Hey everyone! About the Bomb Chicken and Mega Man 11 bits: The goal with this series was to build up an anthology of different combinations of game design mechanics bundled for various needs. I appreciate all of your feedback on it and I understand your thoughts on the matter. Thank you for checking this one out, and I'll work on this in the future.
some feedback i'd like to give. You do a good job talking about what you want to get across, but I don't feel like many of the clips really demonstrate what you're talking about. In the messenger segment, you're talking about using the sword to double jump... yet i think you only do it once in the whole clip. When talking about celeste, you're talking about "climbing' but mostly you just show a bunch of quick ledge grabs. Bomb chicken is the first time when your video really matches what you're talking about. Maybe try and get some more specific clips for future videos?
Hey Joe! If we take the literal definition, then game mechanics are the concepts of design that are designed for interaction within the title. I’d imagine it comes down to vocabulary choices, but I would argue that the most essential verb associated with interacting with a game is “play,” so hence these are the mechanics you need to play - especially if you’re a platformer fan. Happy to discuss this!
Show Notes: - The Messenger Cloudstep (0:48) - Celeste Climb (2:17) - Bomb Chicken Bomb Lay (3:50) - Sonic Mania Drop Dash (5:18) - Mega Man 11 Double Gear (6:58) - Shovel Knight Gold Drop (8:41) - Super Mario Odyssey (10:08)
Also, while I really appreciate how much love and care goes into retro platformers, I'm just getting a little bit of "hi-bit fatigue". Like, yeah the Messenger looks fun, but from an aesthetic point of view, I think I'm just done playing faux 8-bit games for a while. Still, it's good they enhance those primitive designs using modern design philosophy.
Hey Dan! That's an interesting take - the reactionary period is definitely in full force right now, so the same market over saturation that happened with 8 bit to lead to high bit is occurring. But then I see something like Owlyboy and I'm completely engrossed again haha
@@skipthetutorial I haven't yet played Owlboy (I should have by now), but I just feel like I'm gonna get bored of the style really quickly. I think I'm just a tough guy to please haha
@@skipthetutorial thats my biggest problem. I think there are probably too many on the market right now as well, but i grew up on SNES, i absolutely love pixel art to the max, and i actually just downloaded AM2R on my new phone because i didnt know there was an android download and NOW my device easily skates past. Cant wait for a new Metroid to release for Switch.
Hey Seth! AM2R is fantastic - it was such a joy getting to play it for the first time for the recent episode. I totally agree - here’s hoping more of the 2D Metroidvania type installments land on Switch, they fit so comfortably on the platform
Hey Super Two U! It's crazy - those folks are pros at game design all across the board. Here's hoping they bring more to the switch in the future! Thanks for taking the time to check this one out
Hey TheShoeman! It's a great title - MMG did a fantastic job at telling a neat story through the player's actual gameplay. Good stuff. Thanks for checking this one out!
Very true, VP! I think so many of the commonplace markers of platformers stem from their series, so its great to just go back to the source. Good to hear from you!
Hey Armorchompy! You're a pun master - I tried my best to chuck some in this script already but you caught the one that went under my nose haha Thanks for checking this one out!
Bomb Chicken looks really fun. And I agree with you on Mario Odyssey; the whole game flows together so well. Mario has always been about jumping to some extent, and Odyssey made it super satisfying.
Oh man, I could go on about how much I love Celeste... I’ve never played a platformer with such a meaty story (that doesn’t slow down the game in anyway), and is still able to maintain amazing platforming sections! I truly appreciated the game when I did Chapter 7 C-Side and spent HOURS, as well as over 1000 deaths until I could finally beat it. But somehow, I never got frustrated, which still baffles me to this day... On another note, I think Hollow Knight should’ve been included in here. Not only do I think it’s the best Metroidvania out there, but it’s my favorite 2D platformer of all time! If you haven’t played it, what are you waiting for! And it’s only $15... Feels like a crime getting such an amazing game that can last over 60 hours for 100% (not counting all the DLC and hard mode...) for only $15.
Good video! Just work a bit on the footage. I knew all the games, so I knew what you were praising the games for, but especially for the messenger, the clips were unrelated to what you're saying! I'd suggest that when describing a concept, the footage should illustrate it right away! Would probably be much easier to follow (and understand) that way. Don't take this as dissing or anything, you describe them well in your speech! It's just that you *start* with the messenger, and then immediately go and don't illustrate by example. Might get some viewers confused and click off, even if the other games show more of the mechanics.
Hey Fen Y! Thanks for bringing this up - I'm always trying to work on this, and I'm finding more time to film up my own reference videos as opposed to crediting others so I can get specific points of example. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts! Good to hear from you
Hey Skip, this is prolly gonna get mixed up in the other comments but i still wanted to say I'm really loving these videos, you dont suffer from the normal problems that most starting youtubers have, like bad mic quality, overly long intro, etc. I'm serious when i say you have an incredible amount of potential to make this a career! I really look forward to the content youve got in store for us!
Hey Desth! Well said. I'm a firm believer that good design is compact design, so bringing simplistic features into games makes for some fantastic mechanical designs. Thanks for checking this one out!
Hey luigiboard! Good to see you here - that is a great mechanic as well, but if I'm gonna pick a Ninja Gaiden reminiscent ability, I have to give it to The Messenger here. Thanks for checking this one out!
Hey Hue! It's a great game that I'm happy to give some praise to, because I don't see a lot of other talking about it. Plus, in a discussion about some great platformers on the Nintendo Switch, I think it fits right in. Thanks for checking this one out - Good to hear from you!
