Keeping It Old School

The rise in low-threshold, media-rich introductory programming tools has made it possible for video game design and creation to be an early activity for novice programmers. With this creative flexibility, it is possible for learners to draw inspiration from and recreate their favorite games. Our analysis of 82 programs written as part of a high school programming class found that, despite the popularity, diversity, and ubiquity of modern mobile and console video games, learners more often draw inspiration from classic video game titles than from today’s most popular games.