Gradius - One-Page Level Design
Title: Bacterion Base Escape!
Major Dramatic Question: Can you escape after saving your race?!?!
Size: Medium/Large (3 minutes)
Setting Overview:
Destroyed brain fragments grow trying to trap the ship and the base is falling apart blocking the ship’s path.
· The fragments of the brain initially try to block the player’s path
· Metallic pipes area from the previous level, showing rust, and explosions
· The main landmarks are either the top and bottom edges of the base, as well as your screen edge visually moving with the ship
Game Flow:
The player feels the tension when trying to escape from the mass of growing brain cells, into the exploding mechanical base, falling apart with the screen more quickly panning to the right. This will give the player the sense of actually maneuvering the ship between the level pieces and trying to escape.
· The left over brain pieces grow to fill the screen and you have to destroy them
· Upon reaching the edge of the mass of brain pieces you arrive at the destroyed and falling part ruins of the pipe-built base
· Three paths of difficulty to choose to go through as you play
Cool:
· Ties the final boss brain destruction to the Bacterion Base exploding
· Merging organic and mechanical art
· Brain cell growth Is obstacle generation similar to cancer cells
· Level destruction creates new gameplay feeling of actually flying the ship and allows the level to be physically altered
· Falling debris, piping, explosions!
· This level is more about speed and accuracy with ship flight – Sometimes it is about “Flight” not “Fight”
Major Dramatic Question: Can you escape after saving your race?!?!
Size: Medium/Large (3 minutes)
Setting Overview:
Destroyed brain fragments grow trying to trap the ship and the base is falling apart blocking the ship’s path.
· The fragments of the brain initially try to block the player’s path
· Metallic pipes area from the previous level, showing rust, and explosions
· The main landmarks are either the top and bottom edges of the base, as well as your screen edge visually moving with the ship
Game Flow:
The player feels the tension when trying to escape from the mass of growing brain cells, into the exploding mechanical base, falling apart with the screen more quickly panning to the right. This will give the player the sense of actually maneuvering the ship between the level pieces and trying to escape.
· The left over brain pieces grow to fill the screen and you have to destroy them
· Upon reaching the edge of the mass of brain pieces you arrive at the destroyed and falling part ruins of the pipe-built base
· Three paths of difficulty to choose to go through as you play
Cool:
· Ties the final boss brain destruction to the Bacterion Base exploding
· Merging organic and mechanical art
· Brain cell growth Is obstacle generation similar to cancer cells
· Level destruction creates new gameplay feeling of actually flying the ship and allows the level to be physically altered
· Falling debris, piping, explosions!
· This level is more about speed and accuracy with ship flight – Sometimes it is about “Flight” not “Fight”