Similarities in design between Mario levels and LEGO sets
Posted by Huw,
Today’s article comes from Bailey Meyer, also known as jedisquidward, who discusses the similarities in design between Mario levels and LEGO sets:
How have I heard both of these sounds so many times, yet I’ve never heard this? As I watch the trailer on my computer, I’m right below a Mario Galaxy poster on the wall, and right next to 21305 Maze on my desk. The first seven notes of the iconic Mario theme, put to music by the delightful click of Lego pieces.
Even with the strange initial announcement focusing on a very cubic version of the hero, the caution in my optimism soon melts away when I read in an interview with lead designer Jonathan Bennink that they “haven’t worked for four years to release just one wave of products.”
After all, there are already so many similarities between Mario and just about every Adventure theme. Think about how many themes recreate a variety of locales filled with traps and enemies for the heroes to get through. Think about how many sets represent a “bottomless pit” by having the model cut off at that point? (Place it on the edge of a high shelf, and it’ll be true.) What is the theme where a group of heroes have to acquire multicolored treasures in order to open up a giant portal? Did you say Atlantis? Wrong. Did you say Monster Fighters? Wrong. The answer is both, unless I’m probably forgetting one. Lego Mario is something I’ve quite literally had dreams of since I was very young; it’s a match made in heaven.
But is it? On some levels, the Mario franchise seems like a perfect fit: most of its iconography is very square and blocky, with lots of series entries operating on a 2D grid. Making a block out of bricks is easy enough, but as the franchise would continue and establish more recurring locations, they would often be quite angular with a heavy focus on polygonal shapes and varying terrain altitudes, a challenge for Lego. Additionally, the majority of the series’ characters are very soft and sounded; sometimes an impossibility for Lego. However, the design of Mario levels and of Lego sets have quite a bit more in common than what one would think. That earlier-mentioned interview on The Brothers Brick not only melted away the caution from my optimism; it warmed it up even hotter when Bennink stated Super Mario 64 to be his favorite in the Mario series.
With the advent of 3D technology for gaming in the 1990s and the shift to 3D in the fifth console generation (composed primarily of the Nintendo 64, Sony PlayStation / PSX, and Sega Saturn), it would not be an understatement to say that the way all games were designed would be completely redefined from the ground up. Where the previous Mario games were a series of 2D obstacle courses with a linear path to one goal, Mario 64 would feature only fifteen full areas, all nonlinear with a variety of paths to multiple “stars”. Due to technological limitations, each course would need to be designed with a variety of features and points of interest to keep the user engaged in visiting the same place over and over.
Is this starting to sound familiar?
The mindsets when designing a 3D Mario level and when designing a Lego set are so similar that in many ways, they are one and the same. The designer has to establish a concept, establish a size and scale (which often become slightly modified as the product becomes finalized), sculpt a basic outline, and furnish it with features to avoid the model becoming too plain. The model is then rigorously polished and reworked, both visually and in structural flow, until the final product is finished; a location that instantly jumps out to the user and makes a distinct imprint in their mind. In both examples, a locale or color scheme is one of the first defining attributes that then guides the direction the details will take in order to create the illusion of a fully-realized, immersive world. In both examples, the physical plotting of space to create an environment of separate vignettes that maximizes the area available is the backbone of the entire design. In both examples… well, a lot of things are in common. For example, let’s take a look at these two photos:
One of the most important concepts in visual art is the “Line of Action”: the path the eye subconsciously travels when looking at a picture based on how that picture is composed, often using lines to guide the eye, ideally making it go around in a circle and notice all aspects of the picture. Not only is this true in regards to both the design of Lego sets (especially on the boxes) and the design of 3D Mario levels, but both of these things have the added benefit of giving a sort of “avatar” to the viewer, sparking their imagination with how these characters would realistically move within this immersive world. In the two images above, illustrated gorgeously in MicroSoft Paint, each location has a bevy of options for their characters to move to any point on the map, creating a flow to the environment, and, once again, making the most use of the provided space. And this doesn’t only apply to like Pirates of Barracuda Bay, either. There are plenty of sets which follow the same philosophy: Jestro’s Volcano Lair, Vampyre Castle, and one of my personal favorites, Temple of the Crystal Skull, to name a few. Even when the suggested “path” of a set is linear, the way that linear path is spread out in a three-dimensional space makes it continue to amaze.
Another great quality that both Lego sets and Mario levels share are that they make each detail a landmark. What do I mean by that? Even in something like roof texturing, the intricacies are all varied and unique, making each part of the model memorable, providing “landmarks” so the viewer can instantly identify what part they’re looking at. Take for example, these two locations below:
At first, these two locations look rather plain; they’re simply a series of buildings within a larger collection, but even within these, a variety of unique landmarks are present to make them stand out. Delfino Plaza from Super Mario sunshine has a beach, a lighthouse, the Shine Gate, a bell tower with and without a satellite, sprinklers next to a river running through the town, and more. The Bookshop, in addition to having a variety of small builds out front, makes sure that each level of each building is distinct and loaded with detail, be it on the curvy Birch Books, or the sharp apartment. And if that’s not enough, notice how Thwomp’s Fortress above designates one color for each section, like a layer cake? Or how the hanging ship wheel gives flare to the upper deck of Barracuda Bay? The more you look… the more you see things.
