Ever wanted to make your own video game? Saw some of your friends make cool projects and want to compete them? Want to impress someone with this gift? Then you are at the right place!

Here we'll make a LCD game using a 2x4/2x16 LCD and a 2x4 3D printed setup!

Let's begin...

TRY IT OUT HERE-

Step 1: What Do You Need?

1) Arduino UNO or any other version

2) 2x4/2x16 LCD

3) A 3D printer

4) Some jumpers

5) Breadboard

6) Header pins

7) Soldering iron

8) A battery pack

9) 3D printer

Step 2: Soldering Up the LCD

We'll solder the LCD now. Connect the header pins to the LCD and then solder them up using soldering iron as shown in figure.

You can also solder the arduino pins for output.

Step 3: Connecting LCD to Arduino

Now we'll connect our LCD to Arduino's pins.

We will make some pin connections!

First of all, dont power ON your Linkit! just keep it off and do the following connections:

The 16x2 LCD has 16 pins which are-

1) GND - power ground signal

2) VCC - positive power signal

3) V0 - contrast adjust

4) RS - register select

5) R/W - read/write select

6) E - operation enable signal

7) DB0 - data bit 0 (not used here)

8) DB1 - data bit 1 (not used here)

9) DB2 - data bit 2 (not used here)

10) DB3 - data bit 3 (not used here)

11) DB4 - data bit 4

12) DB4 - data bit 5

13) DB4 - data bit 6

14) DB4 - data bit 7

We'll be only using DB4 to DB7 pins for data transfer as we are using 4 bit mode. (We'll just nee 4 wires for daa transfer + 3 for registers + 2 for GND and VCC)

connections:

Connect DB7 to Linkit's pin 3

Connect DB6 to Linkit's pin 4

Connect DB5 to Linkit's pin 5

Connect DB5 to Linkit's pin 6

Connect E to Linkit's pin 9

Connect R/W to Linkit's pin 10 (or to black row at top of breadboard)

Connect RS to Linkit's pin 11

Now you have successfully placed the pin connections!

Step 4: Connecting the Game Buttons!

Now this is one of the most important step, as we'll use a button to jump on the game,

Connect the button to the PIN2 and GND of your arduino.

Step 5: Adding a Battery Pack

We'll add a battery to the setup now so that it can be powered standalone.

Step 6: Writing Some Code

We'll write some code to burn on our board.

CODE

copy and burn this code into your board

------------------------------------------------------------------------

#include '''LiquidCrystal.h''