Shovel knight's game mechanic of losing your gold when you die works great, but another similar concept that I think is executed slightly better is from hollowknight. In this game, you collect "soul" from attacking enemies, and this soul can be used to either cast spells or restore your health. Before getting any upgrades, you can only store enough soul to preform up to 3 spells or heals. But, when you die, not only do you lose all of your money, (a much larger risk than in shovel knight) but you also have a crack in your soul container, making it so that you can only store 2/3 the amount you normally have. Of course, all you have to do to retrieve your gold and fix your container is to defeat a shadow spirit haunting the location of your death. Be you are at a serious disadvantage with less soul at your disposal, and it can be tricky to defeat the shadow spirit without getting killed again, therefore losing all the money you had originally forever. Luckily, later in the game, you can summon your shadow spirit to a safe location to easily take it out by paying a gypsy with a harder to find collectable, the rancid egg. These eggs aren't too tricky to obtain, but getting a lot quickly can be a chore. So do you spend the egg that you found, knowing that it's going to be a bit of a pain to find more, or do you risk losing your money and take on your spirit surrounded by the enemies that killed you? I feel that this is much better that shovel night. In that game, if you miss a jump or die to enemies, you can try again, and the biggest risk is losing a bit of your gold. But in hollow knight, rushing in and failing means that gold is lost forever. It adds a layer of risk and strategy to dieing. And I love that. (ps, I might be biased, because I've been playing hollow knight for 10 hours this week, and I'm in love so far)
Hey MC! I didn't even know that is possible. I'll have to give it a shot, but it might take me a while to make any progress haha Thanks for checking this one out!
That bit about Celeste totally recontextualizes the way I look at that level design! I beat the game and made a platformer but I’m surprised I never saw this!
Hey Curtis! It's a completely interesting shift to the stylings of the genre - definitely a blast to play around with. Thanks for checking this one out!
I love discussing this stuff, so I’m happy to do it! That being said, I’m not gonna act like the channel growing would be the worst 🤣 both aspects are fun. Just means the conversation grows!
Hey RJ! The series is an anthology of the different "bites" organized for various topics of discussion. I understand the surprise, and I'll continue to work on the organization of the show because of it. Thanks for bringing this up! Good to hear from you
I was literally thinking the same thing. That mega man 11 bit is from his other video on 7 mega man mechanics. It was a bit jarring to hear that part again since that vid was uploaded just a few days ago. I think it would have been better if he had said “as previously mentioned in my mega man video from a few days ago” and then provide a brief recap. It comes across as a bit lazy to re use the same sound byte from a few days ago though I doubt that was his intention
Hey Otoo! The intention with this serious is to be various anthologies of different game mechanics and bits of design for discussion. I understand the way it comes across with how it was presented, so I'll be further working to improve upon that in the future.
It's funny, the drop dash in the Sega Ages Sonic 1 for the Switch is weird, it still _works_ but its momentum is based off Sonic 1 physics and not Sonic Mania's, so it's not quite as quick as you're used to. I still don't know why they haven't released the iOS remasters on consoles yet.
Very true. They already are fulling committing to Christian's designs, why not just let his work show for itself on other outlets. Thanks for checking this one out, man!
I was just playing Mario Odyssey as this video popped up in my notifications I agree with those that I have played and I'm curious about those which I haven't (sadly no money to spare but that can be fixed later) Not much to add here, just wanted to drop by and send support your way 😛 Keep it up dude, your videos will only get more viewers as time goes on and I'm glad, you deserve them
Once again, fantastic video. It was great to see you touch on Celeste, im sure I've mentioned it quite a few times. You also brought my attention to Bomb Chicken, a game i initially brushed off. Also, this might be a personal pet peeve. Im a little annoyed by tbe constant use of whenever people talk about Sonic, "Sonic's had a rough time transitioning from 2D to 3D." It's just a personal thing im tired of hearing every time i click a video about the Blue Boi. The section was still good however. Just a minor personal issue. I lool forward to the next upload.
Oh, so that's how it works in Shovel Knight! Hollow Knight does pretty much the same thing, and I love it! Death doesn't necesarily wipe all of your progress, but it's not meaningless either. It's a great balance to have.
Actually, the game that makes me love climbing in platformers first was Contra 3. (Even though Ninja Gaiden did it first, I think) One of the most epic and memorable boss battles I've had was climbing up a high cliff while shooting a giant climbing mech. Also, I believe Sonic Runners had the prototype of the Drop Dash mechanic. You can't charge up a dash in mid-air because it's an auto runner, but if you manage to get to high ground and drop down, you'll get a speed boost.
Hey Tasoganedude! Thanks for bringing these up - I think they do good jobs at achieving the same concepts. The auto runner nature of Sonic Runners always keeps momentum, so I think most mechanics in that game center around that concept. Thanks for checking this one one out!
Hey Qweba! I completely agree - it’s a real testament to the fantastic indies that have kept the genre alive and fresh. Thanks for checking this one out!
Hey Brian! Good point - my intention here was more so to bring up the lives rework in a platformer sense. Dark Souls does this system fantastically in its own way, so full props to From there. Thanks for checking it out!
I wish I liked Bomb Chicken as much as everyone else, it sounds so great when other people talk about it in a way that I've never been able to replicate playing it.
Hey SC! I highly recommend it - the game definitely picks up once the main twist is introduced, but it's all a good time. Thanks for checking this one out!
Hey Wa! This show is an anthology series focused around bundling these "Bites" in various different combinations for discussions of mechanics in different topics. I'll be working on the presentation of these bits in the future for more transparency and clarity. Thanks for your feedback, I understand where you're coming from and I'll keep tweaking the show based off your recommendations. Thanks for taking the time to check this one out!
I'm happy to work on all this stuff! The intention of something like this series is to allow for a second video a week with a chunk of new content and keep the most refined videos on the channel to the Boss Battle Breakdowns.
