American games are more "scientific" and Japanese games are more "abstract".

The "science" of American games is more realistic and prefers realism. When hardware capabilities are insufficient, this is a tragedy.

Bad feel, counterintuitive system, these are all compromises for the sake of realism.

On the contrary, Japanese games start more from the player's experience. Realism and other things are not important, fun is the key.

Designs like "Super Mario Bros." that can change the body position and adjust the position in the air through the direction keys are basically not seen in American games of this era. Because this is not realistic and unscientific. Japanese games only need to be self-consistent with the physical system in the game.

In addition, the difference between American and Japanese games is also "freedom".

Don’t think that sandbox is a new concept. The concept of open world has been available in the 1980s, and many games have been put into practice.

Of course, the result is obvious. Due to the limitations of hardware level, design capabilities, etc., games with this design concept are not fun.

Therefore, after Atari's impact, the US home computer game market has not been destroyed. In the game platform with personal computers as the platform, only the truly popular games are derived from the role-playing series of the board game "Dungeons and Dragons" series.

Although people are still trying to open the world, it is generally not fun.

By the way!

Open World.

A yellow light bulb suddenly appeared on Takahashi's head.

Although open-world games cannot be made now, why not make a pseudo-open game?

What is a pseudo-open world?

It's very simple, it's a nonlinear process game.

Now almost all action games are broken through according to the established level after level, although each game has the rhythm of each game and the art style of each game.

For example, "The Hard-Blooded" used by Shimada to challenge is a realistic street style. For example, "Conra" that Conami has become popular on the arcade recently, it is a tough guy style, with the flavor of the movie "The First Drop of Blood". There are also a large number of "Alien" elements involved in the back, which shows that Conami's game production team has many movie lovers.

However, no matter how these games change, they still do not change the foundation laid by Super Mario Bros.

The great thing about "Super Mario Bros." is to show a huge world with limited screens.

Although the game's program itself may not be continuous, it can continuously slide the page to give the player an illusion of exploring in a large world.

However, there is a problem that the world is not free, and can only move forward according to the designer's ideas and a route set by the designer.

Since it is a game on the home game console platform, fast-paced arcade is a non-essential element here.

So, can we design a nonlinear process game that is different from the current linear process?

The elements of the game can also be greatly increased, from now on, simply testing actions, extending puzzle solving and other elements. This mode is also very suitable for plot development, making it easier for players to understand the world of the game.

Of course, this will increase the amount of text.

The consequence of this is that when this game is pirated in the future, some pirated players who are not in this language may be troubled.

However, electronic games are an inevitable development trend from simple to complex. Even if the games in Takahashi's mind are not allowed to be made, other manufacturers will do them. Because this is the trend of game development.

Walking along the water is the right way, and moving against the current can at most cause a splash of water. However, most people, even trendsetters, cannot tell the direction of trends.

With the tone of "nonlinear process action game", what Takahashi needs to think about next is the theme of this game.

Although there is no doubt that this game will still be within the framework of the Wanhu Universe. However, always a background will still make players feel bored.

The fantasy background makes people boring. It is better to leave the surface of the "Fantasy Planet" and enter the universe, and start an adventure on the surface of one planet after another.

but……

There is a problem with this: most Japanese players cannot accept the dark cosmic style. Then they cannot go into the dark and dark style.

Um……

Then let’s go with a game that adds funny elements and uses steampunk as the visual style.

A story of a steam-powered robot that is about to fall apart, wandering in the universe.

Just as he was about to start, he suddenly thought of a game in his memory, which was extremely similar to the one he thought about now.

That is Nintendo's Metroid, which I used to play. There is also a name for this game called "Mitrod", which is a nonlinear game pioneer led by Kotohei Yokoi.

Of course, this is all in another world, Takahashi's former world.

Although the world seems to be following the original context in this world, many things have changed because of Takahashi.

For example, there is no movement in the red and white disk drives, and "Tetris" is also popular ten years earlier than "original".

Yokoi Junhei is currently worried about the hot sales of Tetris machine and has no time to put down the hardware and carry out software development.

Therefore, the game "Metropolis" that directly affected the birth of "Castle of Devils" has not yet been reported.

In this era when even "micro innovation" is not considered plagiarism, Takahashi will not have any psychological burden. He will not make this game, but wait for Yokoi Junhei to do it.

"Space Warrior", Takahashi wrote the title on paper. Of course, this is not the name at the last release, but the code name.

This code name is still misleading, and it sounds a bit like a relative of Space Marine. It can easily remind people of vertical scroll shooting games, not action games. This is the meaning of the code name.

Next, what Takahashi started writing about the game’s background setting on the planning plan.

The steam robot wakes up from the ruins, defeats the enemy, and looks for itself...

The specific level design is put aside first, and after writing the rough background setting, it is to determine the general art style. It is not easy to paint a robot image on paper full of grids. This is the case with low pixels. To design a distinct character, the designer needs to work hard for countless days and nights.

However, Takahashi has not picked up the details now, but just drew a rough sketch.
Chapter completed!