The document summarizes research on existing platform games to inform the design of a new jungle-themed side-scrolling game. It finds that common features include collecting items to progress to next levels, enemies to defeat, tracking score and health, and a recognizable main character. The new game will include these elements: a jungle setting, cartoon graphics, a goal-based progression system, and a character that collects bananas to defeat enemies and replenish health. The target audiences are children and young adults who enjoy achieving goals and sense of community from recognizable characters.

1. Research
Tamzin Twose

2. Donkey Kong Country is a side scrolling platform game
set in various locations, but for this comparison I’ve
chosen a jungle themed setting.
They’ve used lighting to draw attention to the part of
the setting where Donkey Kong walks and darkened the
background scenery to give the illusion that the world
he is in is vast when it facts the area that he can walk in
is very limited.
Existing
Product
The genre of this game is action adventure. To create
action and entertainment, they’ve added in enemies
and potential dangers for Donkey Kong to avoid. This
adds a sense of excitement and achievement for either
defeating or getting passed the danger.
Along the way they’ve placed
bananas for Donkey Kong to
collect. This gives the player a
goal to achieve, which gives
them an incentive and makes
them feel like they have
achieved something by
playing it.
The graphics style is a cartoon
style and the colours they have
used in the scenery are relevant
to a jungle scene, but are also
quite bright and appealing, this
connotes fun, nature
They’ve given Donkey Kong a
tie with his initials on it; this
gives him a recognisable
feature which if used in other
games can create brand
recognition. It also gives
Donkey Kong a human quality,
which makes him more
appealing to the audience. The
red connotes power, whereas
the yellow connotes fun, joy
and happiness.
I’ve found a clip on YouTube, which shows the sounds used in the game. In the background of the gameplay, they’ve
used an instrumental track that adds to the jungle theme and creates a fun atmosphere. The track is very upbeat and
appealing.
There are sound effects when Donkey Kong collects the bananas and an over exaggerated squeal sound effect coming
from the enemy, when he defeats them.
The characters also make monkey noises when they switch over.

3. At the top of the screen they’ve included text to show
the player their score, how many coins they have
collected, what world they’re in and how much time
has passed, this gives the user an incentive to play and
a way to track their progress. The font is very simple
and easy to read.
Existing Product
I’ve included Mario in my research because I
feel that the 8-bit graphics style of this game
would be the most similar to my game.
In this Mario game the graphics style is very
simple in a cartoon style, with only a few
colours used.
Despite being simple, the scenery connotes
fun and is very appealing to look at.
Mario is wearing a very distinguishable red
dungaree set and hat which will be easily
recognisable by the audience and increase
brand recognition. Red connotes power and
strength and perseverance.
They’ve added in boxes for Mario to break
which give Mario either coins or power ups.
These boxes are usually placed above or
within platforms, which gives the game a
feeling of depth, rather than just walking
across the bottom of the screen.

4. The background is blurred
slightly and drawn in a
way to give depth of field,
to make the player feel
like the monkey is in a
larger world.
They’ve added a few trees
and flowers in the
foreground to make the
game look more
appealing.
Existing Product
In Darwin the Monkey, they
have included text across the
top of the screen in a bold 3D
font, making it easy to read.
These show how many lives
your character has left, your
score and what level the
player is on. When the player
loses all three of their lives it’s
game over and you have to
restart the level again.
In this game you’re in a world that
doesn’t scroll. You simply move left
to right and they’ve placed platforms
around for the monkey to jump up
on, giving more depth to the game.
On the platforms there is fruit to
collect. This makes the game more
appealing by giving the player a
challenge to collect all of the fruit.
The game has
enemies to defeat,
giving it a sense of
danger and thrill, yet
the characters are
drawn in a simple 3D
cartoon style, which
means the game is
still suitable for a
younger audience.

5. Research Analysis
• What common features do the researched products
have?
– Each game fits into the action adventure genre. There’s items for the character to collect and
enemies to defeat or avoid. Each level has a target to be able to move on to the next one. The most
common style is a side scrolling world, with bright coloured, fun graphics. They each keep a tally of
different elements, like items collected and the score for the player to keep track of, giving them an
incentive to carry on playing. Some games also have a health element, whereby the character can
lose health or a life. They can also collect items to replenish their health or life.
– The most common feature of the characters include the main character wearing something that
makes him/her recognisable. The enemies are all in a cute cartoon style to make the game appealing
and suitable for all ages.
• What aspects of the research will you include within
your on work?
– I will create a jungle themed side-scrolling action adventure game, with cartoon 8-bit style graphics
and a main character wearing something distinguishable. The character will move around the game
collecting items to be able to progress to the next level. There will be enemies for them to avoid or
defeat which can harm the character and make them lose health. To replenish their health they can
collect bananas which are placed in some of the worlds.

6. Audience

7. Audience Profile
Category Demographic Content to appeal to this audience
Age Range
Primary: 5-14 years
Secondary: 15-25 years
• I will create a jungle themed side-scrolling game with
fun, brightly coloured cartoon graphics. There will be
items to collect and cute enemies to defeat or avoid. The
game will also appeal to an older audience because it
will have retro style graphics and game style.
Gender
Primary: Male
Secondary: Female
• The game will be an action adventure game with
enemies to defeat or avoid. The character is a monkey
which is gender neutral, so it will still be appealing to
females, but I will use bright masculine colours for his
outfit.
Psychographic
Primary: Emulator
Secondary: Belonger
• By creating a goal based progression system, my game
will appeal to the emulator psychographic because they
like to feel they are achieving.
• It will also appeal to the belonger psychographic as it will
be made in the UK and by creating a recognisable fun
character, it will create a topic for conversation, making
them feel part of a community.
Social Status
Primary: Working Class
Secondary: Middle Class
• If I were to sell the game, I would offer it at an affordable
price so that it is accessible by the working class social
group.
• By creating a mid range graphics game, it will be
attractive enough to also appeal to middle class social
group.