The game magic development method taught by my master was named the “Boyer Game Engine.”
It won’t be officially registered as magic, but I decided on that name.
The reason is… it sounds cool.
Having a swanky title always motivates hard work, so it’s important.
“Okay, I’ve got the scroll ready, and the mana ink is all prepped…”
And since I made some money, I upgraded my magical tools.
I replaced the cheap papyrus scroll with an expensive silk magical scroll and prepared ink made from unicorn blood instead of slime.
In the other world, having high-quality equipment is crucial, simply for efficiency.
The pricier and rarer the magical tool, the better its magical responsiveness, making it easier and more convenient to use.
Think of it like the difference between a cheap, heavy mouse that glitches out and an expensive, smooth, fantastical gaming mouse.
With my preparations complete, it was time for some fun game development.
“First, I’ll create a flat world with a 2D platformer structure and make a Character Controller…”
The Boyer Game Engine, if likened to a past life, was like a 3D game engine.
In other words, if I wanted to, I could skip 2D and jump straight into making a 3D game.
However, that would probably be quite difficult for now.
Expanding a world with a 3D game concept would drastically increase the amount of magical power needed, and my currently popular “small crystal ball” made of glass wouldn’t be able to handle that.
To liken it to a past life, it was like a situation where the CPU and GPU were severely lacking.
Well, it was possible with the “black dragon’s blood crystal ball” that Sylvia gave me, though.
“With this, the basic system is sorted, and next up is control feel…”
The key to the control feel in Super Mario is the subtle inertia applied when moving.
That inertia, which might be considered inconvenient, creates various scenarios depending on terrain and running speed, providing us with joy.
Of course, some players lacking in the physical department threw tantrums.
Thus, the basic system for Super Mario was prepared, and graphic resources were added.
“Of course, the protagonist is a mustachioed man…”
I initially thought about changing it to fit the other world in a fantasy style but decided to keep the original intact.
If in the original Super Mario, he was exploring another world in reality, here, it would feel like a hero from the real world first encountering a different world.
A hero with the unbelievably strange profession of a plumber, no less.
I thought it would be more fun, so I carefully conjured that mustachioed man from my memories using video magic.
I also pulled out the mobs Super Mario first encounters, like “Goomba,” the “Turtle” that provides its precious shell, “Piranha Plant” that jumps out and attacks from the pipes, and the grand game objective, “Princess Peach.”
Images of characters from my memories filled my mind as the game took shape in my hands.
That legendary game was coming to life!
…Hehe! This is so much fun.
Game development is the best!
*
“Master, is Yuren okay? He’s been like that for three days…”
It had been three days since Yuren entered the personal lab to develop new game magic.
Noirin was very worried about Yuren.
Yuren had told Noirin to bring him meals three times a day and not to disturb him.
Noirin, who strictly adhered to that request, brought meals herself to Yuren’s lab.
And each time, she saw Yuren changing.
Noirin had seen Yuren tired from his work many times before.
She remembered the image of him completing requests late into the night, combating dark circles with coffee, and giving a suave morning greeting.
But now…
“Alright! The mushroom item is done! Now let’s make a Super Star!! Hehe!”
Yuren was utterly focused on developing Super Mario, not caring for Noirin or the master he had brought a meal to.
And what was so fun that he couldn’t stop his crazy laughter?
Noirin found Yuren’s current state frightening.
But watching him, Master Irene, blissfully enjoying strawberry ice cream, gazed at him with fondness.
“It’s fine. Noirin, my disciple, Yuren is truly learning magic now.”
“Learning magic?”
Irene was reminded of Yuren when she first learned magic.
Yuren rapidly learned magic from Irene with his overflowing talent and terrifying obsession.
However, he never enjoyed magic.
His obsession with feeling useful to take care of his family overshadowed the joy of manipulating the world as he wished.
To truly say one learned magic, they must understand the joy of managing the world with it, and that had always been challenging for Yuren.
Irene had told him this multiple times, and although Yuren tried, it had never been resolved until now.
“Right, Yuren has studied magic out of a sense of responsibility, but he has never truly enjoyed it. However, now he is finally enjoying magic. So it’s fine.”
“Yuren…”
Noirin had heard from Jiren and Karen about Yuren’s struggles at one point in time, that he endured so much for the sake of the young priest.
Seeing Master Irene’s distant gaze filled with memories of Yuren, Noirin’s eyes glistened.