#define PIN_BUTTON 2
#define PIN_AUTOPLAY 1
#define PIN_READWRITE 10
#define PIN_CONTRAST 12
#define SPRITE_RUN1 1
#define SPRITE_RUN2 2
#define SPRITE_JUMP 3
#define SPRITE_JUMP_UPPER '.' // Use the '.' character for the head
#define SPRITE_JUMP_LOWER 4
#define SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY ' ' // User the ' ' character
#define SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID 5
#define SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID_RIGHT 6
#define SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID_LEFT 7
#define HERO_HORIZONTAL_POSITION 1 // Horizontal position of hero on screen
#define TERRAIN_WIDTH 16
#define TERRAIN_EMPTY 0
#define TERRAIN_LOWER_BLOCK 1
#define TERRAIN_UPPER_BLOCK 2
#define HERO_POSITION_OFF 0 // Hero is invisible
#define HERO_POSITION_RUN_LOWER_1 1 // Hero is running on lower row (pose 1)
#define HERO_POSITION_RUN_LOWER_2 2 // (pose 2)
#define HERO_POSITION_JUMP_1 3 // Starting a jump
#define HERO_POSITION_JUMP_2 4 // Half-way up
#define HERO_POSITION_JUMP_3 5 // Jump is on upper row
#define HERO_POSITION_JUMP_4 6 // Jump is on upper row
#define HERO_POSITION_JUMP_5 7 // Jump is on upper row
#define HERO_POSITION_JUMP_6 8 // Jump is on upper row
#define HERO_POSITION_JUMP_7 9 // Half-way down
#define HERO_POSITION_JUMP_8 10 // About to land
#define HERO_POSITION_RUN_UPPER_1 11 // Hero is running on upper row (pose 1)
#define HERO_POSITION_RUN_UPPER_2 12 // (pose 2)
LiquidCrystal lcd(11, 9, 6, 5, 4, 3);
static char terrainUpper[TERRAIN_WIDTH + 1];
static char terrainLower[TERRAIN_WIDTH + 1];
static bool buttonPushed = false;
void initializeGraphics(){
static byte graphics[] = {
// Run position 1
B01100,
B01100,
B00000,
B01110,
B11100,
B01100,
B11010,
B10011,
// Run position 2
B01100,
B01100,
B00000,
B01100,
B01100,
B01100,
B01100,
B01110,
// Jump
B01100,
B01100,
B00000,
B11110,
B01101,
B11111,
B10000,
B00000,
// Jump lower
B11110,
B01101,
B11111,
B10000,
B00000,
B00000,
B00000,
B00000,
// Ground
B11111,
B11111,
B11111,
B11111,
B11111,
B11111,
B11111,
B11111,
// Ground right
B00011,
B00011,
B00011,
B00011,
B00011,
B00011,
B00011,
B00011,
// Ground left
B11000,
B11000,
B11000,
B11000,
B11000,
B11000,
B11000,
B11000,
};
int i;
// Skip using character 0, this allows lcd.print() to be used to
// quickly draw multiple characters
for (i = 0; i < 7; ++i) {
lcd.createChar(i + 1, &graphics[i * 8]);
}
for (i = 0; i < TERRAIN_WIDTH; ++i) {
terrainUpper[i] = SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY;
terrainLower[i] = SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY;
}
}
// Slide the terrain to the left in half-character increments
//
void advanceTerrain(char* terrain, byte newTerrain){
for (int i = 0; i < TERRAIN_WIDTH; ++i) {
char current = terrain[i];
char next = (i == TERRAIN_WIDTH-1) ? newTerrain : terrain[i+1];
switch (current){
case SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY:
terrain[i] = (next == SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID) ? SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID_RIGHT : SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY;
break;
case SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID:
terrain[i] = (next == SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY) ? SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID_LEFT : SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID;
break;
case SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID_RIGHT:
terrain[i] = SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID;
break;
case SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID_LEFT:
terrain[i] = SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY;
break;
}
}
}
bool drawHero(byte position, char* terrainUpper, char* terrainLower, unsigned int score) {
bool collide = false;
char upperSave = terrainUpper[HERO_HORIZONTAL_POSITION];
char lowerSave = terrainLower[HERO_HORIZONTAL_POSITION];
byte upper, lower;
switch (position) {
case HERO_POSITION_OFF:
upper = lower = SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY;
break;
case HERO_POSITION_RUN_LOWER_1:
upper = SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY;
lower = SPRITE_RUN1;
break;
case HERO_POSITION_RUN_LOWER_2:
upper = SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY;
lower = SPRITE_RUN2;
break;
case HERO_POSITION_JUMP_1:
case HERO_POSITION_JUMP_8:
upper = SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY;
lower = SPRITE_JUMP;
break;
case HERO_POSITION_JUMP_2:
case HERO_POSITION_JUMP_7:
upper = SPRITE_JUMP_UPPER;
lower = SPRITE_JUMP_LOWER;
break;
case HERO_POSITION_JUMP_3:
case HERO_POSITION_JUMP_4:
case HERO_POSITION_JUMP_5:
case HERO_POSITION_JUMP_6:
upper = SPRITE_JUMP;
lower = SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY;
break;
case HERO_POSITION_RUN_UPPER_1:
upper = SPRITE_RUN1;
lower = SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY;
break;
case HERO_POSITION_RUN_UPPER_2:
upper = SPRITE_RUN2;
lower = SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY;
break;
}
if (upper != ' ') {
terrainUpper[HERO_HORIZONTAL_POSITION] = upper;
collide = (upperSave == SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY) ? false : true;
}
if (lower != ' ') {
terrainLower[HERO_HORIZONTAL_POSITION] = lower;
collide |= (lowerSave == SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY) ? false : true;
}

byte digits = (score > 9999) ? 5 : (score > 999) ? 4 : (score > 99) ? 3 : (score > 9) ? 2 : 1;

