Let's Talk About World Maps
Just wanted to highlight any world maps that I find particularly interesting in some way. Unlike the fishing list, this will not contain every world map I have ever come across.
No real factors to judge here, as long as it is interesting it can go either way.
Keep in mind, this does NOT count Hub Worlds, that may be a different list, but a World Map is much more of a direct level select kind of deal. It's hard to describe, but here are some things that level selects typically have in common:
+ Used for selecting levels
+ Isometric or top down perspective
+ No control over the usual player character
+ Very direct selection tools
Keep in mind these all may not apply to every map, but just some general guidelines. I guess a good way to describe it is that world maps are more detailed than level selects, but less detailed than hub worlds.
Suggestions are graciously appreciated, as I don't think I need to play the game to see at least partial value in its world map.
No real factors to judge here, as long as it is interesting it can go either way.
Keep in mind, this does NOT count Hub Worlds, that may be a different list, but a World Map is much more of a direct level select kind of deal. It's hard to describe, but here are some things that level selects typically have in common:
+ Used for selecting levels
+ Isometric or top down perspective
+ No control over the usual player character
+ Very direct selection tools
Keep in mind these all may not apply to every map, but just some general guidelines. I guess a good way to describe it is that world maps are more detailed than level selects, but less detailed than hub worlds.
Suggestions are graciously appreciated, as I don't think I need to play the game to see at least partial value in its world map.
15 Games
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
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This is probably the ideal world map you would ever want for any level-based video game ever made ever.
A simple, crayon aesthetic mixed with level previews that contain one relevant object from said level develop this wondrous child-like feeling that also contains a ton of cool icons and drawings to admire. The music is downright legendary at this point, and the decision to have the castles appear before you actually know what's in them adds a nice tinge of foreshadowing.
But let's be real, the best thing about this world map are the Yoshis. They throw the baby between each other and the Yoshi color that picks up the baby is the next Yoshi you play as. I do also love how you can see the future Yoshis all holding the signs as they await their moment to fulfill their duties.
It has everything, it may not be the most unique, but it's a perfect cut of steak that's for sure.
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This is probably the ideal world map you would ever want for any level-based video game ever made ever.
A simple, crayon aesthetic mixed with level previews that contain one relevant object from said level develop this wondrous child-like feeling that also contains a ton of cool icons and drawings to admire. The music is downright legendary at this point, and the decision to have the castles appear before you actually know what's in them adds a nice tinge of foreshadowing.
But let's be real, the best thing about this world map are the Yoshis. They throw the baby between each other and the Yoshi color that picks up the baby is the next Yoshi you play as. I do also love how you can see the future Yoshis all holding the signs as they await their moment to fulfill their duties.
It has everything, it may not be the most unique, but it's a perfect cut of steak that's for sure.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
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This might technically be cheating.
You do have full autonomy over your original character, and it functions less like a map and more like a complicated level select, but it does let you select those levels and does so with simplified map designs. If it was a cursor instead of Kirby it'd be no problem, so I'm counting it.
The world maps are beautiful in this game, as each new level unlock rewards you with a new animation of something cute happening, like a bear raising a mountain to match with the height of a door, or each level slowly assembling a massive cake. The maps are small and easy to traverse, so you will never get lost, and even unlocking levels comes with a bit of interactivity.
Very cute level select mechanics for a very cute video game.
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This might technically be cheating.
You do have full autonomy over your original character, and it functions less like a map and more like a complicated level select, but it does let you select those levels and does so with simplified map designs. If it was a cursor instead of Kirby it'd be no problem, so I'm counting it.
The world maps are beautiful in this game, as each new level unlock rewards you with a new animation of something cute happening, like a bear raising a mountain to match with the height of a door, or each level slowly assembling a massive cake. The maps are small and easy to traverse, so you will never get lost, and even unlocking levels comes with a bit of interactivity.
Very cute level select mechanics for a very cute video game.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ☆
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Talk about a world map with visuals that match exactly what should be happening in the game's world. Flying Olimar's ship from place to place feels so satisfying, as it's not always a direct path and you can kind of whip about all over the place. If you ever play this game with me, you will see me fiddle with the ship for a couple minutes before each adventure.
The star system is perfect for showing the amount of ship parts left in an area, and the rest of the data is very helpful too. The visuals match the feel of the game perfectly and the music is top notch.
I would also lump Pikmin 2 in here as well but the ship in that one is slightly slower and the map is smaller so for today, the original wins.
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Talk about a world map with visuals that match exactly what should be happening in the game's world. Flying Olimar's ship from place to place feels so satisfying, as it's not always a direct path and you can kind of whip about all over the place. If you ever play this game with me, you will see me fiddle with the ship for a couple minutes before each adventure.
