Retro Bliss: How I Built a Procedural Arcade Driver with a Little Help from Amazon Q

This is a submission for the Amazon Q Developer "Quack The Code" Challenge: That's Entertainment! Ever get that itch for a simple, addictive arcade game that throws you straight into the action with a killer retro vibe? That's exactly what I aimed for with RetroWave Rider, my submission for the "That's Entertainment!" challenge! Imagine strapping into a sleek, neon-glowing car, hurtling down an endless, procedurally generated highway, dodging obstacles, and snatching up data packets – all set to a synthwave dreamscape. What's RetroWave Rider All About? At its heart, RetroWave Rider is a love letter to classic arcade racers like Spy Hunter, but drenched in the vibrant, glowing aesthetics of OutRun. It’s built from scratch using vanilla JavaScript, HTML5 Canvas, and CSS. The Core Thrill: Endless Neon Highway: No two rides are the same thanks to procedural generation of obstacles, collectible data packets, and game-changing power-ups. Lane-Switching Action: Navigate your car across three lanes, making split-second decisions to survive and score. Power Up Your Ride: Grab shields for invincibility, warp time to slow the chaos, attract data packets like a magnet, or snag a precious extra life. Boost to Survive: Got a tight spot? Hit the boost for a burst of speed (but watch that cooldown!). Pure Retro Style: From the glowing vector lines and particle effects to a subtle CRT screen flicker, it’s designed to immerse you in a digital retro world. The goal is simple: drive as far as you can, collect as many data packets as possible, and chase that high score! See It In Action! The best way to experience RetroWave Rider is to play it!

May 11, 2025 - 09:28

Retro Bliss: How I Built a Procedural Arcade Driver with a Little Help from Amazon Q

This is a submission for the Amazon Q Developer "Quack The Code" Challenge: That's Entertainment!

Ever get that itch for a simple, addictive arcade game that throws you straight into the action with a killer retro vibe? That's exactly what I aimed for with RetroWave Rider, my submission for the "That's Entertainment!" challenge! Imagine strapping into a sleek, neon-glowing car, hurtling down an endless, procedurally generated highway, dodging obstacles, and snatching up data packets – all set to a synthwave dreamscape.

What's RetroWave Rider All About?

At its heart, RetroWave Rider is a love letter to classic arcade racers like Spy Hunter, but drenched in the vibrant, glowing aesthetics of OutRun. It’s built from scratch using vanilla JavaScript, HTML5 Canvas, and CSS.

The Core Thrill:

Endless Neon Highway: No two rides are the same thanks to procedural generation of obstacles, collectible data packets, and game-changing power-ups.
Lane-Switching Action: Navigate your car across three lanes, making split-second decisions to survive and score.
Power Up Your Ride: Grab shields for invincibility, warp time to slow the chaos, attract data packets like a magnet, or snag a precious extra life.
Boost to Survive: Got a tight spot? Hit the boost for a burst of speed (but watch that cooldown!).
Pure Retro Style: From the glowing vector lines and particle effects to a subtle CRT screen flicker, it’s designed to immerse you in a digital retro world.

The goal is simple: drive as far as you can, collect as many data packets as possible, and chase that high score!

See It In Action!

The best way to experience RetroWave Rider is to play it!