Stripped-Down Keyboard Edition: An Unadorned Option Compared to the Keyboard Version of Guitar Hero
In a fascinating twist on traditional rhythm games, two Cornell University students, Joseph Valenti and Daniel Rodriguez, have created a unique game called Keyboard Hero for their ECE 4760 class. The game, reminiscent of the old-school rhythm game Audiosurf, stands out with its innovative approach to note generation.
Unlike games such as Guitar Hero, which rely on predetermined note patterns, Keyboard Hero uses audio signal analysis on incoming music to dynamically generate the notes players must hit. This approach means the game creates note prompts based on the real-time audio waveform or frequency content, adapting the gameplay to whatever piano music is played into the system.
The game processes simple single-instrument piano audio through a Raspberry Pi Pico, which analyzes the sound and outputs corresponding "notes" the player must match using five buttons. Another Raspberry Pi Pico generates the VGA video output displaying the game graphics synchronized with the audio, allowing players to play in time.
This fundamental departure from traditional rhythm games demonstrates a functional real-time audio-to-gameplay synchronization on resource-constrained hardware, the Raspberry Pi Picos. The game shares a similarity with Audiosurf in its note generation process, but it's important to note that Keyboard Hero was not designed to replicate Audiosurf.
Keyboard Hero, unlike its more polished counterparts, functions as intended, relying on five plastic buttons assembled on a piece of wood instead of a guitar controller. Despite its simplicity, the game works effectively, showcasing the potential for innovative game design on resource-constrained hardware.
In summary, Keyboard Hero's core innovation lies in its use of audio signal analysis to dynamically generate the notes players must hit, offering a fresh take on the rhythm game genre. The game, developed for a class project at Cornell University, is a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of its creators.
The Cornell University students' creation, Keyboard Hero, challenges the norm in rhythm games by dynamically generating notes utilizing a Raspberry Pi Pico for audio signal analysis, and showcasing its potential in innovation on resource-constrained gadgets like Raspberry Pi Picos, highlighting its similarity with Audiosurf in terms of note generation while remaining distinct from it.
