Analog Space Invaders With Human Controller

analog_space_invaders

[fidepus] put together a pretty nifty version of the game Space Invaders. This is an analog version that involves an ink and paper based display system.

He printed out one piece of paper for each different enemy, mother ship, laser beam, and player vehicle. The human-based controller is used to move the pieces in all directions. When it comes time for a row to move downward, the pieces are removed from the game grid and relocated to their new position using a scotch-tape-actuator.

We think the most successful part of this hack was [fidepus’] ability to integrate sound effects into the controller system. The human-based controller puts out mono sound with a “pew-pew” for laser blasts and a “dirnk-dirnk… dirnk-dirnk” for the enemy movements.

Although there is no code nor a schematic provided, we think this system shouldn’t be too hard to reverse engineer.

79 thoughts on “Analog Space Invaders With Human Controller

  1. 90% of what i read on here is whining about the fact that the posts are not what the whiner would consider a “hack”.

    here are two tips for you:

    go run your own web site with nothing but the hacks you want to see and/or stop coming here

  2. Ive hacked my pictureframe just about the same way..
    It also uses paper to interface with us humans. I am working on video but currently it asks to much cycles from the controller so it overheats. I’ve mounted a heatsink and a fan but that wouldnt help either. Now I will try overclocking with performance-enhancing drugs and watercooling…

  3. This is neat. Lets get the ‘owners must’ noobs off the site with email bans. Send them back to makezine to learn to put moist sleeves in cabbage patch dolls..with a LED hack.

  4. when you think about it, all the raving mad posts, along with all the “this is not a hack” post, mean something completely different to hack a day, people are visiting and re-visiting the website to see what’s gonna be said next, good job hack a day.
    YOU’VE HACKED US!

  5. If I can find a heavy enough ball, I might try my hand at ‘coding’ breakout onto my wall. To avoid slow wall reset between levels, I can move to different rooms. Hope I get three lives…

  6. Jeez, I doubt hackaday cares if you don’t read it.

    It’s a very well-written and funny post, if you disagree just keep your comments to yourself and quietly stop reading it.

  7. Classic post…
    This reminds me, I need to get the Super Mario Power Flower pattern to the mother in law…one retro jumper for my 4 month old daughter coming up…But now I am thinking BIGGER.

    Each invaders sprite on a jumper, the whole office gets one, and we can play human space invaders in the car park…

  8. I did manage to compile this for my monochrome non textile wall. Only Problem was a fuse was blown in the houses main powerboard and I lost all data shown on wall resulting in game loss.

    In my next build I plan to use an external PSU with battery and led matrix in case of power loss again.

  9. Question about cross platform compatability: I want to install this on my ceramic wall, I notice that the environment you’re operating in is drywall with a quasi-stucco appearance. let me know, thanks

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