A common question that arises when one discusses the videogame movement is quite simply Why do we play games? To most this is easy to answer since it relates to our nature of longing for entertainment and more importantly, fun. However, there are many factors that create this fun that we all enjoy. One of these factors in particular can either make or break a game, and has gone through many stages of change during the lifetime of the videogame medium. This factor is a games difficulty or challenge. In N-Siders new special, we plan to give you a detailed look at what difficulty is composed of, and how much it has changed over the years.

Difficulty Explained
Creating a game that is fun involves a complex of challenge that not only incorporates game play mechanics, but a premise that is believable and/or interesting. For instance, having Nintendos characters do interesting tasks also involves creating situations that challenge you to overcome obstacles. It is through experience that we have finally come to the understanding of what difficulty actually consists of. In general terms, difficulty or challenge can be placed in one of two categories: Manufactured or artificial.

The first of the two types of challenge can be found in almost every game created in one form or another. Essentially it is an obstacle or challenge that creates a situation not easily overcome given all other game mechanics are not hindering the players ability. Since this probably sounds incredibly confusing, Ill provide an example. In the game Super Mario Brother 3 for the NES, you have to guide Mario in linear fashion to the end of each stage. The controls are incredibly tight and the visibility of each platform is more than enough to play comfortably. When controlling Mario, you have a firm grasp on where you need to go, and any mistake is almost always part of the player making a human error. This type of challenge is what we all have come to love from Nintendo. We know the task at hand, and though it is difficult, we are given a proper amount of freedom both in control and visibility. This type of challenge is what could be seen as the right kind of difficulty. It is not easily created, and almost impossible to master as a developer.

The second type of difficulty is very negative in nature. Artificial difficulty stems from any task that is difficult due to the titles limited amount of refined game mechanics. A great example of this is Rayman Advance for GameBoy Advance. In this game you also have to jump from platform to platform just as Mario does; However, a grave difference sets the two apart and ultimately makes Rayman far more inferior. When doing these jumps, it is no longer a simple task of seeing your target and attempting to maneuver yourself on top of it. Rather, the platforming element is turned into leaps of faith that can result in death. The view in the game is so zoomed in that you sometimes have no idea where to go next, or where the next platform lies. Even though this is challenging, it is composed of a difficulty that stems from a game mechanic problem. This is what weve come to know as the bad type of challenge. Usually games that are developed from Nintendo or their second parties do not have this problem because Nintendo has strived to rid any games under their name of this issue.

These two types of difficulty can be seen in every game ever developed. The two elements are independent of the degree of difficulty involved, and are completely composed of the actual game mechanics. For instance, a game like Yoshis Story had little to no artificial difficulty, yet proved to be a simple game to complete. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the other hand, had a refined auto-jump mechanic but ended up being difficult at times. It is also important to not confuse a games type of difficulty within these categories (positive and negative respectively). Games like Capcoms Resident Evil and Silicon Knights Eternal Darknes: Sanitys Requiem have mechanics that may sometimes be confused as artificial difficulty. Because these two titles feature cameras placed in inconvenient places, you would think that this is creating difficulty artificially. However, this is not the case since the camera is actually intentionally placed in a spot that will make you feel certain emotions at different times. For this reason you can say these difficulties were actually manufactured and not an oversight from the development studio. What about the degree of challenge presented within these two concepts though?

Oh My, Have the Times Ever Changed
When videogames were first moved to players hands all over the world, it began mostly in the arcade market, and companies had to compete to take the most money from the players. One of the ways of accomplishing this task was to create games that were enjoyable to play, but more importantly they had to be difficult. If the videogame companies could create a game that was addictive yet extremely difficult, the audience would plug quarter after quarter in the hopes of beating an extra level or two. When the home market grew to profitable proportions, companies had to move popular names to make money amongst heavy competition. Usually, the big names from companies were games straight out of the arcades. This proved to be a worthwhile movement for both the companies and the players, since gamers had the opportunity to start plugging virtual quarters in the comfort of their own homes.

However, the arcade movement had more effect on games than just ports. Original games in the home market were created as competition for the arcade-style games. Soon almost every game released on the console systems was on par with quality at the arcades, especially in terms of difficulty level. Of course, you would not be able to say that these classic games were impossible, since some people were able to complete them. You would however be able to admit that the difficulty level on these older games were very high. Games like the classic Contra only needed a single bullet to take your life away. Ghostsn Goblins had an equally challenging setup that had the player attempting to cheat death every other second. Because of this surge in difficult games, the generation of gamers that stuck with the medium here were normally very skilled and usually very persistent.

