I’m jealous I didn’t think of this first
Game Design Companion: A Critical Analysis of Wario Land 4 is a 600-page eBook that will analyze the entirety of Wario Land 4. I’ll just give you a moment to let that sentence sink in. Seriously, Daniel Johnson has put together 600 pages of critical analysis on Wario Land 4 to, as he says, take the structure of videogame design in this under-appreciated gem and cover topics such as mechanics, psychology, education, level design, and game feel.
Daniel wants to pursue evidence-based analysis of games rather than socio-culture critique. The same thing has already happened in virtually any other medium, with things like Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings being so epic and complex that there are numerous college classes taught focusing on various aspects within that universe alone. Maybe someday there will be a Wario Land 4 class with this book used as the textbook? That would be pretty rad.
We’re huge fans of Wario here at Destructoid, with a few of us specifically enjoying this game quite a bit. I know I’ll be checking this out as I’m inherently interested in game design and mechanics, while also just super curious how in detail Daniel gets in this thing. Also, the cover art is top notch.
Game Design Companion will be available tomorrow, December 18, for a limited-time price of $4.99 through Stolen Projects.
Wario Land 4 Book [Daniel Primed via NintendoLife]