Rocket Jump Mechanics for Side Scrolling Platform Games

This chapter uses the Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics (MDA) framework as a practical guide to incorporate the Rocket Jump mechanic in a side-scrolling platform game. The authors systematically approach the design problem by encoding physically based rules for Rocket propulsion (Mechanics), and then creating appropriate obstacles to construct progressively difficult levels (Dynamics). A comparison is then made to the Rocket Jump with the Conventional Jump with a subjective questionnaire on game difficulty (Aesthetics) using the NASA TLX template. Participants report that they find the rocket jump mechanic more mentally demanding, and thus better immersed in the game. Game-play data is also evaluated to analyze performance differences between the two mechanics modes and find that there is negligible difference. This proves that the Rocket Jump implementation is balanced and quite compatible with conventional platform games. This article aims to provide useful insights and information for the construction of challenging levels with Rocket Jump.