Canon Game

Interactive Media Analysis

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 Table Of Content

Introduction......................................................................3

Canon Games....................................................................3

Game History....................................................................3

Game Platform..................................................................4

Game Genres....................................................................4

Character Design..............................................................5

Personality...................................................................................................................................5
Looks...........................................................................................................................................6
Special Abilities...........................................................................................................................6
Storyline...........................................................................6

Level Design.....................................................................7

Non-linear Games..............................................................8

Beautiful Graphics.............................................................8

Sound Effect.....................................................................9

Dynamic Game..................................................................9

Game Play....................................................................... 10

Summary........................................................................10
Introduction

This documentation talks about canon games. It is also for everyone that is
interested in this topic to have a unified understanding of canon games.

Super Mario 64 is one of the canon games. The report has a simple instruction
about the game’s history, the game’s features, the special importance that Super
Mario 64 had in the history of computer gaming industry.

This document is also used for reference for those who are interested in Super
Mario 64.

Canon Games

Canon games are the games that were of special importance to the history of
computer gaming in general. Definitely, they are typical games that contain all
the elements that a good game should have. In other words, they set rules for the
later games. Canon games are cultural artifacts.

Super Mario 64 is considered as a canon game owing to a range of its

characteristics. All the elements including the game platform, game genre,
storyline, character design, level design, graphics, music and sound effects make
Super Mario 64 become so successful in the gaming history. There is no doubt
that Super Mario 64 is innovative and the rules it applied are worthy of using for
reference for today’s games.

Game History

Super Mario 64 is a video game developed and published by Nintendo

Entertainment Company in Japan in 1996. To date, it has sold over 11 million
copies, the best selling Nintendo 64 game ever. It was the first 3D game in the
Mario series. Although it was not ever the first-ever 3D plat former, it helped to
define the genre. Super Mario 64 was considered so innovatory that many experts
consider it to have set the standard for all later 3D platform games and 3D games
in general.
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Game Platform

There are many forms of gaming platforms which include console, computer,
online multiplayer, mobile phone, handheld and arcade. Super Mario 64 is a
computer game. Computers are necessary in every family and everyone gets their
own personal computer. So that everyone can get the opportunity to play the
computer games. With the Nintendo 64 controller and its analog control stick, it is
very quick for Super Mario 64 to set up and start to have fun. To some extent, the
convenient and quick approach to the game makes Super Mario 64 popular.

Game Genres

The categories of video game genres are action, adventure, casual, education and
RPG. Modern people like adventure explorations because adventure explorations
bring them a very different experience in their life. The adventure games also
give the players an unusual experience in their gaming life. “An adventure game
is a computer based game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in
an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle solving instead of physical
challenge.” These adventure games make players feel happy and exciting.
Usually, they are easily immersed into the roles in the game.

Adventure games contain a variety of puzzles, such as finding and using items,
opening locked doors, or exploring the new places. Solving a puzzle will unlock
the access to new areas in the game world.

Super Mario 64 is an adventure game. In Super Mario 64, Mario has to find the
keys and use them to open the locked doors. There is always a wonderful game
world behind the doors in Super Mario 64. There are diverse stages that are full of
breathtaking adventures in the game.

Many adventure games make players gather and use items in the game. Players
are able to find and pick up the objects in the game. Usually, the items that
players should pick up are important. It can be difficult for players to gather some
featured items in the game. If the players are missing the most important one,

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they can not continue the game sometimes. And they have to go back to the
scene and find that meaningful item. In Super Mario 64, Mario’s main job is to find
and collect the stars in each stage. If the player misses one star, he has to go
back to that stage and hunts for it. Thus he can finish the mission in that stage
and then continue to the next stage.

Adventure games are single player experiences and they depend upon the
storylines strongly. They have prompted dialogue in the game as well. The
significant dialogues can be in different forms, such as recorded dialogue or
narration from voice actors.

In Super Mario 64, it has a lot of suggestive dialogue boxes which help the players
go through the whole game, therefore players do not lose their way in the game.
The prompted dialogues and narrations help players understand the game story
and know exactly what they should do or where they have to go next in the game.
The game and players are interactive because of the prompted dialogues in the
game.

Character Design

Personality

The game character’s personality is the most important part in the character
design. To some extent, players are affected mostly by the personality of the
characters. They get the emotions from the game characters when they are
playing games. Mario is a brave hero in the game and he is not afraid of the
powerful enemy and danger. His good personality makes him popular.

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Looks

A good game character also needs a unique image.

Mario is a world famous super star in the game field . He is impressive
because of his special appearance. Before Mario existed in 3D, there was a
faceless and shapeless block. “Even though Shigeru Miyamoto insisted that
before there was a game, before gaming’s most famous character was
recognizable, he had to be fun.”

Super Mario 64 translates Mario from 2D to 3D. This is really a big

significant step. It built a new world around that block. And players can
recognize clearly how Mario really looks like. Mario who has a big nose and
moustache wears a hat, a pair of white gloves and work clothes with
suspender trousers all the time. He is a short and fat Italian. This image is
far away from the standard hero in our mind. However, many people like
him and know him even though they never touch the game. Because Mario
and his personality brings people a cordial feeling. It is very impressive.

