Video Game Logic #2 : Level Design

Now don't take me wrong, actual game physics are not the subject here. If you consider that games aren't not exactly set in our world, you can forgive things like most characters jumping 2 floors in height or breathing in space/underwater without any devices.

The point here today is the logic behind the level design. This was outline in this comic here, that I found hilarious due to breaking the 4th wall quite often in regards to games :

Dictatorship training 101

Ah, the funnies. This is the little problem we run into when we try to compare real life situations with video game logic. You see, a game would not be fun if it was totally impossible to complete, that's an obvious fact. But if you think back into the game, why would the head honcho give you a CHANCE of survival by putting a much useful health refill right in the boss room?

As Gnarl in the comic so nicely put, why bother putting walls that are just the right height for us to jump over? Or even bother putting a boss in a closed room, let them die alone in it! Turn one stage into a gigantic pit. Even if the character has a hover, don't give them a powerup to refill it along way (I'm talking about you Wily!)

This is the kind of comparison that leads to the funnies at least. The video game logic is there so the game is enjoyable, not for it to make sense. That doesn't mean we're not entitled to poking fun at it!