{"id":1144,"date":"2026-01-15T15:53:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T15:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/?page_id=1144"},"modified":"2026-04-17T14:11:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T14:11:58","slug":"bootleg-game","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/bootleg-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Bootleg Game &#8211; Clone"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The assignment is to recreate an existing game and then creating a variant of it.<br \/>\nGood news: this how most new games are designed!<\/p>\n<p>These are the games to analyze, recreate and mod. Roughly ordered by complexity:<\/p>\n<p>Pong<br \/>\nBreakout<br \/>\nSnake<br \/>\nAsteroids<br \/>\nIndy 500<br \/>\nLunar Lander<br \/>\nRobotron: 2084<br \/>\nET<br \/>\nFrogger<br \/>\nPacman<br \/>\nTetris<br \/>\nSuper Mario<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s look at each them briefly and do a bit of history of video games in the process.<br \/>\nAfter you&#8217;ll get one assigned.<\/p>\n<h2>Pre-history<\/h2>\n<p>Let&#8217;s go back in time.<br \/>\n<em>What&#8217;s the first videogame ever?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Right Answer #1<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lyle Bickley explains the PDP-1 (and we play the original Spacewar!)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1EWQYAfuMYw?start=652&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>1962 Steve Russell &amp; al. Bastard child of the military industrial complex. Based on a virtual planetarium. Rand on PDP-1 an early digital computer. Open source-ish collaborative creation (modding). Progenitor of Asteroids and all shooters.<br \/>\nScreen was a WWII radar &#8211; its roundness possibly affected the design of the game.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wheels.org\/spacewar\/stone\/rolling_stone.html\">Fanatic Life and Symbolic Death Among the Computer Bums <\/a>by Stewart Brand (Rolling Stone 1972)<\/p>\n<p>The interface was a bunch of awkwardly positioned switches. So they had to invent the joystick. Its mapping still dictates much of the movements in game spaces.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2177\" src=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2017\/files\/2017\/10\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-12-at-9.43.27-AM.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2017-10-12 at 9.43.27 AM\" width=\"1224\" height=\"658\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Right Answer #2<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"History Of First Computer Game II Tennis For Two\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0lan34aLpdo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>1958 William Higinbotham, Robert Dvorak. Analog computer, oscilloscope screen. Pacifist\/scientific sibling of Spacewar. Progenitor of pong and all sports games.<br \/>\nControl system based on knobs which spawn a the commercial pong style controllers years later, now out of fashion (but somewhat closer to the analog stick than switches).<\/p>\n<p>SpaceWar was cloned and turned into a coin operated machine. Not super successful but enough for the creators to launch Atari (which then will publish Asteroids).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/egd\/files\/2025\/01\/image8.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1002\" src=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/egd\/files\/2025\/01\/image8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1700\" height=\"1092\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/files\/2025\/01\/image8.png 1700w, https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/files\/2025\/01\/image8-300x193.png 300w, https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/files\/2025\/01\/image8-1024x658.png 1024w, https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/files\/2025\/01\/image8-768x493.png 768w, https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/files\/2025\/01\/image8-1536x987.png 1536w, https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/files\/2025\/01\/image8-1200x771.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/a>The game ran on a vector system developed for Lunar Lander (1979)<br \/>\nThe <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/JiGjU-NnkfE?si=GTJt4PyP3ypCTtMn&amp;t=485\">vector hardware<\/a> was chosen because the high image quality would permit precise aiming.<\/p>\n<h1>Asteroids (1979)<\/h1>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"(Arcade) Asteroids\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WYSupJ5r2zo?start=1&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Try an online port here:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/freeasteroids.org\/\">https:\/\/freeasteroids.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Lunar lander (1969-73-79)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Arcade Game: Lunar Lander (1979 Atari)\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/McAhSoAEbhM?start=168&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Almost educational, sciencey sim.<br \/>\nThe most famous version was actually a visual iteration of a text simulation.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1168\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1168\" style=\"width: 541px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1168\" title=\"lunar lander\" src=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2014\/files\/2014\/10\/lunar-lander.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"541\" height=\"372\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1168\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The original lunar lander from 1969 looked like this. Good luck.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/moonlander.seb.ly\/\">Play online<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Pong (Video Olympics for Atari 2600) (1972)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1174\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1174\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2014\/files\/2014\/10\/pong.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1174\" title=\"pong\" src=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2014\/files\/2014\/10\/pong.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"552\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1174\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Or maybe a pong-like?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>First arcade game by Atari, ripped off from Magnavox, followed a lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1173\" title=\"pong avoid missing ball for high score\" src=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2014\/files\/2014\/10\/pong-avoid-missing-ball-for-high-score.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"560\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Although Atari and Magnavox were making \u201cofficial\u201d versions of Pong various clones began to flood the market made by a whole slew of manufacturers. Eventually the demand for the simple paddle game dwindled and companies that had invested large sums of money were seeing a staggering drop in sales as the bubble burst. Some refer to this as the \u201cvideo game crash of 1977\u2033, a clear foreshadow to the eventual crash of 1983.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2178\" src=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2017\/files\/2017\/10\/pong-clones.jpg\" alt=\"In 1977 a million of pong clones flooded the market crashing the young industry\" width=\"2588\" height=\"1572\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Blockade (1976) \/ <\/strong><strong>Snake (1990)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Gameplay popularized by the movie Tron, resurrected by Nokia as Snake as it came preloaded in all the Nokia phones.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Arcade Game: Blockade (1976, Gremlin) [Re-Uploaeded]\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5v-0CwiabZA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/funhtml5games.com\/?play=snake2\">Play Nokia&#8217;s snake<\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Breakout (1976)<\/h1>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1175\" title=\"Breakout2600\" src=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2014\/files\/2014\/10\/Breakout2600.