Mario Runner is an endless runner mobile game with modern graphics and high poly textures. It is my first game that I developed and also an Ode to the classic Mario game. Here, the player, besides collecting Marocoins on the way, has to overcome obstacles to meet Princess Peach.
Mario Runner
Timeline
Sept - Dec 2020
Tools
Unity
Blender
Photoshop
Team
Shaunak
Pranshu
Nishant
Ameya
Type
2nd Year Project
OVERVIEW
Introduction
This game was a part of my 2nd-year college project. I and my friends teamed up to build this game. Ameya and I were tasked with the creation of the Moodboard, UI elements, SFX, etc. Apart from that, I modeled and designed all the assets including the 3D elements, characters, enemies, and the whole game environment. Pranshu and Nishant handled the development part to add all the interactions, level algorithms, and other functionalities in an optimized way.
Mario Runner is a single-player 3D game in which the player’s aim is to run as far as they possibly can across the lane before they lose in order to achieve a high score, which they can then try to beat. With lighthearted gameplay, better animation, and smoother controls, the game responds instantly to the user's swipes and taps.
CREATE
Design System
The game’s visuals are Bright, vibrant, and colorful to help to convey the fun, playful vibe we wanted to use to appeal to users, thus proving to be a real treat for the eyes.
We decided that the assets such as environmental art including rocks, bushes, trees, bricks, etc should be simple, high-poly, and also cartoonish at the same time.
The perspective is third-person, which provides just as much chance for stylization as a first-person game would. Bringing the world to life hinges greatly on the quality of the art and a consistent style, which we certainly have tried to achieve.
Target Audience
Although the game Mario Runner is aimed directly at kids (10+), still it has all of the hallmarks of challenge, entertainment, and play variety so as to appeal across the age spectrum.
MODELING
Assets
3D game asset development is a multifaceted procedure having different aspects including Concept Development, Highly Tailored Detailing, Organic Sculpting, UV Mapping, Rigging, etc.
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Playable Character
Mario is the main character of this game and the player has to help him save Princess Peach.
Enemies
Koopa - The Turtle and Goomba - The Mushroom are the enemies that the player should avoid bumping into and he can do so by sliding into another lane or jumping over it.
Props
Props are assets that improve or change the gameplay which include the Piranha plant, Mystery Box, Brick Box, and the Warp pipes.
Power-ups
An object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a game mechanic. Here we have Marocoins ( 1 Pt. ), Stars ( 10 Pts. ) and the Fire Flower Magnet.
DESIGNING
Game Environment
The aim was to keep the environment bright, prominent, and pleasant to look at which is why the skybox has a vibrant blue color with moving clouds and the ground has a light-greenish texture to make the player’s path look grassy with stylized rocks and leaves on the side.
SCREENS
Game Menu
UI components that help players navigate and accomplish goals.​
PREVIEW
Beta Version
REFLECTION
What did i learn?
I learned a lot on this project since the entire process was very overwhelming but at the same time tiring and mentally draining because of the hurdles that we faced while developing our first game together.
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After modeling the 3D assets and importing them in Unity, I realized that I was unaware of the process of exporting assets and textures in an optimized manner and faced a lot of issues in exporting beta versions of the game which propelled me to learn the right methods and settings.
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I learned the process of animating rigged assets in Unity to add movements to the characters using keyframes and importing Mixamo files for a few animation sequences.
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Critiques from my peers highlighted the flaws and bugs in the game and helped us work on it. I learned how to efficiently seek feedback.