Physics in an Animation Universe: Term Paper One

Interactivity and the ability to alter the world around us is a a craving that works as a cornerstone of human existence. The need to feel in control of any situation drives humans. We crave a sense of stability, and the ability to influence a situation. And this is why videogames are so popular. What better way to influence a world than to have complete and total control over a character? There is one game that demonstrates the ability to control a character flawlessly: Super Smash Bros Melee  for the Nintendo Gamecube. Melee is a 2.5d fighting game where the goal is to knock your opponent off the stage. The Smash Brothers world does not adhere to real world physics. It more closely resembles a child's playtime with toys: characters are thrown around, launched, and can "defy gravity" through the child's hand and imagination. The Physics in the world of Super Smash Bros Melee is fundamentally different from our world due to the addition of one omnipresent, supernatural force that alters many of the physics of its world: that of the player's controller.

One of the most fundamental abilities of any video game is the jumping ability. Vertical disposition is so important to the nature of the game, because it allows for more diverse gameplay, In Melee, not only do players have the ability to jump, but also they have the ability to do it without the restraints of the normal physical world. Jumping occurs even when the player’s character isn’t even in contact with the ground.

(all GIFS retrieved from ssbwiki.com) 

In this GIF, players have the ability to jump a second time in mid air, usually illustrated through some sort of flip the character will perform, as well as a "recovery" move, which propels them even further.  increasing vertical displacement while still in the air, despite the fact that it’s not physically possible. The character obtains a sense of temporary momentum shift without feeling weightless. So while the physics itself is altered, there is still a sense of gravity to, for lack of better term, ground the characters within the confines of the world.

But not only can the player control the heights of the jump, the player can also alter physics in that they can control how fast the character falls.

In this GIF, Samus weighs the same, and executes the jump exactly the same. The only difference is that the player on the left held down the joystick downwards, allowing the player to reach the ground faster. This technique isn't explicitly stated anywhere in the game, but it's execution leads to a much quicker and skill based game. Less time is spent waiting for your character to hit the ground, and you can perform more attacks because of it. Meanwhile, the players who do not utilize this technique are vulnerable, spending more time waiting for their character to land.

Another, alternate movement option is the wavedash: a technical glitch of inputs which allow the character to slide across a set distance, as shown below.

Disregarding the fact that a wavedash relies on the impossible movement of Despite the ground being identical for both characters, Luigi's wavedash propels him farther, despite constant friction. This change in physics is to drive home the idea that every character is unique in Smash Bros, all the way down to the way they interact with the world. Overall, there is rarely a moment where you don't have total control over your character in Smash Bros. Attack animations can be cancelled, both running and jumping speeds can be controlled. Of course, there are always exceptions.

     With only one exception, you have total control over your character. That is, until your opponent overpowers you and begins their own sense of total control.

In this situation, the Fox player is virtually helpless: none of the physics altering controller inputs can help in this case. When you attack an opponent, they go into a state of “knockback” (as shown through Fox's static "freefall" pose) which makes it so virtually none of the player’s controller inputs can make Fox move. The only way to gain back his movement options is to get back to the ground stage, that is, return to a more physically possible situation where all movement can be reset. The moments where you as the player take away your opponents physics altering inputs subsequently make you feel more powerful. The diverse, amount of both realistic and  physics defying movement give the player every opportunity to interact and contribute to the game. This, in contrast to the rare moment where those abilities are taken away from you make you as the player feel that much stronger.

The main draw of the Smash Bros universe is the universal feeling of attacking. Smash Bros is successful as a fighting game because of the feeling of impact behind every move.

Unlike the physics of our world, in Melee, every attack, regardless of the physical motion or nature of the attack has the ability to "launch" opponents into an exaggerated "knockback." This physical nature exaggerates the reaction of the recipient to visually represent the sheer amount of power every attack holds. The strength of the knockback force relies on two factors, neither of which adhere to the real world physics.

1. If a character sustains more damage, they are launched farther despite their physical weight and the force of the attack remaining the same. The damage percentage effectively makes characters lighter, but only in the context of getting attacked. Their regular movement and jumping abilities stay the same, the only difference being that they are more susceptible to the exaggerated launching nature of smash attacks.

2. The so called “sweet spot,” of smash attacks, where the attack connects perfectly with a certain area of the opponent, which amplifies its effectiveness (shown above)

The “wind up” of the attack raises anticipation, and coupled with the sound design and subsequent reactive launch from the enemy makes every smash attack feel earned. After the battle continues, and as more attacks are landed, stronger attacks are more effective. This change to real physics allows smash bros to escalate the stakes of each fight as time goes on, raising power to the point where the match can eventually finish.

But even with the physics altering combat system, there’s still a way to have some sort of say in the fight: Directional Influence.

After getting launched, holding the control stick perpendicular to the launch angle reduces the distance travelled by influencing the trajectory of the hit. This lets the player avoid getting knocked all the way off the screen, which would otherwise result in a KO. In this scenario, each of the Links were in the same position when affected by Ganon' punch. But The blue Link is put into the optimal position, as they remain closest to the stage, thanks to Directional Influence. But overall, the combat in smash bros relies on exaggeration for the sake of the feeling of power that can be conveyed through the combat. Despite these exaggerations, the players ability to control the situation are still key, as shown through the attack variety and the presence of directional influence.

Melee has become an extremely competitive game, with both casual and competitive audiences alike all finding it within themselves to want to prove they are the best. The sheer amount of control you have over your character make it seemingly one of the most honest tests of skill among two competitors that a video game can offer.. The changes to the real law of physics provide a better sense of control for the player enhance this competitive drive, as very little of the game is left to chance. In its most pure form, it only makes sense that the physics of the game have to be altered. In the real world, physics hinder, but with Melee’s own unique rules, it makes it so each player’s desire for control can be satisfied, at least for the 8 minutes of a standard match.