Special Abilities

The special abilities make the game character powerful in the game. And players
get good experience from the control of the character. In Super Mario 64, Mario
can run freely in a grassy meadow, tiptoe through a gloomy dungeon, climb to the
top of a mountain or take a swim in the moat. The movements of Mario are
various and ridiculous fun.

Storyline

A good game must have an attractive storyline. Mindless games without

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narratives will never attract a wider market. Super Mario 64 has a very clear and
simple story. The game began in an open field outside Princess Peach’s castle.
Princess Peach asks Mario to come to the castle for a cake. Then Mario explores
Princess Peach’s castle and hunts for stars in several of differently themed worlds.
And finally, he finds the Princess Peach.

Level Design

“There is no magic formula for success of a game. The bottom line for a game is a
well designed product with a simple, user friendly interface developed within a
reasonable timeframe will be successful.”

The level design and scale in Super Mario 64 is reasonable and appropriate. There
are 15 massive courses in the game and each course has 7 stars that Mario has to
collect. It is said that it take about 60 hours for the average game players to finish
the game. So the game’s replay value is bountiful.

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Non-linear Games

A fun game is always non-linear. The game must be boring if it keeps a straight
path from beginning to end. It is strongly recommended that make the game not
linear. It should give the game players the chance to make a decision and this
makes the players feel that their decision affect the game progress. Thus, the
game and player have an interaction.

For example, in Super Mario 64, when the Mario enters into the castle, he has to
make a decision about which door he has to open first. There are several doors for
players to choose. Players will feel it is important for them to make a decision. The
game itself does not force players to open doors one by one to continue the
game.

Beautiful Graphics

One reason we like playing the game is because the areas in the game look pretty
and realistic. It means the beautiful graphics are necessary in a fun game.

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The graphics in Super Mario 64 are magnificent. The different stages in the game
are totally designed with beautiful graphics. Each stage gives player a cool
feeling. Most settings in the game are typically fantasy and various. It keeps
changing from chapter to chapter to keep players feel fresh and interesting. In
Super Mario 64, each chapter has an amazing immersive environment.

Sound Effect

Sound effects play an important role in a video game. They are as essential as the
motion pictures. A good game has beautiful background music and various sound
effects in general. However, the sound effect must match the theme of the game
so that those sounds can be incorporated into the game’s interactive
environment. To some extend, the remixing sound effects helps to enhance the
theme of the game. The beautiful sound effects make players feel exciting while
they are playing game. Also, the music make them feel relax and immersed into
the game.

Super Mario 64 has multiple good sound effects as well. The sound effects make
the game fun to play. With the diverse sounds, the game becomes more
interesting for players to play.

Dynamic Game

A good game brings players a good feeling because players get a unique
experience by playing the game. And the good experiences are from dynamic
changes in the game.

In Super Mario 64, the dynamic game controls give player a cool feeling. Mario
has lots of different fun movements than the earlier Mario series. It has the
different themed stage when Mario jumps into a variety of paintings. Mario has to
battle a variety of enemies. Players enjoy the game when they get different
experience.

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Game Play

Mario’s abilities in Super Mario 64 are far more diverse than those of previous
Mario series. With the dynamic controller offered by Nintendo 64 and its analog
control stick, player can make Mario walk, run, jump, crouch, crawl, swim, climb,
or punch. Special jumps can be executed by combining a regular jump with other
actions, including the double and triple jumps, long jump and back flip. The player
can pick up and carry certain items, an ability which is used to solve various
puzzles, and swim underwater at different speeds.

Summary

Super Mario 64’s greatest achievement is how effortless it feels in the hands, how
a child can spend hours running around the first level, and an adult can do exactly
the same.

It’s that rarest of combinations: intoxicatingly deep and imaginative, as simple as

cause and reaction, and consistently surprising until the very last star. Over a
decade and countless imitators later, that first venture into 3D is still
breathtaking.

In conclusion, Super Mario 64 is a true masterpiece of game design. Although it

has sort of problems due to the 3D techniques at that time, it is still considerable
for playing.

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References
http://au.top100.ign.com/2005/001-010.html

http://web.archive.org/web/19961222150441/www.nintendo.com/product/n64/sm6
4/index.html

Adventure game, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_game

The 100 Best Games To Play Today, Edge Staff, March 9, 2009

http://www.next-gen.biz/features/the-100-best-games-to-play-today?
page=0%252C10%2C10

Super Mario 64, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_64

Super Mario 64, Strategy Wiki,

http://strategywiki.org/wiki/Super_Mario_64

Super Mario 64 Review, Game Spot staff, December 1, 1996

http://au.gamespot.com/n64/action/supermario64/review.html

Super Mario 64, Doug Perry, September 25, 1996

http://au.ign64.ign.com/articles/150/150606p1.html

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