Does your game ever feel small?

Mariotroid · 11-15-2018, 01:45 AM

I was working on Super Mario Holidays and realized how small the game is... it's been a couple years now in development (on and off, of course). It just seems like it will never reach the heights of Super Mario World or even Super Mario Bros. 3... it is a very small game so far. Only two levels and a bit more done. At this rate it may take me 10 years to complete this project (which I honestly don't mind)... i just feel like i may not be getting as much work done as i should.

Does your game feel small? Does it collect dust on your desktop? Just questions. Looking for advice.

Evil Yoshi Toes · 11-15-2018, 10:38 AM

In the case of a fan made game being worked on by one person it's probably better to think about a smaller scale game. Super Mario World and Super Mario Bros 3 had big development teams behind them and still probably took a long time to make. As far as I know your game only has you, so if you were to create a game as big as those ones it'd take very long. If this is your passion project and you don't mind spending a very long time on it then you can definitely do it, but if you think you might burn out working on it for so long - which happens a lot with fan game developers - then I'd say just think on a smaller scale and make a short game that you can be proud of in terms of quality.

Also, I don't know about other people but when I download a fan game I'm not looking for something huge. I'm usually just looking for something I can finish in a few sittings that does things Nintendo probably wouldn't do with its gameplay and/or characters. Sacred Bells is the longest fan game I've gotten through, and from what I remember it was not as long as SMB3 or SMW. Don't feel pressured to make a really long game. As long as you have something unique and fun to play you should be good.

Damarioman · 11-15-2018, 01:41 PM

I wouldn't worry too much about length. The quality of the experience is, in my opinion, of more importance. If the game is a long boring slog, no one will like it. If the game is great, albeit short, it will still be a great game. May the players with there was more? Perhaps. Try to shoot for quality first and handle quantity later.

**VinnyVideo** · 11-15-2018, 08:36 PM

Dream big, but start small.

If you have the time and dedication to make a 100-level masterpiece, then by all means do so. But if instead you make 8-10 creative, well-designed levels and a good engine, you can still feel satisfied in making a fun game that many people will enjoy.

Course clear! You got a card.

[Image: CourseClear.gif]