Einblick - Software Development - # Glitches in Classic Super Mario Games

Exploiting Glitches in Classic Super Mario Games: A Software Weakness Analysis

Q: How do the game-specific weaknesses identified in this study compare to bugs and vulnerabilities found in other types of software, such as enterprise applications or embedded systems

The game-specific weaknesses identified in this study, such as "Bad Boundary Definition" and "Correct But Surprising Behavior," have similarities and differences compared to bugs and vulnerabilities found in other types of software. In enterprise applications or embedded systems, vulnerabilities often stem from issues like improper input validation, buffer overflows, and API abuse, which can lead to security breaches and system crashes. These types of weaknesses are more focused on ensuring the integrity and security of the software, as they can have serious consequences in terms of data breaches or system failures. On the other hand, the game-specific weaknesses identified in this study are more related to the unique nature of video games and how players interact with them. Glitches like "Bad Boundary Definition" may not have direct counterparts in traditional software, as they are specific to the design and mechanics of games. Similarly, "Correct But Surprising Behavior" captures unexpected but technically correct behaviors in games, which may not align with traditional software bugs that are typically seen as negative. While there are some parallels between game-specific weaknesses and vulnerabilities in other software, the context and impact of these issues differ based on the nature of the software and the expectations of the users.

Q: What are the implications of these findings for the design and development of future video games, particularly as games become more complex and incorporate new technologies like virtual reality

The findings of this study have significant implications for the design and development of future video games, especially as games become more complex and incorporate new technologies like virtual reality. Testing and Quality Assurance: Game developers need to pay close attention to testing and quality assurance processes to identify and address these game-specific weaknesses. With the increasing complexity of games, thorough testing becomes crucial to ensure that unexpected behaviors or glitches are minimized. User Experience: Understanding and embracing the concept of "jank" or unexpected behaviors in games can enhance the overall user experience. Game developers may need to strike a balance between fixing critical bugs that impact gameplay and retaining certain glitches that add to the charm and uniqueness of the game. Innovation and Creativity: As games evolve and incorporate new technologies like virtual reality, developers have the opportunity to innovate and create immersive experiences. However, they must also be mindful of potential glitches or unexpected behaviors that may arise due to the complexity of these technologies. Community Engagement: Embracing glitches and unexpected behaviors can also foster community engagement, especially in the speedrunning community. Developers can leverage player feedback and insights from speedrunners to improve future game designs and address any game-specific weaknesses that may impact gameplay. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of continuous improvement in game development practices to address game-specific weaknesses while embracing the unique aspects that make games enjoyable for players.

Q: Given the unique nature of some of these glitches and the appreciation for "jank" in the speedrunning community, should software engineering practices and taxonomies be adapted to better account for intentionally left-in bugs or unexpected behaviors that are embraced by players

The unique nature of some of these glitches and the appreciation for "jank" in the speedrunning community raise interesting considerations for software engineering practices and taxonomies. Adaptation of Taxonomies: Software engineering taxonomies like CWE primarily focus on identifying and addressing vulnerabilities and weaknesses that can lead to security breaches or system failures. However, the inclusion of categories like "Correct But Surprising Behavior" or "Bad Boundary Definition" could help broaden the scope of these taxonomies to encompass game-specific weaknesses. This adaptation could provide a more comprehensive understanding of software weaknesses across different domains. Intentional Bug Inclusion: In some cases, intentionally leaving in bugs or unexpected behaviors can add to the charm and appeal of a game. While traditional software engineering practices aim to eliminate all bugs, game developers may choose to retain certain glitches that enhance the player experience or contribute to the game's unique identity. This intentional inclusion of bugs could be considered as part of the game design process, requiring a different perspective from traditional software development. Player Engagement and Community: Embracing "jank" and unexpected behaviors can also foster player engagement and community interaction. Speedrunning communities, in particular, thrive on discovering and exploiting glitches to achieve record times in games. By acknowledging and understanding these behaviors, developers can leverage player feedback and community insights to improve future game releases and create a more engaging gaming experience. In conclusion, while software engineering practices and taxonomies may need to adapt to account for game-specific weaknesses, it is essential to strike a balance between addressing critical issues and embracing the unique aspects that make games enjoyable for players.

Kernkonzepte

Analyzing 237 known glitches in four classic Super Mario games to identify and categorize the underlying software weaknesses that enable speedrunners to beat the games in surprising ways.

Zusammenfassung

This paper presents a case study examining 237 known glitches across four classic Super Mario games: Super Mario Bros. 1 (SMB1), Super Mario Bros. 3 (SMB3), Super Mario World (SMW), and Super Mario 64 (SM64). The authors classify these glitches using the Seven Pernicious Kingdoms (7PK) software defect taxonomy and the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) to identify the weaknesses that enable the glitches.

Key findings:

45% of the glitches were attributed to the Time and State kingdom (7PK4), with the largest source being Incomplete Cleanup (CWE-459) and Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Conditions (CWE-367).
19% of the glitches were attributed to the Errors kingdom (7PK5), with the majority being Improper Check or Handling of Exceptional Conditions (CWE-703) and a new category called "Correct But Surprising Behavior".
Only 18% of the glitches were attributed to the Input Validation and Representation kingdom (7PK1), decreasing from 50% in SMB1 to 5% in SM64 as the games became more complex.
The authors identified 7 new categories of weaknesses not covered by existing CWE taxonomies, including Entity Limit, Failure to Appropriately Recheck Condition, State Exit Too Early, Correct But Surprising Behavior, Improper Correction of Illegal State, Incorrectly Shared Behavior, and Bad Boundary Definition.
The authors discuss how the nature of the glitches changed as the games grew in complexity and the developers gained more experience, as well as the implications of these game-specific weaknesses for software engineering in general.

