Floating Platforms: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|'''Houston''': ''I just thought of something... how do these platforms float?''

'''*[[Gravity Is a Harsh Mistress|CRASH]]*'''

'''Samus''': ''NEVER question the physics in a video game!''|[http://www.metroid2002.com/maru_mari/030.html Maru Mari]}}

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** One level in ''Devil May Cry'' sees you having to traverse a series of ''invisible'' floating platforms, presumably made of some kind of magical energy, to obtain the item needed to unlock the last room and proceed to the [[Boss Fight]]. These magical platforms are only visible when the lightning flashes from the storm outside temporarily illuminate them.

* ''[[Tomb Raider]] 2'' included some of these in the next-to-last level, in the form of "jade islands"—which were outside the confines of Lara's otherwise relatively mundane reality.

* Averted AND Handwaved in ''[[~~Little Big Planet~~]]'' where all platforms must be attached to something in order appear floating unless of course it's made of dark matter then it just plain floats.

* Averted AND Handwaved in ''[[LittleBigPlanet]]'' where all platforms must be attached to something in order appear floating unless of course it's made of dark matter then it just plain floats.

** Thankfully, the sequel lets you play it straight by attaching a tool to an object that allows you to make it float, making dark matter redundant.

* The few platforms that do float in ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'' are either powered by crystals and magic (Tu'Lia) or are in an area created by [[Cosmic Horror|ungodly formless beings]] (Promivion).

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* ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' is fond of this. However, in ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', the very first level had but a single floating piece of land called the [[Lampshade Hanging|floating island]] that looks ridiculously out of place.

** Ironically, Shigeru Miyamoto once stated in an interview that he still has some issues with floating platforms, due to the lack of any real logic behind them. He then said that he pretends that they are attached to the background in the 2D games.

* ''[[Crystal Caves]]'' has mechanical platforms with jet engines, allowing them to hover. There are also some classic floating platforms, though; since it's a game with a [[Side View]], let's just say they're actually attached to the background.

* ''[[Secret Agent (video game)|Secret Agent]]'' has a lot of Floating Platforms, though it always takes care to make them at least a little realistic; even in outdoor settings, all platforms are visibly attached to something solid, like a pole. Though, curiously, the ''clouds'' sometimes serve as Floating Platforms.

* Laputa in Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. It is flying with help of magnetic force. Or so they say.

* The ''entirety'' of the six levels of ''[[Bug!]]!'' take place on a floating terrain- which is actually part of a movie set.

* ''[[Legend of Kalevala]]'' has plenty of them, especially in the [[Eternal Engine]] stage.

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== Films ==

* A rare example and justification of this: the newer ''[[Journey to ~~The~~ Center of ~~The~~ Earth]]'' movie has floating stones large enough to stand on suspended by magnetic force.

* A rare example and justification of this: the newer ''[[Journey to the Center of the Earth]]'' movie has floating stones large enough to stand on suspended by magnetic force.

* In James Cameron's ''[[Avatar (film)|Avatar]]'', massive islands of stone known as the Hallelujah Mountains (Thundering Rocks to the natives) float high above the planet Pandora's surface. It is [[Hand Wave|loosely explained]] that the [[Applied Phlebotinum|magnetic energies]] from the literal [[Unobtainium]] keep them suspended mid-air due to the [[Techno Babble|Meissner Effect]]. It's also known that the resulting magnetic "Flux Vortex" also interferes with the navigational instruments of human aircraft. The Principle is actually scientifically sound; A superconductor like unobtanium would float whe exposed to a sufficiently powerful magnetic field. However, a magnetic field strong enough to make mountains float would do a lot more than interfere with navigation.

* In [[Toy Story]] 2, Rex is seen playing a Buzz Lightyear video game, and walks up some magically appearing floating steps to fight the final boss.

* In [[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]] 2, Rex is seen playing a Buzz Lightyear video game, and walks up some magically appearing floating steps to fight the final boss.

== Literature ==

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== Card Games ==

* In the [[Magic: The Gathering]] expansion ''Zendikar'', several geographic formations float in mid-air, including floating plains, mountains, and islands. This can be clearly seen in the artwork of the appropriate land cards. Of course, this expansion is based on the idea that the land is alive and is very volatile/unstable.

** The ''Urza's Saga'' storyline for ''Magic'' featured the [[Heaven]]-like world of Serra's Realm, which was made up of [http://magiccards.info/br/en/22.html idyllic meadows] and [http://magiccards.info/us/en/325.html majestic cathedrals] floating on huge slabs of rock.

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[[Category:Acceptable Breaks From Reality]]

[[Category:Video Game Physics]]

[[Category:~~Floating Platforms~~]]

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]