Learning 2D Game Development with Unity®: A Hands-On Guide to Game Creation

Different Ways of Handling Movement

There are a number of considerations when looking at character control in your game, such as movement style, acceleration, and air control. Let’s take a look at these, shall we?

Discrete Tile Movement versus Smooth Tile Movement

Some 2D games operate on a purely tile-based system in which the player is always centered on a given tile. Any input typically moves the player to an adjacent tile, assuming nothing is blocking the way. The magnitude of the input is irrelevant as it is handled in a binary fashion (i.e., you are either moving or not moving).

Smooth movement, conversely, takes input from the player and translates the location in much smaller values. In this system, it is possible to end your movement ...