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Statistiken

"If Mario's foot catches on a wall or pipe he can jump again to do the Wall Jump at that frame. However, Mario has to be moving towards the wall with some velocity."
"If Mario manages to get into a wall (say by momentum or being pushed) then the game attempts to correct this by moving Mario backwards until he is out of the wall. If Mario turns around just before being pushed into the wall then the game still corrects his position as before, but now pushing Mario through the wall behind him to the other side allowing speedrunners to skip whole sections of the game."
"If the mole is killed by throwing an exploding enemy from a great distance no hole is suitable and the function returns NULL. This leads to a crash."

Zitate

"Whilst speedrunning is not a software engineering discipline the tricks they employ do come in part from software engineering flaws. As engineers we can appreciate the performance and skill of speedrunners in breaking our code, but perhaps we do not need a standard language to fix these issues—unless they also appear in other software. Perhaps some software is best left broken, and perhaps sometimes its fun to watch Mario fly through a wall and enjoy Super Mario for what it is: fun."

Wichtige Erkenntnisse aus

Super Mario in the Pernicious Kingdoms: Classifying glitches in old games

by Llewellyn Fo... um arxiv.org 04-24-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2404.14870.pdf

Super Mario in the Pernicious Kingdoms: Classifying glitches in old games

Tiefere Fragen

How do the game-specific weaknesses identified in this study compare to bugs and vulnerabilities found in other types of software, such as enterprise applications or embedded systems

The game-specific weaknesses identified in this study, such as "Bad Boundary Definition" and "Correct But Surprising Behavior," have similarities and differences compared to bugs and vulnerabilities found in other types of software.
In enterprise applications or embedded systems, vulnerabilities often stem from issues like improper input validation, buffer overflows, and API abuse, which can lead to security breaches and system crashes. These types of weaknesses are more focused on ensuring the integrity and security of the software, as they can have serious consequences in terms of data breaches or system failures.
On the other hand, the game-specific weaknesses identified in this study are more related to the unique nature of video games and how players interact with them. Glitches like "Bad Boundary Definition" may not have direct counterparts in traditional software, as they are specific to the design and mechanics of games. Similarly, "Correct But Surprising Behavior" captures unexpected but technically correct behaviors in games, which may not align with traditional software bugs that are typically seen as negative.
While there are some parallels between game-specific weaknesses and vulnerabilities in other software, the context and impact of these issues differ based on the nature of the software and the expectations of the users.

What are the implications of these findings for the design and development of future video games, particularly as games become more complex and incorporate new technologies like virtual reality

The findings of this study have significant implications for the design and development of future video games, especially as games become more complex and incorporate new technologies like virtual reality.

Testing and Quality Assurance: Game developers need to pay close attention to testing and quality assurance processes to identify and address these game-specific weaknesses. With the increasing complexity of games, thorough testing becomes crucial to ensure that unexpected behaviors or glitches are minimized.

User Experience: Understanding and embracing the concept of "jank" or unexpected behaviors in games can enhance the overall user experience. Game developers may need to strike a balance between fixing critical bugs that impact gameplay and retaining certain glitches that add to the charm and uniqueness of the game.

Innovation and Creativity: As games evolve and incorporate new technologies like virtual reality, developers have the opportunity to innovate and create immersive experiences. However, they must also be mindful of potential glitches or unexpected behaviors that may arise due to the complexity of these technologies.

Community Engagement: Embracing glitches and unexpected behaviors can also foster community engagement, especially in the speedrunning community. Developers can leverage player feedback and insights from speedrunners to improve future game designs and address any game-specific weaknesses that may impact gameplay.

Overall, the findings highlight the importance of continuous improvement in game development practices to address game-specific weaknesses while embracing the unique aspects that make games enjoyable for players.

Given the unique nature of some of these glitches and the appreciation for "jank" in the speedrunning community, should software engineering practices and taxonomies be adapted to better account for intentionally left-in bugs or unexpected behaviors that are embraced by players

The unique nature of some of these glitches and the appreciation for "jank" in the speedrunning community raise interesting considerations for software engineering practices and taxonomies.

Adaptation of Taxonomies: Software engineering taxonomies like CWE primarily focus on identifying and addressing vulnerabilities and weaknesses that can lead to security breaches or system failures. However, the inclusion of categories like "Correct But Surprising Behavior" or "Bad Boundary Definition" could help broaden the scope of these taxonomies to encompass game-specific weaknesses. This adaptation could provide a more comprehensive understanding of software weaknesses across different domains.

Intentional Bug Inclusion: In some cases, intentionally leaving in bugs or unexpected behaviors can add to the charm and appeal of a game. While traditional software engineering practices aim to eliminate all bugs, game developers may choose to retain certain glitches that enhance the player experience or contribute to the game's unique identity. This intentional inclusion of bugs could be considered as part of the game design process, requiring a different perspective from traditional software development.

Player Engagement and Community: Embracing "jank" and unexpected behaviors can also foster player engagement and community interaction. Speedrunning communities, in particular, thrive on discovering and exploiting glitches to achieve record times in games. By acknowledging and understanding these behaviors, developers can leverage player feedback and community insights to improve future game releases and create a more engaging gaming experience.

In conclusion, while software engineering practices and taxonomies may need to adapt to account for game-specific weaknesses, it is essential to strike a balance between addressing critical issues and embracing the unique aspects that make games enjoyable for players.