Student Instructions

Student Instructions

Frog jump

This frog jumping game is an example of a side scroller. Side scrolling games have backgrounds that move across the screen from side to side.

In this game, the player uses the up arrow to make the frog jump. The frog must avoid the mushrooms while trying to get the flies. Every fly scores one point, and hitting the mushrooms makes the player health go down. When the player health hits zero, the game is over.

Play the game a few times and discuss it with your partner. You have already learned all the skills you need to code this game. You'll be making your own side scroller in this mini-project.

Student Instructions

Draw Your Background

The sample game had a simple background of a blue sky, a white oval cloud, and a brown ground. You can choose to make your background as simple or complicated as you want.

Do this

• Find the code comment BACKGROUND
• Use the drawing tools to draw your background.
• Run the program to test the background.

Student Instructions

Create Your Sprites

Next, create the sprites you will use in your program. You'll need a player (the frog), a target (the fly), and an obstacle (the mushroom). You can make them anything you want.

Do this

• Go to the animation tab and make sure that you have the images that you want.
• The frog, mushroom and fly are already there, but you can use whatever images you want.
• Find the code comment GAME SETUP.
• Create your three sprites, the player, target, and obstacle.
• Set each one to the animation you chose for it.
• Scale each one to the size you want.
• Place them where you want them to be on (or off) the screen.
• Set the starting x velocity of the target and the obstacle.
• Test your program. The player should be on the screen, and the target and obstacle should start off screen and move across the screen from right to left.

Hint: The obstacle and target sprites should always move at the same speed. You only need to set a velocity for each sprite one time. You can do this outside the draw loop.

Student Instructions

Player Controls

The up arrow should make the player jump. There are three parts to jumping: jump up when a key is pressed, go down when you're high enough, and don't fall through the ground!

Do this

• Find the code comment JUMPING and read the three comments in that section.
• Add a conditional that checks whether the player has pressed the "up" key.
• If the up key is pressed, use the velocityY property to start the player (frog) sprite moving up.
• Test your code to see whether the sprite goes up when you press the up arrow.
• Add a conditional that uses the sprite's y property to check whether it is high enough.
• If it is far enough up the screen, start the sprite moving back down.
• Test your code to see whether the sprite goes back down when it gets to the top if its jump.
• Add a conditional to check whether the sprite is low enough on the screen to be on the ground.
• If it is far enough down the screen, stop the sprite.
• Test to make sure the sprite does not go through the ground at the end of the jump.

Student Instructions

Looping

The obstacle (mushroom) and the target (fly) need to loop back to the right of the screen once they go too far.

Do this

• Find the code comment that says LOOPING
• Add a conditional that uses the obstacle sprite's x property to check whether it has moved off the screen.
• If it has moved off the screen, use its x property to put it back on the right side of the screen.
• Test your code to see whether the obstacle is looping.
• Add a conditional that checks whether the target has moved off the screen.
• If it has moved off the screen, use put it back on the right side of the screen.
• Test your code to see whether the target is looping.

Student Instructions

Sprite Interactions

In the sample game, the obstacle (mushroom) rotated and the health decreased when the player (frog) touched it. The score increased and the target (fly) moved back to the right of the screen when the player (frog) touched it.

Do This

• Find the code comment SPRITE INTERACTIONS and read the comments in that section.
• Create a conditional that checks whether the player sprite is touching the obstacle sprite.
• If they are touching, decrease the health and change the obstacle sprite in some way.
• Run the program to test your code.
• Create a conditional that checks whether the player sprite is touching the target sprite.
• If they are touching, increase the score and move the target back to the right of the screen.
• Run the program to test your code.

You may want to use watchers to keep track of your score and health.

Student Instructions

Scoreboard

Right now the health is displayed, but the score is not.

Do This

• Find the code comment SCOREBOARD and read the code that makes the health information display.
• Add code to create a scoreboard.
• Run the program to test your code.

Student Instructions

Review Your Game

Now that you've added in all the features, it's time to play your game!

Do this

• Play your game a few times to check for bugs.
• Look over your project guide to make sure you have not missed anything.
• Make any last changes.