It's a good thing I played most of these games then. Only ones I haven't played are The Messenger and Bomb Chicken. I should buy the former sometime, even if I haven't played any of the NES Ninja Gaiden games.
Hey The Hypist! They are great times - I highly recommend it even if you haven't played the NG series since it stands well on its own. Thanks for checking this one out!
I know you may think that this is because of trends but could you talk about the monsters in Fortnitemares? Apart from the gold one, all monsters are just players in tutorial mode. Even the cube where they come from could act as a kind of tutorial on bases, as you can destroy them with practically anything.
Hey Lucien! I need more playtime on Fortnite before I can speak much on it in general, let alone any specific mode. Thanks for the recommendation! I appreciate you stopping by
I'm surprised you didn't shout out dark souls sort of being the pioneer, or at least the populizer, of the "lose money upon death" deal during the Shovel Knight segment. (Although I guess you can say pokemon, but in Pokemon losing money is a minor inconvenience.) Also Hollow Knight is, at times, a platformer and employs a similar system. Other games I feel could've been used were Dandara, vvvvvv or Snake Pass, which would've rounded it out to a neat 10, but you are an unconventional number aficionado, so I can't get too fussy about it.
Hey any13th! Good point - that Souls system is definitely a great example here, but I mostly wanted to focus on the shifts of the live system with platformers in mind. Those are 3 killer games, and I plan on visiting them in future Bites, but I'm a sucker for prime numbers haha Thanks for checking this one out!
This is a great selection. I love platformers, and though I've not played shovelknight, I think Ducktales is a fair trade off for it! Celeste is pretty much got tier though.
Hey TAMF! They all play fantastically - and I would HIGHLY recommend trying out the shovel knight bundle at your earliest convenience, it’s one of my favorite games ever. Celeste is such a testament to the power of indies, being able to weave a satisfying story with a chunk to say that you actually feel in the gameplay. Good stuff. Thanks for checking this one out!
No problem man, it's nice to see channels giving appreciation to platform games! I gotta check out that bundle at some point, just too many good games out at the moment lol. Celeste was so much more important than a standard platformer for me, but the actual gameplay itself is beyond incredible. The rest is just a nice bonus. Also, TAMF, what a god awful acronym XD.
Oh boy, I’ll have to climb up the Appalachian mountains myself and train for 8 months before I’m good enough to even take that stuff on conclusively haha
Hey Dog Fish! I highly recommend, so hopefully you enjoy it when you get the chance to check it out. Thanks for stopping by this video - good to hear from you!
I really hate the Shovel Knight life system. I think Odyssey implemented this idea much better. My problem is that once you lose the coins, you are rewarded not for keeping trying the level, but for leaving the level and doing it all over again.
Hey Vexorian! That’s a fair criticism, although I imagine from my own anecdotal experience that the implications of losing 80% of level progress because of a couple gold death cycles would deter that practice. Conversely, the incentive to replay levels to collect huge amounts of coin, say for the achievement within the game, is a similar manipulation, but it doesn’t entirely devalue the progression of receiving gold on a regular playthrough, just as I believe the death system doesn’t directly emphasize that sudo exploit. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and checking this one out!
Gonna be honest, I agree with you almost 100%. I like the idea of the gold bags mechanic where you can get back what you lost by being more careful, but I think the way it was executed isn't without flaws. For one, since Shovel Knight's currency is always accounted for during levels and can't be stored in a bank, dying causes you to lose gold from your entire collection, no matter when or where you die. I think this kind of implementation is alright in open-ended games like Hollow Knight, where death is absolutely meant to have consequences; but a linear platformer like Shovel Knight, where the main focus is forwards progression? Is there really any reason that they can't just have you lose money based on what you've collected in the current level? Another thing is that the gold bags can often be placed in spots that Shovel Knight can't reach without risk of dying again & perpetuating the cycle. If there were specific places that the bags couldn't be allowed to fly, this wouldn't be so bad, but as it stands, it's possible to screw yourself out of getting back gold for reasons that aren't entirely your fault. I get that it's not easy to make a system like this perfect on the first try, and that it's important to just move on instead of being bitter about lost gold. But I still think the way it was actually implemented could've used a few touch-ups to be far less frustrating. I've had a fair share of moments where I just straight up quit the game from dying right before I could retrieve my gold bags, and it hasn't been a huge motivator to go back and replay levels when all of your gold is always at stake.
Hey Nicktendo! The “bite” for Mega Man 11 and Bomb Chicken are in this one because the show is an anthology series, intended to bundle together different insights on mechanics and design in relation to various topics. I plan to work on the presentation of this in the future so it’s more transparent, so thanks for your feedback on it. Good to hear from you!
Alright alright, good video, fantastic writing as always and everything but this one felt a little bit below average compared to your other videos. While I haven't seen to many of your videos (or I have just learned watching your videos all of them and you've only started you-tube relatively recently) this one felt like explanations were lacking specifically in the messenger's cloud step which having not played the game I don't understand how it works. In addition I feel bad about saying it like this but it really was just lazy reusing the bomb chicken clip in it's entirety down to the footage from your nitrome video. Good video but has some issues to fix
Hey Jack! Thanks for the feedback here - good to hear from you on this. I’m always working to get more relevant reference footage and explanations, and I think some of that will stem from taking more time to get my own footage instead of crediting other resources. The series is an anthology show, so the “bites” are reorganized and bundles in different compilations to relate to different relevant topics. I plan on working with the development of the show to give greater transparency to this aspect, and the heavy focus will always be on the premiered content of the episodes. Thanks for checking this one out!
when your saying that it's "bundled in different compilations" are you saying it's kinda more like where you would look up the game and see what it's about and how it plays? Because if so then why do the clips feel more like they're trying to relate to the game more in the video subject rather than just a summary of the game. Also sorry for not looking at the PINNED MESSAGE to see if you had addressed this already.
