Heidi Erwin
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Balloonatic
Local 2-Player Competitive Platformer
WHEN:  May 2016
WHAT:  Game Design, Java, Swing

This two-player platformer is a water balloon fight between princesses with cannons. Made by a team of four for an AP Computer Science final project.
Balloonatic Title Screen
Balloonatic Instructions Screen

My Role



I served as a gameplay programmer (Java), artist, and game designer on a month-long final project for AP Computer Science.

As a programmer, I implemented basic game mechanics and physics in Java, and built the GUI for the game using Java Swing libraries.

I also designed the overall structure and primary mechanic of the game. Players pick up balloons of their color for ammo, and lose health when they contact balloons of the opposite color. Balloons that are shot but do not hit the other player explode and increase the water level; if a player becomes fully submerged, they lose.

As the team's artist, I was responsible for creating all of the art assets.

Development took place over the course of one month, in May of 2016.

if it hasn't quite clicked yet, I don't blame you: "balloonatic" = balloon + lunatic


Balloonatic Low Water Level Screenshot
Balloonatic Low Water Level Screenshot

Reflections



This was the first original game I worked on. Having made simple Asteroids and Pong games during middle school, I was excited to design and implement an original game alongside a great team.

Why are the fighters princesses?
Long dresses = no leg animations.
Also diversity!

Balloonatic Medium Water Level Screenshot
Balloonatic High Water Level Screenshot
Balloonatic Blue Princess
Balloonatic Red Princess