pokesql/README.md

🎮 PokéSQL — Learn T-SQL

A Pokémon-style Game Boy Advance browser game for learning Microsoft T-SQL! Play it on your phone, tablet, or PC — progress is saved automatically to your browser.

🚀 Play It Live

👉 Launch PokéSQL

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🗂️ Files

pokesql/
├── index.html        ← Game screens & structure
├── style.css         ← GBA Pokémon aesthetic, fully responsive
├── game.js           ← Game engine, controller, walking, save system
├── questions.json    ← 100 T-SQL questions & answers
├── player.png        ← Player sprite sheet (24 frames, 16×32px)
├── oak.png           ← Professor Oak NPC sprite
├── gary.png          ← Rival Gary NPC sprite
├── joy.png           ← Nurse Joy NPC sprite
├── jenny.png         ← Officer Jenny NPC sprite
├── music.mp3         ← Background music (overworld)
├── music-rival.mp3   ← Background music (rival/battle)
├── favicon.ico       ← Browser tab icon
└── README.md

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🕹️ Host on GitHub Pages (free)

1. Create a GitHub repo named pokesql
2. Upload all files listed above
3. Go to Settings → Pages → Source: main branch, / (root) folder
4. Hit Save — live in ~60 seconds at https://justinoros.github.io/pokesql

No server, no database, no cost.

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🎮 GBA Controller Overlay

On mobile, a semi-transparent Game Boy Advance-style controller overlays the bottom of the screen:

Control	Action
D-pad	Walk the player around the map
A button (red)	Talk to NPC · Confirm answer · Advance dialog
B button (blue)	Talk to NPC · Advance dialog
SELECT / START	Decorative

The controller is hidden on desktop (≥900px wide) — use the keyboard instead.

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🕹️ Xbox / Gamepad Support

Plug in any Xbox, PlayStation, or USB gamepad and it works automatically:

Input	Action
Left stick / D-pad	Walk on map
A button	Talk to NPC · Confirm answer · Advance dialog
B button	Talk to NPC · Advance dialog
Start	Confirm / advance on all screens
X / Y / LB / RB	Quick-pick answers 1/2/3/4 in battle

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⌨️ PC Keyboard Controls

Key	Action
WASD / Arrow keys	Walk player on map
E / Enter	Talk to NPC · Confirm answer · Advance dialog
X	Talk to NPC · Advance dialog
1 / 2 / 3 / 4	Quick-pick answer directly
Space	Advance dialog

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🗺️ Map & Walking

• The player sprite walks freely around the overworld map using the D-pad, WASD, arrow keys, or Xbox controller
• Walking animations use the player.png sprite sheet with directional frames
• A blinking ▶ arrow on the right edge points toward the next NPC
• A ... speech bubble appears above the player if you press talk before reaching the NPC
• Press A, B, E, or Enter when near the NPC to start the question
• Tapping the NPC sprite directly also triggers the conversation

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💾 Save System

Progress is stored in the player's browser (localStorage) automatically:

• Auto-saves after every answered question and on map return
• Shuffled question order is saved so continuing a game resumes the exact same sequence
• Continue screen appears on next visit showing trainer name, progress %, and score
• New Game option always available — prompts confirmation before erasing save
• Save clears automatically on completion so the next run starts fresh

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🎵 Music

• Background music plays automatically on the map (music.mp3)
• Music pauses during questions and resumes on return to the map
• 🎵 / 🔇 toggle in the map header to mute/unmute
• Music resumes correctly after switching browser tabs on mobile

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🎯 Features

Feature	Detail
GBA controller overlay	D-pad + A/B buttons, semi-transparent, mobile only
Xbox / gamepad support	Full navigation on all screens including name entry
Walking player	Pixel sprite sheet, directional walk animations
Mobile-first design	Full-screen on phones with safe-area support, framed on desktop
localStorage save	Auto-save with shuffled order preserved on continue
100 T-SQL questions	Randomised order every new game, shuffled answer slots
Numbered answers	Options labelled 1/2/3/4 — no A/B/C/D pattern to exploit
PNG NPC sprites	NPCs can use image files or emoji
Name entry	On-screen pixel keyboard navigable by gamepad
Typewriter text	Authentic dialog effect, tap/press/gamepad to skip
... proximity bubble	Shows above player when pressing talk too far from NPC
Background music	Loops on map, pauses during questions, mute toggle
Streak bonuses	3× correct = +150 pts 🔥, 5×+ = +200 pts 🔥
Milestone badges	Earned at Q25, Q50, Q75, Q100
Correct answer reveal	Wrong answers show the right answer + full explanation
Scanline overlay	Authentic CRT/GBA screen effect

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📚 Topics Covered

Questions	Topics
1–15	SELECT, FROM, WHERE, ORDER BY, TOP, BETWEEN, LIKE, IN, NULL
16–25	COUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX, GROUP BY, HAVING, DISTINCT
26–35	Aliases, JOINs (INNER, LEFT, RIGHT, FULL OUTER), Keys
36–50	Data types, GETDATE(), INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, TRUNCATE, Views, Stored Procedures
51–65	Transactions, Variables, @@ROWCOUNT, ISNULL, COALESCE, CAST, String functions, Date functions
66–80	CTEs, Subqueries, ROUND, CASE WHEN, Indexes, UNION, INTERSECT, EXCEPT, Triggers, Schemas
81–100	Temp tables, Table variables, TRY…CATCH, @@ERROR, SSMS, Execution plans, NOLOCK, Deadlocks, Window functions, PIVOT, IDENTITY, Normalization

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➕ Adding Questions

Edit questions.json, add to the questions array inside levels[0]:

{
  "id": 101,
  "npc": "Professor Oak",
  "text": "Your question here?",
  "options": ["Option A", "Option B", "Option C", "Option D"],
  "answer": 0,
  "explanation": "Why Option A is correct."
}

answer is the 0-based index of the correct option (0 = first, 1 = second, etc.). The game shuffles display order randomly at runtime.

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🧑 Adding NPCs

In game.js, add to the NPC object:

const NPC = {
  'Your NPC Name': 'npc.png',   // PNG sprite file in repo root
  'Another NPC':   '🧑',        // or an emoji
};

Then reference "npc": "Your NPC Name" in questions.json. PNG files are auto-prefixed with ./ so just use the filename.

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📱 Mobile Tips

• Add to Home Screen on iOS/Android for a full-screen app-like experience
• The game uses 100dvh and env(safe-area-inset-bottom) for notched phones (iPhone X+)
• Tap anywhere on the dialog box during the intro to skip the typewriter and advance
• Tap the NPC sprite directly on the map as an alternative to pressing A/B