Joel's journey into the world of game development began in his childhood, where he spent countless hours immersed in the captivating realms of video games. From pixelated adventures to intricately designed virtual worlds, gaming became more than just a hobby for Joel – it ignited a passion within him to understand the magic behind the screen.

As he grew older, Joel's fascination with games evolved into a desire to create them himself. He delved into the intricacies of game development, starting with the Unreal Engine, a powerful tool used by professionals in the industry. With determination and enthusiasm, he began to unravel the mysteries of programming, starting with the fundamentals of C++.

Through countless hours of trial and error, Joel honed his skills, gradually transitioning from a curious enthusiast to a proficient developer. He embraced the challenges that came with learning new concepts and techniques, viewing each obstacle as an opportunity for growth.

Now, as Joel stands at the threshold of his career, he is determined to turn his passion into a profession. Armed with his knowledge and fueled by his ambition, he sets his sights on the horizon, ready to embark on the next chapter of his journey as a game developer. With unwavering resolve, Joel is prepared to overcome whatever obstacles lie ahead as he strives to make his mark in the dynamic and ever-evolving world of game development.

Education

Associate of Science in Applied Technology | Barton Community College, 2016

Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity | Arizona State University, 2021

Master of Science in Computer Science (Cybersecurity) | Southern New Hampshire University, 2024

Professional Member | National Society of Black Engineers

sKILLS

Software / Engines / Frameworks

  • Unity

  • Unreal 4

  • React

  • Phaser

  • Node.js

  • WinSQL

Languages

  • C++

  • C#

  • Lua

  • Java

  • Java Script

  • Python

  • HTML5 / CSS

Tools

  • Git / GitHub / GitLab

  • FMOD

  • BitBucket

  • WPF / WinForms

pROJECTS

Flappy Bird Redux (Java)

Languages Used
Java

Length of Project
01/15/2024 - Present

I figured this would be an excellent addition to my portfolio as it demonstrates my Java “prowess” (or lack of there of). I have spent a substantial amount of time working on a Flappy Birds remake from scratch using purely Java. Although it’s still a work in progress, I am having a delightful time revisiting the basics of Java and learning new effective ways to incorporate different classes and functions to make the game playable. Including how a basic game loop class is incorporated. Within the game loop, I have implemented two integer velocity variables that manipulate the bird’s movement as the player presses the space bar. I have also implemented gravity physics to act upon the bird, so that when the player releases the space bar the bird falls.

Moving forward in this project I aim to program obstacles into the game, similar to how the original Flappy Birds plays. However, this has come with its challenges, as I can not seem to debug the placePipeTimer method properly.

MORE OF MY PROJECTS WILL BE UPLOADED SOON.