🎮 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
🗂️ Files
pokesql/
├── index.html ← Game screens & structure
├── style.css ← GBA Pokémon aesthetic, fully responsive
├── game.js ← Game engine, controller, walking, save system
├── config.js ← Game-specific config (name, text, badges, milestones)
├── 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
🕹️ Host on GitHub Pages (free)
- Create a GitHub repo named
pokesql - Upload all files listed above
- Go to Settings → Pages → Source:
mainbranch,/ (root)folder - Hit Save — live in ~60 seconds at
https://justinoros.github.io/pokesql
No server, no database, no cost.
🎮 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.
🕹️ 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 |
⌨️ 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 |
🗺️ 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.pngsprite 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
💾 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
🎵 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
🎯 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 |
📚 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 |
➕ 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.
🧑 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.
⚙️ Customising the Game
All game-specific text lives in config.js — the only file that differs between PokéSQL and its sister game PokéAzure. Edit it to change the game name, town name, intro dialog, badge names, battle move names, and more without touching game.js or index.html.
📱 Mobile Tips
- Add to Home Screen on iOS/Android for a full-screen app-like experience
- The game uses
100dvhandenv(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