How to make a 2 player pong game on scratch?

How to Make a 2 Player Pong Game on Scratch

Making a 2 player Pong game on Scratch is a fun and creative project that can help developers improve their coding skills. Pong is a classic arcade game that is simple to learn but challenging to master, and converting it to a 2 player version in Scratch is a great way to demonstrate your skills. In this article, we’ll go through the step-by-step process of making a 2 player Pong game on Scratch, highlighting the key elements and important codes.

Setting Up the Project

To start, create a new Scratch project and create two sprites: Left Paddle and Right Paddle. These sprites will represent the two players of the game. Make sure to size and color them according to your preference.

Block-Based Programming

Scratch is built on block-based programming, which is based on visual blocks instead of writing codes. This makes it easy to program complex actions without having to write any actual code. To create a sprite move, for example, you drag and drop the move 10 steps block onto the stage, making the sprite move 10 pixels horizontally.

Creating the Paddles

To create the paddles, we’ll use the Forever If Then block. This block repeatedly checks a condition and runs some code if the condition is true.

h3>Left Paddle Forever If Then Block

Drag and drop a Forever If Then block onto the Right Paddle sprite, connected to the Left Key (Arrow Left) and `Down Key (Arrow Up) events.
In the Repeat indefinitely section, add a turn x degrees block to make the paddle rotate when the left arrow key is pressed or the down arrow key is released. Then, add a turn - x degrees block to make the paddle stop rotating when the right arrow key is pressed or the up arrow key is released.
Repeat the same process for the Right Paddle sprite, but using the right arrow key and up/down key for the rotation.

Making the Pong Ball

To create the Pong ball, create a new sprite and rename it as Pong Ball. Make it have a small size and a different color compared to the paddles. Now we’ll create the ball to bounce when it hits the paddles using the Forever If Then block.

h3>Pong Ball Forever If Then Block

Drag and drop a Forever If Then block onto the Pong Ball sprite, connected to the Top Side and `Bottom Side events of the stage.
Add the following blocks:

• If/Then block: (containsPong Ball`))
• If Then blocks: move 1 pixels (up or down based on bounce direction)
• Repeat indefinitely blocks for this section
  *Repeat this block four times, once for each corner of the stage, to handle boundary bounces.

Calculating the Ball’s Bounce and Speed

To control the game’s speed and bounce, we need to make the ball bounce off the paddles and the stage boundaries correctly.

h3>Calculating Bounce and Speed

Bounce Calculation: Each time the ball hits the paddles or stage boundaries, we calculate a new bounce direction and speed by randomly changing its x and y velocity 10-20 pixels per iteration. This creates a more dynamic bounce effect.

Speed Adjustment: Make sure to adjust the ball’s speed periodically to keep the game challenging yet fair. You can do this by randomly choosing a new speed between 5-20 pixels per iteration for horizontal movement and 2-8 pixels per iteration for vertical movement.

Updating the Game

To update the game each frame, we’ll use a combination of Forever If Then and Say blocks.

h3>Forever If Then Block for Game Updates

Drag and drop a Forever If Then block onto the back of the stage, creating the foundation for the game loop.
Connect each paddle’s Left and Right events to the Left Key and Right Key blocks for that paddle.
*Add a forever if then block that:

• Checks if the ball collides with either paddle
• Calls say blocks to display messages in the console (optional)*

Final Touches and Testing

Before testing, review and adjust the game’s speed and paddle friction to ensure a smooth and fair playing experience. Make sure to test for crashes, bugs, and balance between the two players. Now it’s time to play your 2-player Pong game on Scratch!

Benefits and Best Practices

• Blocks Versus Code: In Scratch, blocks are incredibly convenient for beginners and experts alike.
• Debugging: Use bold text to highlight essential clues for debugging.
• Experimenting: Don’t be afraid to make new blocks or modify existing ones, experiment with different ideas.

Scratch is an excellent platform to teach new developers the basics of coding in an engaging and interactive way. Its colorful and intuitive interface makes coding visually appealing and accessible to anyone interested.