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Author Topic: Points  (Read 6672 times)

« on: May 02, 2012, 01:56:37 AM »
Given that points are well, pointless, why do you suppose Nintendo has continued to include a score system in Mario platformers? Having one in SMB was understandable, since most games of the time had no goal except for beating the high score. But now that scores serve no purpose besides being relics of arcade gaming, why do you think points are still awarded to players for squashing Goombas and the like?
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« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2012, 03:15:07 AM »
Something is just more satisfying when you flatten the Goomba and a little "100" pops up. Like it's the game's way of saying "I approve!" I noticed it when 3D Land all but replaced points with coins. Which is fine, certainly doesn't make the game less fun... but points would've been cool too.

Also I guess it's a tip-off about getting a 1-Up by defeating multiple enemies with one shell/jump. When I was a kid, I would occasionally stomp two or three enemies in a row/kick a shell at a small group in All-Stars, and see the number of points rise with each one. So I wondered how high that number could go. When the opportunity presented itself and I managed to kill enough enemies in a row and was rewarded with an extra life, it was great. Good game design leads you to find things like that without overtly telling you; you still feel like you've uncovered a secret. This was before I had my own copy of World, so I didn't have that really early level with all the red Koopas and an empty shell show me that first...
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« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2012, 03:38:47 AM »
Points were extremely important in SMBDX. It would be cool to see another brutally score-based Mario game like that sometime.

« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2012, 09:41:15 AM »
^ So much this.  Sure, points are satisfying to rack up in SMB3 and World (You'd be surprised how many six-or more-jump strings you can get in either), but besides the obviously last-minute throw-in in Super Mario Advance 2's Special World, I've never seen a Mario game overtly challenge you to get high scores.  Super Mario Bros. DX is probably my favorite game of all time, largely because of the simplicity of the game behind it, and replayability that added challenge lends to it.
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« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2012, 11:55:40 AM »
Coins are the new points.

This makes me remember that I still haven't finished the Challenge Mode in SMBDX..
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