All good. These serve as case examples of broader points and discussion about the topics, so the bomb chicken bit is a testament to Nitrome’s great design, but it’s also a fantastic platformer. I’ll continue to work to brush these up so they fit better in the bundles
Just a complain with a thing, not with the video, but Nitrome had been making flash games way before mobile gaming, with the same kind of mechanical depth and simplicity in platformers.
Every sonic game from now on should be made from fans and stay 2D. I do not trust SEGA's experiments with the franchise anymore. Also I think that it would be nice if there was a mechanic in sonic games where you can have sonic go extremely fast, but make sonic less capable of platforming while using the mechanic
Hey Throphy! I agree - it’s too bad to see the original source fall out of touch with the series, but people like Christian kill it. Here’s hoping for more games led by him in the future That mechanic sounds cool, but I’d argue that already exists in some of the games because going fast isn’t always supported in later level designs. Thanks for checking this one out!
Hey Rik! 13AM did a neat job with Runbow that’s worth praise, but every time I play it I’m just reminded of how much I want a speedrunners port on Switch haha - the expansive multiplayer options are a joy though!
Hey Hyper7! I’m confused. This line isn’t said in the video, so you’re parodying a paraphrase of a line out of context? That’s fair - I think it’s also within bounds to mention that reception for the series definitely had some dips, with Boom, 06, etc. tHaNKs foR chECkiNg thIs oNe Out!
Hey Latrell! Sounds like your friend has good taste 🤣 In all seriousness, thanks so much for taking the time to check out my stuff. To both you and your pal - I really appreciate the support
Hey Spaceturtle! This is an anthology series, so the different "bites" are mixed around within different combinations to discuss the game design mechanics. Thanks for bringing this up!
I respect you taking the time to leave your thoughts on this. The point of all this is the discussion, so I enjoy talking about this stuff because its the reason I make the videos.
Everything is copied. The Crash of Titans games did the Odyssey mechanic of taking control of enemies and that was a decade ago. Shovel Knight's death mechanic is taken from Dark Souls which itself is taken from Diablo 2. It's a lot less about which game invented what and more about which game implemented it in an interesting way
Hey Divyum! That's the anthology bit of this series. This was the very test with it, but the goal of the series is to make short discussions on various game design elements and bring them into various different topics of discourse. Thanks for the feedback on it! I'll take a different approach next time.
Hey SunflowerField! Thanks for bringing this up - this video isn’t meant to serve as any form of ranking for the mechanics, since even on the Switch other titles deliver plenty of great designs. If you’re distinction is about whether or not game mechanics are playable, I would argue that the play experience within games is defined through a system of interlocking concepts and mechanics that allow us to in essence play the game. From this, I also believe that any fan of platformers should absolutely test out these systems because of how well designed they are. Thanks for checking this one out and sharing your thoughts!
Hey everyone! About the Bomb Chicken and Mega Man 11 bits:
The goal with this series was to build up an anthology of different combinations of game design mechanics bundled for various needs. I appreciate all of your feedback on it and I understand your thoughts on the matter. Thank you for checking this one out, and I'll work on this in the future.
some feedback i'd like to give. You do a good job talking about what you want to get across, but I don't feel like many of the clips really demonstrate what you're talking about. In the messenger segment, you're talking about using the sword to double jump... yet i think you only do it once in the whole clip.
When talking about celeste, you're talking about "climbing' but mostly you just show a bunch of quick ledge grabs.
Bomb chicken is the first time when your video really matches what you're talking about. Maybe try and get some more specific clips for future videos?
Hey Psinjo! Thanks for the feedback - I'll work to tighten that up with future bites.
I appreciate the suggestion!
How do you play a game mechanic?
Hey Joe! If we take the literal definition, then game mechanics are the concepts of design that are designed for interaction within the title. I’d imagine it comes down to vocabulary choices, but I would argue that the most essential verb associated with interacting with a game is “play,” so hence these are the mechanics you need to play - especially if you’re a platformer fan.
Happy to discuss this!
Skip the Tutorial Play is a great word for it, but I personally think that ‘experience’ has a better connotation for the situation.
Show Notes:
- The Messenger Cloudstep (0:48)
- Celeste Climb (2:17)
- Bomb Chicken Bomb Lay (3:50)
- Sonic Mania Drop Dash (5:18)
- Mega Man 11 Double Gear (6:58)
- Shovel Knight Gold Drop (8:41)
- Super Mario Odyssey (10:08)
Also, while I really appreciate how much love and care goes into retro platformers, I'm just getting a little bit of "hi-bit fatigue". Like, yeah the Messenger looks fun, but from an aesthetic point of view, I think I'm just done playing faux 8-bit games for a while. Still, it's good they enhance those primitive designs using modern design philosophy.
Hey Dan! That's an interesting take - the reactionary period is definitely in full force right now, so the same market over saturation that happened with 8 bit to lead to high bit is occurring. But then I see something like Owlyboy and I'm completely engrossed again haha
@@skipthetutorial
I haven't yet played Owlboy (I should have by now), but I just feel like I'm gonna get bored of the style really quickly.
I think I'm just a tough guy to please haha
It's beautiful for the 9 years of work, but some game design bits feel hit or miss. I'm just a sucker for pixel art!
@@skipthetutorial thats my biggest problem. I think there are probably too many on the market right now as well, but i grew up on SNES, i absolutely love pixel art to the max, and i actually just downloaded AM2R on my new phone because i didnt know there was an android download and NOW my device easily skates past. Cant wait for a new Metroid to release for Switch.
