70 replies to this topic

[TheHoboInYourRoom]

I'm also interested. The 2600 is just a frickin' neat system and It'd be awesome to learn how it works. I have no programming skills whatsoever, though.



(I've had an idea for a game for a while now, but it would be WAY too sophisticated for a complete newb.)

[trigun]

i made a designe for my cardtridge, but i cant post it. but anyway, im in dudes!

[K0per]

i am also interested, "Theres Only 1 Problem"

i do not know ANYTHING!! about programing, nothing, not how to start, were to start, if you need another program to program absolutly NOTHING, but i am willing to learn since i love a challenge

[DreamQuake]

We should start an oligarcy of people who are obsessed with the Atari 2600, 6502 processor or its like. I have experience in Assembler language for the 8086, 80286, and pentium processors but this looks like it's going to be alot more complicated.
PATIENCE is a virtue! My suggestion to all of you who post a self doubting message is: A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel full of brains. I got that from a Chinese fortune cookie. It's true to a major degree.
I will successfully climb this mountain but how long will it take?!?

DreamQuake

[batari]

DreamQuake, on Sat May 20, 2006 3:29 PM, said:

We should start an oligarcy of people who are obsessed with the Atari 2600, 6502 processor or its like. I have experience in Assembler language for the 8086, 80286, and pentium processors but this looks like it's going to be alot more complicated.
PATIENCE is a virtue! My suggestion to all of you who post a self doubting message is: A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel full of brains. I got that from a Chinese fortune cookie. It's true to a major degree.
I will successfully climb this mountain but how long will it take?!?

DreamQuake

Lots of people try to climb Mt. Fuji every year. The slopes are steep and slippery and the air up there gets a little thin, so most turn back when the going gets tough. Patience isn't the word I would use for the hearty few who summit - or maybe it's not really a word but a different metaphor I'm thinking of.

If you find yourself shipwrecked, see my signature for a life preserver...

[potatohead]

Ditto Batari's lifesaver... lots 'o fun and fairly easy to grok out of the gate.

I'm wondering if 8bit assembly newbies would not be better off doing some simple things with the Atari 8bitters in emulation. That's how I started on assembly language and I remember much of it to this day.

It's much easier to do little things in assembly, within an established framework, than it is to just haul off and do the whole works in assembly from the get go.

Of course, that's what Batari Basic is all about too... just rambling this afternoon I guess.

[super_dos_man]

when are we gonna start?

[DreamQuake]

Where do I go to post questions about the hardware used to program and make
Atari 2600 games? I am new and haven't navigated throught this site much.

[SeaGtGruff]

DreamQuake, on Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:16 PM, said:

Where do I go to post questions about the hardware used to program and make
Atari 2600 games? I am new and haven't navigated throught this site much.

Just post your questions and see if anyone can answer them. But what do you mean by "hardware"? Are you talking about how to write and compile games, or about how to play them on an actual Atari 2600, or about how to manufacture actual cartridges of your games?

MR

[DreamQuake]

Help! I hope I'm doing this right! Can I post a question here?!
Is there a joystic cable extension that's forked and allows two joystcks to plug into it. I know that there are extension cables for the joystics and paddles so the players can play farther away from the TV screen. I have two of them.
The reason I'm asking this is that I want to create a game that uses four joysticks. Porbably not,huh?? I thought I'd just ask. just being thurough.
Also, can you give me the names of some past computer systems that I can program Atari basic and 6502/6507 assembler on? I might be able to pick one up on e-bay.
I've programmed alot in pentium assembler and I want to get moving on the Atari 2600.
Regards,
Dream Quake

[BigO]

Does there happen to exist a repository of commented (heavily/tutorially/talk to me like I'm 4) source code for some of the classics, e.g. Space Invaders?

Edited by BigO, Thu Feb 8, 2007 2:24 PM.

[BigO]

Before I get lost in the 2600 coding time sink, I want to say "Thanks" to all of the people who've put in the time to share code samples, tips and tricks and write tutorials for boneheads like me.

I wouldn't in a million years have figured out some of that stuff.

Know that your time and effort is appreciated.

[SeaGtGruff]

BigO, on Sun Mar 4, 2007 7:36 PM, said:

Before I get lost in the 2600 coding time sink, I want to say "Thanks" to all of the people who've put in the time to share code samples, tips and tricks and write tutorials for boneheads like me.

Did you find some commented source code? There's a repository of disassemblies, including commented disassemblies, go here and scroll down to "Source Code" for some links:

http://www.atariage....ming/index.html

Michael

[BigO]

SeaGtGruff, on Sun Mar 4, 2007 6:26 PM, said:

BigO, on Sun Mar 4, 2007 7:36 PM, said:

Before I get lost in the 2600 coding time sink, I want to say "Thanks" to all of the people who've put in the time to share code samples, tips and tricks and write tutorials for boneheads like me.

Did you find some commented source code? There's a repository of disassemblies, including commented disassemblies, go here and scroll down to "Source Code" for some links:

http://www.atariage....ming/index.html

Michael

Thank you for pointing that out. I had found some here and there, but not that whole group.

[eyg2181]

well, i would like to make my own version of space invaders. and if i can do that maybe i'll start doing even bigger stuff...the only thing is i have NO IDEA where to even begin.

[davidcalgary29]

Me too! Me too!

...er, just found Andrew Davie's tutorials. Never mind!

Edited by davidcalgary29, Wed Aug 1, 2007 3:10 PM.

[kisrael]

http://alienbill.com/2600/101/ is a tutorial I wrote. Friendlier in some ways, but less deep.

[polyex]

Andrew Davie, on Wed May 21, 2003 9:51 PM, said:

My tentative title for the course would be "000001010 00101000 00000000 01100101" - 10 points to the first person who can tell me what on earth this means

10 40 0 101? Did that by hand, what I am doing wrong?

[thegoldenband]

Hint: look at it as two 16-bit numbers, not four 8-bit numbers.

(The answer is elsewhere in the thread, actually, but it's more fun to figure it out on your own.)

[polyex]

thegoldenband, on Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:09 PM, said:

Hint: look at it as two 16-bit numbers, not four 8-bit numbers.

(The answer is elsewhere in the thread, actually, but it's more fun to figure it out on your own.)

duh, thanks , I get 2600 101. I saw them broken up into 8 bit numbers (actually 9 bit-8- and that threw me off!

Edited by polyex, Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:21 AM.

[John Chubb]

Yes, I would be interested. I'd like to be able to learn how to program a 2600, and maybe even make my own games.