The plan is fairly simple: write a program which will open up a small window, display a random 16×16 sprite selected from a list, put it on a random background, and insert a random message. The idea is that you’ll be able to add your own sprites and backgrounds into the list, and likewise add your own messages into a text file for the program to use. The program can even be added to your startup list to provide a “Message of the Day,” if you will.
I’ve thrown together a quick-and-dirty mock-up from some random sprite rips (Kirby’s Adventure and Final Fantasy IV, an odd combination):
For the real thing, I intend to create my own backgrounds and sprites rather than using sprite rips (but anyone who downloads the program can put whatever sprites from their favorite game they want into the folder). Really, in addition to being a good beginning programming project, this will also give me a nice outlet into which I can dump any random pixel art I happen to doodle up.
I need to go over the exercises from the past few chapters of my book a bit more and do a little research into randomization techniques, so there might be a small delay before I can get to work on this. But once I start, it ought to go pretty fast — this isn’t exactly an astoundingly complex program or anything (hey, we all have to start somewhere).