CS 248 2002 Video Game Competition

CS 248 - Introduction to Computer Graphics
Autumn Quarter, 2002

Course Staff:
Marc Levoy, Vaibhav Vaish, Billy Chen, Georg Petschnigg, Zak Middleton

The final project for CS248 was to write a 3D video game. To help inspire our students to delve deeply into the wonderful world of graphics, we also held a public competition, with a panel of expert judges selecting the best game. The judges were Brent Iverson, CTO of Electronic Arts's Redwood Shores studio, Lang Beeck, software design engineer at Microsoft and a Stanford alumnus (MSCE '84), Dennis ("Thresh") Fong, winner of the 1997 Red Annihilation Quake Tournament, Gary King, of NVIDIA's game developer relations team, and Zak Middleton, a Master's student in Computer Science.

There were 8 finalists. The winning group won a trip to Siggraph 2003, while second place won a free dinner for two at Il Fornaio in Palo Alto. We also had a "wackiest, most creative" prize consisting of an Xbox, generously donated by NVIDIA. All finalists also won video games donated by Electronic Arts and Microsoft.

Contents:


1st place: Return of Oscuro

Curtis Spencer, Justin Tan and Tony Hsieh

   

Game description
Download Win32 version of the game

In a land invaded by darkness, an unlikely hero appears...

The game begins in the fantasy world invaded by demons from the shadow dimension, led by the prince of darkness, Oscuro. Belanos, the god of light, finds his descendent Boopy to destroy the shadow monsters. once and for all. Boopy uses his paintball gun and trusty Louisville slugger to combat these evil vermin.

For more information, check out the Return of Oscuro web site.


2nd place: Siege of Troy

Woodley Packard and Dmitry Belogolovsky

   

Game description
Download Linux x86 version of the game (no music)
Download MacOS version of the game (no music)

Imagine Warcraft III in full 3D. The setting: the ancient city of Troy. The Greeks attack the city; the Trojans defend it. You, yourself, are the hero. You command vast armies of various types of units--archers, swordsmen, catapults, battering rams, dragons, goblins, etc. The gods grant you new spells, and you use them to crush your enemies.

It's a first-person and a third-person RPG at the same time.

For more information, check out the Siege of Troy web site.


Wackiest: Flock

David Chan and Eric Berger

   
Download Win32 version of the game

In Flock, you are a bird in a flock of birds that seems to trust you at least as much as you make good decisions. They tend to follow you around if you look like you know what you're doing and they will eat any butterfly in sight. Some butterflies are healthy, some are fun to eat, and some are poisonous. Unfortunately, the birds don't remember which one is which and after they finish eating a group of butterflies, they often don't know where to go next! Fortunately for you, you were born with a butterfly finder in your brain and you can find new groups of butterflies instantly and you know exactly which butterflies are good for your flock, which butterflies they love to eat, which butterflies are bad for them, and most importantly, which butterflies give you the most points.

For more information, check out the Flock web site.


Honorable Mention for Wackiest: America's Wildest Police Chases

Darren Delaye and Tim Chao

   
Download Win32 version of the game
Download Linux version of the game

In this game, you are in control of a police helicopter flying above the city. A stolen Corvette is speeding through the downtown streets, and it's your job to help catch the crook. Chase the Corvette and keep it under your spotlight, which you control with the mouse. Keep him under your spotlight long enough and you'll dispatch a police car to chase him down. Dispatch enough police cars and they'll be able to trap him inside one of the city blocks.

For more information, check out the America's Wildest Police Chases web site.


Finalist: Bessie's Revenge

Michael Braun and Philip Beatty

   
Download Win32 version of the game

Bessie's Revenge is a fun interactive 3D networked game for two players. Players can square off on one machine, taking turns at the controls, or play on two separate computers in network mode. For network mode, one of the computers must run a CowServer, to which both players connect.

The object of the game is simple: get your player to your opponents end of the pasture before your opponent gets his/her player to your end of the pasture. Bessie's Revenge is a turn based game. At each turn, you can move your player one square forward, backward, left or right OR you can drop a fence, blocking passage between two squares for both players. However, you must leave at least one route for your opponent to reach your end of the pasture.

For more information, check out the Bessie's Revenge web site.


Finalist: Bikers

Mike Stilman and Mike Liu

   

BIKERS is a high speed driving/shooting arcade game. You control STELLA in her five minute chance at fame and fortune. Your task is to annihilate the opponents while performing wild audience pleasing stunts. With fires and explosions galore, this is the ultimate arcade!

For more information, check out the Bikers web site.


Finalist: CrimsonFire

Michael Turitzin

   
Download Linux version of the game

In the year 3000, robots have enslaved humanity and, predictably, have created a deadly game solely for their evil amusement. They call it CrimsonFire, a name representative of the bloody, fiery deaths experienced by its losers. In CrimsonFire, human contestants are forceably strapped into a UFO-like craft (the robots find it more funny this way) and must maneuver using propulsion jets through a series of rings that appear over a lush but overcast island. Crashing into the terrain means instant death; so does getting hit by a projectile fired by turrets that the robots have so carefully placed around the island. CrimsonFire includes many levels, five difficulty levels, and an awesome sound system including a tribal drumming soundtrack you will grow to love (it is a robot favorite). Enjoy!


Finalist: Maelstrom 3D

Evan Parker

   

Game description
Download Win32 version of the game (with music)
Download Win32 version of the game (with no music)

After a close fight with a lone Shinobi fighter you spy a supply cannister off in the distance. Thank god, you think as you head towards it; you needed something - shields, retro thrusters, machineguns, even a bit of luck - anything to help you survive when the next wave of fighters hits. But just as you come upon the cannister a black hole appears out of no where. Caught off gaurd you are unable to pull free of it's gravitational pull in time. As your ship implodes under the pressure you here yourself scream, the sound echoing off into space...a moment of silence, and then you respawn in the center of the arena, safely shielded for the moment, and with one more life to go.

For more information, check out the Maelstrom 3D web site.


Last update by Billy Chen: January 13, 2003