Game Adaptation Notes I

I have a lot of notes about a lot of games that I wanted to adapt into a system at one point. Here's a posting exactly as they look like, just so you can see what I'm working with.

mDiyo
Basic Abilities
- Basic platforming
- Wall Jump
Hello! My name is mDiyo, and I have studied the likes of other characters in my style. I have the awesome ability to copy all of their abilities and take them for myself. Copying them directly is boring though. Why would I make myself another copy of Mario or Samus when I can combine them both into a single upgrade? For that matter, why would I want to combine multiple upgrades into a single item? Why wouldn't I?

Rule 0 applies: do whatever makes the most fun happen.

Basic Upgrades

- Float Jump
- Source: Various, Princess Peach
- Key: Pits
Have you ever tried to jump across a long gap and realized that the other side was just out of reach, no matter what you tried? Find yourself cursing the game creator and throwing your controller across the wall? Just hover across the entire screen, problem solved!

The behavior I would like here is to slow down the rate at which gravity affects a jump. That should allow for longer jumps that aren't just hanging around in mid-air for a long time, and give the player a lot more control over the jump.

- High Jump
- Source: Various
- Key: Ledges
I don't see a reason not to include this. It's a standard video game upgrade. If it doesn't fit, then it doesn't fit.

- Midair Jump
- Source: Various
- Key: Pits, ledges, or other places out of reach
This is also a standard video game upgrade. Most metroidvania games have one of these somewhere, usually at the beginning of the game. Metroid games are notable in that they don't just have a double jump, they either have a single jump or infinite.

- Dash Boots
- Source: Boho Youyoumu and Celeste
- Key: Difficult or awkward areas to traverse
Instead of a simple extra jump in mid-air, this ability launches the player in a direction from where they currently are. Clever use of this ability can move the player in L or V shaped directions

- Wall Grab gloves
- Source: Celeste
- Key: High ledges
Celeste pairs a midair dash with the ability to climb up and down walls, albeit with a stamina mechanic. All of Celeste is about tricky platforming sections and overcoming adversity; the mechanics complement that nicely.

- Dash Charge
- Source: Metroid series (Speed Booster)
- Key: Speed blocks
Run for a short, continuous amount of time and Samus will build up enough energy to run at breakneck speed. Her entire body becomes a shining mass of kinetic energy that is capable of destroying enemies and specially reinforced terrain in her way.

The speed booster has a hidden ability: Shinespark. If you push down on the controller you can store your speed and release it into the air, careening off into a new direction

- Flippers
- Source: Zelda series
- Key: Water
Can a character swim without fippers? Maybe. Can they swim well without flippers? Probably not.

Outsize of the Zelda series this is probably an ability built into the character or not present at all.

- Breathing device
- Source: Ecco the Dolphin, Maptroid
- Key: Oxygen
The breathing device allows the player long access in environments that would otherwise not be available. Deep underwater, space, hazardous gas, or anywhere else that doesn't have normal air applies. Ecco gains this as a story upgrade from the Asterite

- Barrier Suit
- Source: Metroid series
- Key: Heated areas

The Barrier Suit is Samus's most iconic look. It's also kind of a boring upgrade. Heated rooms do constant damage to the player while they're inside and having the suit negates that effect. It is nice to see particularly hot areas being dangerous instead of lava being no more than hot red water.

- Varia Suit
- Source: Metroid Fusion
- Key: Frigid areas

Metroid Fusion launched first on the US version. This was the first game that Samus had to deal with cold, therefore the badly translated name is the true source

- Gravity Suit
- Source: Super Metroid
- Key: Waterlogged areas

The ability to walk through water after getting the Gravity Suit has always bothered me a little bit. It's a perfect upgrade for a heavy tank kitted out entirely in futuristic armor and complements the rest of Samus's power set. For a magic-geared character however... I would rather have a full swimming mechanic and a way to speed through underwater tunnels in a much more well defined level.

- Hazard Suit
- Source: Metroid Prime 3

Protection from the hazardous effects of acid and fuel gel. Basically a replacement for the barrier suit with the additional bonus of protecting from acid rain. This would be nice at the end of Super Metroid where deep acid still runs through your suits.

