Scaffolding: Concept Review by Kyle Amburgey

 Scaffolding: Concept Review 

Introduction

    For our final project, we have been tasked with creating a unique game controller for a game of our choosing; for my controller, I have made three sketches for potential controllers for two different games that would function as fun alternative ways to control said games. The two games I have picked are games I enjoyed playing when I was younger that I believe would benefit from an alternate means of control, those games being Sonic Spinball and Pacman 2: The New Adventures.

Sonic Spinball

Gameplay Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WORL26r-8U

Link to playable version - https://www.retrogames.cc/genesis-games/sonic-spinball-usa.html

    Sonic Spinball is a Pinball-style game in which you control Sonic The Hedgehog through several pinball table levels to reach a goal by using bumpers and other various objects to reach it. My motivation for making a controller for this game is that I grew up with it, making it a game I am very fond of, and I see a lot of potential for a fun, Pinball-themed game controller, a concept I haven't seen explored before. I believe that the game could benefit from an alternate controller that makes it feel like your controlling Sonic more like an actual pinball, either by tilting the pinball machine to move him as if you were tilting a pinball machine in real life to cheat, by rolling the pinball directly, or by interacting with a component of the pinball machine, such as a bumper, making gameplay more novel and fun. The inquiry questions made me think more about the kinds of objects seen within the game itself, directly inspiring each of my controller designs for this game. As for feedback I would like, which controller seems like it would be the most fun to use, and is there any improvement you would make to how it controls?

"Design #1: Pinball Table"

Inspired by its Pinball gameplay; tilting moves Sonic much like if you tilted a pinball cabinet to cheat, pulling the bumper and releasing hits a button that triggers jumping, and toggling the flippers like a switch moves the flippers in-game.

"Design #2: Toxic Barrel"

A trackball controller that holds Sonic in ball-form within a toxic barrel, like the one he floats in during gameplay. rolling the ball moves Sonic left and right, voice toggles both flippers, and lifting the ball makes Sonic jump.

"Design #3: Pinball Bumper"

A disc-like controller that was inspired by the bumper shown on the game's title screen, the Circuit Playground Express is seated in the middle of the controller, covering the light sensor as if you were hitting the bumper triggers Sonic to jump, tilting it moves him, and a potentiometer on the right can be twisted to control the pinball machine's bumpers.

Pacman 2: The New Adventures

Gameplay Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXQAk9Ny5qc

Link to playable version - https://arcadespot.com/game/pac-man-2-the-new-adventures/

    Pacman 2: The New Adventures is a point-and-click-style puzzle adventure game in which you help guide Pacman through multiple adventures that take place in his day-to-day life. My motivation for working with this game is that it is another game I grew up with, and I always found the controls to be a little confusing, so I believe a controller that gives more visual feedback than a simple gamepad would benefit this game greatly. Again, the inquiry questions had me thinking about the various objects and visuals featured within the game, inspiring the controllers that I came up with this time around. The Slingshot controller was inspired by the main way of directing Pacman within the game, the glove was inspired by the pointing hand that tells Pacman where to look, and the Pacman controller was just a novel idea that allows you to control the game with the main character being the controller. As for feedback for these controllers, I would like to know which one of my designs seems like it would be best for controlling the game, and which design would be the simplest to create, as I ended up getting a little too create with each one, I think.

"Design #1: Slingshot"

A controller that functions much like a real-life slingshot; the Circuit Playground Express is attached to a rubber sling that is fixed to a wooden slingshot base. Moving the CPE aims the pointer in-game, a potentiometer is twisted in conjunction with using your voice to tell Pacman which way to look, covering the light sensor fires the slingshot, and flipping the switch fixed on the controller fires Power-pellets.

"Design #2: Pacman's Glove"

A Powerglove-esque controller that mostly functions using gestures; bending your pointer finger tells Pacman to look left, middle tells him to look right, the pinky fires a Power-pellet, tilting your hand moves the pointer, and voice controls fire the slingshot.

"Design #3: Pacman"

A controller that was made in the main character, Pacman's likeness as a fun way to play the game. The left level moves the in-game pointer up and down, the right level moves it left and right, a potentiometer on his tongue tells Pacman to look left or right when twisted, a switch under his nose fires a Power-pellet when flipped, and a microphone in his forehead can be used to fire the slingshot by shouting into it.