Introduction

In this exciting tutorial, we are going to build a superhero adventure where your pupils can save the day! We will be creating a Wonder Woman game where the goal is to chase down and apprehend an evil dark wizard while dodging magic laser bolts. This ScratchJr project is perfect for teaching children about character interaction, message sending, and basic game loops. By customising their own superhero and villain, children can really take ownership of their story. It is a fantastic way to introduce logic and cause-and-effect using ScratchJr, transforming a simple coding lesson into a heroic quest.

The Video Embed

What You Need

• Wonder Woman Character: You can adapt the standard ScratchJr cat or draw your own superhero.
• Evil Dark Wizard: Use the stock wizard character (try painting his robe black for a villainous look!).
• Laser Bolts: Use the Paint Tool to draw simple lines or bolts (create 3 or 4 of them).
• Controller Buttons: Create four separate characters (squares or arrows) to act as a joypad for moving Wonder Woman Up, Down, Left, and Right.
• Two Backgrounds: One for the main game and one for the “Game Over” or “Prison” scene.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Create the Controller (Joypad)

To move Wonder Woman, we will create on-screen buttons rather than dragging her. Create four button characters (Up, Down, Left, Right).

• For the “Up” button, use the Start on Tap block connected to a Send Orange Message block.
• Repeat this for the other buttons, but change the message colour for each direction (e.g., Red for Down, Blue for Left, Green for Right).
• [Insert screenshot of the four button characters with their code]

Step 2: Coding Wonder Woman

Now we need Wonder Woman to listen to the controller.

• Add four separate scripts to her character.
• Use the Start on Orange Message block connected to a Move Up block.
• Repeat for the other colours, matching them to the correct direction (Red receives -> Move Down, etc.).
• This allows the player to control her movement smoothly.

Step 3: The Evil Wizard’s Movement

The wizard needs to move around the screen on his own to make him difficult to catch.

• Start his code with a Start on Green Flag block.
• Add a sequence of Move blocks (Up, Down, Left, Right) to create a path.
• Add a Repeat Forever loop at the end so he never stops moving.
• Crucial: If the wizard falls over when moving, go to the Paint Editor and rotate him there, rather than using a turn block.
• [Insert screenshot of the Wizard’s movement loop]

Step 4: The Laser Bolts

The bolts make the game challenging by forcing the player to dodge.

• Place the bolts near the wizard.
• Give them a Start on Green Flag block.
• Add a Set Speed block (optional, to make them fast).
• Use Move blocks so they fly across the screen.
• Use a Repeat Forever loop or a specific number sequence so they keep firing.
• Tip: Use the Wait block on some bolts so they don’t all fire at the exact same time.

Step 5: Catching the Wizard

Finally, we need to program the win condition.

• On the Wizard (or Wonder Woman), add a Start on Bump block.
• Connect this to a Go to Page 2 block.
• On Page 2, create a scene showing Wonder Woman taking the wizard to prison to show the player they have won.

Troubleshooting/Tips

• Wizard Falling Over: If your wizard rotates or tips over while moving, do not use rotation blocks in the code. Instead, go into the character paint editor and use the rotate tool there to fix his starting position.
• Buttons Not Working: Ensure the colour of the Send Message block on the button matches exactly with the Start on Message block on Wonder Woman. An orange message will not trigger a red start block!
• If you are interested in doing more coding with your children and pupils, please check out the other ScratchJr tutorials I have created.