The Misunderstood Mischief of Mario Troll Levels

Troll levels are turning game design on its head. In this video, we delve into their history, explore their wily methods, converse with the brilliant folks who make and play them, and examine how they’re already shaping the future of video games.

Featuring: @FreakAndGeek, @TanukiDan, @Defender1031, @bannedwagonteam, @jneen, @stevo1922, MarbleKing

Special Thanks to @CarlSagan42 for use of clips.

Playlist of Referenced Troll Levels: https://youtube.com/playlist?listPLa30Jo-ni7KPflkcgY3QBxxv0f-o-7mbK
Annotations Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kYZIenMU7xKybwMyYuoRzbYLyVztHBDmgP97i49jyko/edit?uspsharing

0:00:00 Part 1: A Brief History of Troll Levels
0:12:30 Defining Troll Levels
0:36:44 Part 2: The Gearbox of Trolling
0:39:30 Neutral: The Ambush
0:44:59 1st Gear: The Trap
0:55:19 2nd Gear: Deceit
1:08:54 3rd Gear: The Breach of Contract
1:19:55 4th Gear: The Farce
1:39:39 5th Gear: Blasphemy
1:55:51 Reverse: The Anti-Troll
2:05:01 Part 3: The Subversive Art of Troll Levels
2:30:01 Defender’s Magnum Opus
2:44:30 Closing Thoughts

MORE TROLL RESOURCES:
@ryeroyal ‘s very awesome history of troll levels vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?vnX8pZfY4j3c&t4585s
Defender’s Troll Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13ZoqeblLs45HuEfTtsOrq6X0LAuEnA8nB721_doxE38/edit?uspsharing
The Banned Wagon Team website: https://bannedwagon.team/
Sady’s /”A Troll Story/” Part 1: http://aminoapps.com/p/qg8pgnx
Part 2: http://aminoapps.com/p/oo2sip
About Syobon Action: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syobon_Action
Waypoint article on Super Wagon World: https://www.vice.com/en/article/88qwyp/nintendo-keeps-banning-these-mario-maker-levels-but-the-creators-just-publish-them-again

FURTHER READING:
A Brief History of Dada: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/dada-115169154/
/”How A Urinal Changed Art History/”: https://blog.artsper.com/en/a-closer-look/how-a-urinal-changed-art-history-the-duchamp-fountain/
/”Persuasive Games: Video Game Pranks/”: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/persuasive-games-video-game-pranks
/”Understanding the Flow Channel in Game Design/”: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/understanding-the-flow-channel-in-game-design
/”Queer Use/” by Sara Ahmed: https://feministkilljoys.com/2018/11/08/queer-use/

OTHER VIDEOS REFERENCED: https://youtube.com/playlist?listPLa30Jo-ni7KManPZt58gf4WAHhfgELcbV

#trolllevels #gamedesign #mario