Retro Remake Workbench

Before you build anything

Every tool in this module — from the source-availability scanner to the playable combat prototype — runs from the command line. Before you start researching BloodRayne rights or prototyping dodge mechanics, you need four things on your machine:

1. A terminal — the app where you type commands
2. Node.js — the runtime that powers everything
3. An AI CLI tool — the engine that builds your tools from plain-English prompts
4. Phaser — the game framework you’ll use for prototypes later in the module

Fifteen minutes from now, you’ll have a running Phaser app that says “Hello Lora” with a sprite on screen. That’s not decoration — it’s proof that your entire toolchain works end to end.

Step 1: Open a terminal (2 minutes)

The terminal is where you’ll run every tool in this module. It’s just a text interface to your computer — think of it like texting your machine instead of clicking around.

Mac:

1. Press Cmd + Space to open Spotlight
2. Type Terminal and press Enter
3. You’ll see a window with a blinking cursor — that’s it, you’re in

Windows:

1. Open the Start menu and search for Ubuntu or WSL
2. Click the Ubuntu app to open a Linux terminal inside Windows
3. If you don’t have WSL installed: open PowerShell as Administrator, run wsl --install, restart, then open Ubuntu

Linux:

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a terminal

You should see a prompt that looks something like user@machine:~$ — that’s your command line, ready for input.

Step 2: Install Node.js via nvm (5 minutes)

Node.js is the runtime that powers the CLI tools and the Phaser dev server. The easiest way to install it is through nvm (Node Version Manager).

Install nvm:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash

Close and reopen your terminal, then:

nvm install --lts

Verify it worked:

node --version
npm --version

You should see version numbers (e.g., v22.x.x and 10.x.x). If you do, Node.js is ready.

Step 3: Install an AI CLI tool (5 minutes)

You need one of these. Pick whichever fits your situation — they all work with the prompts in this module.

Option A: Claude Code (recommended)

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
claude

Follow the authentication prompts. Once you see the Claude Code interface, you’re ready.

Option B: Gemini CLI

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
gemini

Option C: Codex CLI

npm install -g @openai/codex
codex

Step 4: Install Phaser and create your starter app (3 minutes)

Phaser is the game framework you’ll use for prototypes later in this module. Let’s get it running now so you’re not troubleshooting dependencies when you’re trying to build a combat loop.

Open your AI CLI tool in a new folder and paste this prompt:

Create a minimal Phaser 3 starter project with Vite as the bundler.

PROJECT STRUCTURE:
hello-lora/
  package.json
  index.html
  src/
    main.js

REQUIREMENTS:
1. package.json with phaser (^3.80) and vite as dependencies
2. index.html with a centered game canvas, dark background (#09090b)
3. src/main.js that:
   - Creates an 800x600 Phaser game with Arcade physics
   - Shows the text "Hello Lora" centered on screen in white, 32px font
   - Creates a simple colored rectangle "sprite" (64x32, #8B5CF6) below the text
   - The sprite slowly bobs up and down using a tween (y +/- 20px, 1s loop)
   - Background color: #18181b
4. Add a "dev" script in package.json: "vite"

After it generates:

cd hello-lora
npm install
npm run dev

Open the URL it prints (usually http://localhost:5173). You should see a dark screen with “Hello Lora” in white text and a purple rectangle gently bobbing underneath it.

That’s your Phaser toolchain, verified and working.

Verify it works

Three checkpoints:

If all three pass, your workbench is ready. Kill the dev server with Ctrl+C and move on.

If you’re going browser-first:

1. Open claude.ai (or your preferred AI chat)
2. Paste the Phaser starter prompt above
3. Save the generated files, run npm install && npm run dev when you’re ready to see it

Either path works. The CLI is faster for the multi-file projects coming up, but browser chat gets you started immediately.

You’re ready

Your workbench is equipped — terminal, runtime, AI CLI, and game engine. In the next lesson, you’ll build the Source Availability Scanner, a CLI tool that records whether target games like BloodRayne have released source code, have decompilation projects, mod SDKs, or nothing at all. That’s the research foundation everything else builds on.

Time to stop configuring and start building.