Challenges

Complete any of the following challenges that seem interesting. Start with the code from the code-along activity, and then take a look at the ideas below.

Feel free to get creative and create something else too! It is recommended to start with the Basic Challenges, and then decide whether to move on to the Other Challenges or the Advanced Challenges.

Basic Challenges

These challenges are fairly basic, so they are a good starting point.

Basic 1: Add a New Background Image

In the "Scene" category, there is a set background image block. Drag it into the on start block, and click the blank spot to open the Background Image Editor!

Basic 2: Create a New Tilemap

Edit the tilemap to make a new challenge for the player! To make a longer level, update the horizontal size of the tilemap.

Basic 3: Change the Jump Height

Find the code that makes the main character jump, and figure out how to jump higher!

Basic 4: Add a Countdown

In the "Info" category, there is a start countdown block. Drag it into the on start block to add a countdown to the game. When the countdown reaches zero, the player will lose! Update the length of the countdown so the game is still winnable.

Basic 5: Add a Startup Melody

In the "Music" category, there is a play melody block. Drag it into the on start block to add a melody that plays before the game begins! Click the blank music section to create the melody, or choose from the gallery of existing melodies. Set the tempo too!

Other Challenges

These challenges are separate from the platformer game, but they are related to retro game development.

Option 1: Hack Another Platformer

Click here for another Platformer game. This game is written in JavaScript, and it lives somewhere different, but it is still a platformer!

1. Open up the preview for the game
2. Play the game
3. Try to get a high score

To hack the game, open up the variables.js file, and try to change the numbers to get a higher score!

Other 2: Piskel

Piskel is a website that lets artists create pixel art! It is free to use, and it can be a lot of fun to design sprites and animations.

Visit the website and look at some of the examples, or click "Create Sprite" to start creating a sprite.

This video and the other videos in the series can be helpful to get started making pixel art with Piskel.

Other 3: More MakeCode Arcade Tutorials

MakeCode Arcade has a bunch of great tutorials for all types of retro games!

Visit the website to explore some of the possibilities.

Other 4: Whatever!

Add some completely different stuff to the platformer game, or create an entirely new game! Almost anything is possible; it's all about learning how to do it.

Advanced Challenges

These challenges are a little more advanced, so they can be fairly difficult!

Advanced 1: Update the Main Character Sprite Animation

Update the frames of the main character sprite animation! Start by opening the Animated Game, and click the "Edit Code" button at the top.

For the new template, find the Main Character Image variables and update each of them:

Advanced 2: Add Background Music

1. From the "Loops" category, drag a forever block into the Code section
2. In the "Music" category, drag a play melody block ito the forever block

This will make the melody repeat forever!

Advanced 3: Add a Points System

1. In the "Info" category, click and drag a set score to 0 block into the on start block
2. Edit the tilemap to add a new type of tile that will give the character a point (a coin, a star, a ring, something like that)
3. From the "Scene" category, drag an on sprite of kind player overlaps block to the Code section
4. Click the drop-down arrow next to overlaps and select the point up tile
5. In the "Info" category, click and drag a change score by 1 block into the new overlaps block
6. In the "Scene" category, under Tiles, click and drag a set [] at tilemap block into the new overlaps block
7. Click and drag the location from the overlaps block into where the tilemap coordinates are

Advanced 4: Add an Infinite Jump Power-up

A lot of this is very similar to the points system - adding a new tile to the tilemap, and making something happen when the main character overlaps it. The new part is the Infinite Jump variable. The Infinite Jump variable will be either true or false - it will change based on the gameplay.

1. In the "Variables" category, click the "Make a variable..." button to make a new variable named Infinite Jump
2. Drag a set mySprite to 0 block into the on start block
3. Change mySprite to Infinite Jump
4. In the Logic section, scroll down to find the <false> block and drag it into the 0 in the set Infinite Jump to block
   • This means that Infinite Jump will be turned off to start the game
5. Edit the tilemap to add a new type of tile that will give the player a power-up (a mushroom, a flower, a cherry, something like that)
6. From the "Scene" category, drag an on sprite of kind player overlaps block to the Code section
7. Click the drop-down arrow next to overlaps and select the power-up tile
8. From the "Variables" category, drag a set mySprite to 0 block into the overlaps block, but make it set Infinite Jump to <true>
9. In the "Scene" category, under Tiles, click and drag a set [] at tilemap block into the new overlaps block
10. Click and drag the location from the overlaps block into where the tilemap coordinates are
11. In the jump code, drag an < or > block from the "Logic" category into the if block
12. For one side of the or, drag back the is Main Character hitting wall bottom block
13. For the other side, drag in the Infinite Jump block from the "Variables" category

Now, the main character can jump if they are on the ground or Infinite Jump has been enabled by the power-up!