// Draw the scene
terrainUpper[TERRAIN_WIDTH] = '\0';
terrainLower[TERRAIN_WIDTH] = '\0';
char temp = terrainUpper[16-digits];
terrainUpper[16-digits] = '\0';
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print(terrainUpper);
terrainUpper[16-digits] = temp;
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.print(terrainLower);

lcd.setCursor(16 - digits,0);
lcd.print(score);
terrainUpper[HERO_HORIZONTAL_POSITION] = upperSave;
terrainLower[HERO_HORIZONTAL_POSITION] = lowerSave;
return collide;
}
// Handle the button push as an interrupt
void buttonPush() {
buttonPushed = true;
}
void setup(){
pinMode(PIN_READWRITE, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(PIN_READWRITE, LOW);
pinMode(PIN_CONTRAST, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(PIN_CONTRAST, LOW);
pinMode(PIN_BUTTON, INPUT);
digitalWrite(PIN_BUTTON, HIGH);
pinMode(PIN_AUTOPLAY, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(PIN_AUTOPLAY, HIGH);

// Digital pin 2 maps to interrupt 0
attachInterrupt(0/*PIN_BUTTON*/, buttonPush, FALLING);

initializeGraphics();

lcd.begin(16, 2);
}
void loop(){
static byte heroPos = HERO_POSITION_RUN_LOWER_1;
static byte newTerrainType = TERRAIN_EMPTY;
static byte newTerrainDuration = 1;
static bool playing = false;
static bool blink = false;
static unsigned int distance = 0;

if (!playing) {
drawHero((blink) ? HERO_POSITION_OFF : heroPos, terrainUpper, terrainLower, distance >> 3);
if (blink) {
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print("Press Start");
}
delay(250);
blink = !blink;
if (buttonPushed) {
initializeGraphics();
heroPos = HERO_POSITION_RUN_LOWER_1;
playing = true;
buttonPushed = false;
distance = 0;
}
return;
}
// Shift the terrain to the left
advanceTerrain(terrainLower, newTerrainType == TERRAIN_LOWER_BLOCK ? SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID : SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY);
advanceTerrain(terrainUpper, newTerrainType == TERRAIN_UPPER_BLOCK ? SPRITE_TERRAIN_SOLID : SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY);

// Make new terrain to enter on the right
if (--newTerrainDuration == 0) {
if (newTerrainType == TERRAIN_EMPTY) {
newTerrainType = (random(3) == 0) ? TERRAIN_UPPER_BLOCK : TERRAIN_LOWER_BLOCK;
newTerrainDuration = 2 + random(10);
} else {
newTerrainType = TERRAIN_EMPTY;
newTerrainDuration = 10 + random(10);
}
}

if (buttonPushed) {
if (heroPos <= HERO_POSITION_RUN_LOWER_2) heroPos = HERO_POSITION_JUMP_1;
buttonPushed = false;
}
if (drawHero(heroPos, terrainUpper, terrainLower, distance >> 3)) {
playing = false; // The hero collided with something. Too bad.
} else {
if (heroPos == HERO_POSITION_RUN_LOWER_2 || heroPos == HERO_POSITION_JUMP_8) {
heroPos = HERO_POSITION_RUN_LOWER_1;
} else if ((heroPos >= HERO_POSITION_JUMP_3 && heroPos <= HERO_POSITION_JUMP_5) && terrainLower[HERO_HORIZONTAL_POSITION] != SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY) {
heroPos = HERO_POSITION_RUN_UPPER_1;
} else if (heroPos >= HERO_POSITION_RUN_UPPER_1 && terrainLower[HERO_HORIZONTAL_POSITION] == SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY) {
heroPos = HERO_POSITION_JUMP_5;
} else if (heroPos == HERO_POSITION_RUN_UPPER_2) {
heroPos = HERO_POSITION_RUN_UPPER_1;
} else {
++heroPos;
}
++distance;

digitalWrite(PIN_AUTOPLAY, terrainLower[HERO_HORIZONTAL_POSITION + 2] == SPRITE_TERRAIN_EMPTY ? HIGH : LOW);
}
delay(100);
}