-funny concept
-simple programming and design, but very amusing
-amused by content, not by the act of playing
-a little morally disturbing/sick
-controller works very well --> carries out concept from virtual to physical
The baby controller is definitely the crowning achievement of the game. There's something deeply disturbing about twisting a baby's hand (which really only emphasizes how disturbing the content of the game is). The rotation of the baby as it flies through space is also a great thing. In addition, seeing the baby in progressive amounts of pain and bloodiness keeps me playing the game. I wish the collision was a little clearer... I wasn't sure where the hitboxes (of the "paddles" and the "ball") were and that was really frustrating.
- oddly horrifying, but great concept
- should have more forgiving collision detection
- could maybe have the baby get bloodier over time or with each hit
- awesome awesome controller, best one i think
- could add 2 more players with the feet maybe?
The controller design is very creative. And unsettling (as it should be, given the subject of the game). I like how the baby ball gets progressively more injured-looking as the game goes on. What a way to include some gore into an originally nonviolent game!
My main concern is that the paddle area is quite small, making the matches rather short unless the players know exactly where the contact zone is. The game could also benefit from scoring, sound effects, or some backstory.
The 77... Something... Sundial Pong
What I can say is that it is definitely very experiential... it'd make a good screensaver. I have a hard time enjoying the game though since there is no clear connection (that I can figure out) between certain actions and paddle movements or lack thereof. I feel like I need to be able to win it if it is indeed a game. Otherwise, as a new media art piece, it is interesting... the idea of using light as a controller is definitely different from the rest of the games in the class.
I actually quite liked this game as a puzzle. The goal is to figure out what the heck is going on. The visuals are really coool — I like the gradient from bottom right corner to top left. I wasn’t able to really crack the puzzle, but I definitely got responses from the paddles, and had fun moving the flashlight and my hands around and watching different paddles move. One issue is that the paddles can move infinitely far away from the game board, so if the paddles have been off the screen for a while, it’s almost impossible to figure out which brightness to keep the sensor at long enough to move them back.
- maybe a little overkill on the player count
- its very artistic and beautiful with all the paddles and detail
- not calling background() was a good design choice
- i'm not sure what the point is though?
- the light sensor was very very cool
-very chaotic and mysterious --> don't really understand it
-hard to figure out --> intriguing
-really really weird
-high level of complexity --> doesn't really feel like a game
-interesting to have light as a control (light kind of has a life of its own)
The use of light as a controller is a fascinating concept. However, it also makes the controls very difficult to learn and get accustomed to. The motion trails make the ball difficult to see; a larger playfield could help address this issue. I'm also still not entirely sure of the game's goal.
I love the psychedelic color scheme. It complements the game perfectly. I also like how the game questions the characteristics that make something a game. It makes me think back to Homo Ludens which is great. However, I don't really WANT to play this game. Nothing about it really makes me want to play. I do love that you went in the direction you wanted to with commitment and didn't hold back. The game is so out of the box, and just because it didn't work for me as a game does not make it unsuccessful. It might just be successful in the fact that you took the risk and you created it.
Great idea despite problematic controllers. I really want some control inside the game board though — just straight line bounces and collisions across the field are cool, but it would be cool if someone else moved the ball during its trajectory, maybe a third player or maybe obstacles or other interference that would move the ball.
Jitteriness of slider was problematic, but since it’s not a competitive game, not terrible. It makes it hard to keep a long game going though — maybe that’s a challenge?
I love the idea of this game. It questions what a game is, what art is, how art can be made, etc. It's action art, community art, it's a lot of great things. However, I don't think it works as a game. I don't personally have any motivation to play. The art that comes from this is not very visually interesting. It only holds up conceptually because it is so unique and brings up a lot of interesting questions, like those I named above. However, I don't feel proud of the art because the interesting idea behind it was not mine, it was the programmers'. Only the specific outcome of the art game is personally mine, and it's not pretty or interesting looking or anything, at least when I played. I would suggest that for a non art-educated audience, cool graphics would impress people and they would think it looked cool and want to keep doing it, like how people sit around watching the ITunes visual effects screen. Maybe the new lines going across can interact with previously drawn lines, like with real paint.
