Assignment 4: Strange Controller

Vampire Survivors Video Game Potato Controller

By Kevin Horan

How is this controller constructed?

I started by making a hole in a cardboard box for the wires (this box is from an old smartphone purchase). I then taped the CPX down to the inside center of the box and ran the sync cable through the hole.

I then connected alligator clips to the capacitive touch pins and tested the viability of the potato as a method of interacting with the CPX.

I then put 4 holes in the cover of the cardboard box so that I could run the wires through them and hide the wires when using the controller.

Finally, I attached the potatoes to each of the alligator clips and began testing in the Vampire Survivors game.

How does the code work?

Using Microsoft MakeCode I used the built-in functions of the CPX to check for when each of the respective capacitive touch buttons were being held down. While the are held down the code lights up a light in the proper direction of player movement (for debugging purposes), and then uses the keyboard extension to press the correct key inputs. Additionally, the code checks for when the capacitive touch buttons are being released as well, and accordingly emulates a key release and updates the lights. The last thing the code does is press the spacebar when listening for a loud sound to emulate the selection control in the game.

How does this Strange Controller challenge the ways we normally interact with games and interactive media?

The idea of the potato controller is simple: Use the natural conductivity of our bodies in conjunction with the natural conductivity of the potato to interact with a piece of media. The addition of the sound-based selection also brings the other senses, movements, and mechanics into the space of play. This controller forces the player to think about their actions in-game more than they normally would, by increasing difficulty thereby forcing strategical planning for every movement.

What is Vampire Survivors?

Vampire Survivors is a gothic horror casual game with rogue-lite elements and a pixel-graphic style. This is a wave-based game where the only controls are the directional movements and a select key for the menus.