The DreamZBox 2.0 project is a Computer Science (CS) and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) combined discipline project. DreamZBox 2.0 is a custom video game console, with its own controllers and video game(s) created specifically for the console. Requested by two Oregon State University Graduate students, the DreamZBox 2.0 represents a step up from the original DreamZBox predecessor. The new gaming console is portable, rechargeable, and fun to use.
Using Maze of Dreamz, the CS29 Dreamz Catcherz show users the capabilities of the console and its interfaces. A fun top-down adventure game placing players into the role of a brave knight. It’s hard to create video games from scratch. Instead of trying to build the next Fortnite, CS29 Dreamz Catcherz wanted to show folks nostalgic gaming from the developers' own childhood.
The DreamZBox 2.0 actually has the same power as an older smart phone. Sadly, this means very few game design apps support it. Games like Fortnite use way too much code for a smaller system. The CS29 Dreamz Catcherz had to create their own killer game engine to support a game like this. They used code from websites to build the animated art and player interactions. This allows for the games to even be played in internet browsers like Chrome. Thankfully, many other software engineers had written public programs to help the team. Once the core game engine was finished the team finished Maze of Dreamz. So now anyone can have a cheap video game console for less than a Ninendo Switch Lite! Even with a small console, one can still vanquish slimes and venture forth into the unknown! A beta of the game is made public with keyboard controls for simplicity (WASD-E and IJKL-O).
The DreamZBox 2.0 system also uses a newly created dashboard called the DreamZDash. This dashboard acts as a hub for the users. It allows users to play other games loaded from the system. These software solutions aim to create an enjoyable user experience for the DreamZBox 2.0 console. The CS29 hopes to revolutionize the video game console experience.
