10. Switching Platforms
Notable games: Mighty Switch Force, Super Mario 3D Land
Platforming games usually try to be pretty straightforward. You can see what lies ahead, you know what to expect, and all you have to do is execute. Even moving platforms and enemies usually have predictable patterns, so it’s very rare that something can truly surprise the player and make them feel out of their element. This is the brilliance of switching platforms, a piece of environment the player controls, sometimes unintentionally. A prime example is the red and blue platforms in Super Mario 3D Land that flip every time you jump. Now enemies aren’t your only concern. You have to plan every jump carefully, which can be hard when you are used to having unlimited freedom. An even better example is Mighty Switch Force, one of my favorite games of 2012. Switch Force’s levels are filled with platforms that can be switched on and off with the press of a button, forcing you to change the level on the fly to progress. Sometimes you need to take a leap of faith towards a nonexistent platform and switch into existence in midair, or jump toward a wall, switch that wall off, then quickly switch back as soon as you cross it so you don’t fall to your death on the other side. There is often an obvious intended path for each level, but perceptive players will often think of their own paths that may save time or just be more fun. With mechanics like this it’s almost as if every player is experiencing a different level, which is pretty darn cool to me.