Design a Week #2 - Cartoon Crash ‘n Smash Destruction Derby

Here is this week's Design a Week project. This time, I took the idea of a shooting gallery and tried to see if I could create one that didn't use guns. The overview is shown below with most of the game details at the bottom. I freely admit that this design contains copious amounts of Googled cartoon clip-art. I'm not a cartoonist.

Cartoon Crash ‘n Smash Destruction Derby

Otto Rex, 5 time World Champion Demolition Derby Driver and owner of the Crash ‘n Smash Driving School, invites you to be a driver in the Cartoon Crash ‘n Smash Destruction Derby!

Get behind the wheel of one of Otto’s state-of-the-art Smash Buggys and collide your way through 3 levels of cartoon destruction. There’s no accelerator and no brake but there’s lots of stuff to bump and break. You’ll be competing in 3 unique, 360 degree arenas against other Smashers for the most destruction and the most points. There are no guns in this shooting gallery. Just drive at the prize and what you hit is what you get. You know you think about it every time you’re in the antique store. We say it’s OK by us. Take your inner “10-year old boy” out for a destructive test drive in a warehouse storing delicate artifacts or a museum filled with priceless works of highly breakable art. Next, help bounce the critters back in to their pens at the farm or cages at the zoo. And if you’re good enough, you may be called upon to test your smashing skills against an army of cartoon ninjas or the zombie apocalypse!

Cartoon Crash ‘n Smash Destruction Derby is a new attraction that combines the fun and skill of a shooting gallery with the exciting chaos of classic bumper cars. In each of the 3 game arenas, 8 Smash Buggy vehicles are completely under the control of the passengers. On the inner and outer wall of the donut-shaped arenas, cartoon scenery and targets of varying point values run for their lives. The Buggy drivers accumulate points by colliding with the cartoon images. Sensors in the walls detect the hits and misses so the animation is fully interactive with the vehicles. Each arena has 3 possible games chosen at random and played for 2 minutes and each level introduces a new element of complexity. After each game, the vehicles autonomously drive to the next room before the games resume. After the final game, scores, ranks and replay video of the best smashes play on a large video screen as the vehicles return to 1st floor for the drivers’ exit.

RIDE EXTERIOR


RIDE INTERIOR

GAME DESCRIPTIONS

The first level of Cartoon Crash ‘n Smash Destruction Derby takes place on the 1st floor of the building and is the easiest game. In this arena, the drivers attempt to crash in to as many static items as they can and build up points. There are 3 possible games for this level:

1. JUNKYARD DERBY - Smash your way through an old junkyard stacked high with rusty old cars and appliances. As items are bumped into oblivion, cranes drop new stacks of junk to be destroyed.

2. MYSTERIOUS WAREHOUSE - This arena is loaded with piles of unmarked crates. Crashing in to these crates busts them open to reveal mysterious artifacts with strange (and often amusing) properties from around the world. As the crates are demolished, new ones drop in from overhead conveyor belts.

3. MUSEUM MAYHEM - Priceless works of art are so delicate and breakable. We think they’re that way for a reason! Smash as much fine art as you can. Helpless Curators do their best to replace all of the art quickly.


The second level of Cartoon Crash ‘n Smash Destruction Derby happens in the 2nd floor arena and the game gets a little more complicated. This time, the targets are moving. The faster they move, the higher the points. This level also has 3 possible games:

1. OLD MCSMASHY’S FARM - Try to help the farmer retrieve the animals that have escaped their pens... by crashing in to them, of course! Using the over-sized bumper on the Buggys, bounce the cartoon critters safely back into their enclosures.

2. ZOO BREAK - Animals are running free everywhere and it’s chaos at the zoo! Help the Keepers by bouncing the escaped beasts back to their cages. The faster the animal, the higher the points. Look for gazelles and cheetahs!

3. CRASHING WAVES - Did you know that the Smash Buggys are amphibious? That’s right, they’re boats too! Smash your way through the open sea, sinking ships and fighting off sharks and sea monsters.


The final level of Cartoon Crash ‘n Smash Destruction Derby is on the 3rd floor and the game changes here. Drivers must try to hit the correct targets while avoiding bad ones that will cause them to lose points. The 3 possible scenarios on this level are anybody’s game:

1. INVASION - You are called upon to save the world from aliens and robots from Outer Space. Squash the little green invaders with your Buggy and watch the green goo splatter. Be careful not to hit Earth’s Military forces though. It makes them mad.

2. NINJA ASSAULT - Take out the lightning quick Ninjas with a swift kick from your front bumper. Don’t knock over any of the priceless vases and statues though. It’ll cost you.

3. ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE - Living dead cartoon characters are rising from the grave and chasing the living. How can we stop them? By smashing them to bits and pieces! Don’t hit the survivors though. We’re here to save them.

SCRIPT SAMPLE (Load Introduction)

“Greetin’s folks! The name’s Otto Rex. I’m the 5 time World Demolition Derby Champion ‘n owner of this here Crash ‘n Smash Driving School. Welcome to the world’s finest establishment for learnin’ how to bust some stuff up real good. By the time I finish stuffin’ your heads full ‘o skills, you’ll be the best of the best at crashin’ into things ‘n makin’ a whole lot a mess. Come to think of it, some a y’all might git good enough so as they take away your drivin’ license. Probably better off anyways.

“Today’s trainin’ is made up of three games of skill ‘n mayhem. Each one’ll be harder than the last but the awesome destructiveness gets bigger too. The goals are simple. Drive your car straight at the targets. What ya hit is what ya git! Everything ya smash into gits ya points. But be careful, in the final game, some things take ‘em away too. Oh, feel free to knock other Drivers around in the spirit of friendly competition but ya don’t git no points for that. In the end, be the Driver with the most points ‘n you’ll be our new Champion.

“Before we start with the smashin’, lemme tell ya what’s what. That contraption your sittin’ in is my own special design: the Smash Buggy! It’s easy enough to drive. There’s just one steerin’ wheel in the middle ‘n where ever you point it, that’s where you’ll be headin’. There are 3 games ‘n up to 3 of ya in the Buggy. Y’all oughta play nice ‘n share. Plenty of smashin’ for everyone. I betcha some of y’all are wonderin’ where the accelerator ‘n brake pedals are. Well, there ain’t none. This ain’t no Sunday drive. There’s only one speed and that’s full blast. Since the pencil-necks said we gotta play it safe, I left the seatbelts in. Keep those fastened so as I don’t git yelled at. I also put a great big bumper around your whole Buggy too. Ya hit somethin’ with that ‘n it’ll go a flyin’.

“All right, Drivers. Time to shine. I’m gonna take you to the first arena on auto-pilot ‘n then it’s all yours.”