The star system is perfect for showing the amount of ship parts left in an area, and the rest of the data is very helpful too. The visuals match the feel of the game perfectly and the music is top notch.
I would also lump Pikmin 2 in here as well but the ship in that one is slightly slower and the map is smaller so for today, the original wins.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ☆
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So keep in mind that since I am not counting hub worlds, this only applies to the sections inside of the mini-observatories.
I have a fetish for world maps in space games that actually abide by spacelike physics. It's so simple, but the fact that these levels orbit around the comet observatory means so much to me.
You get this really awesome, condensed preview of each level you may explore, you can fly directly into Bowser's fucking eyeball, and each level unlocked is revealed through a massive explosion.
Really helps to breed that sense of wonder that this game is so well-versed in.
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So keep in mind that since I am not counting hub worlds, this only applies to the sections inside of the mini-observatories.
I have a fetish for world maps in space games that actually abide by spacelike physics. It's so simple, but the fact that these levels orbit around the comet observatory means so much to me.
You get this really awesome, condensed preview of each level you may explore, you can fly directly into Bowser's fucking eyeball, and each level unlocked is revealed through a massive explosion.
Really helps to breed that sense of wonder that this game is so well-versed in.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ☆
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There are actually quite a few level selects in this game, however I think only one counts as a true world map, and that is the last one.
Tibby's Mom has a surprising amount of nuance as a map (which may sound weird to those who haven't played the game). Each arm contains four altered mini-games to play and a remix, with each game coming from, in this order, Rhythm Tengoku, Rhythm Heaven DS, Rhythm Heaven Fever, and Rhythm Heaven Megamix. The fact that they abide by this order is so interesting, and they take these games into the last remix which is very neat.
Also I just love the menacing music that plays before you complete the last remix. Like I've never been more horrified at the idea of playing Tap Trial 2 but I should be because that game is fucking impossible.
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There are actually quite a few level selects in this game, however I think only one counts as a true world map, and that is the last one.
Tibby's Mom has a surprising amount of nuance as a map (which may sound weird to those who haven't played the game). Each arm contains four altered mini-games to play and a remix, with each game coming from, in this order, Rhythm Tengoku, Rhythm Heaven DS, Rhythm Heaven Fever, and Rhythm Heaven Megamix. The fact that they abide by this order is so interesting, and they take these games into the last remix which is very neat.
Also I just love the menacing music that plays before you complete the last remix. Like I've never been more horrified at the idea of playing Tap Trial 2 but I should be because that game is fucking impossible.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ☆ ☆
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Does it still count as a world map if the majority of the game is just world map?
It's ok because this one is mostly a means to an end, where you pick a path and then enjoy the horrific nightmare novel you decided you would be reading. There's not much more to it than that, though it is very nice that occasionally you can see ahead and try to double plan your choices to reach certain areas and not end up with a game over.
Also this is one of the few world maps on here that can (and should) be experienced multiplayer, which is just an added layer of fun.
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Does it still count as a world map if the majority of the game is just world map?
It's ok because this one is mostly a means to an end, where you pick a path and then enjoy the horrific nightmare novel you decided you would be reading. There's not much more to it than that, though it is very nice that occasionally you can see ahead and try to double plan your choices to reach certain areas and not end up with a game over.
Also this is one of the few world maps on here that can (and should) be experienced multiplayer, which is just an added layer of fun.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ☆ ☆
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I was so surprised to find out that the world map for selecting levels you've played in this game actually looks really cool.
The emblem system works perfectly for this kind of thing, showing you the full row of goals you have for each particular level, but let's be real, the reason this is here is because of the PNG in the back.
This metropolis style they used for all of the world design is so charming, and it elucidates so many details and raises a bunch of questions. How on Earth is the Chao Garden island literally in the shape of a Chao's head? There's so much detail in the ARK it's almost scary, and it's just really cool that a game which places levels in similar areas could provide a full map to give us more details.
I mean other than that who cares, it's pretty basic.
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I was so surprised to find out that the world map for selecting levels you've played in this game actually looks really cool.
The emblem system works perfectly for this kind of thing, showing you the full row of goals you have for each particular level, but let's be real, the reason this is here is because of the PNG in the back.
This metropolis style they used for all of the world design is so charming, and it elucidates so many details and raises a bunch of questions. How on Earth is the Chao Garden island literally in the shape of a Chao's head? There's so much detail in the ARK it's almost scary, and it's just really cool that a game which places levels in similar areas could provide a full map to give us more details.
