The Art and Theory of the 'Jump'

What makes a simple jumping mechanic in a game feel so good?

The answer to that question is a very essential one indeed, as the jump mechanic itself is possibly the most used game mechanic in gaming history. A simple jump from a character if done wrong will effect the entire game for the user who has to use that mechanics throughout the whole game.

The jump mechanic form Super Mario Bros is noted as one of the first jumps as well as one of the most satisfying jumps ever made.

"I've always been fascinated by the act of jumping in Super Mario Bros.. I consider it the most perfect activity ever put in a video game (how strange that it's not in Tetris!). Mario's ascent is associated with discovery. On his way up he might hit a block that will sprout a mushroom or flower that grants him new abilities. His descent is an attack. On his way down he squashes his enemies. When combined, the ascent and descent are also a necessary means of traversal used to pass bottomless pits or avoid carnivorous plants that emerge from green pipes. Every inch of a Mario level presents the player a string of choices, almost all of which compel the player to decide whether or how to use the ascent, the descent or both to one's advantage." -Kotaku

Also another great example of jump execution is in 'Thomas Was Alone"

"The only special skill you have in TWA is jumping, that most primal of video game abilities. The jump in Thomas Was Alonemight be amongst the best ever programmed. You have razor-sharp control that lets you launch and fall where you want and you never feel cheated by floaty physics or any other tricks. The gaps are all makeable; you just need to reason out how. The different characters that you'll swap between will have different attributes so sometimes you need to let tiny purple Sarah execute a double jump off of Laura's slim and bouncy back." -Kotaku

Upon researching the jump mechanic I was very intrigued by how you can communicate so much to somebody by the use of a single jump and how engaging it can be for the user. It really got me inspired byt the concept of simplicity and how it is better to master one simple action rather than be concerned with several different additions within a game and forget the point of trying to nail the communication between the designer and the user.

Carlo Fabricatore explains that the jump mechanic can be enhanced by simple changes or additions which could propel the jump mechanic to being the central focus of the game. He believes that gameplay is the most essential factor of a game and if that as the core foundation is constructed correctly, then the rest of the game flow over that concept and strengthen the game.

"In our example, the player could discover that shooting a rocket on
the ground right after taking off in a jump will make the player-token jump higher. This new
outcome could be used to reach spots inaccessible through standard jumps (see figure 2.6). New
learning is required to figure out how to use an external mechanics (the rocket launcher) to
enhance the jump, but the payoff can be well worth it, thus enhancing the interest in the jump
mechanics." - Carlo Fabricatore

Having an explosion to propel you further throughout the game and to feel that thrusting experience of traveling faster than usual can give the user quite a gratifying experience.

This theory is evident within the success of Twisted Pixel's game 'Splosion Man' which released on the Xbox Live Indie Arcade with much commercial success and a large following.

Related to jumping, I recently started teaching Flash in class to help students further their skills. It has been a very rewarding experience and I have learnt a lot through teaching rather than just practicing myself. The jump of a flour sack itself might seem really rudimentary, although it opens up a lot of different possibilities within game animation and wanted effect. It has got me quite inspired to create my own polished jump within the game to emphasis how much art can effect gameplay.

Here is the basic jump, as you notice, the first few moments are the 'anticipation' building up within the jump and then later on the jump is then executed within only a few frames. The closer the lines of the flour sack are within each other, the smoother the jump is perceived.