I think the idea of trying to make a cooperative pong game (across two screens, no less!) is great and outputting a screenshot of the end product is a nice touch. Being able to vary the brushstrokes is also nice. I do wish that there was something aside from a gray background since it doesn't seem like most people play the game long enough to fill the screen with color. The paint ball is probably just a little too slow... I didn't have the patience to sit there and wait for it to make it across two screens. I wish it'd started faster. In addition, the controller is a little counterintuitive--you can't control it with just one hand, but it's so small that it's awkward to control with two hands.
-i like the idea of a collaborative effort
-it would be nice to have 2 functional controllers with more precise potentiometers
-ball moves a little slowly at first (kind of boring to watch and wait)
-ability to change brush strokes is a good addition
-i like how the computer saves a snapshot of the "painting" for later viewing
It's a nice, relaxed version of Pong that encourages collaboration instead of competition. Plus it can make some neat desktop wallpapers! Paint Rong could benefit from having soothing music to set an appropriate mood, some degree of color control, or a multiple ball feature for painting variety. It might be better to separate the slide and rotate controls; although it gives it a Wiimote look, it's a little bit awkward to use.
- very interesting concept and combination
- the result of playing is very fun with all the drawings/paintings
- screen is huuuuge... maybe could allow an option to let people
pick how big they want their canvas to be?
- should more balls going at once i think, and possibly more players?
- more balls should be added by the player by pressing a key
- missing a ball shouldn't reset the drawing, it should be up to the player(s)
about when they want to finish their "drawing"
Awesome graphics and concept. I like the inclusion of a backstory to explain the players' roles. The inclusion of Poseidon makes it seem as if two of the players were actually interfering in a Pong game taking place on the ship. A game inside another game!
The main complaint I have is the unbalanced nature of the game. It's rather easy for Poseidon to win, as the ship tilting can be disorienting to the pirates. Shortening the time that the pirates need to hold onto the treasure could help.
-very impressed by 3D!!!
-nice to have 4 players
-nice how each player/character has a different control
-allows the story to translate in to the game
-gameplay is challenging and fun
-other players have an impact on the overall environment --> type of collaboration
I had a lot of fun playing this game, especially the pong controllers. I wanted to keep playing because I was frustrated when I missed. But a GOOD frustration, like I knew I should have gotten it, so I want to do it again, which is the perfect kind of frustration for a gamer. The animation is obviously incredible. I love the zooming in on the scene from outside. It adds to the storybook, mythological other worldly theme. A couple of suggestions... I think that there are too many options. You should pick the most fun way to play and have that be the default. Say that was two players, then you can have a separate option for three players and another one for four, or something. Letting the players choose so many options right off the bat is overwhelming. Also, in the 1.0 we talked about how no one likes to really sit around reading the story. The game would be so much better if the story was integrated into the game. Especially for the second time you play and the third time you play. And although you obviously want people to be playing over and over, it seems like you expect them to be playing only once. Otherwise, why would six slides run before each game? Those are things you can work on, but overall, it is amazing!!! I am so impressed by this game. GOOD JOB!
- easily the best game ever; excellent coding and 3d graphics
- could possibly have a color story?
- there should be more of a balance; pirates are disadvantaged
- controller should be more responsive and fall apart less
- love all the options in setting up the players and input
- very fine attention to detail; excellent work
The effects are really well done--the mathematical sin waves, the stage-like wave backdrops, and the stormy background. I thought it was also an innovative way of handling "sides"--it's the pong players versus the environment. It's also nice to be able to control the number of players by providing AI. The story and cutscenes were a nice touch as well. The controls are a little sluggish and laggy though. With the lightning and rocking the boat, it wasn't as huge a deal, but keeping the booty on the boat was too difficult because the controls kept locking up (might have just been a bad keyboard, though).
