Spelunky

 
Spelunky
by Derek Yu

Boss Fight Books

2016

 

 

I think Boss Fight Books aims to be for video games what the 33⅓ series is for music. Both series pick titles at the intersection of critical darling and indie fave and tell the history of its production. Spelunky is more or less unique for this format, because author Derek Yu is also the designer of the game. Usually they're written by journalists, critics, or other musicians / video game designers. (I think... Although I've looked into both series, truthfully, the only other one I've read is 33⅓'s history of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.)

 
Yu describes the creation of the original pixelart freeware Spelunky, its unexpected success, and then the re-creation of the upgraded Spelunky for the X-Box. 

 
Yu programmed the original Spelunky using the GameMaker software. He'd previously made some small games himself with other engines, then worked with a programming partner to make Eternal Daughter and Aquaria - they wrote the code while he focused on the art and design. For this first version of Spelunky, the software acted a bit like a programming partner. 

 
Yu's biggest innovation, and the idea that launched a mini-renaissance of other games with the same inspiration, was to marry the difficulty and random level generation of roguelike games to the mechanics and art of platformers like Mario. The theme of the game is an explorer armed with whip, bombs, and rope, delving deeper and deeper into a cave system in search of treasure. Each time he dies, the cave map is randomly redrawn. 

 
I've played that version of Spelunky over 1000 times. A winning game lasts maybe 20 minutes, but a losing game, which is probably over 99% of them, goes much quicker, sometimes only a minute or two. Yu talks about the way he drew inspiration from classic arcade games, and how he tried to use the positive features of both halves of his genre mash-up to correct the flaws in the other, resulting in a game that's neither too complex, nor too repetitive.

 
After he released the original Spelunky to great acclaim in the indie PC gaming world, Yu was offered a chance to make an upgraded version for the X-Box. It was a project he thought could be completed in a year, but actually took three, even with a new programming partner to write the upgraded code. Yu discusses both the difficulty and the thrill of finishing a project, despite the obstacles to completing anything that's long and complex.

 
Yu talks about more of his design decisions, including some of the many secrets and surprises he filled the new version of the game with. One benefit of the game's popularity is that the fan community found them and shared the news with each other, creating a sense of exploration that fits well with the caving theme.

 
He also talks about the game's critical reception, both positive and negative, including from players who thought it was too hard, and a feminist critique of the original game's helpless blonde damsel.

 
I found Yu's account inspirational. In addition to learning more about a game I've really enjoyed, I feel like he has also told a more universal story about starting a new creative project, nurturing it, and bringing it to completion.