Level Up.pdf

256 LEVEL 10 The Elements of Combat
Dashes are forward moves that can be used for defense or attack. Like
dodges, dashes should be very quick to perform. Many action games like
Devil May Cry (Capcom, 2001) and Darksiders (THQ, 2009) have dash
moves that can be upgraded with more powerful sword or punch moves.
Even your basic dash move should do something besides move the player.
You want a dash to feel quick and powerful. And fast. And dare I say,
dashing?
The player should be able to use the dash to ram into enemies or smash
breakable objects. Even though a dash targets one enemy, you can have
the player ’ s momentum continue to have him hit several enemies at once or
create a “ sonic boom ” to send bad guys flying! Whee!
While generally used for traversal, jump
moves can be combat moves too. Where
would Mario be without his famous “butt
bounce” attack? The collision zone
should be like a good pair of pants;
there should be plenty of room in the
butt. Don ’ t make these pixel - perfect
attacks. After the attack hits, apply recoil
bounce to move the player a short
distance away so the player doesn ’ t
land on or next to the enemy and
take damage. If the enemy hasn ’ t
been killed by the butt bounce,
minimize risk to the player by putting
the enemy in a stunned state.