A presentation detailing the research that was undertaken to help inspire the visual design of my game.

1. Research
David Lee

2. Existing Product
This screenshot was taken from a YouTube clip of the Game Boy Advance
version of Super Mario World, in which Mario, riding on Yoshi’s back,
attempts to cross the finish line thereby ending the current level. The stage in
this particular example is the first level set on Yoshi’s Island.
Camera angle – Throughout the level’s duration, the game’s image is
positioned at a side angle, often moving to reveal more of the surrounding
environment when the characters move. In doing so, however, this often
causes several enemies to show up, in the case of this game, Koopa Troopas,
Bullet Bills and even unidentified yellow cactuses.
Level Design – While many of the level designs throughout the games vary
depending on what stage the player is at, the environment displayed here
relies almost entirely on the colour green, particularly apt given Yoshi’s
appearance as a dinosaur and is most likely a herbivore. This would most
likely have been an aesthetic choice made by the game’s developers as well as
to give the players a sense of tranquility and peace, despite the impending
hazards standing in their way.
Music – As the game has been developed for the use of a handheld console,
Game Boy Advance in this case, the music of this game has most likely been
developed with a synesthised feel and often carries an upbeat tune, with
certain themes suggesting a new adventure just beginning for Mario and his
brother. The opening cutscene houses a deliberately relaxing tune, which is
played as Mario’s hot-air balloon lands on Dinosaur World to lull the players
into a false sense of security.
Audience appeal – As part of the Super Mario series, which has become a
popular milestone of the overarching Mario franchise since its inception, this
game will no doubt carry instant appeal to both children and adults alike,
owing to easily navigable stages, likeable characters and visual graphics. For
those who have grown up with the 2D Mario games, this game will carry a
sense of nostalgia.

3. Existing Product
Camera angle – Like many other video games of its time, Adventure Island features a
singular image drawn by the game’s developers (or development artists thereof)
from a side angle. As the player, controlling Mr Wigins, travels across the entire
island, he begins to encounter several hazards that attempt to stop him reaching his
objectives. However, certain others, such as fire, will not stop him but will cause his
number of lives to reduce.
Level Design – While there are several levels throughout this game that could
suggest certain emotions, feelings or symbol to the player, such as a cave
symbolising a journey into the unknown, the area depicted in this stage shows the
character running across the clouds while a blue sky hangs behind him and the
waves of the sea directly underneath, most likely a potential hazard that would
result him drowning. Despite this, however, there will no doubt be a number of
game players who perceive as the waves as making them feel at ease and peaceful.
Music – Throughout the first rounds of each stage of the game, the music carries an
upbeat and optimistic feel with the audience led to believe that, whatever the
outcome of the adventure, things will turn out well by the end of it all.
Audience appeal – This game has been made to appeal primarily to teenagers
between 14-19 years of age, who have grown up on games such as this and are
fascinated by its simple animation in addition to having an affinity to solve complex
puzzles in order to progress forward. One such example as depicted here is figuring
out how to travel from one island to the other without falling into the sea.

4. Existing Product
Camera angle – As with Super Mario World and Adventure Island,
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon carries an image that has been positioned
at a side angle, allowing the player to see parts of the environment they
are travelling across behind them, subsequently revealing several other
aspects: In this particular case, a support with what is presumably a
vampire’s face carved into it can be seen as the protagonist leaps from
what is presumably one step to another.
Level Design – As the game has been deliberately designed to be a
horror/ghost story, the environment in which this level takes place is
reminiscent of a foreboding castle, which it could potentially be as the
exterior of the building is never, or almost never (depending on the
number of cutscenes) shown.
Music – While the overall style of music during gameplay cannot yet be
determined, the opening cutscene of the game, however, utilises a
foreboding piece of music intended to make the player feel on edge or
unsettled. To add to this sense of atmosphere, the image slowly moves
up to reveal a foreboding castle with the opening text setting the stage of
the story disappearing in the style of dripping blood.
Audience appeal – Depending on their stance with the genre (as horror is
something of an acquired taste), certain teenagers and adults could see
the potential appeal of playing as a vampire hunter and exploring
Dracula’s chateau for clues as to what he may be planning. Others,
however, having been traumatised by horror films such as The Shining,
may wish to wash their hands of such a concept.

5. Existing Product
Camera angle – In keeping with the majority of existing products
that have been reviewed and researched, Mega Man Zero has been
developed as a side-scrolling platform game, requiring the player to
solve a number of complex puzzles in order to progress from level
to level.
Level Design – In the style of Japanese anime, the game’s first level
opens in an seemingly abandoned and/or ruined laboratory, to be
more accurate. While it is unclear that this point as to what could
have caused work in this lab to suddenly cease, it is highly possible
that nuclear fallout could have been a contributing factor.
Music – As the game is implied to be set at a point in the future
where technology has become self-aware and the world has fallen
into chaos, the tone of music often varies depending on the setting
and the number of enemies Zero, the lead character of the game,
encounters. For instance, when battling boss at the end of each
mission he carries out, a fast piece of disco-esque, electronic music
is played with the intention of giving the game-players a sense of
dread and urgency never felt before until that particular point.
Audience appeal – As the Mega Man games have been considerably
popular since the first game came out in 1987, it will have gathered
a considerable fanbase and the concept of playing a game through
the eyes of a character other than Mega Man himself would
definitely have been particularly appealing not just to teenagers
(whom the game is primarily catered towards) but also to adults,
thereby giving the game a inclusive range that would appeal to
individuals of all ages.

6. Research Analysis
• What common features do the researched products have?
– Although the environments depicted in each game vary, owing to the different development processes used
to create both elements plus the general setting of the games, each product features a character walking or,
more accurately in some cases, leaping towards their destinations to complete an objective of sorts e.g. in
the screenshot of Super Mario World, Mario, riding on Yoshi’s back leaps through the air in order to cross
the finish line and complete the first/second level set on Yoshi’s Island.
– Additionally, with the exception of Mega Man Zero (this was mainly due to the moment in the video that I
print-screened on), each game carries a heads-up display, revealing how much currency the character has
accrued throughout the level, how much time is left on a particular level (usually ranging from
approximately three to four minutes) but is used primarily to inform the player of how many lives they have
remaining i.e. a low health-bar housing 76 lives will, if the playable character is killed during a boss level, be
reduced to a count of 75, possibly forcing the player to start the battle again (see slide 4: Castlevania: Circle
of the Moon).
• What aspects of the research will you include within your on work?
– To remain consistent with the games I have used in order to conduct my research, I plan to include a heads-
up display at the top of the screen, something I ultimately failed to do in a similar interactive project due to
time constraints, as a means of reminding the player that the character they are playing as is vulnerable. To
reinforce this point, I will include a health counter that will be displayed prominently at the top-left hand
corner of the screen and a set potential limit of nine lives, equivalent to those supposedly housed by a cat.
Additionally, I will also include a timer (exclusive only to Super Mario World, out of each of the four
screenshots) to give the game a sense of urgency as well as to move the character further towards his or her
main objective.

7. Bibliography

8. Bibliography
1. Creates, Inti. (2002). Mega Man Zero. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvT80apgcmM&t=2676s. Last
accessed 24th February 2020.
2. EAD, Nintendo. (1990). Super Mario World. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzArNQRCxO0&t=1488s. Last
accessed 24th February 2020.
3. Kobe, Konami Computer Entertainment. (2001). Castlevania: Circle of the
Moon. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs0L0xplugY&t=2286s. Last
accessed 24th February 2020.
4. Soft, Hudson. (1986). Adventure Island. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3qthfGi5dA&t=275s. Last accessed
24th February 2020.