Scrapyard Challenge: Classic Arcade Controller Redesign Workshop!
Date: June 16, 2023 7-9pm
Format: In-person only
Tags: #arcade • #design • #hack • #interactive • #media • #gaming
Video Documentation from this session - 2023:
This workshop is an interactive, arcade controller design workshop where participants will build novel controllers for classic arcade games such as Street Fighter, Ms.PacMan, Pacman, Donkey Kong, Crash Bandicoot, Super Mario Bros, and more. Participants are split into 4 groups and can choose a classic video game and design a novel controller (the crazier the better!) to control all aspects of the game such as 1, 2, 3 player controls, action buttons including jump, kick, punch, shoot, magic and controller directions such as up, down right, left. The goal is to make each game as interactive as possible with full-body control systems built from scrap materials and junk. The workshop uses USB encoder boards and RaspberryPi computers running RetroPie for game emulation.
No electronics skills are necessary to join, all skill levels welcome!
NOTE: For this workshop you are encouraged to bring "junk" to the workshop to hack on. This can include: Misc gadgets - basically any old kids toys that have moving parts are good - like a kids mini garage set or a plastic radio or plastic doll house, etc.. on the gadget side - things like electric can openers, fans, old record players, RC cars, etc…
Background on the Scrapyard Challenge Workshops:
The Scrapyard Challenge is a global workshop started in 2003 by ITP alums Jonah Brucker-Cohen and Katherine Moriwaki that teaches basic interaction and interface design through hacking recycled materials, electronics, and trash. The workshops have been held hundreds of times in over 15 countries on 5 continents!
More info here:
Arcade Controller Design Examples:
Redesign Pong into a two-person seesaw:
Create a Street Fighter Controller with an old Toaster:
