, but eventually you'll have to use the air vents to get onto a moving platform while avoiding a spike.

Bit Trip Runner 2 Tutorial Level Analysis

Bit Trip Runner 2 is a rhythm based platformer made by independent studio Gaijin Games. The game has the player control Commander Video through a variety of stages where they must jump, slide, float, shield or kick in reaction to certain obstacles. If done correctly a note will play depending upon which object was avoided which adds to the background music. If done incorrectly the player will be sent to the start or a checkpoint. The first level of the game introduces the mechanic of jumping, and plays around with the timing of it in a variety of ways.

 

In this screen there's the first enemy you see in the game. It's stationary and the game prompts you to jump over it. This teaches the player to jump over hazards and if they fail they'll die.

This screen places a collectible gold piece above the player, if they're curious they'll jump and if not then they'll miss it. the next screen shows players that gold can be collected though.

This screen has an enemy surrounded by two gold pieces. The gold to the left of the enemy marks when the player should jump. If the player jumps at the mark they'll not only avoid the enemy but land perfectly on the next piece of gold.

This screen has a series of steps down which end in a pick up. The player will collect the pick up no matter what which teaches the player what these pick ups do.

This screen and the following few screens place two gold collectibles in the air. In order to pick up both of them the player must time their jump and then immediately jump again when they land. This teaches the player how to jump to a certain rhythm instead of just jumping when they feel like. There's a few screens like this later but they repeat a pattern of 1 gold collectible in the air then one on the ground. Those screens teach the player how to space their jumps out a bit more to the rhythm.

This is the only screen in the level that has a gap you need to jump over. This teachers the player that you'll sometimes have to jump to avoid death even if it's not an enemy.