Projects

Derelict Star is my personal vision of what a Metroid game could be. It takes most of the mechanics of the classic Metroid games, adds in some melee combat reminiscent of Castlevania, and throws in some of my favorite content from various other games (Flight from Ranger-x, vehicular action scenes from Earthworm Jim, and drones similar to various space-shooters).

It's hard to think of truly original gameplay content for a 2D action platformer at this day and age, but by combining my favorites and tweaking them to work cohesively I think the overall effect will be quite rewarding in its own rite.

The gameplay aspects of Derelict Star aside, I believe it should prove to be a very unique experience. I'm putting a great deal of effort into developing a strong emersive experience through a deep storyline unveiled slowly in creative ways, and using a combination of special effects and music to create a series of moods.

Derelict Star is being developed for the PC using Gamemaker Studio 2, Adobe Photoshop, and Jummbox.

My reviews site started off as a series of projects for WCCI, but I intend it to take off and become a true reviews site of my own personal library of favorites. By developing this site through the use of relational databases and templates it becomes simple to add additional content, though there was more work up-front to get here.

Garden of Shinkai was the first Java project that I went overboard on. It's a (Java) console game that at this time only interacts through text, but could be made into a full-fledged app similar to some Gocha games.

The player begins with a semi-random set of Spirits with which they are tasked to heal and nurture. At any time they can summon new spirits into their garden, or release a spirit out into the great beyond. The state of a spirit being released will have an impact on your overall Karma, so you are encouraged to treat the spirits well.

Each spirit has a set of attributes that is determined by its nature, and must be dealt with in an essentially unique way without knowing precisely what the consequences will be.

The pet's reactions are based on a combination of random chance, pet skill levels, and pet type preferences.

Garden of Shinkai was developed purely in Java, though a full-stack version is soon to be in development.

My version of the Virtual Pet app is a prototype for Garden of Shinkai, in that it focuses in tightly on a single spirit companion. In this version, you are a human medium who can interact with spirits directly once per year.

Your interactions with the mysterious Kami spirit are anything but straightforward. A spirit is unlike any pet you might meet in the mundane world.

The needs and desires of a Kami spirit vary based on the nature of their existence, which is not rooted in flesh (most of the time). You must use your intuition to discern which actions will have the consequences you desire.

This app was developed purely with Java as an exercise in OOP

Dreamteam Aquarium is a group project completed in two weeks by myself and 4 others. Our aim was to build out a site that could guide an aquarium owner through the process of setting up a home-ecosystem that wouldn't be self destructive.

The site presents the users with simple choices: Salt or Fresh water, which world region, what kind of fish, etc. In the end, the user is given a list of compatible fish for their choices that can live together harmoniously.

Developed with: Java, HTML, CSS, Javascript, Spring API, and Thymeleaf using MVC architecture.

I was primarily responsible for the Navigational elements. I built the hamburger menus and nav bars using Javascript and CSS. I also built out the fish cards as seen on the All Fish page.

Dream Team:
Benjamin Walsh
Kenneth Johnston
Eric Harrison
Rhonda Smith
William Burger

Borrow-a-Buddy is a web app developed by Buddy Enterprise ©, a subgroup of WCCI developers. This application aims to be a social media platform to connect pet owners and people needing temporary companionship. The need for such companionship is more common than ever before, and the reasons are many; simple companionship, therapy, disability support chief among them.

The user is greeted with an application process that gives Borrow-a-Buddy information on their needs, resources, and capabilities. This information is crucial for the user to have the best experience, and to keep any pets safe and doing the most good.

Borrow-a-Buddy is developed and maintained with: Java, HTML, CSS, Javascript, Spring, and Thymeleaf using MVC architecture and Object Oriented Programming.

My primary contributions were Navigational elements, built through Javascript and CSS. I was also the animator of the welcome page log and the developer of the About Us page, and helped build out our styling across all pages.

Buddy Enterprises credits:
Kenneth Johnston
Karin Samoviski
Eric Harrison
William Burger
Monica Simpson
Rachael Silvers
Benjamin Walsh