Teens create ‘Red Panda Rush’ video game for Maryland Zoo inspired by Aurora and Ember
martin burgunder creates red panda rush video game for maryland zoo
SOURCE: WBAL
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Teens create ‘Red Panda Rush’ video game for Maryland Zoo inspired by Aurora and Ember
There’s a new way to enjoy the red pandas at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
Martin Burgunder, 17, is one of the brains behind a new old-school type of video game featured on the zoo’s website called Red Panda Rush.
“I did take a lot of inspiration from earlier Mario games,” Martin told WBAL-TV 11 News. “You get to run and jump on different objects, and the idea is to navigate these different habitats as you make your way.”
Martin, a senior at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson, helped design the new game with the help of two classmates who created the animation and background art. It’s a game played only on desktop or laptop computers, using keystrokes to make the panda move.
“You start out at the original zoo where the panda was previously. Then, you hop onto a plane. Then, you are deposited down in Druid Hill Park, and then, you finally enter into the Maryland Zoo,” Martin explained while demonstrating how to play the game.
Martin was inspired by the zoo’s real-life pandas, Aurora, who is 7 1/2 years old, and Ember, who is 1 year old.
“I’ve done a lot of coding at school. I’ve made games previously, but this is the first one I’ve made outside my classes at school. So this was a big learning experience,” Martin told WBAL-TV 11 News.
| VIDEO BELOW: Maryland Zoo offers behind-the-scenes red panda tours
As one might imagine, the zoo gets many requests for different projects, but Martin’s was special because he has a special connection to the zoo. Martin has been a zoo volunteer for the last three years.
“Martin has a deep connection with the zoo, and his father has written the novel, ‘Involving Animals.’ So, I think it runs deep in the family, so we were happy to experiment and see what he was going to come up with, and it exceeded all of our expectations,” zoo spokesman Mike Evitts told WBAL-TV 11 News.
“If the game entices someone to visit the zoo, then their money will be going to a good cause.”
Martin hopes people will enjoy the game, but more importantly, he hopes it will educate.
“The zoo’s mission of conservation is very important. We have to protect our natural areas and animals that live inside them. So, if the game entices someone to visit the zoo, then their money will be going to a good cause,” Martin told WBAL-TV 11 News.
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