Hey Seth! AM2R is fantastic - it was such a joy getting to play it for the first time for the recent episode. I totally agree - here’s hoping more of the 2D Metroidvania type installments land on Switch, they fit so comfortably on the platform
God DAMN you grew over the past 3 years!! Im rewatching this video and noticed you went from 800 to 5 million!
Bomb Chicken is made by Nitrome? Crazy! I used to play their games on Newgrounds all the time as a kid.
Hey Super Two U! It's crazy - those folks are pros at game design all across the board. Here's hoping they bring more to the switch in the future!
Thanks for taking the time to check this one out
I’m so glad that you talked about Celeste! I love that game, even though I wish it was a bit longer.
Hey TheShoeman! It's a great title - MMG did a fantastic job at telling a neat story through the player's actual gameplay. Good stuff.
Thanks for checking this one out!
bruh did you even touched the b and c sides?
Nintendo has to be the father of platformers. No matter how many platformers Xbox or Sony will make, nothing can beat a good old mario game
Amen
I don’t know man. Jak 1 along with sly cooper are pretty good. In terms of indies a hat in time is pretty great as well
Very true, VP! I think so many of the commonplace markers of platformers stem from their series, so its great to just go back to the source.
Good to hear from you!
VSAUCES PUPPET IS EVERYWHERE
I never really got the appeal of most Mario games, the only Mario platformer I've enjoyed is Super Mario Odyssey. They're just so slow.
4:38
"Lays out"
nice
Hey Armorchompy! You're a pun master - I tried my best to chuck some in this script already but you caught the one that went under my nose haha
Thanks for checking this one out!
The likes and comments keep going up and in the end I won’t be remembered
You'll absolutely be remembered, ImSoR! You're a key part of the original bunch, and your support since has meant loads to me.
Skip the Tutorial aww thanks seeing that the video was posted almost 2 hours ago when I posted the comment I didn’t think you’d respond
@@skipthetutorial do you still remember ImSoR?
Bomb Chicken looks really fun. And I agree with you on Mario Odyssey; the whole game flows together so well. Mario has always been about jumping to some extent, and Odyssey made it super satisfying.
Oh man, I could go on about how much I love Celeste... I’ve never played a platformer with such a meaty story (that doesn’t slow down the game in anyway), and is still able to maintain amazing platforming sections! I truly appreciated the game when I did Chapter 7 C-Side and spent HOURS, as well as over 1000 deaths until I could finally beat it. But somehow, I never got frustrated, which still baffles me to this day...
On another note, I think Hollow Knight should’ve been included in here. Not only do I think it’s the best Metroidvania out there, but it’s my favorite 2D platformer of all time! If you haven’t played it, what are you waiting for! And it’s only $15... Feels like a crime getting such an amazing game that can last over 60 hours for 100% (not counting all the DLC and hard mode...) for only $15.
Yoshi Miner you should try hollow Knight
Found your channel a few days ago and I love it
Hey Rik! Thanks for taking the time to check it out, I’m humbled you enjoy the content.
Good video! Just work a bit on the footage. I knew all the games, so I knew what you were praising the games for, but especially for the messenger, the clips were unrelated to what you're saying! I'd suggest that when describing a concept, the footage should illustrate it right away! Would probably be much easier to follow (and understand) that way.
Don't take this as dissing or anything, you describe them well in your speech! It's just that you *start* with the messenger, and then immediately go and don't illustrate by example. Might get some viewers confused and click off, even if the other games show more of the mechanics.
Hey Fen Y! Thanks for bringing this up - I'm always trying to work on this, and I'm finding more time to film up my own reference videos as opposed to crediting others so I can get specific points of example.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts! Good to hear from you
Hey Skip, this is prolly gonna get mixed up in the other comments but i still wanted to say I'm really loving these videos, you dont suffer from the normal problems that most starting youtubers have, like bad mic quality, overly long intro, etc. I'm serious when i say you have an incredible amount of potential to make this a career! I really look forward to the content youve got in store for us!
Hey Harrison! Thank you so much for taking the time to check it out - it means a lot to me that you’re sticking along 👍
Thank you
Aww yeah! Simplicity is the mother of necessity, with direct platforming done this well towards phenomenal titles as these.
Hey Desth! Well said. I'm a firm believer that good design is compact design, so bringing simplistic features into games makes for some fantastic mechanical designs.
Thanks for checking this one out!
great video as always, love ya skip, but if i were to include shovel knight, i would choose the dash of specter of torment
Hey luigiboard! Good to see you here - that is a great mechanic as well, but if I'm gonna pick a Ninja Gaiden reminiscent ability, I have to give it to The Messenger here.
Thanks for checking this one out!
You do love Bomb Chicken...
Hey Hue! It's a great game that I'm happy to give some praise to, because I don't see a lot of other talking about it. Plus, in a discussion about some great platformers on the Nintendo Switch, I think it fits right in.
Thanks for checking this one out - Good to hear from you!
Shovel knight's game mechanic of losing your gold when you die works great, but another similar concept that I think is executed slightly better is from hollowknight. In this game, you collect "soul" from attacking enemies, and this soul can be used to either cast spells or restore your health. Before getting any upgrades, you can only store enough soul to preform up to 3 spells or heals.
But, when you die, not only do you lose all of your money, (a much larger risk than in shovel knight) but you also have a crack in your soul container, making it so that you can only store 2/3 the amount you normally have.
Of course, all you have to do to retrieve your gold and fix your container is to defeat a shadow spirit haunting the location of your death. Be you are at a serious disadvantage with less soul at your disposal, and it can be tricky to defeat the shadow spirit without getting killed again, therefore losing all the money you had originally forever.
