My home page can be reached at by clicking here.
This page is intended to give some information on the game PandaBall,
my final project for CSE131, introduction to Programming in Java.

As usual, please report bugs/complaints.

Quick in-site links: Ball list, FAQ, other links.

Game rules:

1. Click groups of balls of the same color to score points, the bigger the group, the more points you get.
2. Watch out for clicking single balls, it comes with a penalty.
3. The game continues until you quit, currently, but if you get stuck on a level and run out of pandas, you start back at level 1.
4. Note that on the early difficulties you can build up quite a supply of pandas and rain balls, so you may want to go for a challenge.

Special features:

• Text floats around the screen to give a more friendly feel.
• There are visual sound effects (yes, that does sound like an oxymoron).
• There are actual sounds effects and music, so wear headphones or use speakers.
• Great use of color and transparency, however it can make the game seem surreal and induce nausea sometimes, like a clown spitting out 7 pounds of confetti.  (Although if you're not epileptic, the game gets addicting.)
• Although there is a wide variety, there are many controls in place to prevent the "Where the hell are the NORMAL balls?" reflex reaction.
• Balls interact with you, instead of you just making them do your bidding.  (Balloons pop before you get to them, the Chomps will be a nuisance, and the Shrinkers..well...shrink.)
• There are levels and difficulties.  If you get to higher levels, you can get more interesting balls to appear.  Choosing a harder difficulty makes things happen faster and raises certain scoring penalties.
• It comes with a semi-pretty webpage.
• Buttons:  Groups left, Rain (only available if you clicked a rainball), "and Reset/Refresh!"
• A painstakingly constructed tutorial that I toiled over the night before the competition.

THE INCOMPLETE

CAST OF

BALLS

<---1 and 2                                                        3 and 4 ---->

1. Music balls change the tune that is playing, click them when you see a number you like. 
    (They rotate through the selection, find a song that suits you!)

2. RainBalls create a fresh row of balls at the top of the screen, for a small cost. When you remove one you are also given a rainball 'item' button that you can use later.

3. Ghosts join any group selected near them, but if you select them directly they only join other ghosts.

4. Balloons expand as soon as the level starts, better get them before they pop!

         <----  5 and 6 (and 1)                                            7 and 8--->

5.  Panda balls allow you to suffer the bitter embrace of defeat one more time before game over.
6. Chomps are baaad, really baaaad...  if you see more than one, odds are good you'll lose that level.      
7. Blockers (white), and Balloons, do not suffer the effects of gravity like other balls..
8. BurnerBalls (blue outline, animated in game) make a big group with anything around them, leading to a good jump in score.         

pandaballgame@gmail.com        pandaballgame@gmail.com        pandaballgame@gmail.com       pandaballgame@gmail.com

FAQ

TOP

    1)    Why do you have a FAQ?  Did people really ask you these questions?

            Because, and no.

    2)    How do I kill a chomp?  They seem to be really unfair and make me think your game sucks.

Well, if you let them eat for a bit, they fill up with red and can be grouped with red balls.  They have problems eating    rainbows and cannot eat steel balls.  Also, he doesn't tend to occur in easier difficulties.

    3)    Are there any secrets in this game?  A game is boring without secrets.

            I'll call you Frank (no particular reason).  Yes, Frank, there is a secret or two, but they're really not worth mentioning.

    4)    How many balls are there?  Did you actually think more is better?

As of 12-8-05 there are 13 or so, but odds are you'll get tired of the game before you see them all, and some I decided not to post above.

    5)    Why don't the songs loop?

            More incentive to click the music balls when you see a number you like I guess...

    6)    How much time did you spend on this game, are you some kind of loser or something?

            I spent more than I would like to admit, and did lose track of the past....week and a half or so.

    7)    How much time did you spend on this website, are you some kind of loser or something?

            Everyone should know how to make a decent webpage.  It's the mailbox of the future.

    A)    "It wouldn't let me play, no balls came up in the gray screen.  Do I need to do something to make it work?"

Yes, you need the JRE 1.5 installed.  Don't worry about this bogging down your computer or being an extra annoying popup program, your computer likely already has Java and this will just upgrade it.

Do the following:

Go here: http://java.com/en    Click this:        Then this:   

Hopefully that solves your issues and you can play my game!

B)    "It's updated but I can't see it?"

        You need to clear the browser's cache, in Internet Explorer do the following:

        Tools--->Internet Options--->

C)    "The music is too loud, and I have my volume set almost to the lowest level...is there something I can do?"

Yes, under the windows volume control, adjust the wave balance in addition to the master control.  That will reduce the volume level of the midi's.

TOP

For comments and suggestions, bugs and problems, or if you think something isn't working quite right, please email:

pandaballgame@gmail.com

OTHER COMPETITORS:

Click here for post competition contestant list

Sean's Awesomeness

Bunny Madness

Henry's Game

Becka's Game

Hannah's Awesome Game

NutCracker

The contestant list