Published January 10, 2025 © CERN-OHL2

Flappy Bird

Simply replicate the once dominant mobile game 'Flappy Bird' using an Arduino Nano

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Simply replicate the once dominant mobile game 'Flappy Bird' using an Arduino Nano.

Libraries and Initialization:

The game uses the Adafruit_GFX and Adafruit_SSD1306 libraries for graphics and display control.
The display is initialized with a specified width and height (128x64 pixels) for rendering graphics.
Libraries and Initialization: The game uses the Adafruit_GFX and Adafruit_SSD1306 libraries for graphics and display control. The display is initialized with a specified width and height (128x64 pixels) for rendering graphics.

Game Variables:

Bird Parameters:

The bird starts at a defined BIRD_X position (20) and has a defined width and height (8 pixels).
The flap force is set to -2 for upward movement, and gravity is set to 1 to pull the bird down.
Bird Parameters:The bird starts at a defined BIRD_X position (20) and has a defined width and height (8 pixels). The flap force is set to -2 for upward movement, and gravity is set to 1 to pull the bird down.

Pipe Parameters:

Each pipe is 5 pixels wide with a gap height of 20 pixels.
Three pipes are displayed at once, and their initial horizontal positions are calculated based on the screen width.
Pipe Parameters: Each pipe is 5 pixels wide with a gap height of 20 pixels. Three pipes are displayed at once, and their initial horizontal positions are calculated based on the screen width.

Game State:

The game keeps track of whether it is over (game_over), the bird’s vertical position (birdY), its velocity, and the score.
Game State: The game keeps track of whether it is over (game_over), the bird’s vertical position (birdY), its velocity, and the score.
Game Variables: Bird Parameters: The bird starts at a defined BIRD_X position (20) and has a defined width and height (8 pixels). The flap force is set to -2 for upward movement, and gravity is set to 1 to pull the bird down. Pipe Parameters: Each pipe is 5 pixels wide with a gap height of 20 pixels.Three pipes are displayed at once, and their initial horizontal positions are calculated based on the screen width. Game State: The game keeps track of whether it is over (game_over), the bird’s vertical position (birdY), its velocity, and the score.

Setup:

The button input pin is initialized, and the display is cleared.
The pipes are initialized with random gap heights to create unique layouts for each new game.
Setup: The button input pin is initialized, and the display is cleared. The pipes are initialized with random gap heights to create unique layouts for each new game.

Game Loop:

The game continuously checks for player input (button press) to flap the bird, adjusting the bird's velocity accordingly.

The game continuously checks for player input (button press) to flap the bird, adjusting the bird's velocity accordingly.

Each loop iteration updates the bird's position with its current velocity and applies gravity.

Each loop iteration updates the bird's position with its current velocity and applies gravity.

Pipe Movement:

Each pipe’s horizontal position is decreased to simulate movement toward the left of the screen.
If a pipe moves off-screen, it is reinitialized at the right side with a new random gap height, which also increases the score.
Pipe Movement: Each pipe’s horizontal position is decreased to simulate movement toward the left of the screen. If a pipe moves off-screen, it is reinitialized at the right side with a new random gap height, which also increases the score.

Collision Detection:

The game checks for collisions between the bird and the pipes. If the bird collides with a pipe, the game is marked as over.
Collision Detection: The game checks for collisions between the bird and the pipes. If the bird collides with a pipe, the game is marked as over.
Game Loop: The game continuously checks for player input (button press) to flap the bird, adjusting the bird's velocity accordingly. Each loop iteration updates the bird's position with its current velocity and applies gravity. Pipe Movement: Each pipe’s horizontal position is decreased to simulate movement toward the left of the screen. If a pipe moves off-screen, it is reinitialized at the right side with a new random gap height, which also increases the score. Collision Detection: The game checks for collisions between the bird and the pipes. If the bird collides with a pipe, the game is marked as over.

Display Updates:

The display is cleared and redrawn with the new positions of the bird and pipes after each update.
The current score is displayed at the top of the screen.
Display Updates: The display is cleared and redrawn with the new positions of the bird and pipes after each update. The current score is displayed at the top of the screen.

Game Over Handling:

If the game ends, a "Game Over" message and the final score are displayed.
After a short delay, the game resets, initializing the bird’s position, velocity, pipes, and score for a new round.
Game Over Handling: If the game ends, a "Game Over" message and the final score are displayed. After a short delay, the game resets, initializing the bird’s position, velocity, pipes, and score for a new round.

Random Gap Generation:

Unique gap heights for pipes are generated to ensure that no two pipes have the same gap height within the current round.
Random Gap Generation: Unique gap heights for pipes are generated to ensure that no two pipes have the same gap height within the current round.

