Scaffolding: Concept Review Team 9

 Sarah Walenciak and Marcus Werner

We are considering making a controller for either Project Diva, or Kirby Super Star. Project Diva can be played on Steam or through the emulator Yuzu, and Kirby Super Star must be played using the Retroarch emulator or the Retro Games website so it’s playable on pc.

 

Project Diva: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1761390/Hatsune_Miku_Project_DIVA_Mega_Mix/

In addition to being a nostalgic game for us, interest in Project Diva stemmed from the simple controls and the ability to focus on rhythm and input combos. The challenge of having to account for simultaneous inputs on top of the other restrictions was very appealing. We also thought that there could be a more interactive controller that emphasizes timing and rhythm connecting the player to the game more than just some buttons. We developed concepts based on finger placement and object collision to incorporate common practices seen with musical instruments unique from anything seen in current music and rhythm games.

 

Kirby Super Star: https://www.retrogames.cz/play_802-SNES.php

Building on nostalgia, we chose Kirby Super Star as our second game option. We thought we’d take it a step further and do a childhood classic that is more whimsical and involves movement in addition to ability inputs. We wanted to make a controller that encapsulates the fun and adventurous tone making it more representative of a toy. There are several motifs to draw inspiration from, such as a star which is not only heavily featured in Kirby games but is also directly in the title of the game we chose. We wanted to utilize a unique analog sensor in some of the concepts, and since core gameplay involves inhaling and exhaling, we thought this would be a great opportunity to use the airflow sensor. This offers a way for the player to connect with the world by directly mimicking an action taken by Kirby.

 

Questions to Consider:

How engaging do you feel the musical/rhythm controller concepts are? Would you enjoy using these controllers?

Do you feel that the emphasis on visual and physical motifs for the Kirby controller concepts is worth working around, or is it an unnecessary complication possibly limiting practical and intuitive controls?

Sketches:

 Glow sticks: For Project Diva. The shock detectors capture the button presses when the glow sticks are tapped together, and which capacitive sensors are covered determines the specific buttons or button combos that get registered.

 

 

 Kirby plush: for Kirby Super Star. Flex sensors control left and right movement, position sensors are for the up arrow and flying, pressure sensors are button presses.

 

 Star: for Kirby Super Star. Tilt sensors are left and right, air flow is for the y button, and covering the light sensors are button presses.

 

Recorder: for Project Diva. Lower air flow sensors correspond to buttons, force sensor is for joystick slides.

 

 

Turntable: for Project Diva. Motion in the rotation sensors captures the button presses, and the heat sensors determine the button. Force slider for joystick.