Code Your Own Flappy Bird

[MarlaDesat]

Code Your Own Flappy Bird


Code.org released a tutorial that lets you make your own Flappy Bird game in just 20 minutes.

Flappy Bird just keeps on flying. Code.org, a Seattle-based non-profit that works to expand participation in computer science education, has released a tutorial that lets you make your own Flappy Bird game. The drag-and-drop tutorial guides you through puzzles to create a custom version of the game, while teaching basic coding concepts at the same time. The tutorial takes about 20 minutes to complete.

Speaking to GeekWire [http://www.geekwire.com/2014/flappy-bird-code-org/], Code.org co-founder Hadi Partovi says, "We already know that the chance to 'make an app' is something people aspire to, but they think it's out of reach. We want to give kids something that lets them express a degree of creativeness." Code.org's Hour of Code lessons already help teach computer science in short lessons, but none produce a game that can be shared with friends. The tutorial lets you customize your game, letting you change the sounds that happen when hitting the ground or managing to make it through another frustrating pipe. You can even change the bird into a shark, Santa Claus, or Superman. "There are endless possibilities and kids can try them and realize the creativity involved in computer science within just 20 minutes," says Partovi. The tutorial is recommended for ages 6 and up.

The Make Your Own Flappy Bird tutorial was released on February 26 to mark Code.og's one year anniversary. Code.org has used Angry Birds, Frogger, and Plants vs. Zombies to illustrate previous coding lessons. Since it was founded, Code.org has helped over 27 million people in 170 countries write over a billion lines of code. The organization also works to have school districts and legislators recognize the importance of teaching computer science at all grade levels.

Source: GeekWire [http://www.geekwire.com/2014/flappy-bird-code-org/]

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[Weaver]

While I really like getting kids interested in CS, this is an incredibly liberal use of the word "code" because it's just dragging puzzle blocks to events that trigger. They aren't actually writing a line of code. You're basically wiring up a pre-built program with pre-made assets.

As someone who started dicking around in QBasic when they were 12, I think we should be teaching kids more... well, programming.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

As far as learning programming goes, Code.org is pretty much useless.

 

[Clowndoe]

As someone who started dicking around in QBasic when they were 12, I think we should be teaching kids more... well, programming.

Exactly, when you were 12. This is for six-year-olds, as it says on the article, an age where they can barely add, much less work with variables, not to mention creating functions or classes.

 

[Weaver]

As someone who started dicking around in QBasic when they were 12, I think we should be teaching kids more... well, programming.

Exactly, when you were 12. This is for six-year-olds, as it says on the article, an age where they can barely add, much less work with variables, not to mention creating functions or classes.

Then let's not call it "coding". I'm not against the idea behind it, I'm against that it's actually claiming to teach kids how to make a game in 20 minutes and it's not.

 

[Smooth Operator]

I think some people need to rethink how teaching is done at the moment, because drowning people in information for several years which may then some day be applicable in the real world is like walking around ass first, sure you get there just the same but you do so at a snails pace and only those who haven't given up on the insanity of that approach.

I get the idea of "old way is best way" but that is often just not true, mush like in this case.

 

[RA92]

As far as learning programming goes, Code.org is pretty much useless.

Oh yeah. Stack Overflow or get the fuck off.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

Because what the world really needs is more fucking Flappy Bird clones.

It's already reached the point where there are versions starring Miley Cyrus and Schapelle Corby (a convicted Australian drug smuggler, for those who live in the more interesting parts of the world).

 

[Griffolion]

This sounds elitist, but that isn't coding. You're just building pre-done code blocks together. That doesn't take any skill, just a small amount of intuition as to a logical progression of something. Which we learn while still in single-figure ages.

That said, the tutorial [i]is[/i] for ages 6 upwards. I would perhaps re-do that age rating for ages 6-10, or something.

 

[blackmonji]

You should see Clumsy Bird (a Flappy Bird Clone made from MelonJS) source code, then you can compare it with your Flappy Bird Clone code.
You can see it at http://filesaber.com/download-clumsy-bird-source-code-a-flappy-bird-clone/