Wow. That was a great quote.
However, Lego does face a rather unique challenge for the future of this line. While sets like the 10188 Death Star and various iterations of Hogwarts Castle are able to place iconic rooms and scenes wherever they fit, Mario fans have grown a very strong connection to the inherent structure of these locations, including those which are not physically possible, such as Princess Peach’s Castle, demonstrated in this video by Skelux (creator of the amazing Super Mario 64: Star Road). Even I had trouble when sketching out my own idea of how Peach’s Castle could be represented in Lego.
Overall, I’m really looking forward to Lego Mario; both the experimental style and the inevitable, traditional Lego System sets. Much like Lego Minecraft; a series which also started with a nontraditional style and worries of its success, I predict Lego Mario will be a great opportunity for designers to both recreate iconic locations and flex their imaginations coming up with new places that fit within the Mario world. Maybe we will finally see the return of the 51542 raised baseplate in green for a set? Whatever it brings, lets-a-go!
Bailey Meyer / jedisquidward / jedisquid is a very big fan of both video games and Lego, and can be found at https://twitter.com/BaileyJMeyer or https://www.instagram.com/jedisquidward/ . He is also looking to trade / sell some of his old collection; more info can be found here. Thank you very much for reading!
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14 comments on this article
Interesting.....thanks!
Interesting read, thanks and I also hope to see the return of baseplates in sets.
I think that the sets look cool, but, they’re not for me. First I probably won’t be able to afford them, and second I don’t have an interest in interactive sets. The one thing that intrigues me the most was the statement that was made that “we haven’t worked on this partnership for four years for just one wave of sets”. Nintendo has so many characters that are almost perfectly designed for a CMF series, and there are so many vehicles/locations that would be simply epic to see a Minifigure scale set of. I mean a play set of Bowser’s airship would be amazing.
@Lordmoral:
Not in this theme, you won't. Think about it. You either have to build everything on baseplates or nothing on baseplates. Every set we've seen so far uses 4x4, 6x6, and 8x8 pads linked together by 2x plates, but not one set has a traditional baseplate in it. The instant you add one to a set, you create a 1/2 plate height difference, meaning the baseplate sets can't connect to the non-baseplate sets.
I think these sets take up more inspiration from Super Mario 3D World (Wii U, 2013, and possibly also a port / sequel on the Switch. by the way, any WiiU/Switch possessors here?).
In the game, you can move in three dimensions (a la SM64) but you have to reach the end flagpole (a la SMB).
Guess where do we see again this concept? Yup. In these sets.
I'm not a big enthusiast of the blocky/interactive Mario figure, but only when I'll pick the set I'll be able to tell. Also, standard minifigures could come later.
The only disappoint is that there is no extra connectivity with the Switch (maybe as an amiibo), but I hope in a Lego outfit in the next Super Mario Odyssey 2. Or maybe a Lego theme for Super Mario Maker 2.
Only time will tell. I'm pretty curious on how this will turn out.
@gabri_ves I do own a Nintendo Switch, along with my brother and dad, but I don’t really play Mario on it. I have Luigi’s Mansion 3, Zelda Breath of the Wild, Tetris 99 and Splatoon. However, my dad has Super Mario Odyssey and Mariokart.
I’m not sure whether 3D world is available on Switch, but I played it on my 3DS XL, so a couple of 3D World sets on a decent sale would be welcome.
You had me at didn't work "for four years to release just one wave of products." I said that the moment we saw these. This new line is fine--but I'm looking forward to what's to come. You don't get a license from Nintendo and then not do every last thing you can with it. Expect CMFs and standard playsets (and who knows what else--busts? tile mosaics?) soon.
Also, @Slobrojoe if you haven't played Odyssey, it's fantastic!
The only thing that I'm worried about is that interactive Mario. I don't need that at all.
Whilst I remain a little sceptical about the sets themselves, thanks for a really well written article!
These sets are not my bag at all but this article is very interesting and informative. Thanks
Really enjoyed this article! I hadn't realised how many similarities there were between level design and set design...
This was a weird article for me. I struggled reading some of the sentences; they made little to no sense. Or the point of some arguments was lost on me. A rare miss on here, the other authors' texts have never had this issue before.
@Slobrojoe said:
"I’m not sure whether 3D world is available on Switch, but I played it on my 3DS XL, so a couple of 3D World sets on a decent sale would be welcome."
It's just a rumor, but a solid one. Probably in the next Nintendo Direct (June) we should get some more news.
iJustine on YouTube has just released a video on this. It includes an interview/informal discussion with the Lego designer which was interesting.