Crap, it’s 3D, four players, and uses an accelerometer. Also, it’s actually fun to play, although the lesson of the game is clearly “Poseidon always wins”. Music incredibly irritating. Graphics are excellent, storyline is funny. Special power-ups are not immediately apparent, but they do cool things.
Making the pong game physical made this game so much fun... especially if you're one of those people who is super competitive and likes mashing buttons in the hopes of doing something productive. It's a great game that allows both the seasoned player and the newbie to enjoy the game. The casing is good enough given monetary and time constraints, but it doesn't seem too durable right now. It really is the game you play with someone you're not afraid to get physical with (like your sibling or your significant other).
The controller-reversing buttons add physical and strategic elements to the game of Pong. It's as if this game were meant to have a subgame of pushing and shoving. I also like how the controllers appear asymmetrical.
That said, the Perfection powerup severely unbalances the game, allowing the powered-up player to mash the ball-spawn button to potentially win the game before the Perfection timer runs out. Lowering the Perfection duration could help. I also noticed that during play, the controller-reversal buttons were largely ignored, as players were more interested in filling the playfield with balls.
-nice simple and clean aesthetic --> classic look
-really like the implementation of a physical component
-definitely need a stronger box if you want it to survive gameplay
-very competitive
-seems to last a little too long?
So fun!! I love the simplicity! Simple controls, simple graphics, only two colors, and a pretty simple game in itself. It really works. It's fun because there is strategy and skill and it is quite visually pleasing. I like that there are two different controls because it's different and I wouldn't have thought of doing that. Why should the two players' controls be the same? I love the old school font you used, too, and the physicality of the game. Some arduino controllers are only better than the keyboard because they're easier to use. Your controller makes the game function in a physical space so you can actually play physically. A mix between computer and physical is always really exciting, for example, Wii sports. The only suggestion I have is to make perfection shorter (it gets boring for both players after a while.) I played this game more than once, which to me makes it a success. Great job!!
Really, really fun. This is the perfect example of how the characters are not just add ons at the end, they really change the game. The animation and the characters are gorgeous, simple, and extremely well done. The actual game is fun to play. It's not too complicated but there is definitely skill to learn and strategy to use so it's not just boring old pong or something. The sound also adds a vital element to the game. The only suggestions I have are that maybe the time down is too long. Half the down time would be annoying in a good way that makes you want to play better without actually being annoyed at the game itself. I might also make it three minutes cause it's fun and interesting enough to hold up longer! Good job!!
-so much fun!!!
-great musical and graphical components (animation is fabulous!!!!)
-completely addicting
-nice set of rules
-speed of gameplay seems to work well
Cleanly executed from the constantly moving (non-slideshow-y!) animations to the casing for the arduino and the controllers. Sound (when it worked) was fantastic--the effects and the background music. Nice reference to the tinny 8-bit sound in the beginning. The learning curve is a little steep especially if you're playing against someone who's played the game a lot already or has a really intuitive grasp of how to use the Wii nunchuck. Very consistent "look" to the game.
It's a great concept, and I like the use of Wiimote nunchuks as controls. The game animation and controller case is quite polished. This could make a great party game, especially with four players. Also, being able to charge up the ball adds a small degree of strategy.
I'm not so sure if being able to score hits on a stunned opponent is such a good idea. It potentially unbalances the game by creating an enormous score gap, especially when a slow ball scores multiple hits in a row. Catching should probably be made a little easier, too.
Very sophisticated game, and definitely fun. Cool idea for a simple fun game, well executed. The catching semantics aren’t immediately apparent, but after playing for a bit I got it and enjoyed it. The wii nunchuck controls are excellent for moving around, but make aiming the ball being shot difficult. That’s okay though — it shouldn’t be too easy. Music gets annoying fast.