Luckily, later in the game, you can summon your shadow spirit to a safe location to easily take it out by paying a gypsy with a harder to find collectable, the rancid egg. These eggs aren't too tricky to obtain, but getting a lot quickly can be a chore. So do you spend the egg that you found, knowing that it's going to be a bit of a pain to find more, or do you risk losing your money and take on your spirit surrounded by the enemies that killed you?
I feel that this is much better that shovel night. In that game, if you miss a jump or die to enemies, you can try again, and the biggest risk is losing a bit of your gold.
But in hollow knight, rushing in and failing means that gold is lost forever. It adds a layer of risk and strategy to dieing. And I love that.
(ps, I might be biased, because I've been playing hollow knight for 10 hours this week, and I'm in love so far)
Just curious; have you ever attempted the "Clear chapter 1 without dashing once" challenge in Celeste?
Hey MC! I didn't even know that is possible. I'll have to give it a shot, but it might take me a while to make any progress haha
Thanks for checking this one out!
honestly some games gave us a new way of solving a puzzle.. like celeste have more than one way to travel a big distante with is lessons
That bit about Celeste totally recontextualizes the way I look at that level design! I beat the game and made a platformer but I’m surprised I never saw this!
Hey Curtis! It's a completely interesting shift to the stylings of the genre - definitely a blast to play around with.
Thanks for checking this one out!
Skip the Tutorial No problem! I really hope your channel grows more so you can keep producing, but for now I’m glad you have the time to reply!
I love discussing this stuff, so I’m happy to do it! That being said, I’m not gonna act like the channel growing would be the worst 🤣 both aspects are fun. Just means the conversation grows!
Didn't you use your megaman intro in your other video?
Hey RJ! The series is an anthology of the different "bites" organized for various topics of discussion. I understand the surprise, and I'll continue to work on the organization of the show because of it.
Thanks for bringing this up! Good to hear from you
I was literally thinking the same thing. That mega man 11 bit is from his other video on 7 mega man mechanics. It was a bit jarring to hear that part again since that vid was uploaded just a few days ago. I think it would have been better if he had said “as previously mentioned in my mega man video from a few days ago” and then provide a brief recap. It comes across as a bit lazy to re use the same sound byte from a few days ago though I doubt that was his intention
Hey Otoo! The intention with this serious is to be various anthologies of different game mechanics and bits of design for discussion. I understand the way it comes across with how it was presented, so I'll be further working to improve upon that in the future.
Loving the Nitrome attention!
It's funny, the drop dash in the Sega Ages Sonic 1 for the Switch is weird, it still _works_ but its momentum is based off Sonic 1 physics and not Sonic Mania's, so it's not quite as quick as you're used to. I still don't know why they haven't released the iOS remasters on consoles yet.
Very true. They already are fulling committing to Christian's designs, why not just let his work show for itself on other outlets.
Thanks for checking this one out, man!
I was just playing Mario Odyssey as this video popped up in my notifications
I agree with those that I have played and I'm curious about those which I haven't (sadly no money to spare but that can be fixed later)
Not much to add here, just wanted to drop by and send support your way 😛
Keep it up dude, your videos will only get more viewers as time goes on and I'm glad, you deserve them
A video on how the Kirby series does fanservice would be a pretty fun video
Hey Danny! That sounds like a fun topic - thanks for the suggestion, I’ll start some research on it.
Good to hear from you!
Once again, fantastic video. It was great to see you touch on Celeste, im sure I've mentioned it quite a few times. You also brought my attention to Bomb Chicken, a game i initially brushed off.
Also, this might be a personal pet peeve. Im a little annoyed by tbe constant use of whenever people talk about Sonic, "Sonic's had a rough time transitioning from 2D to 3D." It's just a personal thing im tired of hearing every time i click a video about the Blue Boi. The section was still good however. Just a minor personal issue. I lool forward to the next upload.
So Bomb Chicken is just Bomberman 64, but vertically-oriented, and a sidescroller
Oh, so that's how it works in Shovel Knight! Hollow Knight does pretty much the same thing, and I love it! Death doesn't necesarily wipe all of your progress, but it's not meaningless either. It's a great balance to have.
Actually, the game that makes me love climbing in platformers first was Contra 3. (Even though Ninja Gaiden did it first, I think)
One of the most epic and memorable boss battles I've had was climbing up a high cliff while shooting a giant climbing mech.
Also, I believe Sonic Runners had the prototype of the Drop Dash mechanic.
You can't charge up a dash in mid-air because it's an auto runner, but if you manage to get to high ground and drop down, you'll get a speed boost.
Hey Tasoganedude! Thanks for bringing these up - I think they do good jobs at achieving the same concepts. The auto runner nature of Sonic Runners always keeps momentum, so I think most mechanics in that game center around that concept.
Thanks for checking this one one out!
It's super cool to realize that platformers are far from dead
Hey Qweba! I completely agree - it’s a real testament to the fantastic indies that have kept the genre alive and fresh.
Thanks for checking this one out!
Didn't Dark Souls do what Shovel Knight did first? Great video btw
Hey Brian! Good point - my intention here was more so to bring up the lives rework in a platformer sense. Dark Souls does this system fantastically in its own way, so full props to From there.
Thanks for checking it out!
and hollow knight?
I wish I liked Bomb Chicken as much as everyone else, it sounds so great when other people talk about it in a way that I've never been able to replicate playing it.
Man, I still haven’t gotten around to getting The Messenger. I’ve been hearing really good things about it since it’s release
Hey SC! I highly recommend it - the game definitely picks up once the main twist is introduced, but it's all a good time.
Thanks for checking this one out!
