Making Pong with Game Maker 8
A beginner's tutorial on how to make Pong in Game Maker 8.
One of the most basic and classic computer games of all time is Pong. Originally released by Atari in 1972 it was a commercial hit and it is also the perfect game for anyone starting to learn game design.
The game has only few elements. A couple of bats, a ball, score counters and a playing field. Let's make this game.
In this tutorial we will primarily be working with these three components of Game Maker:
- Sprites
- Objects
- Rooms
To continue you need to have Game Maker 8 installed and running. When this is done you can begin with the first step.
Download and install Game Maker 8
If you want to start being a game designer then Game Maker is the perfect way to go. You can download Game Maker 8 "lite edition" free from yoyogames.com. This guide will show you how to do this.
1. Go to the download page at Yoyogames.com.
2. Click the green download button at the bottom of the screen.
3. Your browser will probably display a yellow warning bar. This is expected and you should click the yellow bar and select the option to save the file. Remember to save the file a place where you can find it again.
4. When the file has downloaded you can find it and run it.
5. Now follow the instructions on screen to install Game Maker.
6. When done you can run Game Maker from the icon on your desktop.
7. When you run the free edition of Game Maker a window will ask if you want to buy the Pro Edition. If you don't want to you can simply click Continue without upgrading.
All done. You are ready to begin making games with Game Maker.
Menus in Game Maker 7 tutorial
Want to add menus to your games in Game Maker? This can be done easily and this video tutorial covers all the basics of adding them to a game you have made.
This tutorial uses the Breakout game as an example but any Game Maker game can be used.
If you want your menus to shine then it can be a good idea to spend some time making the buttons fit the theme of your game and adding a background image. This will improve the overall feel of a game tremendously.
Breakout in Game Maker 7 video tutorial
The game Breakout was a huge hit when originally released in 1976. Today it is considered a computer game classic and a new video tutorial can now teach you how to make you own version in Game Maker.
It is recommended that you have a little experience with Game Maker before using this tutorial.
Part 1:
Part 2:
It can be helpful completing part 1 in Game Maker before moving on to the second part.
If you like this tutorial then feel free to share it with your friends. If you don't then please leave a comment so this tutorial might be improved.
A video tutorial for adding menus to the game is also available.
Pong in Game Maker 7 video tutorial
A beginners video tutorial on how you easily can make Pong in Game Maker.
To use this tutorial you will need Game Maker installed and running.
I recommend running these videos in full screen mode.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Please share this tutorial with friends and family if you like it. If you don't like it then please leave a comment so that any problems might be solved.
If you think I am talking too fast or being unclear make sure to read the fully written guide on how to make Pong in Game Maker.
Ideas for improvements to the game:
- Create better looking graphics. Simply edit the sprites and spend more time on it than I did in the video.
- Add an interesting background.
- Add sound effects to all collision events.
- Publish your game (under File menu) and share it with friends and family.
Making Pong with Game Maker 7
A beginner's guide to making your first game in Game Maker 7.
One of the most basic and classic computer games of all time is Pong. Originally released by Atari in 1972 it was a commercial hit and it is also the perfect game for anyone starting to learn game design.
The game has only few elements. A couple of bats, a ball, score counters and a playing field. Let's make this game.
In this tutorial we will primarily be working with these three components of Game Maker:
- Sprites
- Objects
- Rooms
To continue you need to have Game Maker installed and running. When this is done you can begin with the first step.
