Valve Developer Kim Swift reveals how the "Nintendo Factor" influenced her in several projects.

Valve Developer Kim Swift talked on Monday at GDC's Independent Games Summit about how Mario inspired her in her work on student project Narbacular Drop, on which Portal is based.

"We wanted our game to have the Nintendo factor," she told the GDC audience. "We wanted to create one piece of gameplay that could be used for a whole bunch of different things."

"So for example Mario jumps, but with that jump people can do a whole bunch of other things; he can jump on enemies, he can break blocks, he can collect power ups. We wanted the same thing in Narbacular drop too - we wanted portals to be used not just to run away but to be used for a whole bunch of other things."

Swift also reveals that it took "about the same time" to develop both Narbacular Drop and Portal, with most of the gameplay mechanics up and running in just 8 months. "This was all our work; all seven of us poured our heart and soul into Portal," she says.

Wouldn't it be amazing for Valve to give something back to Nintendo? Perhaps, a new game on the Wii? Make it happen, Valve!