Pong-Out (c)

Some days ago, I was applying for a position at Black Lantern and the test was to create a game following a certain design within 3 days.

It was not necessary to create something runnable at all but, when you always work at 100% and not half the work, it was mandatory to do so.

Here is the design I had received:

The game is Pong-Out: A hybrid between Pong and Breakout.

You and a computer player will each be controlling a paddle on opposite sides of the screen. The blocks will disappear when hit by the ball and reflect the ball in an appropriate angle based on its entry vector.  These bricks have a chance to release some kind of power -up that will slowly travel in the direction of the player who destroyed the brick.  If the power-up is hit by an opponent’s ball they will change directions and begin to drift towards the opposite side. They will activate if “caught” by a paddle. The only way to score a point is by having a ball (yours or opponents) making it past the opposing paddle. Balls can hit each other and will have completely elastic responses.

After 2 days of hard work, it was ready to submit.

Features:

• Control the left paddle with up/down arrows
• Make any of the balls touch the right side of the screen to score (and let them away from the left side)
• Score 5 points to win (or let the opponent scores 5 points to loose)
• Some of the bricks may deliver a bonus (+ or – 1 point)

Future work:

• More bonuses
• Some code refactoring
• Better AI

Beginning of the game with a « +1 » bonus

I have won!!!

Release date: July 2012
Download Pong-Out Demo (.exe)
Download Source Code (.zip)