From Dogecoin to Game: The Creation Journey of Super Doginals

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Super Doginals: A Fun Tribute to Dogecoin’s Spirit

The arcade-style beat-’em-up game Super Doginals launched this month, just as Dogecoin saw a spike in popularity. Although the meme coin DOGE peaked at a price of three years ago, it's unclear if the game's debut was scheduled to coincide with this spike. Dogecoin's funny and enjoyable culture has been a mainstay of the Dogecoin community for more than ten years, and the game was created as a tribute to that culture, according to its pseudonymous developer Pimax.

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Particularly for a crypto-based project, Super Doginals is a well-made online game. The game's design was inspired by two classic button-mashing beat-'em-ups, Streets of Rage and Fatal Fury. Despite being simple, the game's charming pixel graphics and distinctive soundtrack perfectly encapsulate the spirit of Dogecoin fans. Players will find the game enjoyable because of its nostalgic visuals and soundtrack.

Built on OpenBOR and Doginals Protocol

The development of Super Doginals was accomplished using OpenBOR, an open-source game engine. This engine was then ported to the WebAssembly language to make the game compatible with web browsers while maintaining support for the Doginals protocol. Doginals allows users to inscribe artwork, code, and other data onto Dogecoin’s blockchain. This blockchain integration makes the game more than just a simple web-based brawler—it’s a fully on-chain experience that connects the game directly to Dogecoin’s blockchain.

The choice of using a lightweight engine was crucial for the game’s success. Since the game is fully inscribed onto the blockchain, it had to be efficient in terms of data usage. The retro pixel art was an ideal fit because it doesn’t require large data files while still looking great on higher resolutions. The real challenge came from the game’s music. Pimax explained that the music, totaling 35 minutes, was compressed into a web-friendly OGG format to make it compatible with Dogecoin’s blockchain without overwhelming the system.

Pimax’s goal was to inscribe the entire game on Dogecoin’s blockchain using the Doginals protocol. Similar to Bitcoin’s Ordinals protocol, Doginals allows users to inscribe different types of data, including interactive games and apps. This method enables Super Doginals to live entirely on-chain. While earlier experiments included porting over Doom and a Dogecoin-themed version of Tetris, Super Doginals is a much more ambitious project. The game is larger and more complex, requiring multiple blockchain inscriptions that work together using a process called recursion.

The unique aspect of Super Doginals lies in the use of recursion. Instead of inscribing the game as a single block of data, Pimax broke it into different parts: the game engine, assets, and utility functions. These components were inscribed separately and then combined into a single playable game. This approach allows future additions to the game, such as new levels and characters, to be added on top of the existing on-chain content. The use of recursion also opens up the possibility of creating entirely new games that build off Super Doginals.

Players can also personalize their Super Doginals experience by creating a “delegate” inscription. This allows players to have their own version of the game in their Dogecoin wallet, making it accessible through compatible wallet apps. Pimax shared that more details on this process will be provided in the near future. This feature adds a layer of personalization, making it easy for players to carry and play their own copy of the game.

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While Super Doginals is clearly a labor of love for Pimax, the developer used AI tools to speed up the development process. These tools helped with various aspects of the game, including drafting art, composing music, coding, and gathering insights. Pimax emphasized that while AI tools played a role in enhancing productivity, they didn’t replace human creativity. The combination of AI and human ingenuity allowed Pimax to tackle this ambitious project on their own, despite the game’s complexity and size.

Pimax concluded that creating Super Doginals took many months of hard work and hands-on effort. While AI tools provided significant support, the game’s development was still a deeply personal project. Pimax’s dedication to bringing the Dogecoin spirit to life through a fun and interactive game, paired with the power of modern AI tools, made this solo project possible. The result is Super Doginals, a game that not only pays homage to Dogecoin’s playful culture but also pushes the boundaries of what’s possible with blockchain-based gaming.