My capstone team and I have been hammering out details for our virtual reality (VR) Arcade Classics project. We are integrating our own version of two retro arcade games into VR. One of the most important steps to tackling a long term project such as this is preparation. Since the start of the term we have been rigorously planning, in hopes to have a polished game to be available on the Meta Quest market by the end of the year.
Getting Started
The hardest part of any project is getting started and knowing where to start. That’s why my team and I are using Trello, a simple project management tool that allows us to easily communicate our ideas and plan for the future. This is how we completed the first step in our journey: picking the classic arcade games we want to recreate. After brainstorming several games, each with their own pros and cons, we landed on Pac-Man and Frogger. These games will provide the user with a dynamic gameplay experience, reimagined through our lens.
Now that we had decided on what games to make, it was time to begin the planning process. Our professor for the Senior Software Engineering Project (CS 461) class required us to submit several individual and group drafts for different parts of the planning process. This has helped us stay on track and tackle the difficult decisions in the design process. Although tedious, our group feels more confident in our ability to complete these games by the end of the school year.
Level Design
My designated part of this project is creating the level designs for Pac-Man and Frogger. Additionally, I will be assisting in integrating the user interface (UI). One of the most important aspects of any game is the environment and how the player interacts with it. I also must maintain the game’s retro aesthetic and general game mechanics while introducing a fun new factor to excite players with.
After much contemplation and feedback from my group, we have decided to retain the original layout of Pac-Man, but alter the wall designs and atmosphere. We want to take advantage of the fact that these games are in VR, and to do that we are making Pac-Man a scarier experience. The player will traverse through haunted corridors, collecting pellets as they avoid the ghosts that chase and lurk in the halls. To keep a retro-aesthetic to appeal to the nostalgic factor of Pac-Man, the game will be low poly and resemble an 8-bit game.
Frogger will require a lot more consultation and work into the level design. Since each stage is different, I must make several levels with increasing difficulty. This will require me to think critically about the layout of traffic lanes, water, safe zones, and more. Frogger will also retain it’s retro style with an 8-bit appearance.
What’s Next?
Since my team and I have fleshed out almost every detail, each of us working on different parts of the design process, we will soon be making our v0.0.1, which will simply be getting the environment set up. Stay tuned to get more updates and what’s to follow!
