Fuesgosticka 2.0

Sunday was an exciting day for those involved in Fuegosticka 2.0. Organized by AIESEC Colombo South whose members are from the University of Moratuwa, the event was about showcasing the development skills of young android developers in the area of Android Game Development and Computer Gaming. Competing teams had just 6 weeks to develop their games and present it to a panel of judges at the grand finale, which is where we found ourselves (not as judges but as media coverage), online courtesy of Hutch Sri Lanka.

An introduction video showcased the previous rounds behind Fuegostika, in tune to some Battlefield 3 footage and backed up by ADM and Transformers soundtracks. After the video introduction was done, the fun began.

Team 1 – Celzy Gamers

Celzy brought forward “No Mosquitoes”, a multi platform casual game where the objective is to get a high score by saving the protagonist from mosquitoes within a given period of time. The player uses his/her finger to control a virtual hand and clicks on the hand, which swats the mosquitoes and saves the protagonist. The game consists of a map of Sri Lanka divided into several areas, the first of which is free to play. To unlock other areas – you guessed it, you have to pay.

Team 2 – Roman Kaarayo

Their game, a 2D scroller titled Gravitron Quest, was a combination of quiz, puzzle and an adventure. You are the commander of a space ship that has run out of fuel and is also running out of oxygen (bummer). You must navigate maps to get power-ups and finish the levels. It also features in app purchases. We tested the game and found it a bit buggy but likeable.

Team 3 – Team Droid-X

Droid-X presented a 2D scroller game playing along the warfare theme, which judging by the questions from the panel, excited the most amount of interest.

Everyone took a small break from presenting while an exchange student from Brazil named Artur Mayoral talked about his life experience in Sri Lanka (ranging from overpriced “tuk tuk” drivers to a kind stranger offering to pay his hospital bill at Nawaloka hospital), and praised the AISECers for what they’re doing here. But on with the show.

Team 4 – Team Dragon

Next up was to present was an all female team calling themselves “Dragon” showcasing their game “Shark” (Gameshark reference anyone? Yes? No?). Another 2D Scroller, the main character being  a shark who has to be guided through the sea without coming into contact with any objects, such as jellyfish  Sounds simple? Indeed, it is. It’s apparently meant for children.

Team 5 – Team SAS Ninjas

Next up to present was Team SAS Ninjas. Their game “Excavenge” was a 3D sandbox game touted by them to be the greatest product since sliced bread, boasting the best user interface and experience, and even Google Cardboard compatibility. It was quite alright for what you can develop in six weeks, and the added google cardboard added to the oomph factor.

After that round of presentations, the audience (ourselves included) were treated to a round of pizzas and coca cola courtesy of Domino’s Pizza.

Team 6 – Team Falcon

Soaring onto the stage after that short interlude was Team Falcon, presenting their game “Butterflies”. Aimed at kids below 12 of age, it took the form of an arcade scroller game, with the concept of the game was to catch as many butterflies as possible in a given period of time.

Team 7 – Team Extrogen

The last team for the day, Team Extrogen presented their game “Line Me”. It involves the age old game of drawing a shape whilst maintaining constant contact with the drawing surface. If you lift your finger off the shape, you lose.

The presentations were completed and the audience was treated to an entertainment item by members of AIESEC after which Mr. Sinnathambi Samugarajah gave his views on the contestants and the games that they offer. He talked about his life experience and the background of game development in Sri Lanka; the other panel members followed, giving their own views on the industry and technology.

The award ceremony began with the award for the most popular game – judged by the number of views of their game trailer on Facebook (a rather odd metric, we think, given the concept of post reach on Facebook). That award went to Team Droid-X. Team SAS Ninjas, Team Extrogen and Team Roman Kaarayo were called up as the top three teams whilst the remaining teams Celzy, Dragon, Falcon and Droid-X were awarded certificates of participation. Team Extrogen came in first place, followed by Team SAS Ninjas and Team Roman Kaarayo. With special certificates handed out to the exchange programme students and with a final dance by the AIESEC members, the event drew to a close.