4 Button Game Kit with all kinds of accessories included

Why create a 4 Button Game Kit for the Circuit Playground Express (CPX)?

Imagine having the ability to create retro type handheld games in CircuitPython similar to the classic handheld LED games of the late 70s and early 80s but with only 10 NeoPixels combined with lots of sensors! I am creating push button games that transform the Circuit Playground Express board into a handheld electronic game system adding 4 buttons to create retro games. The Circuit Playground Express is a perfect board to explore CircuitPython coding based on creating NeoPixels type games with young programmers.

The 4 button game kit adds 4 colored buttons as additional inputs and a battery pack to support retro handheld gaming on the CPX. We focus on NeoPixel gaming because it provides a great way to teach basic python coding and gaming concepts while keeping costs low. LED based games were fun as portable handheld gaming systems for us who grew up in the 80s, so I am seeking to capture that same kind of fun with CPX while teaching young programmers how to code. With all of the sensors on the CPX, it makes the perfect platform for developing handheld electronic games. Instead of 80s LEDs with no extra sensors, CPX includes NeoPixels and a variety of other sensors to create handheld electronic games.

What is it?

The 4 button game kit encourages young programmers to code turning the CPX into a portable handheld gaming system with NeoPixels. The kit comes with 4 colored buttons soldered on a circuit board that holds the battery pack while connecting the board to the CPX. A Circuit Playground Express is INCLUDED already assembled on the button game kit. We are currently building a library of games in CircuitPython based on using the 4 button game kit. I currently have a 4 player pong like game and a Football Game in CircuitPython to immediately start exploring leveraging the 4 button game kit for handheld electronic gaming.

The 4 Button Shield CPX Kit requires no soldering and comes preassembled so you can start playing games once received. This kit includes:

• 1 x Button Shield Circuit Board
• 4 x Push button switches presoldered to the Button Shield Circuit Board
• 6 x Mounting posts to mount Circuit Playground Express (CPX) to Button Shield
• 1 x Battery Holder (3 AAA batteries INCLUDED)
• 12 x Thumbscrews for mounting Circuit Playground to Button Shield Kit Circuit Board
• FREE Circuit Playground Express is INCLUDED
• Circuit Python Apps included are 4 Player Tennis, Drum Machine, and DUO Popper IR decoder

Why did you make it?

To help students learn CircuitPython coding based on creating handheld electronic games on the Circuit Playground Express. We are currently creating games to explore a variety of coding concepts in CircuitPython. The first game we developed for this button shield kit is a 1 to 4 player pong game to illustrate what type of games can be created on the Circuit Playground Express.

What makes it special?

Where else can you find a kit to create handheld NeoPixel based games that motivate young coders to explore leveraging CircuitPython? This is the first of its kind! Follow us on Twitter @iTapArcade and tell others about this project.