Arrow Strike -- Best Hardware Hack

The player-controlled arrow.
The bullet for dodging as the main enemy.
A prototype for greater enemy variety to be implemented.

Inspiration

We were inspired by mobile twitch games, but wondered if there was a way to integrate more control schemes into the program, to give it cross-platform accessibility.

What it does

Accessibility was key for Arrow Strike, as the mechanics are simple as well as the controls. The goal is to avoid projectiles coming across the screen to build up a score, using the controls to dash away from the projectiles. Simple and intuitive, it was well-suited to many control schemes.

How we built it

Using the Princeton University StdDraw database, we programmed in Java and used custom-made graphics. We based our game off of real-life physics.

Challenges we ran into

The time constraints posed a significant challenge to our team, as we were not able to accomplish the goals that we initially established for ourselves. We also would have liked to have a greater availability to hardware components such as ultrasonic sensors, infrared breakers, and gyroscopic sensors, among several others. Also, we initially planned to develop our game using pygame, however, due to logistical issues, a mid-Hackathon switch to Java also resulted in some issues.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're proud of the physics engine and intuitive controls for our project, as well as the custom-made graphics.

What we learned

We learned about the integration of multimedia with a programming project, as well as the challenges present in hardware controls.

What's next for Arrow Strike

Due to having few dependencies, it is easily adapted to other controls, such as physical controllers and keyboards. More widespread support of different control schemes is next on our list.