CHANHASSEN, Minn. — A 15-year-old who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age three has successfully built, designed, and programmed an old school arcade game of his own.
Nate Allard designed an arcade game that he decided to name “Lost Glitch”, out of his extraordinary passion for gaming.
“Lost Glitch” is a game about a hero who needs to overcome a series of barriers and pitfalls for him to complete a level and proceed to the next. In this world of iPad generations, Nate’s game— which for now can only be played on huge arcade machines that were more popular in the 1980s— can be a breath of fresh air.
But the young teen is a little concerned about his game, he told:
“I’m kind of worried it comes off as narcissistic.”
Because the game is in many ways a mirror of how his life has been for him, Nate is worried that others might not think of his game the way he sees it and it intends it to be. He is aware of the challenges that come with his condition, and at 15, he has already worked hard to cope with the disorder and overcome the trials connected with it. He told:
“People with autism have a hard time coming up with original content, which is quite explainable… Kind of like brains rewired differently. Same goes with me.”
Nate’s parents saw his passion for gaming at a very young age. They encouraged his love for it by enrolling him in St. Paul’s Macalester College, where they offer a youth technology program. That’s where Nate started to realize that not only does he have a deep love for gaming, he also has a passion for making them, too.
His dad, Todd, told:
“Typically kids on the spectrum will find that one thing that they focus in on and go deep.”
Nate is currently still in high school, but he said he plans to work in the gaming industry when he’s older.
Source: Jonathan Choe: myfoxtwincities.com: Minnesota teen with Asperger’s Syndrome creates incredible arcade games