No problem. It’s super cool to see that you still reply to comments several days after the upload date
skip the tutorial, please don't reuse your descriptions about games (bomb chicken and others) it seems lazy
Hey Wa! This show is an anthology series focused around bundling these "Bites" in various different combinations for discussions of mechanics in different topics. I'll be working on the presentation of these bits in the future for more transparency and clarity. Thanks for your feedback, I understand where you're coming from and I'll keep tweaking the show based off your recommendations.
Thanks for taking the time to check this one out!
Thanks for understanding. I'm sure making this requires a lot of effort, and that writing a new script is the last thing you want to do.
I'm happy to work on all this stuff! The intention of something like this series is to allow for a second video a week with a chunk of new content and keep the most refined videos on the channel to the Boss Battle Breakdowns.
It's a good thing I played most of these games then. Only ones I haven't played are The Messenger and Bomb Chicken. I should buy the former sometime, even if I haven't played any of the NES Ninja Gaiden games.
Hey The Hypist! They are great times - I highly recommend it even if you haven't played the NG series since it stands well on its own.
Thanks for checking this one out!
I'm a mobile gamer and all of these are PC exclusive so rip me🙃
As much as I love Shovel Knight, I think it’s a bit unfair to not mention the heavy inspiration it’s death mechanics took from Dark Souls
I've only recently noticed that Mario Odessey does this as well with coins when you die.
I know you may think that this is because of trends but could you talk about the monsters in Fortnitemares? Apart from the gold one, all monsters are just players in tutorial mode. Even the cube where they come from could act as a kind of tutorial on bases, as you can destroy them with practically anything.
Hey Lucien! I need more playtime on Fortnite before I can speak much on it in general, let alone any specific mode. Thanks for the recommendation!
I appreciate you stopping by
I'm surprised you didn't shout out dark souls sort of being the pioneer, or at least the populizer, of the "lose money upon death" deal during the Shovel Knight segment. (Although I guess you can say pokemon, but in Pokemon losing money is a minor inconvenience.) Also Hollow Knight is, at times, a platformer and employs a similar system.
Other games I feel could've been used were Dandara, vvvvvv or Snake Pass, which would've rounded it out to a neat 10, but you are an unconventional number aficionado, so I can't get too fussy about it.
Hey any13th! Good point - that Souls system is definitely a great example here, but I mostly wanted to focus on the shifts of the live system with platformers in mind.
Those are 3 killer games, and I plan on visiting them in future Bites, but I'm a sucker for prime numbers haha
Thanks for checking this one out!
Sonic and Mario are both
Good
This is a great selection. I love platformers, and though I've not played shovelknight, I think Ducktales is a fair trade off for it!
Celeste is pretty much got tier though.
Hey TAMF! They all play fantastically - and I would HIGHLY recommend trying out the shovel knight bundle at your earliest convenience, it’s one of my favorite games ever.
Celeste is such a testament to the power of indies, being able to weave a satisfying story with a chunk to say that you actually feel in the gameplay. Good stuff.
Thanks for checking this one out!
No problem man, it's nice to see channels giving appreciation to platform games! I gotta check out that bundle at some point, just too many good games out at the moment lol.
Celeste was so much more important than a standard platformer for me, but the actual gameplay itself is beyond incredible. The rest is just a nice bonus.
Also, TAMF, what a god awful acronym XD.
Haha fair enough. Let’s just stick to Mark then 👍
I need to finish Celeste soon, because that game definitely has a lot of fun moments to it
You should man, the extra end game content and levels are insane!
Oh boy, I’ll have to climb up the Appalachian mountains myself and train for 8 months before I’m good enough to even take that stuff on conclusively haha
I need play bomb chicken soon
Hey Dog Fish! I highly recommend, so hopefully you enjoy it when you get the chance to check it out.
Thanks for stopping by this video - good to hear from you!
Celeste is a indie title that hijacked the speedrunning community.
I really hate the Shovel Knight life system. I think Odyssey implemented this idea much better. My problem is that once you lose the coins, you are rewarded not for keeping trying the level, but for leaving the level and doing it all over again.
Hey Vexorian! That’s a fair criticism, although I imagine from my own anecdotal experience that the implications of losing 80% of level progress because of a couple gold death cycles would deter that practice. Conversely, the incentive to replay levels to collect huge amounts of coin, say for the achievement within the game, is a similar manipulation, but it doesn’t entirely devalue the progression of receiving gold on a regular playthrough, just as I believe the death system doesn’t directly emphasize that sudo exploit.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and checking this one out!
Gonna be honest, I agree with you almost 100%. I like the idea of the gold bags mechanic where you can get back what you lost by being more careful, but I think the way it was executed isn't without flaws.
For one, since Shovel Knight's currency is always accounted for during levels and can't be stored in a bank, dying causes you to lose gold from your entire collection, no matter when or where you die. I think this kind of implementation is alright in open-ended games like Hollow Knight, where death is absolutely meant to have consequences; but a linear platformer like Shovel Knight, where the main focus is forwards progression? Is there really any reason that they can't just have you lose money based on what you've collected in the current level?
Another thing is that the gold bags can often be placed in spots that Shovel Knight can't reach without risk of dying again & perpetuating the cycle. If there were specific places that the bags couldn't be allowed to fly, this wouldn't be so bad, but as it stands, it's possible to screw yourself out of getting back gold for reasons that aren't entirely your fault.
I get that it's not easy to make a system like this perfect on the first try, and that it's important to just move on instead of being bitter about lost gold. But I still think the way it was actually implemented could've used a few touch-ups to be far less frustrating. I've had a fair share of moments where I just straight up quit the game from dying right before I could retrieve my gold bags, and it hasn't been a huge motivator to go back and replay levels when all of your gold is always at stake.
