Rating:
(14 reviews)
Author: Visit Amazon's Jonathan S. Harbour Page
ISBN : 1435461169
New from $15.73
Format: PDF, EPUB
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Review
1. Hello Stinky Head [intro to QB64]. 2. Big Mean Kitty Chases Cute Little Dog [simple graphics]. 3. Save the Hangman [simple game]. 4. Finding Secret Pirate Treasure [timed game]. 5. Let's Go Fishing [complex graphics]. 6. Backpack Attack [first real time game]. 7. Fighting Scary Robots that like to say "Exterminate!" [audio chapter]. 8. Super Squirt Gun versus the Lizard [getting player input]. 9. You Forgot Your Combination!? [doing math]. 10. You Big Ant Stomping Meanie [arrays]. 11. Beetles Are Kind of Dumb (but let's be nice to them) [game logic]. 12. Driving Like Crazy [serious collision game]. 13. Catch The Parachute Guy!
About the Author
Jonathan S. Harbour is a freelance writer and game developer. He maintains a forum at http://www.jharbour.com/forum for support of his books and games, and he has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/jharbourcom. He enjoys science fiction, comics, and video games.
Direct download links available for Free Video Game Programming for Kids Paperback
- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Cengage Learning PTR; 1 edition (April 5, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1435461169
- ISBN-13: 978-1435461161
- Product Dimensions: 0.7 x 6.8 x 8.8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Free Video Game Programming for Kids
This book being aimed at kids aged 8-12 I must say there are way more easier ways for kids of this age group to learn video game programming.
Scratch, Alice, Kodu,GreenFoot,Google app inventor and Gamemaker are just some of the programs that are directly aimed at that age group.
Having said that maybe it just depends on the kid. I can only think back to when I was that age and remember I definitely would not have the patience to read this entire book. The long listing of code and lack of pictures would be enough to deter me.
Then again assuming you have a grown up to help you wade through the book, as with the author's kids in this book I assume it would be easier or if you're as visual a learner.
Anyways, getting back to the book it's actually a decent enough book if you are unaware of the programs I mentioned above or plan on growing up to be a programmer where you will be expected to type quite a bit more code.
The author gives you plenty of code to type and covers all the basic simple arcade type of games like hangman, adventure, treasure hunt, breakout clone, seawar, scrollers, etc...
Most importantly, an entire chapter is spent on the core foundation for any game involving graphics, which is the sprite.
It's pretty amazing he's able to cram so many games into just a 200 page book!
I think you can thank the simplicity of the BASIC language for that though.
One other downside is that author likes to ramble and go off on tangents, like the state machine one he does in an early chapter, that could probably be put to better use and will probably just confuse a kid more.