Prefer Composition over Implementation Inheritance

In a previous post, we learned implementation inheritance should be avoided. But, what can we do instead? Composition to the Rescue We want to be able to share code while allowing us to switch out different functionalities on the fly keeping us extensible. Without inheritance, what could we do to share code? Let’s use composition! …

Implementation Inheritance Is Evil

Author’s Note: PLEASE DONT FORGET TO READ PART 2 – PREFER COMPOSITION OVER INHERITANCE! – It describes the alternative! It’s what the Gang of Four intended when they made Design Patterns. THIS POST SERIES ISN’T ABOUT OOP BEING BAD – It’s getting you to realize THE TRUE POWER OF OOP – POLYMORPHISM (Interface Inheritance) with COMPOSITION …

My Favorite Books About Coding

Even with the internet around, books are great resources for learning about coding. Here are books I recommend. Clean Code I love Clean Code. It has so many small little tidbits that make code easier to read and maintain. Anyone who does any coding NEEDS to at least skim this book! My favorite tip: always …

Social Engagement Challenge

My whole life, I’ve lived in social anxiety. I’ve avoided countless conversations that could’ve benefited my life in numerous ways. Doctor visits, talking to my favorite musicians, professional meetings at work, asking questions in class, asking girls out, and the list of missed opportunities goes on and on. I consistently find myself in a state …

3D Platformers – How Game Design Contributed to their Downfall (and hopeful revival)

Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, Banjo-Tooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Spyro the Dragon, Mario Sunshine, Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, Psychonauts. After these games in the 5th and early 6th console generation, the 3D platformer as we knew it died off significantly. Games that continued their legacy ended up being wildly …

Cooking and Eating in Breath of the Wild: Pros and Cons

In Zelda Breath of the Wild, items found along the way can be cooked together to create interesting combinations that improve various attributes when eaten including attack, stamina, temp resistance, and more. While there tends to be some complaints, cooking ultimately adds another layer of breadth to the game that ultimately gives players more choices …

Who finds Zelda Skyward Sword more enjoyable than Breath of the Wild?

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has achieved universal acclaim amongst reviewers and fans of the series due to its open-world gameplay and amount of interesting decisions the players can take at any moment. Its predecessor, Skyward Sword, has been a controversial title in the series due to its hit-or-miss motion controls and …

Hello world!

Welcome to What’s in a Game! I’m starting this blog for a few reasons: Help myself and others learn game design through analyzing real-world games in depth Share my expertise in software engineering Encourage others to create the games of their dreams I hope to cover various topics related to what games are made of …