Creation of Pokémon World Champion Edition

Michael Aurilia, Verrazzano Class of 2024, completed major in Computer Science

This project has been a journey filled with challenges, creativity, and growth. As I reflect on the development process, I am inspired by the amount of work I was able to complete in a short time span. While there were portions of the project that had to be omitted due to time constraints, I am satisfied with the current version of the project.

At the outset, my vision was clear: to develop a Java-based application that would replicate the experience of 6V6 Pokémon battles. However, as I worked on the project, I realized the intricacies involved in translating the rich mechanics of Pokémon games into a digital simulation. From designing the battle engine to implementing move sets, each aspect demanded careful consideration and attention to detail.

One of the most significant challenges I faced was finding a balance between authenticity and accessibility. While I wanted to stay true to the core mechanics of the Pokémon games, I also recognized the need to streamline certain aspects, such as accuracy and status effects that make the player lose a turn to ensure a smooth and enjoyable user experience. Another challenge I experienced during the creation of this project was translating the code for Java to C# for Unity integration. As I attempted to make this change, I realized that it would be too complex for the time I had remaining, so I made the choice to leave it out of this version of the project. Finishing this translation would have meant better visuals for the project such as a background scene, music, animations, etc. so while it would have been nice to have, the project is still functional on its own.

I plan to evolve and improve this platform to provide the best possible experience for the users. In the future, I would like to add in the previously mentioned scrapped features so that it more closely resembles the mainline Pokémon games that the code simulates. I would also like to add more Pokémon for the user to choose from to provide a different gameplay experience for each user.

In closing, the creation of the Pokémon World Champion Edition project taught me a great deal about the creation of object-oriented projects. I learned time management skills that will also help me in future coding endeavors. While the project didn’t turn out perfectly, over all I am still pleased with how I was able to create this program for others to enjoy.