Code

Flappy Bird

#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <Adafruit_SSD1306.h>

#define SCREEN_WIDTH 128
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 64
#define OLED_RESET -1 // Reset pin not needed
Adafruit_SSD1306 display(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, &Wire, OLED_RESET);

// Bird parameters
#define BIRD_X 20
#define BIRD_WIDTH 8
#define BIRD_HEIGHT 8
#define FLAP_FORCE -2
#define GRAVITY 1

int birdY = SCREEN_HEIGHT / 2;
int birdVelocity = 0;

// Pipe parameters
#define PIPE_WIDTH 5
#define GAP_HEIGHT 20
#define PIPE_COUNT 3 // Display three pipes at once
int pipeX[PIPE_COUNT] = {SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_WIDTH + SCREEN_WIDTH/PIPE_COUNT, SCREEN_WIDTH + 2*(SCREEN_WIDTH/PIPE_COUNT)};
int pipeGapY[PIPE_COUNT];

// Game and input parameters
#define BUTTON_PIN 2
bool game_over = false;
int score = 0;

// Bird bitmap
const uint8_t PROGMEM birdBitmap[] = {
0x00, 0x28, 0x1C, 0x1B, 0x1C, 0x28, 0x00, 0x00
};

void setup() {
  pinMode(BUTTON_PIN, INPUT_PULLUP);
  display.begin(SSD1306_SWITCHCAPVCC, 0x3C);
  display.clearDisplay();
  display.display();

  // Initialize random heights for pipe gaps
  initializePipes();
}

void loop() {
  if (!game_over) {
    // Button input detection
    if (digitalRead(BUTTON_PIN) == LOW) {
      birdVelocity = FLAP_FORCE;
    }

    // Update bird position
    birdY += birdVelocity;
    birdVelocity += GRAVITY;

    // Update position of each pipe
    for (int i = 0; i < PIPE_COUNT; i++) {
      pipeX[i] -= 2;
      if (pipeX[i] < -PIPE_WIDTH) {
        pipeX[i] = SCREEN_WIDTH;
        // Set different gap height for new pipe
        pipeGapY[i] = generateUniqueGapHeight(i);
        score++;
      }

      // Collision detection
      if (pipeX[i] < BIRD_X + BIRD_WIDTH && pipeX[i] + PIPE_WIDTH > BIRD_X &&
          (birdY < pipeGapY[i] || birdY + BIRD_HEIGHT > pipeGapY[i] + GAP_HEIGHT)) {
        game_over = true;
      }
    }

    // Clear display and draw the next frame
    display.clearDisplay();
    display.drawBitmap(BIRD_X, birdY, birdBitmap, BIRD_WIDTH, BIRD_HEIGHT, SSD1306_WHITE);
    for (int i = 0; i < PIPE_COUNT; i++) {
      display.fillRect(pipeX[i], 0, PIPE_WIDTH, pipeGapY[i], SSD1306_WHITE);
      display.fillRect(pipeX[i], pipeGapY[i] + GAP_HEIGHT, PIPE_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT - pipeGapY[i] - GAP_HEIGHT, SSD1306_WHITE);
    }
    display.setCursor(0, 0);
    display.setTextSize(1);
    display.setTextColor(SSD1306_WHITE);
    display.print("Score: ");
    display.print(score);
    display.display();

    // Control update rate
    delay(30);
  } else {
    // Game over display
    display.clearDisplay();
    display.setCursor(10, 20);
    display.setTextSize(2);
    display.setTextColor(SSD1306_WHITE);
    display.print("Game Over");
    display.setCursor(20, 45);
    display.setTextSize(1);
    display.print("Score: ");
    display.print(score);
    display.display();
    delay(2000);
    // Reset game
    resetGame();
  }
}

void resetGame() {
  birdY = SCREEN_HEIGHT / 2;
  birdVelocity = 0;
  initializePipes();
  score = 0;
  game_over = false;
}

void initializePipes() {
  for (int i = 0; i < PIPE_COUNT; i++) {
    pipeX[i] = SCREEN_WIDTH + i * (SCREEN_WIDTH / PIPE_COUNT);
    pipeGapY[i] = generateUniqueGapHeight(i);
  }
}

int generateUniqueGapHeight(int currentPipe) {
  int gapHeight;
  bool isUnique;
  do {
    gapHeight = random(GAP_HEIGHT + 10, SCREEN_HEIGHT - GAP_HEIGHT - 10);
    isUnique = true;
    for (int j = 0; j < currentPipe; j++) {
      if (pipeGapY[j] == gapHeight) {
        isUnique = false;
        break;
      }
    }
  } while (!isUnique);
  return gapHeight;
}

Flappy Bird

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Story

Schematics

Flappy Bird

Code

Flappy Bird

Credits

Lois

Comments

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Flappy Bird

Flappy Bird

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Story

Schematics

Flappy Bird

Code

Flappy Bird

Credits

Lois

Comments

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