“Game development is the best! Hehehe!! Oh, deity of games! I’m coming to meet you! Hahahahaha!!”
“……….”
“……….”
If only Yuren’s excitement about meeting the deity of games hadn’t gone overboard.
“…Is Yuren really okay, Master?”
“………It should be fine.”
Though she didn’t say it to Noirin, at that moment, Irene felt a twinge of concern for Yuren.
– Three days later –
“Is Yuren’s new game finally complete?”
“I would say it’s almost done.”
Three days passed again.
Yuren welcomed Noirin with a smile that was almost happier and with darker circles under his eyes than ever.
In Yuren’s hands was a red crystal ball that overflowed with the newly completed game magic, and Noirin couldn’t take her eyes away from it.
“Wanna try?”
“Yes! Yuren! This time, I really want to be the first to play!”
Excited at the thought of being able to play the game before the other priests, Noirin took the crystal ball right away.
On that day, while explaining the game to Sylvia, Noirin had heard that the mustachioed man explores Mushroom Kingdom.
Although it was hard to imagine, she was excited since Yuren spoke so passionately about it.
As she used the crystal ball in her hands, the screen appeared just like during Tetric.
On the blue screen background, a small mustachioed man in a red hat popped up among the red blocks, clouds, and grass of an entirely new world.
What is this? A monster!?
Noirin, startled, felt a bit off as she saw that it resembled a Tetric block acting under her control.
And not just any mustachioed man, but a short one… Yuren was aware of this but thought it was a unique preference.
As she moved to the right, a creature that looked like a monster approached the mustachioed man.
Is that a monster? Let me take care of it!
Noirin controlled the mustachioed man and ran at the monster…and upon making contact, she died.
“Did the mustachioed man just die?!”
What kind of weak protagonist is this!?
Angry, she became determined.
“How do I deal with this monster, Yuren?!”
“Jump on it!”
Following Yuren’s words, she jumped.
“Yay!”
With a delighted yelp, the mustachioed man jumped and stomped on the monster, squashing it flat.
So there was such an easy method! I rushed in for nothing.
“What’s this question-mark box, Yuren?”
And then, Noirin’s eyes caught sight of a box shaped like a [ ? ].
Amused, Yuren smiled and replied, “What do you think it is? Go ahead and do what you want.”
Noirin pondered how to interact with it and decided to jump up from below, so she moved under the box and jumped.
And then…
“Wow! A mushroom came out of the box!”
The mushroom that emerged began moving, and instinctively, Noirin chased the mushroom and fed it to the mustachioed man.
And then…
“Wow! After eating the mushroom, he got bigger!”
The mustachioed man doubled in size.
Now, he could break the red blocks that couldn’t be destroyed before.
Watching this spectacle in amazement, Yuren said, “You can grow too if you eat the mushroom. You should all play this game and learn to eat properly.”
“Yes…”
In an instant, Noirin felt deflated by Yuren’s nagging.
With a better understanding of the game, she enjoyed the world of Super Mario to the fullest.
“No! What is that turtle shell!? Am I going to die too!?”
She tried to catch a Goomba with a turtle shell, only to be sent flying by her own attack.
“Wow, can I go into this green pipe!?”
As she thought she could enter the pipe-like object above, she squeezed inside it, discovering hidden space and obtaining hidden gold.
“Wow! I’ve found an item here!!”
Jumping into the air, a hidden green mushroom came out, giving her an extra life.
“When I eat this star, my body shines! Yuren!!!”
“You’ve become stronger! Charge ahead!!”
The highlight was definitely the glimmering star item.
Upon eating it, her body radiated with light, making all the monsters perish just by touching her.
Noirin couldn’t stop her shining mustachioed man from running, leaping onto the flag.
As the flag rose with celebratory music and fireworks, the game came to a close.
Noirin understood now why Yuren had raved about how fun this game was.
She had just been jumping around with that mustachioed man, and it was unbelievably fun.
“How was it? Was it fun?”
“Yes! Yuren, it was really fun!!… But it was too short, isn’t there more?”
“We must keep making it for others to enjoy.”
“Is there anyone else besides you making this game? You don’t mean Jiren, right?”
I heard Jiren was working on the game magic called Tetric 2 that Yuren assigned him, but who else could he be making it with? Julia, maybe?
As she pondered this, Yuren looked at Noirin intently, patting her shoulder.
That day marked the moment when the role of level designer, responsible for creating stages, was born in this other world.
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