Students will kick off their retro journey by mastering the absolute foundation of all movement: the bouncing ball. Using Piskel, they will explore the core concepts of squash, stretch, and spacing to give their pixelated sphere a realistic sense of weight, bounce, and impact.

We will dive into video game history by selecting a legendary classic character or asset for a "master copy" study. Students will break down professional retro animations frame-by-frame, recreating the movement to analyze the exact techniques used by pioneering game designers.

It's time to add some magic to the inventory by designing custom, animated game items. From spinning golden coins and blinking treasure chests to glowing potions, students will learn how to use shifting colors, secondary motion, and loop effects to make items look dynamic.

For the grand finale, students will combine everything they've learned to design and animate a full, original character sprite executing a complex action like an idle stance or a walking cycle. We will wrap up the camp with a virtual arcade showcase celebration where everyone screens their finished masterpieces, shares constructive feedback, and cheers on their fellow creators!