Figure 10 - Experiencing sweet victory. (See fig. 6)

Computer games have complete freedom to do anything you, the developer, can implement. Many things that are impossible in real life become easy, and things that are easy in real life become very difficult indeed.

Sports are especially well suited for this because they're a frame of reference everyone on your continent is familiar with. It's like a starter set for your game design. But while replicating a real life sport exactly has some plusses, we think better and more accessible games are to be had using a sport as a jumping off point and going in a unique, digital-only direction with it. Once you stop trying to make a sim, you can start addressing the gameplay problems that lead to a negative player experience. For instance, because players can't die in the game, a lot of rules dedicated to keeping players safe can be discarded.

Keep these points in mind if you decide to enter the wonderful world of wacky sports:

• Wackiness can't just be a veneer. Power Spikes 2 shows us that if you're going to put your volleyball players in mechs, there had better be a big shift in gameplay. Players want a believable world.
• You have to run with your theme. Believability means that if everyone is running around in tanks (or power armor), the stakes had better be a lot higher than they when both teams are in short shorts.
• Stick with a framework people know. Punk Shot is a great game, but it wouldn't be nearly as appealing if it weren't based on basketball. Because we already know the basics of the sport, the designer could add a lot of additional complexity without overwhelming anyone.
• Multiplayer games need good gameplay, not lots of content. Look at Team Fortress 2. Look at Counter Strike. Look at Super Baseball or Punk Shot or Pig Skin 621 AD. All are fun. (OK, maybe TF2 is a little better than decade old arcade games. ;) None of them have more than five levels that people frequently play. Get some content, make sure it's good, then refine the heck out of your gameplay.
• Keep hope alive. Setbacks should be temporary. One player should never be able to put another player in a situation where they're screwed, but have to keep playing. Ever been juggled for five minutes by an expert Tekken player? That's what I'm talking about.
• Balancing forces can be good. Trolls, blue shells, and obstacles all serve to minimize the difference between the best and the worst players. If you're looking for dominance, this can be frustrating. But if you want a fun game - keeping victory challenging for everyone, and within reach for everyone, is a good idea.

Well, that's all we've got. We hope you find this useful! And remember to check out our last article on learning from MAME games if you want dig up your own game design gems.

Ben Garney and Eric Hartman are both unemployed. Ben Garney (coderhump.com) spent the last five years at GarageGames working as the Torque Technologies Director. Eric Hartman (badspot.us) develops Blockland in his spare time, which is copious.