I mean other than that who cares, it's pretty basic.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ☆ ☆
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Less is more, it seems.
Functionally, this may be the worst world map on this entire collection. Five minuscule dots representing your areas all shoved rudely into the bottom right corner. It feels so needless at first to reserve 75% of the screen to literally nothing, but upon a closer inspection you may feel that these choices really enhance the mood of the map.
The empty, black void taking up most of your vision combined with the rapid murmurs used as a backing theme and the slowly scrolling "world map" text all contribute to a feeling of emptiness, something synonymous with the game and also very off-putting in its own right.
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Less is more, it seems.
Functionally, this may be the worst world map on this entire collection. Five minuscule dots representing your areas all shoved rudely into the bottom right corner. It feels so needless at first to reserve 75% of the screen to literally nothing, but upon a closer inspection you may feel that these choices really enhance the mood of the map.
The empty, black void taking up most of your vision combined with the rapid murmurs used as a backing theme and the slowly scrolling "world map" text all contribute to a feeling of emptiness, something synonymous with the game and also very off-putting in its own right.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ☆ ☆
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Very basic, but has an undeniable charm to it that helps make it stand out from the rest.
While the mechanics of the map are as simple as "go from point 1 to point 2" over and over again, there are little details that really add up here. I love the level icons, sparkling green dots that get you so excited for the whimsy in store for you. The environments are dynamic and sometimes cover Pac-Man, and the music that was used in the first level plays here and of course it is a bop.
A big problem could be that it kind of takes Pac-Man a long time to get where he needs to be on this one, since you're locked to his walking speed and the whole map is shaped like a giant circle.
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Very basic, but has an undeniable charm to it that helps make it stand out from the rest.
While the mechanics of the map are as simple as "go from point 1 to point 2" over and over again, there are little details that really add up here. I love the level icons, sparkling green dots that get you so excited for the whimsy in store for you. The environments are dynamic and sometimes cover Pac-Man, and the music that was used in the first level plays here and of course it is a bop.
A big problem could be that it kind of takes Pac-Man a long time to get where he needs to be on this one, since you're locked to his walking speed and the whole map is shaped like a giant circle.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ☆ ☆
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The world map equivalent of water. Two-color scheme with simple icons makes something that won't stand out much in a crowd, but it's very easy to navigate, helps establish the idea of the world's scale and positioning, and just kind of gets the job done. The music track is burned into my amygdala, though.
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The world map equivalent of water. Two-color scheme with simple icons makes something that won't stand out much in a crowd, but it's very easy to navigate, helps establish the idea of the world's scale and positioning, and just kind of gets the job done. The music track is burned into my amygdala, though.
⭐ ⭐ ☆ ☆ ☆
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Might not be eligible for the list as it may qualify more as a level select, but who says the background environment has to match 1-to-1 with the levels, huh?
Whether it counts or not, this map has an interesting idea, with letting players vote on stages to play simply by landing on them. Very interesting in concept, but frustrating in execution. Who the fuck is going to pick any of the levels at the top of the tree when the journey up there is so long and arduous?
If you're not good at this game, like I am, this will reflect in your navigation of this world map, as each attempt to get to the volcano stage will lead to you missing a wall jump and falling right on farm. Whatever, at least the stages on the bottom are good.
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Might not be eligible for the list as it may qualify more as a level select, but who says the background environment has to match 1-to-1 with the levels, huh?
Whether it counts or not, this map has an interesting idea, with letting players vote on stages to play simply by landing on them. Very interesting in concept, but frustrating in execution. Who the fuck is going to pick any of the levels at the top of the tree when the journey up there is so long and arduous?
If you're not good at this game, like I am, this will reflect in your navigation of this world map, as each attempt to get to the volcano stage will lead to you missing a wall jump and falling right on farm. Whatever, at least the stages on the bottom are good.
⭐ ⭐ ☆ ☆ ☆
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Perhaps a controversial opinion but I love it when world maps let me see everything that I've encountered in all of their glorious detail. Stop obscuring me from stuff I've already seen, silly video game.
My Elden Ring map consists of wonderfully drawn environments mixed with blotches of sad, gray failure. When I'm going around trying to figure out places I haven't explored, it's so frustrating that I can't always see everything. "So why don't you find the thing that lets you see everything then, ever think about that Mr. Bugman"? Trust me I tried to do it without guides, but even with the guides it can take me a half an hour to find one tiny little stone I missed that gives me my map.
The rest of it functions great. Easy teleportation and clear directions with lines that point towards progression. It's all crystal clear, just give it to me when I get there instead of when I find an ant-sized monument in a world the size of Texas.
