And the decay after com-pletely letting the controller

4.11 Classic Super Mario 64 Third-Person Control and Animation 431

or else responsiveness is compromised even further. Depending on the

desired look and feel of the game, it will take experimentation with both

mentation. Certainly, any game can be analyzed in this way in order to deconstruct

the control and animation techniques.

Very Fast Run with pronounced forward lean

Transitions Animation

Trot to Stand Pop into Stand

Run to Stand Pop into skidding stop, then seamlessly into Idle

Run to Trot Pop into Trot (matching the foot cycle)

Action Resulting Behavior

< 180° turn during Tip-toe Smooth rotation

< 180° turn during Trot Smooth rotation

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, many great games have implemented the classic Super Mario 64 third-person control, even before Super Mario 64 ever existed. However, before trying to code something, find an example to model and become intimately familiar with it. Try to notice every nuance of what happens under different controller inputs. Notice the transitions, the acceleration/deceleration of the motion/rotation, the different speeds of walks/trots/runs, the shallow and sharp turns, and the decay after com-pletely letting go of the controller. Having a good example to model is important so that you have a stable target to copy and ultimately improve upon.