Gameplay Journal Entry #5

When it comes to the definition of what is considered a glitch, I think of it as a type of exploit or unorthodox event in a game that happens after a series of events. Glitches I also feel can range from graphical and coding hiccups to game-breaking anomalies. To quote Rosa Menkman, whose opinion on glitch art can be applied to the nature of glitches, “The genre of glitch art moves like the weather: sometimes it evolves very slowly, while at other times it can strike like lightning. The artworks within this realm can be disturbing, provoking, and horrifying”. Now in the speed-running community, and specifically Super Mario 64, one of the most infamous glitches ever is long jumping really fast up the endless stairs to pass them. In order to execute this, you have to do the long jump move backward all while going up the stairs; if you jump backward several times in succession, your speed multiplies indefinitely until you hit the room past the stairs. Your speed will go back to normal and you can move around the castle just as freely.

I feel like this example perfectly encapsulates what I would consider a glitch because it is an unorthodox method and is an exploit. It also disturbs the normal flow of gameplay because this method wasn’t intentional and is supposed to be a purposeful roadblock until you fill to obtain a specific amount of stars. Sometimes, other games glitch due to less than desirable reasons, like how Fallout 76 would break constantly in all aspects: musically, graphically, and mechanically. In that context, however, the game is destined to be majorly flawed and broken, which disrupts gameplay in a very disheartening manner. One more thing to consider is that if a developer or creator hasn’t confirmed a certain event should happen if a player were to commence a series of events, like clipping through walls, it may also be considered a glitch.