We were asked to develop an application that combines multiple devices into one user-friendly, smooth application. It was important to have a good flow, an attractive design, and, of course, the code had to be bug-free and work flawlessly. I planned on connecting the Wiimote to a laptop or desktop via Bluetooth. This would give me access to an extensive amount of data: an accelerometer, infrared camera, multiple button inputs, speaker, LEDs, vibrator, and even a second controller that you can connect to the Wiimote. There were plenty of options for me to come up with a great idea.

The game concept

Because we were free to choose what we would make, I preferred a game. The Wii is supposed to work with games, so this was a logical choice. I made a snake in 3D using the Papervision3D library. I also included a class called Ribbon3D in Papervision to make this snake original and unique. For the sound I used a library called SiON, which I could manipulate using ActionScript code to create sound effects on the fly.

The design was also important. I wanted a simple mascot for the game that would motivate people and children to get a higher score or to just play the game. A simple guide on how to play the game was also necessary.

The game also needed a goal. In this case you have to fly around with your snake in a 3D world and catch all the cubes. To make this a challenge the cubes move each time you catch one. This way the game challenges you to be accurate and quick. Another goal is to catch all the cubes in the shortest period of time. The best time is always displayed on the intro page so other players can try to beat that score.

The software

I used WiiFlash Server to connect the Wiimote to my Adobe® AIR® project. On Mac OS X Lion the computer stops receiving data after a while, so I had to download an alternative version to fix the problem.

Designing

The design was done in Adobe Photoshop® and imported into Adobe Flash® Catalyst®. This magnificent piece of software allowed me to skin the game very quickly with its easy-to-use interface. Preparing the animations between states was also done quickly without any problems. It took only a short while to refine and perfect everything.

The game

The game itself is pretty simple and straightforward. Start the game, catch all the cubes with your artistic-looking snake, and finish the game as soon as possible.