History
PaRappa the Rapper: call and response as a game
PaRappa's teacher-led rap gives button patterns a place in the story. A look at call and response, beginning with the Japanese PlayStation release in 1996.
All articles (43)
History
beatmania: five keys and a turntable
Five keys, a turntable and matching screen lanes define beatmania's 1997 arcade controls. Their relationship helps explain why musical tempo and chart density create different demands.
History
DDR: four arrows and the movement between them
Direction cues meet movement preparation in DDR, which debuted in Japanese arcades in 1998. Later freeze-arrow guides and Pump's panel layout offer further points of comparison.
History
Pump It Up: five panels and diagonal movement
Pump's four diagonals and center create different routes from DDR's panel layout. The South Korean arcade game began in 1999; its movement demands show why note count tells only part of the story.
Design guide
How to write a game design document: rules and acceptance criteria
How to write a game design document, drawing on the Diablo proposal, Grim Fandango's puzzle documentation and published studio design materials. Covers design principles, state transitions, hit-window boundaries, content tables and playtesting.
History
pop’n music: nine buttons, songs and characters
Buttons, songs and characters give pop'n music distinct ways to welcome players and develop their skills. An examination of the series that began in arcades in 1998.
History
1999: IIDX and the rise of instrument-shaped controls
IIDX's seven keys and turntable, GUITARFREAKS and drummania give the hands and feet different jobs. Their controls distinguish the number of inputs from the actions needed to perform them.
