Hector Rodriguez Aguilar
I Am Cactus
Mr. Cactus won’t give up in the desert.
Fireballs are chasing after you.
You are stranded in a desert maze with numerous obstacles.
Your score increases every time your cactus consumes water pellets or fireballs.
Try to get the highest score possible before your three lives run out.
Design Process
In my junior year, my teacher, Jason Li, assigned a theme of Arcade. He wanted this game project to be done within two weeks. I want to explore the mechanics of Pac-Man and understand what triggers the ghost AI(artificial intelligence) to move a certain way.
My aspiration in creating this game was to commemorate Spanish heritage month. “I am Cactus” was inspired by a Spanish called “Nopal,” which references Opuntia cacti. My perspective on cacti is that they are strong and able to survive through harsh heat from storing water for a long time. Also, Nopal is a favorite Mexican dish that I grew up with. Cacti’s natural enemies are fires. I want to adapt Pacman’s ghost to fireballs and Pacman to be a cactus.
Level Design
I want the game not to transition to another level, but to reset the cactus and fireballs position once the cactus collect all the water pellets.
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My loading screen, includes a title I used in Photoshop to create this holographic palette that matches the cactus.
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I watched Zigrous’s tutorial on Youtube to understand how to create Pacman mechanics. I was intrigued by the node system that the ghost follows.
Instructions
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Player’s movement
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Enemies: Fireballs
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Points: Water Pellets
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Powerup: Water Power Pellet