Sun Baking: Edition 2

as mentioned, I'm going to use this edition to expand my controller theories a little.

In order to more accurately represent my ideas, I've essentially split the GameCube controller into two parts: the left part and the right part. Hopefully, this will allow for a clearer diagram.

The Underwater Control Scheme


The left side of the controller

When Jason described his theories regarding an underwater control system for Super Mario Sunshine, he mentioned that the water cannon would be virtually useless underwater. However, I have a few ideas as to how it could be just as useful underwater as it is on land.


The right side of the controller

This time around, my controller concept is somewhat more realistic than in the previous edition of this feature. In the previous edition, I spoke of various "Cannon Modes". as nice as the idea is (and as fun as it could be if executed properly), it's not the most realistic concept for a Mario game. Mario is all about easy exploration; being able to easily manipulate Mario with as little effort as possible. With this concept in mind, I created the above control scheme.

The core idea behind my underwater control scheme is the idea that the water cannon can be used underwater as well as on land. as normal, the a Button is used to make Mario kick. It can be tapped for faster swimming and held down for a slower pace (as in Mario 64). The B Button is used for a simple swipe/punch-type attack as obviously, Mario would be unable to shoot bursts of water whilst he is submerged. The Z Button is used for targetting in this case.

With my previous control scheme, I noted that the Y Button could be used to fill the cannon. and this is one of the core concepts behind my underwater control method.

The idea basically goes like this: let's say you are standing on the beach and your cannon is full of water. You jump into the ocean and as you do so, you immediately sink to the bottom (as your water cannon is full of water). With a full water cannon, you are able to freely run around the ocean floor. But what if you want to swim? Glad you asked.

If you wish to swim, you simply press the Y Button once more. Upon doing so, the water cannon's nozzle opens up and all the water is released. With the absence of water in his cannon, Mario is now able to float (as the cannon is filled with air rather than water). This absence of water serves a dual function, however. Whilst swimming, you are also able to press the R Button. The R Button would normally shoot water on land, but if you are underwater with an empty water cannon (when it is filled with air), the cannon instead fires a blast of air into the water surrounding Mario. The result? Mario shoots forward like a torpedo.

If you want to sink to the ocean floor again, however, it is merely a matter of tapping the Y Button again. The water cannon will open up and fill itself with water, allowing Mario to sink once more.

It may sound complex, but it's actually a very simple system, requiring the player to merely tap one single button. If you're swimming (and your cannon is empty), you tap the Y Button to sink to the bottom. If you're on the bottom (and your cannon is full), you tap Y again and you are able to float. See how it works?

This is the only major change to the control system whilst underwater. The X Button still allows you to change the camera mode (Mario cam, Lakitu cam, etc...). and of course, the C Stick allows you to look around while swimming, giving you the ability to survey your surroundings.

Next up, a revised "land-based" controller theory and some reader feedback.

James Burns