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Perhaps a controversial opinion but I love it when world maps let me see everything that I've encountered in all of their glorious detail. Stop obscuring me from stuff I've already seen, silly video game.
My Elden Ring map consists of wonderfully drawn environments mixed with blotches of sad, gray failure. When I'm going around trying to figure out places I haven't explored, it's so frustrating that I can't always see everything. "So why don't you find the thing that lets you see everything then, ever think about that Mr. Bugman"? Trust me I tried to do it without guides, but even with the guides it can take me a half an hour to find one tiny little stone I missed that gives me my map.
The rest of it functions great. Easy teleportation and clear directions with lines that point towards progression. It's all crystal clear, just give it to me when I get there instead of when I find an ant-sized monument in a world the size of Texas.
⭐ ⭐ ☆ ☆ ☆
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Spore has a world map? That may be what you're asking right now, and it does. It's used to let you select your save files.
Basically your saves appear as planets in the massive Spore galaxy, and you click on these sparkling stars to access the area and start your game up. It's as simple as that, no strings attached, but what makes it cool is that these represent the literal location that your home planet is in the overall Spore world (AFAIK I could be fact checked on this). That, combined with just the idea that you are accessing your specific planet in this massive space, is just so cool.
But it's very bare bones and serves one small purpose and that's it so welcome to two star jail idiot.
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Spore has a world map? That may be what you're asking right now, and it does. It's used to let you select your save files.
Basically your saves appear as planets in the massive Spore galaxy, and you click on these sparkling stars to access the area and start your game up. It's as simple as that, no strings attached, but what makes it cool is that these represent the literal location that your home planet is in the overall Spore world (AFAIK I could be fact checked on this). That, combined with just the idea that you are accessing your specific planet in this massive space, is just so cool.
But it's very bare bones and serves one small purpose and that's it so welcome to two star jail idiot.
⭐ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
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I want to know which one of these chucklefucks who used to work at Rare thought it would be a cool idea to make it so you couldn't go back to previous levels once you've entered a new zone. Not until you find Funky's little plane, that is.
The amount of stress this adds to the whole experience is immense. I can't grind lives in the first zone until I find Funky, so I could lose a lot of progress if, oh I don't know, let's just say hypothetically that I'm bad at this game.
That would be ok if I could save before levels maybe, but that's also locked onto spots on the world map. The snow zone is a nightmare because both the save booth and Funky's flights are at like, the last two levels of the zone, and the levels here are quite bitter in difficulty, so it becomes this nightmare hellscape where if I die even once I fall apart emotionally like a Jenga tower.
The musical notation for this world map has been etched into the inside of my skull and creates an actual panic response from my brain when played.
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I want to know which one of these chucklefucks who used to work at Rare thought it would be a cool idea to make it so you couldn't go back to previous levels once you've entered a new zone. Not until you find Funky's little plane, that is.
The amount of stress this adds to the whole experience is immense. I can't grind lives in the first zone until I find Funky, so I could lose a lot of progress if, oh I don't know, let's just say hypothetically that I'm bad at this game.
That would be ok if I could save before levels maybe, but that's also locked onto spots on the world map. The snow zone is a nightmare because both the save booth and Funky's flights are at like, the last two levels of the zone, and the levels here are quite bitter in difficulty, so it becomes this nightmare hellscape where if I die even once I fall apart emotionally like a Jenga tower.
The musical notation for this world map has been etched into the inside of my skull and creates an actual panic response from my brain when played.
⭐ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
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This feels like the result of four really stubborn game designers refusing to compromise any of their world map beliefs, so they just agreed to combine every single one of their ideas into a homunculus of a system.
It would take ages for me to go into the root design principles of all the world map variations of the game, but the point of the matter is that the maps individually are not bad at all. It's just weird that they're all in the same game. Going from walking to flying around a map, linear to non-linear, locations that have no sense of cohesion, it's just a mess.
People like to stress that the last world map in space is really cool, similar to Milky Way Wishes from Kirby Superstar. I have to agree, but what on Earth happened the first three hours??
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This feels like the result of four really stubborn game designers refusing to compromise any of their world map beliefs, so they just agreed to combine every single one of their ideas into a homunculus of a system.
It would take ages for me to go into the root design principles of all the world map variations of the game, but the point of the matter is that the maps individually are not bad at all. It's just weird that they're all in the same game. Going from walking to flying around a map, linear to non-linear, locations that have no sense of cohesion, it's just a mess.
People like to stress that the last world map in space is really cool, similar to Milky Way Wishes from Kirby Superstar. I have to agree, but what on Earth happened the first three hours??