Did you know that Christian Whitehead and his team for Sonic Mania were severely underpaid resulting in the cancellation of Vertebreaker.
I see the script from the Mega Man 11 video and maybe others were reused.
Hey Nicktendo! The “bite” for Mega Man 11 and Bomb Chicken are in this one because the show is an anthology series, intended to bundle together different insights on mechanics and design in relation to various topics. I plan to work on the presentation of this in the future so it’s more transparent, so thanks for your feedback on it.
Good to hear from you!
Who did it better, super Mario odyssey or crash of the titans
I’m a simple man.
I see a Nitrome game, I click!
would you ever talk about guacamelee? its one of the best platformers ive ever played
Alright alright, good video, fantastic writing as always and everything but this one felt a little bit below average compared to your other videos. While I haven't seen to many of your videos (or I have just learned watching your videos all of them and you've only started you-tube relatively recently) this one felt like explanations were lacking specifically in the messenger's cloud step which having not played the game I don't understand how it works. In addition I feel bad about saying it like this but it really was just lazy reusing the bomb chicken clip in it's entirety down to the footage from your nitrome video.
Good video but has some issues to fix
Hey Jack! Thanks for the feedback here - good to hear from you on this. I’m always working to get more relevant reference footage and explanations, and I think some of that will stem from taking more time to get my own footage instead of crediting other resources.
The series is an anthology show, so the “bites” are reorganized and bundles in different compilations to relate to different relevant topics. I plan on working with the development of the show to give greater transparency to this aspect, and the heavy focus will always be on the premiered content of the episodes.
Thanks for checking this one out!
when your saying that it's "bundled in different compilations" are you saying it's kinda more like where you would look up the game and see what it's about and how it plays? Because if so then why do the clips feel more like they're trying to relate to the game more in the video subject rather than just a summary of the game.
Also sorry for not looking at the PINNED MESSAGE to see if you had addressed this already.
All good. These serve as case examples of broader points and discussion about the topics, so the bomb chicken bit is a testament to Nitrome’s great design, but it’s also a fantastic platformer. I’ll continue to work to brush these up so they fit better in the bundles
Just a complain with a thing, not with the video, but Nitrome had been making flash games way before mobile gaming, with the same kind of mechanical depth and simplicity in platformers.
Every sonic game from now on should be made from fans and stay 2D. I do not trust SEGA's experiments with the franchise anymore. Also I think that it would be nice if there was a mechanic in sonic games where you can have sonic go extremely fast, but make sonic less capable of platforming while using the mechanic
Hey Throphy! I agree - it’s too bad to see the original source fall out of touch with the series, but people like Christian kill it. Here’s hoping for more games led by him in the future
That mechanic sounds cool, but I’d argue that already exists in some of the games because going fast isn’t always supported in later level designs.
Thanks for checking this one out!
If you’re into 2d platformers i can recommend Runbow
Hey Rik! 13AM did a neat job with Runbow that’s worth praise, but every time I play it I’m just reminded of how much I want a speedrunners port on Switch haha - the expansive multiplayer options are a joy though!
Did you rip the Megaman part straight from your Megaman video?
SoNiC hAs HaD a RoCkY hIsToRy
Hey Hyper7! I’m confused. This line isn’t said in the video, so you’re parodying a paraphrase of a line out of context? That’s fair - I think it’s also within bounds to mention that reception for the series definitely had some dips, with Boom, 06, etc.
tHaNKs foR chECkiNg thIs oNe Out!
Sonic mania is just new super sonic bros DS
My friend said u r kewl so I think u r kewl 2😉
Hey Latrell! Sounds like your friend has good taste 🤣
In all seriousness, thanks so much for taking the time to check out my stuff. To both you and your pal - I really appreciate the support
Skip the Tutorial I love you babe❤️
The bomb chicken part is just copied...
As well as the megaman part...
Hey Spaceturtle! This is an anthology series, so the different "bites" are mixed around within different combinations to discuss the game design mechanics. Thanks for bringing this up!
I ask myself why this has a hart...
I respect you taking the time to leave your thoughts on this. The point of all this is the discussion, so I enjoy talking about this stuff because its the reason I make the videos.
Everything is copied. The Crash of Titans games did the Odyssey mechanic of taking control of enemies and that was a decade ago. Shovel Knight's death mechanic is taken from Dark Souls which itself is taken from Diablo 2. It's a lot less about which game invented what and more about which game implemented it in an interesting way
The drop dash sucks with the old level design
(Me being a fanboy again) HOLLOW KNIGHT
It’s best at everything and al it’s mechanics
Sorry
Hey LJ! Hollow Knight does a great job with this, and I plan to tackle it with a future video after more research.
Thanks for bringing it up!
Third
He just copied the bomb chicken one from the video about nitrome games
Oh, so that's why I've got that strong Deja Vu!
Hey Divyum! That's the anthology bit of this series. This was the very test with it, but the goal of the series is to make short discussions on various game design elements and bring them into various different topics of discourse. Thanks for the feedback on it! I'll take a different approach next time.
Last!
This video's title doesn't make much sense. Not a bad video at all, but maybe just "top 7 platformer mechanics" would have been enough.
Hey SunflowerField! Thanks for bringing this up - this video isn’t meant to serve as any form of ranking for the mechanics, since even on the Switch other titles deliver plenty of great designs. If you’re distinction is about whether or not game mechanics are playable, I would argue that the play experience within games is defined through a system of interlocking concepts and mechanics that allow us to in essence play the game. From this, I also believe that any fan of platformers should absolutely test out these systems because of how well designed they are.
Thanks for checking this one out and sharing your thoughts!