How the Attack Mechanic Characterises Wario Land 4′s Gameplay System

July 4th, 2011

Last month when I continued this project I decided to focus on the attack mechanics, but fell short of concluding the analysis, because I wanted set up a larger framework before I approached it. With that framework now in place I can continue with this analysis which, give or take a few articles, will lead us to the end of the analysis part of the project.

Wario Land 4 is a 2D platformer. The aim of the game is to move from left to right. Enemies populate the path from one side of the level to the other and the player must engage with gravity to jump over obstacles. Jump, attack and horizontal movement are therefore the 3 pillars of the gameplay system. Each pillar is linked to the premise of the game.

Of all the mechanics in the game, the attack mechanics (Attack and Dash Attack) encompass all 3 of these areas. That is, the attack mechanic attacks, moves Wario horizontally and can be used for making jumps.

Of the two mechanics, the Dash Attack has more nuance and is balanced so that it offers great advantages at the cost of some great disadvantages too. The Dash Attack offers big risk and reward. Managing the mechanic is tricky, but if used correctly the Dash Attack is suitable for higher level play with heavy animation control and a deep knowledge of the level layouts.

On the other hand, the Attack mechanic has less to gain, but is the most stable of the two. Animation cancelling gives the player pinpoint control over the mechanic. Both initiating and cutting the animation of the Attack mechanic are easy to pull off. There’s no charge to the mechanic which means that from frame one Wario can break blocks and attack enemies with no necessary run up either. Not only is it easy to pull off and manipulate the mechanic, it’s the most immediate and functional of the two. Therefore, the attack mechanic is a cornerstone of Wario Land 4; a mechanic which affects most areas of the game. In order to understand the very essence of Wario Land 4, we need to understand how the Attack mechanic characterises play.

Platforming Skewed Towards Timing Skills

Jump Attacking from one platform to another can be broken down as such:

At the first point the player initiates the attack, at the second point they jump and at the third point they cancel and land. The player can attack and jump at the same time, so points one and two can overlap.

When the player reaches point 2 they need to jump before they hit the gap. Making this jump requires reflex to press the button and timing to press the button at the right time. Since even when attacking, Wario doesn’t move all too fast, little reflex is needed. The speed that Wario moves at throughout the game generally is quite slow, so reflex isn’t stressed. At point 3 the player presses left on the d-pad and the animation cuts. To press the button at the right time requires timing skills. Because the attack animation is automated, the player can’t press left or right to manage the fall back to earth, thus dexterity is not tested. What we have in this interaction, jumping, is a focus on timing skills and little focus on other skills.

Travelling, Attacking and Jumping Operate on a Wire

With the Attack mechanic at the heart of gameplay and the player given the ability to cut the animation instantly as soon as they wish, the gameplay operates on a wire. The gameplay doesn’t run fluidly, but instead as a series of on/off interactions. Wario Land 4 therefore lacks grace and stresses minute management of its mechanics. This extends into the Dash Attack and its own system of nuance too. This lack of grace is further supported by the spoils too which encourage the player to stop advancing forward and instead nab the spoils.

Immediate Gameplay

The immediacy of the attack mechanic and its animation cancelling gives a responsiveness to the overall gameplay. The responsiveness acts to encourage dexterity-driven gameplay and on the spot actions. Wario can’t run which thereby dilutes the speed of the game, however, the immediacy of the attack mechanic and its pervasiveness give a jolt to the gameplay any ways.

Aggression at the Core

Because Attack links to most areas of the game, the game is all about attacking. When you paint that under the context of an angry fat man, central to the game is the idea of aggression. Wario’s basic functioning existence is dependent of aggression. Yet at the same time, through animation cancelling, he has complete control over his aggressions too and when he can channel his aggression, Wario can exceed himself. No doubt I’ll be hashing this little narrative out come the topical essays.

Nuance Rises to the Occasion

The reasons why the Attack mechanic is so pervasive is because of the advantages it offers the player. One of the key advantages is the cancelation of the animation which is a nuance. Think about that, would you? Something that isn’t designed to assist the player to move from the left side of the screen to the right ends up helping them do just that.

(I suspect that as I edit and replay the game a few more times over I’ll have more to say here, but for now, this is what I have)

…But Jump is Even Easier

To put things back into perspective a little. The Attack mechanic may indeed be tremendously useful, spreading across all areas of play and unifying much of the gameplay, this very fact doesn’t undermine the degrees of separation that make the other mechanics unique in the design space.

Attack may break blocks, but it’s still better to Smash Attack to break blocks direcly below you. Jump Attack may allow you to manipulate the jump with precision, but it’s much more work than a regular jump. Attack won’t help you climb up ladders either, or help you swim, roll, transform and pick up enemies.

While Attack defines a large portion of the gameplay, the other mechanics are still their own and without their individuality the gameplay would become dry with the repetition of overusing the Attack mechanic. In the next post we’ll continue this exploration into the character of Wario Land 4‘s gameplay drawing other areas of our analysis to try to define this lumbering giant.