Mini-Games: The Making Of A Great Video Game?
Published: 30 June, 2011
There are many aspects that combine to make a good video game; smooth game play, interesting storyline, likeable (and dislikeable), characters, challenging levels, blow-your-mind graphics and those memorable little moments (the mysterious appearances of the G-Man in Half-Life, or the gnome fixing a toilet in Fallout 3, anyone?), to name but a few. In this article, we will look at one particular feature of video games that can (if it’s done well), make the difference between a good game and a great game: mini-games.
One excellent example of the use of mini-games within a video game can be seen in the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption. This is a case where originality, perhaps combined with a little intrigue, draws players in time and time again. The game itself includes a wide variety of mini-games, including horseshoes (a game that involves throwing a horseshoe as close to a peg as possible), and the chance to play poker at a variety of locations, including saloons and ranches.
Whether you regularly play poker online or more casually with friends, if you’re a fan of this legendary card game you’re sure to be impressed by the way it’s incorporated into Red Dead Redemption. As there is no money actually changing hands the game’s developers have kept it interesting by introducing a few cheats; for example, the hero Marston is able to playing a card he has hidden in his suit, although the higher the stakes the more chance he has of being discovered.
It is fair to say that there is usually little movement on a poker table and this raises a good point regarding mini-games as a whole; many revolve around a small area. Therefore, in order to work they must employ top quality art and an imaginative use of graphics. Each character within the mini-game needs to have their own distinctive characteristics (from the laidback cowboy to the outright eccentric bar owner). It is also essential that a player is able to level-up; by moving the game to new levels more characters can be introduced and that will add to the variety and challenges within the game.
Other mini-games you can play within the Red Dead world include arm wrestling, five finger fillet (which involves jamming a knife between your splayed fingers at high speed), Blackjack and liars dice. As with many other video games, the experience of playing each of these mini-games is greatly improved with a musical soundtrack.
Just as in films, music plays a critical role within a game; it serves to enhance to whole experience and at certain stages can even have a Pavlovian effect on the player, moving them from one mini-game to another. This raises another point (which we will discuss as a brief aside): the role of music in video games. All truly great games have extremely distinctive soundtracks (who could forget the soundtrack to Portal, for example).
Another video game which has become famous for its mini-games is The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time. As with the vast majority of the games in the Zelda series this game features a mind-boggling array of mini-games; some of which are so tricky to complete that they have become famous for leaving gamers bewildered and frustrated.
In many ways The Legend of Zelda wrote the rule book when it comes to incorporating mini-games within a wider video game. During your adventures in Hyrule you can take part in (to name a few): fishing, horseback racing, horseback archery, bowling, shooting, diving, and even playing a choir of musical frogs!
There are a number of factors which make a video game great; sure, you could argue that a good selection of min-games will never make a bad game into a good one; however, they might just turn a good game into one which you will remember playing for the rest of your life.