Game Controller Progress Review: Osu!taiko Controller

 

   My controller will be in the design of a small bongo which will house the CPE inside of it. There will be an opening in the back of the controller to allow the usb cable to be plugged into it so it can be powered. The way it will work with the game, Osu!taiko, is that the user will tilt the drum in the direction based on the color of the note on screen i.e, if a blue note is coming the user will tilt the controller to the left at the right time to hit the note. Tilting the controller forward or backward will register as hitting two of the same note together or two keys at the same time to think about it as a keyboard. This will allow the user to hit the bigger notes if they so choose and also allow them to alternate back and forth between the same color note in order to hit a string of notes faster.

 

Pseudo code: 

Include necessary libraries;

Variables

    Set up variables for each tilt motion

    tilt left;

    tilt right;

    tilt up;

    tilt down;

Setup

    Initialize Circuit Playground;

    Initialize Analog;

Loop

Accelerometer

    If tilt left, 

        register variable as active and activate corresponding key on key board;

         else,

             do nothing;

     If tilt right, 

        register variable as active and activate corresponding key on key board;

         else,

            do nothing;

     If tilt up, 

        register variable as active and activate corresponding key on key board;

           else,

               do nothing;

     If tilt down, 

        register variable as active and activate corresponding key on key board;

             else,

                do nothing;

1. I know with the drum design it would make more sense to have it work like an actual drum but I wanted to stay with inputs I was comfortable with. With that in mind, is there a controller design that you would recommend in place of the drum look or would you still stay with the drum design?

2. Are they icons on the top of the drum good enough to convey the inputs or should I change them in way to make it easier to understand how the controller works?