Iwata Asks wrote:

9. The Correct Way to Enjoy An Action Game

Miyamoto: There's something I've learned from making this new Mario title multiplayer.

Iwata: And what's that?

Miyamoto: I realised that, fundamentally, Mario is a game where if you fail and lose a turn, you'll be sent straight back to the start.

Iwata: Right.

Miyamoto: So it's tough. Even if you're just about to get to the boss, you could fall into the lava, get burned and be sent straight back and have to start again from scratch.

Iwata: It's very unforgiving when you fail.

Miyamoto: Right. So even if you slip up just before clearing the castle, you'll be sent right back to the starting point. Maybe this is all due to my nasty streak! (laughs) But I think playing at that level of intensity is actually the most enjoyable way to play.

Iwata: You think it's more fun to have to play from the start of the level again?

Miyamoto: With platform games, only playing the difficult parts can really take it out of you. It feels good to play parts that you can breeze through as well.

Iwata: Yes, you're right about that.

Miyamoto: That's one of my guiding principles...

Iwata: That's why rather than having lots of checkpoints where you can save your position, it's better to play through the easy part again.

Miyamoto: Right. That's more pleasurable for the player. And while you're playing the parts that you're good at again, you'll get even better at the game. In the past, when arcade shooting games would keep getting more and more difficult, the "Continue" system was developed...

Iwata: Insert a 100 yen coin and you can keep on playing...

Miyamoto: That was doubtless something the arcade was happy about, as players would keep pumping in 100 yen pieces. But what it actually ended up doing is ensuring that the player would always be playing at the very limit of their abilities. I don't think it feels good to play like that.

Iwata: You're right.

Miyamoto: It might be exciting, but it doesn't feel good.

Iwata: So it might be thrilling for the player, but it doesn't give them that sense that: "Hey, I'm really good at this game!"

Miyamoto: Precisely!

Iwata: All the player experiences is that feeling that: "I'm still useless at this!"

Miyamoto: But once someone makes the assumption that always playing in a high state of nervous excitement is more fun, and they then come to discussing how the gameplay should be balanced, they'll always be trying to ramp up that excitement. But the ideal is actually to make the player feel this kind of nervous excitement in moderation while being able to enjoy playing. However, it is not very easy for us to be able to realise that at all times. So, I think replaying the levels is the correct way to enjoy an action game. That's something that I'm quite particular about.