CatchAlphabets Game - Computer Organization and Assembly Language (COAL)

Project Description

CatchAlphabets is an interactive game developed for the Intel 8088 microprocessor, showcasing low-level assembly language programming skills. The game runs on DOSBox with NASM, allowing players to control a bucket and catch falling alphabets to score points while avoiding penalties. It features a main menu, dynamic gameplay, increasing difficulty over time, and creative endgame elements, making it an excellent demonstration of interrupt handling, custom functions, and real-time user interaction.

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Features

Core Gameplay:

1. Main Menu:

   • At launch, a main page is displayed prompting the user to:
     • Press any key (except Esc) to start the game.
     • Pressing Esc displays the credits and exits the program.

2. Bucket Mechanics:

   • A bucket (ASCII value 0xDC) is displayed at the bottom-middle of the screen when the game starts.
   • The bucket can be moved using the arrow keys:
     • Left Arrow (0x4B): Move the bucket left.
     • Right Arrow (0x4D): Move the bucket right.

3. Falling Alphabets:

   • Alphabets (A-Z) appear at random positions in the top row and fall toward the bucket.
   • At least 5 alphabets fall simultaneously at varying speeds.
   • The speed of falling alphabets automatically increases at 10 seconds and again at 20 seconds, tracked using the INT 8h hardware interrupt.

4. Scoring System:

   • Catching an alphabet adds 1 point to the score.
   • The score is displayed in the top-right corner of the screen.

5. Game Over Condition:

   • Missing 10 alphabets ends the game.
   • The player's final score and total time played are displayed in the middle of the screen for a few seconds before transitioning to the credits.

6. Credits Scroll:

   • After displaying the final score and time or pressing Esc at the main menu, a scrolling credits screen plays to conclude the game.

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How to Run

1. Install DOSBox and NASM.
2. Place the CatchAlphabets.asm file in your working directory.
3. Assemble the game for the 8088:

   nasm -f bin CatchAlphabets.asm -o CatchAlphabets.com
   

4. Run the game in DOSBox:

   CatchAlphabets.com
   

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Gameplay Instructions

1. Main Menu:

   • Press any key (except Esc) to start the game.
   • Press Esc to display the credits and exit.

2. Move the Bucket:

   • Use the left arrow key (0x4B) to move the bucket left.
   • Use the right arrow key (0x4D) to move the bucket right.

3. Catch Alphabets:

   • Align the bucket with falling alphabets to catch them and score points.

4. Avoid Misses:

   • The game ends if 10 alphabets are missed.

5. Time-Based Difficulty:

   • The speed of falling alphabets increases at 20 seconds and 40 seconds, adding to the challenge.

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Code Features

• Custom Random Function:
  Generates random positions and speeds for falling alphabets.
• Real-Time Input:
  Hooks into INT 9h for responsive keyboard controls.
• Time Tracking:
  Uses INT 8h hardware interrupt to track elapsed time and dynamically adjust difficulty.
• Adjustable Speed:
  Falling speeds increase automatically based on time, adding progressive difficulty.
• Score and Time Display:
  At the end of the game, the final score and total time played are shown in the middle of the screen.
• Main Menu and Credits:
  A main menu prompts the user to start or quit. A scrolling credits screen concludes the game.

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Future Enhancements

1. Bomb Mechanic:

   • Add bombs that fall alongside alphabets.
   • If the bucket catches a bomb, the player experiences an instant game over.

2. Power-Ups:

   • Introduce special alphabets that grant bonuses, such as:
     • Double points.
     • Temporarily slowing down falling items.

3. Sound Effects:

   • Add audio cues for catching alphabets, missing them, and the game over.

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Credits

• Developer: Muhammad Rahim (Rebelhere)
• Special Thanks: Ayesha Younus

CatchAlphabets - A nostalgic and exciting gaming experience on the Intel 8088!

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Contributing

Feel free to open issues or submit pull requests for improvements or bug fixes.

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Collaboration Guidelines

We welcome contributions from the open-source community. If you'd like to collaborate on this project, please adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix.
3. Implement your changes and commit them with descriptive messages.
4. Push your branch to your fork and submit a pull request.

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Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or suggestions !

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CatchAlphabets: Relive the thrill of coding and gaming in the 8088 era!