Galaxy director Koizumi on how Mario became Galactic
by JC Fletcher 
{ Nov 27th 2007 at 1:30PM }
It goes without saying that all the talk about the early development of Mario 64 is fascinating -- including descriptions of Miyamoto pantomiming certain movements for the animators -- but the really interesting part of the story is how the problems of 3D platforming influenced the design of Galaxy. The major problem? The camera.
The world of Galaxy is, basically, a world free of walls. Without walls, backtracking is reduced, and sudden 180-degree camera movements become unnecessary. "We should tune the game so people can play without ever having to think about the camera," said Koizumi. An admirable goal -- awful cameras have just about sunk the Sonic series and countless other 3D platformers.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BrotherJon77 @ Nov 27th 2007 3:09PM
I'm acutally shocked to hear about the praise of the camera control in Galaxy. If anything, I think that it is the games biggest flaw. Half the time I can't move the camera, and the other half of the time, the camera doesn't stay where I put it. A few of the boards have some pretty tricky jumps that are made that much trickier by the camera changing position in the middle of my run to make the jump.
I have to be honest. SM64 is still *much* better.
Croove55 @ Nov 27th 2007 2:09PM
My greatest regret of this year is asking for SMG as a Xmas present. *sigh* 4 more weeks...
Soiden @ Nov 27th 2007 2:22PM
Mine is to get a Wii... And I'm not even sure I'll receive one.
Soiden @ Nov 27th 2007 2:23PM
Nice article. Looks like they thought of everything.
Glenn @ Nov 27th 2007 2:25PM
I dont really get this then, since I hate the Galaxy camera, its about the only thing I dont like about this game, its stuck loads of times, and its always making me feel sick, twisting too much, or not turning around when it should...
Ghaleon @ Nov 27th 2007 2:37PM
I dunno, I think it's the best 3-D cam pretty much ever.
troy @ Nov 27th 2007 2:37PM
Gosh, no complaints HERE about the camera. Anyway, I can't wait to read this whole thing while I eat! I love this stuff! Go Koizumi! Osu!
LilCo187 @ Nov 27th 2007 2:41PM
Anyone complaining about the camera in Galaxy is just too disfunctional upstairs to comprehend pressing the analog stick in any direction other than up. Get over it kids.
Fist Drark @ Nov 27th 2007 9:19PM
I second that remark.
Spekkio @ Nov 27th 2007 2:48PM
I don't suppose there was a recording of this keynote address?
stinkbug @ Nov 27th 2007 2:58PM
Generally the camera on SMG has been pretty great for me. However, there have been a few times here and there where it's been annoying. I'm thinking about some moments in Toy Galaxy where I had troubles being able to walk around and get a view of the area.
Ants @ Nov 27th 2007 3:00PM
so smartly designed! i never would have guesed that that was a reason.
bdtimberman @ Nov 28th 2007 1:15AM
Galaxy rocks I bought it for my daughter but I'm loving it.
troy @ Nov 27th 2007 3:31PM
i have to be honest: i disagree with you. the camera has been set up to work in the optimal way for each area and that is why you have such poor control. Let the magic camera show YOU what you need to see! lol
gevenstaines @ Nov 27th 2007 3:33PM
beginners shouldn't have to worry about the camera, but more importantly intermediate players should have full control. give us a choice between auto vs manual. at least the c-buttons were mostly reliable in SM64. SMG is too easy, so i think of the lack of camera control as a handicap.
i went back to SM64 last night (after SMG) and it really felt like a step up. punches, kicks, jump kicks, dives, midair dives, backward longjumps, not to mention full camera control! you can even configure the r-button to hold the camera in place or follow behind mario.
at this rate, in the nxt 3d mario game, the only control will be jump and the camera will randomly and violently spin around. haha, just kidding. well i HOPE not...
Carl @ Nov 28th 2007 12:33AM
"at this rate, in the nxt 3d mario game, the only control will be jump"
Sorta sounds like the first DK game where Mario got his start.
gevenstaines @ Nov 27th 2007 3:40PM
here's an idea: the wiimote gesture controls don't seem to do anything (except that whole 'star bit' gag) so nothing useful, i suppose. why not, while the c-button is held, the direction and tilt of the wiimote could control the angle and orientation of the camera?
SMG won't even let you use 1st person view half the time, even when you double press up. whats with that?!
James @ Nov 27th 2007 4:03PM
Once I came to understand that they sometimes turn the camera controls off to *increase* the challenge (by not letting you see something you might like to look ahead at), I came to appreciate the system in place. I don't always love it, but I can usually understand why they do it. I don't like it especially when you're stuck running around on a spherical planet with the camera "at the bottom" (so that Mario appears to be upside down), but I think sometimes they do it on purpose. Overall, I think the camera works out really well.
Zertoss @ Nov 27th 2007 5:07PM
I thought the camera angles were right for most places, but there were too many places where I wished I had control over the camera and didn't. Places like almost all of the Purple Coin Challenges and anything else with a time limit.
TX2 @ Nov 27th 2007 6:45PM
Technically, the camera was very simple, but what the article says is that the levels are designed so you don't even have to think about the camera.
This only lead to problems because people had spent the last ten years learning how to control the in game camera.
gevenstaines @ Nov 27th 2007 7:16PM
unfortunately, most levels are designed so that you don't have to think about the camera. they are linear; you do not have to look around. it's a shame.
gevenstaines @ Nov 27th 2007 7:59PM
Anyone complaining about the camera in Galaxy is just too disfunctional upstairs to... care where mario is going? ... to be interested in what might come next? ...to be bothered that you have little to no control of which direction you're looking?
samfish @ Nov 27th 2007 8:14PM
The only thing I don't like about the camera is that they don't let you control is most of the time. I just can't for the life of me figure out what the logic behind that kind of thinking is. Especially since so much of Galaxy DOES take place on those spheres! I understand blocking it off on walls and wanting to keep it at a dramatic angle at points in the game, but more often then not you try and move it and it doesn't let you and you're all, "WHY THE HELL NOT?!"
That all said, I can probably count on one hand the number of times not being able to control the camera has actually had a major impact on how I'm playing the game. Irritating when I couldn't control the camera and died, to be sure, but it so far hasn't been anything I couldn't compensate for on the next go-around.
Most of the time, though, lack of camera control just makes me mutter, "That's stupid.." and I go on playing.
jrr @ Nov 28th 2007 9:46AM
I enjoy the game immensely, especially when it gets out of easy-mode toward the end, but I too am missing direct camera control. It's usually not a problem, but I occasionally can't see where I'm going. I don't understand why they'd *ever* disable first-person view.
Who else wants to see a Mario 64 wiimake? =D
Ben @ Nov 28th 2007 10:19AM
There is still a first person view in SMG. All you have to do is hit up on the d-pad. Granted it only works in some area's/galaxys but the option is there.