Post by The Mad Plumber on Sept 7, 2010 15:43:31 GMT -5
VGMaps.com: The Video Game Atlas
It's a fascinating website. I'm reminded back to my childhood when my mother regularly bought me a subscription to Nintendo Power (in lieu of an actual Nintendo) and how the magazine featured extensive maps of recent games that would span across two pages of the magazine. I even happened to get their special volumes dedicated to Super Mario Bros. 3 and Final Fantasy; of course, the maps for Super Mario Bros. 3 were actually drawn instead of being composed of screenshots. That magazine had shown off a lot; I believe I remember that one issue displayed all twelve levels of Battletoads.
When I did finally get a Nintendo, I have to admit to composing maps for games such as Golgo 13 and Solstice to help me make sense of where I'm going. Well, now there is this website where dedicated individuals have composed there own maps of classic games through various means. They are fun to look at occasionally, and it is somewhat interesting (and a little disappointing) to point out paradoxes that occur within the maps (i.e. death pits plotted over existing rooms, rooms that would technically overlap with one another, elevators that lead to an entirely different part of the map, etc.).
Here's a couple of my favorite maps:
Snake Rattle N Roll (NES)
This singular map confirms what I somewhat suspected when I saw this game in Nintendo Power, that all of the stages are interlinked with one another, forming a great mountain. It's very neat for this person to have composed the maps like that.
Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES)
Now, this user did a rather fascinating thing. He composed all of the maps into one raster image, and as you follow the path, you can see that he inserted images from the cut scenes to illustrate a sort of comic book progression through this.
Mega Man III (PC)
Ha! Now, I haven't played this game myself and it not be a very good game, but I got to admire and complement how the game designers built the levels with the big picture in mind. Very amusing!
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PSX)
Oh, boy, this one's a beast. Don't bother clicking on it if your computer can't take it. This is your ultimate answer as to what Dracula's castle looks like on the whole. Is it all you hoped for? It's very fascinating, but I must lament all that black space!
There is one thing I would like to contribute to this site, but it does beg to question if they would accept it. My plan does differ greatly from what everyone else here has contributed. I welcome other users' thoughts on this site.
It's a fascinating website. I'm reminded back to my childhood when my mother regularly bought me a subscription to Nintendo Power (in lieu of an actual Nintendo) and how the magazine featured extensive maps of recent games that would span across two pages of the magazine. I even happened to get their special volumes dedicated to Super Mario Bros. 3 and Final Fantasy; of course, the maps for Super Mario Bros. 3 were actually drawn instead of being composed of screenshots. That magazine had shown off a lot; I believe I remember that one issue displayed all twelve levels of Battletoads.
When I did finally get a Nintendo, I have to admit to composing maps for games such as Golgo 13 and Solstice to help me make sense of where I'm going. Well, now there is this website where dedicated individuals have composed there own maps of classic games through various means. They are fun to look at occasionally, and it is somewhat interesting (and a little disappointing) to point out paradoxes that occur within the maps (i.e. death pits plotted over existing rooms, rooms that would technically overlap with one another, elevators that lead to an entirely different part of the map, etc.).
Here's a couple of my favorite maps:
Snake Rattle N Roll (NES)
This singular map confirms what I somewhat suspected when I saw this game in Nintendo Power, that all of the stages are interlinked with one another, forming a great mountain. It's very neat for this person to have composed the maps like that.
Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES)
Now, this user did a rather fascinating thing. He composed all of the maps into one raster image, and as you follow the path, you can see that he inserted images from the cut scenes to illustrate a sort of comic book progression through this.
Mega Man III (PC)
Ha! Now, I haven't played this game myself and it not be a very good game, but I got to admire and complement how the game designers built the levels with the big picture in mind. Very amusing!
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PSX)
Oh, boy, this one's a beast. Don't bother clicking on it if your computer can't take it. This is your ultimate answer as to what Dracula's castle looks like on the whole. Is it all you hoped for? It's very fascinating, but I must lament all that black space!
There is one thing I would like to contribute to this site, but it does beg to question if they would accept it. My plan does differ greatly from what everyone else here has contributed. I welcome other users' thoughts on this site.