We'd like to introduce a new way to play the classic Snake Game.
Two players can now play against each other on an Arduino Gameboy and a web browser!
One player will be placing the food, while the other controlling the snake.
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Arduino/Genuino Uno Board x1
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Analog 2-axis Joystick with Select Button x1
(the model we used: https://www.adafruit.com/product/512)
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74HC595 8-bit Shift Register x4
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ULN2803A Darlington Transistor Array x3
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8x8 RGB LED matrix
(the model we used: http://a.co/6zWQJjW)
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Lots of jumper wires of diff. length
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Raspberry Pi x1
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Computer with a web browser x1
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Internet connection
First, connect the LED matrix and joystick to the Arduino Board.
We initially followed these tutorials:
Connecting LED matrix: https://youtu.be/8SXR32OAuxM
Connecting Joystick: http://42bots.com/tutorials/arduino-joystick-module-example/
After all the wiring is done, power up and ssh to the Raspberry Pi, and clone the repository on the Pi:
git clone https://github.com/virtuositeit/The-New-Snake-Game.git
In The-New-Snake-Game folder, install all dependencies with
cd The-New-Snake-Game
npm install
Connect the Arduino board to Raspberry Pi, then navigate to the folder RGBMatrixScrollingTextPWM to compile the code and upload to Arduino
cd RGBMatrixScrollingTextPWM
make upload
Go back to The-New-Snake-Game directory, and start the server
cd ..
node server.js
In the web browser, go to the address of the page hosted by the server on Raspberry Pi.
Controls the snake, chases the food.
The person playing on the Arduino will see a realtime game view on the LED matrix, and control the direction of the green snake with the joystick to chase the food in red.
Places foods, challenges the snake.
The person playing on the computer will see a realtime game view on the webpage, and can place the food (in red) anywhere on the board. Also, The snake is in an orange disguise in the browser.
Only one food can be present on the board at any moment. If the snake bumps into itself or the walls, the game is over.
Both the Arduino and the web client need to be connected to play. As soon as the player on Arduino presses the joystick, the game will start.
The game can simply be restarted by refreshing the webpage on the browser.
We wanted to reinvent a classic game, and escape from the convention of how players interact with each other in multiplayer games. Instead of competing against each other in the same game, or comparing score in separate games, one player will be placing the food (implementing the game scene), while the other person is controlling the snake to chase the food. As they take turns being the player and game scene implementor, they might discover their interestingly different perspectives.
Multiplayer, multiplatform, online Game Boy Snake Game, which allows one player to control the game scene (put the target), while the other player to play the game in real time.
One person controls the game scene, and the other person plays. Adds a new role to a traditional single player game.
Raspberry Pi contols the state of the game and send/recrive updates from the browser and Arduino.
Handheld game console (Pi + Arduino): Snake body will be one color, target is another color.
Laptop: shows real time snake position, and allows the user to place next targets.
Traditional snake game only allows single player, and usually don't have a role that controls the game scene.
You love the game, and you wish you could play it with your friend (in a new way).
- Player 1 plugs in Game Boy (Raspberry Pi) to power and turns it on.
- Player 1 selects whether or not to start game.
- Player 1 plays with joystick.
- Player 2 goes to game web page.
- Player 2 puts target in the game in the browser.
- Joystick: change the moving direction of the snake
- Button: select from menu (new game, exit, etc.)
- Laptop: uses the mouse to select the positions of targets