Equipment

- Power Ring
- Source: Metroid Series
- Key: Combat, doors

Samus's main weapon is a beam cannon that can be upgraded. Each upgrade has unique mechanics, from piercing through walls to
- Charge: Hold attack to shoot off a concentrated blast of energy
- Ice: Freeze enemies in place. Primarily a way of making platforms out of enemies
- Wave: Pierce walls, attack enemies from places they can't get.
- Wide: Shoot 3 beams of energy instead of one. Beams tend to be as large as the player
- Plasma: Absolutely devastating. Pierces enemies and does massive damage

- Ice Ring
- Source: Samus, Metroid II: Samus Returns
- Key: Various platforming challenges

Samus Returns did an interesting thing by separating out the ice beam from the other upgrades. The controls in that game are a bit overwhelming; you need to use the touch screen in addition to every button on the DS. This is a fair bit better than the clunky weapon selection in Super Metroid, but I think we can do better.

- Magicannon
- Source: Dynamarisa
- Key: Doors

Samus uses missiles to open up red and green doors. Let's replace that with a cannon and upgrade it over time. Wrap regular and super missiles together in the same way that Fusion does, steal the R-button selection of beam vs cannon, and call it good.

- Grapple ring
- Source: Metroid series
- Key: Grapple points, platforming challenges

Super Metroid is the place where the grapple beam was used the most. It's also the place where grapple was very awkward to use. I need to do a lot of testing to see how useful this whole mechanic is. I'd like to do the thing justice and make sure it's a worthwhile experience instead of a clunky mess of frustration.

I think we should have a standard controller layout with beams on one button and support on a second button. Hold R to swap between normal and auxilary functions (Beams/Missiles and Ice/Grapple)

Mini Slime
- Source: Samus, Morph Ball

Morph ball is Samus's most iconic ability. What was originally a unique solution to a new design problem and a technical limitation on the NES turned into something that defined an entire genre. In classic Nintendo fashion, the problem was condensed and crystallized into a single action: turn Samus into a ball. Other companies would have two characters that could do different things, spread out the idea across multiple games, or even do something more sensible and make Samus crawl.

The best way to examine the Morph Ball is to pretend that it's a separate character from Samus herself. This isn't just a simple transformation; the movement, abilities, and hitboxes are all different. There are different upgrade paths, the controls are separate, and in the case of Super Metroid the ball can fit into places so small that you have to wonder where the rest of her mass went. There's only one answer: Samus is a magical girl!

[Any technology that is sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic]

All of Samus's abilities seem to be based on the idea of converting energy into matter. Missiles, bombs, and beams use energy absorbed from the world, enemies, or from Samus herself. Her suit is the catalyst behind this; while it's accurate to say that Samus is a magical girl, she also relies heavily on technology and training to make this happen. The only canon explanation is "Chozo science" so let's just stick with that.

mDiyo doesn't want to outright steal her identity, so let's take the mechanics and twist them into something else. I've been a big fan of slimes for awhile. Why not create a little buddy that has the power of alchemy on its side? A bit of springy things here, a couple things over there, and we can make some interesting, new game mechanics.

Mr. Slimey
Basic Abilities
- Basic platforming (poor)
- Command
-- Trampoline
-- Fling

- Acid Spit
- Source: Morph, Bombs
- Key: Destructible terrain, not obvious
Bombs are small but powerful energy blasts that can destroy terrain and reveal weaknesses that would otherwise not be present. Let's replace that with an acid spit that lingers for a bit. It's a bit harder to control, but

- Acid Rain
- Source: Metroid Series, Power Bombs
- Key: Destructible terrain, heavy
Acid, acid everywhere. Spread it out on everything nearby and let it flow through all the cracks.

This one might be a bit dangerous to nearby characters.

- Wall Climb
- Source: Metroid II, Spider Ball
- Lock: Large walls or ceilings

Spider slime~ Spider slime~ does whatever a spider does~
Shoots a flange out of its head~
Catches itself on ceilings high~
Look out!
Here comes the spider slime~

- Boost Ball
- Source: Metroid Prime 2
- Key: Half pipes, speed blocks, speed related puzzles

There's a great Super Metroid romhack called Ice Metal Uninstall that has a 2D version of the boost ball. It's a lot of fun to careen through the terrain from a standstill. It's reminiscent of Sonic's spindash, but less useful due to the level layout.