Back to the Future
Using Microsoft MakeCode Arcade which is a web-based code editor, middle school students in the games programming arts elective are creating retro arcade games. We have delved into six of the most common level design patterns present in 2D videogames. Who needs 4K (4096 x 2160 pixels) when you can create a game with a screen size of 160×120 pixels and 16 available colors? Although it might seem simple this 2D game engine has sprites, platformer-style collisions, tile maps, and particle systems. Students are learning how hard it is to program a simple 2D game and gaining an appreciation of how much thought goes into creating one level of the games they like to play.
