The Laws of Physics in a Video Game Universe

One of the most influential video game franchises distributed by the NIntendo consumer electronics company is the Super Smash Bros. series. First launched in 1999 on the Nintendo 64 home gaming console it was a unique gaming experience that took multiple iconic Nintendo characters from different worlds and brought them into one giant universe -- to fight! The main objective of the game is to knock other players off the screen to rack up points, or to be the last one standing. Each character has a set of moves to help him, or her, stay on the fighting platform(s). In order to keep the characters in the same universe some abilities are shared between all characters, such as “double jump” and a shielding bubble to guard from attacks. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the most recent installment of the series and refines a the controls and look of the series fans have come to love. Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and its preceding installments, break most physical laws of the natural world to simulate a fast-paced action-packed, four-player fighting game.

Upon the start to each fight, the one of the first elements players notice are the percentages at the bottom of the screen. The game utilizes a percentage system to keep track of damage, and the higher the percentage, the lighter the characters become (Figure 1 & 2). In a “real-life” setting, getting hurt does not equate to losing mass or weight, and in real brawls and fights, people tend to not be able to sustain themselves the more damage taken. The way that the developers established the rule of the percentage system engages the players. The more damage taken, the more likely your character is to fly across the screen and result in losing points, or lives. So, naturally players do not want to accumulate damage, calling upon players’ natural survival instinct. Within the percentage system comes the question of “how much damage can a character take before they fly ‘off-screen?’” Logically, 100% seems to be the point where a character becomes sufficiently “damaged” to be knocked out, but within the game, 150% to 300% is about the average damage range to be knocked out (Figure 3). Interestingly, the gauge does not stop there. It is possible to reach up to 999% damage. The players’ imagination fills in the blanks when they see the numbers start to add up. This aspect of the game starts to become one of the most engaging moments of the experience. A deliberate choice of diverging from real physics paves way for a more exaggerated, yet more intense experience. Veterans of the game know that it is “kill, or be killed” and reaching the 600% to 999% mark leads to some of the most nerve-racking and most entertaining video game experiences. Sticking to the laws of our physical world would mean much smaller degrees recoil and translate into visible damage, and wounds. But since the player still gets the satisfaction of knocking other characters around, substituting exaggerated amounts of force over physical damage is effective.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

The “Smash” universe follows the Law of Acceleration with the varying sizes and shapes of characters on the playable roster, but with a twist. When a smaller character, like Mario, attacks one of the heavier characters, such as Bowser (both from the Super Mario Bros. franchise), the first few initial attacks will not move Bowser a significant amount, but as Bowser’s percentage increases, Mario will be able to make Bowser fly across the screen. But according to Newton’s Third Law of the balance between action forces and reaction forces, when Mario attacks Bowser he keeps his ground which means that Mario is exerting a good amount of force on the ground as he punches Bowser. The ground exerts the same amount of force back to Mario’s feet and prevents him from moving backwards. In another instance, Mario does move back as a result of attacks that exert a great force. This recoil is exaggerated to make the attack feel strong and impactful. Newton’s Third Law accompanied by “Smash’s” percentage system create an exaggerated sense of reality that give players an exciting rush in combat.   

In the world of Smash Bros., superhuman strength and abilities are standard, but no blood is involved. This is due to the fact that each character is a stationary action-figure, or “trophy,” come to life. This allows for the audience to suspend disbelief, yet at the same time, it does not cross a player’s mind in the midst of action. At the rate and magnitude that the characters often fly across screen would normally lead to some sort of trauma, and even concussions, but are neglected due to their superhuman, toy-like natures. Contrary to having superhuman strength, when attacked each character is posed with discomfort. They are not completely invincible. Again, the characters do not show signs of wear or tear, and no blood in sight. Characters in the “Smash” universe do not die, but rather respawn. They are come back to life as many times as they are allowed. This sort of instant rejuvenation is inherent to each character, and as a result resets the character’s percentage to zero.

Then depending on the world, there are natural obstacles, such as lava and spaceships in outer space, that show no signs of hindering any brawl (Figures 4 & 5). Magma’s inherent high temperatures would incinerate any living thing, but in the “Smash” universe characters bounce off of the magma and come away with a bit of damage and a temporary burn. This allows a smooth transition for players to go from taking minor damage back into combat. Consistent transitioning from one world to another is dependent on the fighting platforms. Characters are bound to the platforms rather than the actual worlds, which leads players to assume that these platforms create some sort of artificial gravity. In certain playable stages, players are transported around levels through mobile fighting platforms, and the movement does not affect the characters. The game camera is fixed on the platform and the background is the moving component (Figure 6). Characters do not move forward or backwards when the platform is moving. No effects of forward, or backward, acceleration. An accelerating, or decelerating, bus will cause a shift in a person’s center of gravity, but the physics of the platforms do not cause any shifts in centers of gravity. The absence of Newton’s First Law in the moving takes out the variable of characters moving without the control of the players, allowing uninterrupted gameplay.

Figure 4

Stage select screen.

Figure 5

One of the space levels.

Figure 6

A major component of game play is that the falling arcs (trajectory) of each character is controlled by the players with little consideration to their inherent weight. Characters of all weights fall at the same uniform speed. In the physical world, gravity causes objects to fall non-uniformly and, cover more distance as time passes. At the same time, this gives players a chance to think, react, and plan their next move. Players are able to move their character left and right mid-flight if there is ample height, when, in reality they should follow parabolic arcs and match the initial jump. Uniform falls also lend themselves to the idea that the characters reach terminal velocity upon reaching the apex of each jump. This would mean that they reach the maximum speed and continue towards the ground without gaining any more speed. More interestingly, each character follows this rule in the “Smash” universe. Using Mario and Bowser as an example (Mario being the smaller character and lighter of the two), Mario will seem to jump higher, but both fall uniformly after reaching the apex of their jumps. Another aspect of the game that allows more mobility is the ability to “double jump.” Characters jump once off the ground, then can jump again mid-air. There is no visible platform or object that characters are seen jumping off of, but there is a small white disk that appears under their feet upon executing the second jump. This could be a result of invisible, arbitrary platforms, or remarkably jumping off of air molecules. But on a superficial level there is no reaction force to any second jump. Despite the added “double jump” gamers have become accustomed to this ability, adding texture and strategy to many games, including Super Smash Bros. Brawl.  

Super Smash Bros. Brawl follows many of the natural laws of physics, but in certain aspects of gameplay, these laws are deliberately absent from the game to accommodate a gaming experience that allows players to plan and play effectively. The game as a unique invention of a collaboration among franchises lends itself to its own set of universal rules to keep the gaming experience consistent. The rules of the game have been consistent throughout every installment in the series sticking to players since 1999, proving to people that the more the merrier.