Learning XNA 3.0

Keeping Score

You have levels and end-game logic now, but what's the fun when your score is always zero? In this section, you'll flesh out scoring for the game. You're already displaying the score at the end of the game, but you'll want to let players see their scores as they play. To do that, add a class-level SpriteFont variable to your Game1 class, with which you'll draw the score:

SpriteFont spriteFont;

And yes, that's right...the next thing that you'll need to do is add a new spritefont to your project. Right-click the Content\Fonts folder in Solution Explorer and select Add → New Item.... Select the Sprite Font template on the right and name the file Tahoma.spritefont, as shown in Figure 15-3.

Figure 15-3. Adding a score font

End-Game Logic

Note that there is only one way to end this game, and that is in failure. There is no logic to "win" the game. Why? What are the pros and cons of this model?

This is actually a common model for an arcade-style game. The idea is to make the game harder and harder until it is impossible for anybody to go further. One benefit of this approach is that players always have a reason to keep playing—there is no end, and the only goal is to beat the previous high score.

One drawback to this approach is that you're banking on the fact that nobody can ever get past the portion of the game that you deem "impossible." For example, in the game you're developing ...