Resident artist - David Hellman's depiction of a seemingly impossible obstacle. The gap is huge, yet you still feel confident because you are in control.

Today games are a different beast altogether. The challenge level in probably 90% of all published games are not as difficult as the old school titles that many have been raised on. When games like Nintendos own Mario 64 were shown to have multiple hit points and many ways to recover health, many people let out a grown of disappointment. Super Mario Sunshine also allows multiple hits before death, and you even have a hover-pack to make jumping an easy process (don't worry, more on this later). It is evident that games have changed a great deal in the last twenty years or so. To this day many are still attempting to complete some of the older games, while running through almost any new release in a matter of hours. What happened to create this paradigm shift in the focus of gameplay challenge?

Problems
The last generation saw a shift from a two-dimensional playing field to a completely three-dimensional one. In doing so, you are no longer restricted to just seeing ten feet in front of you, and are even given the power to see your world in any angle you wish. With every change comes a price though. We realize now that the major influence of the diminishing challenge in games could actually be hardware power. As the world in a videogame became more and more ambitious, so did the strain on a systems hardware. This result is potentially less enemies and any other dangers, like possessed flying knives or whatnot. In Mario 64 there were sometimes maybe one or two enemies at a time on the playing field. Of course, we cannot presume this is the definitive case for all games in the generation since others like Gauntlet: Legends were released with upwards of twenty or thirty enemies attacking at a time. We can assume though, that to create a giant world teaming with quality models and interesting ideas, we need to dedicate a great portion of hardware power towards these details.

Another hurdle seems to have actually stemmed from the game designs themselves. When dealing with three dimensions, it becomes a very confusing task for the newcomer. Navigating around a world becomes more complicated due to both perspective and the new analogous controls. This is where the problem arises. Since developers assume that their new implementation of navigation in 3D is difficult enough, they may not want to put in too many extra difficulties. With some developers it has nothing to do with the new three-dimensional challenge, and more about giving value to as many consumers as possible. Shinji Mikami, director of Resident Evil for GameCube stated on numerous occasions that they were making the game difficult, but easy enough that almost all players will be able to see what comes next so to speak. When commenting on game puzzles in their latest game, Silicon Knights president Denis Dyack told audiences how they are not intended to make players get stuck forever. Rather, they are meant to be an interesting task that furthers the story. Could this be a trend that will continue in the future, in a positive manner?

At the very least there is great evidence that difficult games are making a comeback. On the Nintendo side of things, the GameCube now has the raw power to throw as many enemies as the developer wishes at the player. For instance, remember we talked about Super Mario Sunshine and how it had the large health meter again? Well, at the same time there are many more enemies and dangers on screen this time. At some points as many as twenty enemies are on screen at a time. They are now more robust as well by actually attacking you instead of waltzing under your lead foot for instant defeat. This isnt saying that the game is now instantly difficult, but it is instantly more challenging than its predecessor Mario 64. The point is, the power in both hardware and development process is in the hands of the studios, so its up to them to take the reigns. If Nintendo feels like including another handful of enemies in a specific area of the game, they may do so without a major hit to the frame-rate. This was probably the sole reason that many have personally begun feeling the intense satisfaction of this generation already. Games have already proven to be more difficult without even striving for it, mostly because of the power given to the creators. Eternal Darkness throws lots of enemies at you, that feels overwhelming at times. Pikmin forces you to keep tabs on one hundred small soldiers while battling difficult giants. Even Super Mario Sunshine seems to be pulling some seriously challenging weight of its own. The only thing this means is that developers have the tools to create these challenging titles that make us come back for another run to try and complete it.

The interesting thing is that challenge has not only returned in the form of enemies, but also in game design. A quick glance at Marios new outing shows the degree of platforming has shot up exponentially. Some levels are giving Nintendo veterans a tough time, even with all the experience under their belts. This reminds many people of the old Mario games where platforming was a very difficult aspect of the game. Earlier we mentioned that developers were most probably assuming that the navigation was the primary challenge, with maybe some other secondary challenge on top. Now it seems as if developers are not afraid to throw weathered gamers into a world with less mercy. Of course the chances of it ever being as hard as the old school days is far from realistic, it is nice to think that we will not be jaunting through every game that is put on the shelves. Now we can begin adding challenge into our equation of fun once again. There are still one or two areas that need some work though. One area that is perhaps the most difficult and frustrating of all is the generations between gamers themselves. More on that tomorrow.