Inspiration
When we looked at the Twisted Reality category, it immediately stuck out to us that arcades were brought up. We realized that many arcade games are classics, and should be brought back. We chose to remake Space Invaders because when we looked at the game, it seemed very dull compared to what we expected from arcade games. Thus, we decided to put our own twist, and make it a kaleidoscope of colors and flashing icons.
What it does
It lets the user play Space Invaders, except with the added challenges of visually distracting backgrounds and icons. Through its brightness, colorfulness, and cuteness, we hope to introduce and attract a younger generation, who may not have heard of Space Invaders, to a classic game.
How we built it
We used Processing 4, with the Java language in processing. We created different classes for our different elements (aliens, rocket, bullet). Then we used methods and constructors that we built in each class in our main setup and draw methods to make the objects interact. Lastly, we drew every icon and background on an iPad, and then transferred it onto our computers to make the game completely custom.
Challenges we ran into
Because Processing 4 is a relatively new software for both of us, we ran into challenges when trying to capture the mechanics we had envisioned into objects in our game. Rotation was especially tricky, since we quickly realized that the rotating capabilities were centered at the origin, and it proved impossible to rotate objects around themselves, while also moving laterally. We also ran into challenges in regards to ideation; we initially struggled with the idea of visual exhilaration, and it took quite a few failed attempts and ideas before we finally settled on a project that connected to both the retro arcade theme and the visual exhilaration goals.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
As Processing 4 was new to us, we ran into many issues of dealing with motion and interaction with our visual based application. Usually, with Java, it is easy to encapsulate and define our own methods to make code readability easier. However, with Processing 4, everything had to be in the draw function, and it could not be encapsulated. Thus, when we would try to add something in a method, it would not work due to the nature of Processing's language. Thus, our biggest accomplishment was being able to change our thinking for a language which was fairly different from what we had seen before.
What we learned
As a result of this project, we both learned how to use Processing 4, but more generally we developed our self-learning skills. In trying to complete this project, we turned to so many resources — example code, documentation, video tutorials, Stack Overflow, etc. The ability to find our own resources and learn how to learn a new language and a new software is a skill we're glad to have developed, especially as we entered college hoping to challenge ourselves by learning through hands-on building, rather than purely classroom lectures.
What's next for Twisted Space Invaders
In the future, we would like to expand the line to include other arcade games, and make them just as visually exhilarating as we made Twisted Space Invaders. For Twisted Space Invaders, specifically, we would like to add in a hardware arcade machine-like component to make it a classic arcade experience. Furthermore, we would also like to make the game online with an online scoreboard so that people around the world can play this game.
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