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"420\" \/><br \/>\nProgrammed by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. An attempt to innovate on the pong concept (pong solitaire).<\/p>\n<h1>Indy 500 (1977)<\/h1>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Let&#039;s Play Indy 500 (Atari 2600, Actual Hardware)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W_zchCswZXk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Adaptation of Indy 800, obscure 8 player arcade by Atari.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1179\" title=\"indy_800_650x300_a01_120320\" src=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2014\/files\/2014\/10\/indy_800_650x300_a01_120320.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Early top down racing game.<br \/>\nSimilar to Deathrace, the first \u201ccontroversial\u201d game created the year before.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1180\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1180\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1180\" title=\"deathrace1976\" src=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2014\/files\/2014\/10\/deathrace1976.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"768\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1180\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Moral Panic!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>Frogger (1981)<\/h1>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1187\" title=\"frogger\" src=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2014\/files\/2014\/10\/frogger.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"480\" \/><br \/>\nFirst avoidance\/stealth\/nonviolent\/empathy\/environmentalist game?<\/p>\n<h1>Robotron: 2084 (1982)<\/h1>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Arcade Game: Robotron 2084 (1982 Williams)\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/l800GL6NQPY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Dual controls, still influential (geometry wars, binding of isaac).<br \/>\nInnovations: chain reactions, sound effect blended with music, levels with different feels and strategies, enemies following a complex organic behavior.<br \/>\nPrecursor of the standard twin stick controls<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/files\/2026\/01\/robotron-2084-controls.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1148\" src=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/files\/2026\/01\/robotron-2084-controls.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"848\" height=\"564\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/files\/2026\/01\/robotron-2084-controls.png 848w, https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/files\/2026\/01\/robotron-2084-controls-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/files\/2026\/01\/robotron-2084-controls-768x511.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Pac-man (1980 Namco)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Arcade Game: Pac-Man (1980 Namco (Midway License for US release))\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dScq4P5gn4A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Iconic design, unique AI behaviors.<\/p>\n<p><em>Let&#8217;s look at the pacman sprite. What makes it so good design-wise?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Compare and contrast with the character design in Ms. Pac-man (originally an unofficial mod):<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ms. Male Character - Tropes vs Women in Video Games\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eYqYLfm1rWA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h1>ET (1982)<\/h1>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"E.T. Atari 2600 Play Through\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZPnmewxetNA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWorst video game EVAR\u201d. It was unjustly blamed for the video game industry crash of 1983, which was generally saturation\/overproduction crisis.<\/p>\n<p>Terrible IP tie-in due to unfair deadlines.<br \/>\nGood case study in the difficulty to adapt narrative forms to video game formats.<br \/>\nIt marked the loss of control of designers and a growing influence of publishers.<\/p>\n<p>BUT Some interesting features: a disempowered protagonist, the open world-ish gameplay.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Atari - Game Over | Official Trailer | DocPlay\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BSvDIzNIQ9M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h1>Super Mario Bros. (1985)<\/h1>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Super Mario Bros. playthrough ~Longplay~\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c9JBkl-dDCs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>Let&#8217;s look at the first screens as implicit tutorials. What and how do they teach the main mechanics?\u00a0<\/em><br \/>\n<em>(Now these are all familiar tropes and mechanics, but many were popularized by SMB)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>For an in-depth analysis read this <a href=\"https:\/\/w.itch.io\/level-design-lessons\">short essay<\/a> by Anna Anthropy.<\/p>\n<p>Super Mario Bros was a launch title for the Nintendo NES. It basically saved the industry by marketing video games as toys. That\u2019s why we associate games with kids.<br \/>\nIn the West the gender segregation of toy stores (pink aisle) meant games became increasingly perceived as Boy toys.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1193\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1193\" style=\"width: 3472px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1193\" title=\"pack-in-NES-with-Zapper-and-Rob6\" src=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2014\/files\/2014\/10\/pack-in-NES-with-Zapper-and-Rob61.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"3472\" height=\"2170\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1193\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The playful interfaces we meant to signal the toyness of the NES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>Tetris<\/h1>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NES Longplay [483] Tetris\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-FAzHyXZPm0?start=21&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Tetris was created by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov in 1984, inspired by pentomino puzzles.<br \/>\nThe addictive game spread via floppy disks in the USSR before Henk Rogers secured the handheld rights for Nintendo&#8217;s Game Boy in 1989, launching Tetris into global superstardom and making it a cultural phenomenon.<\/p>\n<p>Rogers traveled to Moscow to negotiate with Soviet officials (who owned the rights of the game), facing off against American companies like Mirrorsoft and Atari for the computer and console rights. The complicated licensing of Tetris had been a looong epic that I&#8217;ll spare you.<\/p>\n<p>There is an interactive documentary:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tetris Forever - Official Launch Trailer\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zOAvxi9iy04?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The assignment is to recreate an existing game and then creating a variant of it. Good news: this how most new games are designed! These are the games to analyze, recreate and mod. Roughly ordered by complexity: Pong Breakout Snake Asteroids Indy 500 Lunar Lander Robotron: 2084 ET Frogger Pacman Tetris Super Mario Let&#8217;s look &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/bootleg-game\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Bootleg Game &#8211; Clone&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":6,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1144","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1144"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1211,"href":"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1144\/revisions\/1211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycours.es\/postgaming\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}