20 replies to this topic

[Philsan]

Four years ago my 3 years old granddaughter enjoyed playing Atari VCS Cookie Monster Munch (LINK), an educational game programmed by Gary Stark featuring the famous Sesame Street voracious character (VIDEO - VIDEO WITH ATARI 800).
The object of the game is to pick up as many cookies as possible moving through a maze and put them in a cookie jar.
The game is very simple but, using kid's controller covered by the special overlay with arrows and cookie button, it can be fun and help children become familiar with directional arrows and relational concepts of up, down, left and right.

Now I have a five months old daughter and I have decided to program for her (for when she will be older) an even more simple version for Atari 8-bit using the fast and Atari Basic-compatible Turbo-Basic XL.

This game should be played by little children with kid's controller and overlay or joystick.
If you absolutely want to use a kid's controller and you don't have it, you can buy it from many shops (B & C, Best Electronics and Atari Sales have them); you can find the overlay in the original Cookie Monster Munch VCS game or you can print and cut it.
Obviously nowadays there are hundreds of much better educational games but mine is interesting if you want to make a child meet your 25/30 year old computer.

I have tested the game with Atari 800XL and 130XE (Pal) and with Altirra and Atari800WinPlus4.0 emulators.


I enjoyed programming this game because I have learned many things, for example how to convert PC images using Graph2Font (LINK), read Kid's controller (LINK), play music etc.
For Player Missile Graphics I have tested many routines but the best one (documentation - ask me for files) was made recently by AtariAge user analmux.
Cookie Monster character, made of 3 players, moves smoothly because all players are drawn in the same moment during vertical blank interrupt.
You can find this routine inside my game or you can ask author to send it to you.

In my listing there are a lot of REMs so even n00bs can understand it and perhaps try to do multiscreen Basic games.

Thanks to all AtariAge users, especially helpful programmers.

 Cookie Monster v1.5.atr   130.02K   87 downloads

Attached Files

•  Cookie_Monster_v1.0.zip   29.75K   137 downloads
•  Cookie_Monster_Overlay.zip   963.22K   133 downloads
•  Cookie_Monster_v1.1.zip   29.79K   118 downloads
•  Cookie_Monster_v1.2.zip   30.3K   112 downloads
•  Cookie_Monster_v1.3.zip   30.79K   128 downloads
•  Cookie Monster v1.4.atr   130.02K   95 downloads

Edited by Philsan, Sun Sep 16, 2012 2:20 AM.

[puppetmark]

That looks great.  I can't wait to try it out myself.

I think games like this are much better for kids because they are far less intimidating than many "modern" games.

[Philsan]

puppetmark, on Tue Apr 1, 2008 4:32 PM, said:

That looks great.  I can't wait to try it out myself.
I think games like this are much better for kids because they are far less intimidating than many "modern" games.

Thank you very much but this is a *very simple* game written for 3/4 year old children.
I hope you will not be disappointed!

[Cybernoid]

Can't wait to try this with my 3year-old and my 1year-old

[Bunsen]

I have a 3month old son. Can't wait for playing Atari with my son  

Philsan, thanks for cute game!

[Gregory DG]

Why do you offer a choice of Kids Controller or Joystick? Isn't the game reading the same inputs anyway?

[Philsan]

Gregory DG, on Tue Apr 1, 2008 9:13 PM, said:

Why do you offer a choice of Kids Controller or Joystick? Isn't the game reading the same inputs anyway?

If you list my program or visit the thread regarding kid's controller (LINK) you'll see that you need a special complicated routine to read it.

[puppetmark]

Philsan, on Tue Apr 1, 2008 11:41 AM, said:

puppetmark, on Tue Apr 1, 2008 4:32 PM, said:

That looks great.  I can't wait to try it out myself.
I think games like this are much better for kids because they are far less intimidating than many "modern" games.

Thank you very much but this is a *very simple* game written for 3/4 year old children.
I hope you will not be disappointed!

Very cute game Philsan!  Makes me want to learn Turbo-BASIC.

[Philsan]

On YouTube I have found an old video of Cookie Monster with an Atari 800:

Edited by Philsan, Mon Apr 7, 2008 1:47 AM.

[bf2k+]

Philsan, on Tue Apr 1, 2008 11:41 AM, said:

puppetmark, on Tue Apr 1, 2008 4:32 PM, said:

That looks great. I can't wait to try it out myself.
I think games like this are much better for kids because they are far less intimidating than many "modern" games.

Thank you very much but this is a *very simple* game written for 3/4 year old children.
I hope you will not be disappointed!

Great!  Maybe this is a game that *I* could actually win!!!

[Philsan]

Version 1.3 of my simple educational game: faster and with a better playground (see second screenshot in the first post).

[pepax]

Hey Philsan, thanks for a nice game!
I'd like to at least show it to my little niece.

Have you tested it on any oldsters yet?   They might enjoy it as much as the kids.....
I have a few modest proposals (not the Jonathan Swift type of course!  ).
How about:
- adding a version number to the startup screen to avoid confusion
- adding a speed selector so even (healthy ) adults can enjoy it
- maybe adding some obstacles (like molten chocolate and candy ) for the same reason and also improved appearance
- replacing the joystick with the Sears Video Arcade II paddle/joystick combo, since you seem to like weird controllers.    The monster could then move and turn its body at the same time. That would make it a lot harder IMHO, ideal for insane gamers!     
- updating the file on your website (I'm gonna link to it now) and/or make a dedicated page for the game

Hmm, so many ideas that I ought to shut up right now...     Well, one more, I can't help! Just got an idea for a sequel:  the Taz Munch for the Driving Controller!

[Philsan]

pepax, on Thu Oct 9, 2008 10:23 PM, said:

I'd like to at least show it to my little niece.

Before playing, don't forget to show her a Cookie Monster video or to gift her a Cookie Monster plush!

Quote

How about:
- adding a version number to the startup screen to avoid confusion

Too much work! Version number is in the listing and in the filename.

Quote

- adding a speed selector so even (healthy ) adults can enjoy it

Already maximum speed, Cookie Monster is made of three players! Sorry... You can improve speed slightly compiling the program but the game remains for little children.

Quote

- maybe adding some obstacles (like molten chocolate and candy ) for the same reason and also improved appearance

Yes, the game can be improved in many ways.
I think the first one is soundtrack.
Children like music; an AA user has promised me to do "C is for Cookie" song in CMC format but now he is busy.
Another simple improvement would be to make various playgrounds.
Then, but I would need time, other games could be included.

Quote

- replacing the joystick with the Sears Video Arcade II paddle/joystick combo, since you seem to like weird controllers.    The monster could then move and turn its body at the same time. That would make it a lot harder IMHO, ideal for insane gamers!  

I have this controller!

Quote

- updating the file on your website (I'm gonna link to it now) and/or make a dedicated page for the game

Yersterday I have sent CM to various website (the game is one month old but I have promised ABBUC to wait until new magazine's release) and I have updated my website only today because I have done a little restyling (descriptions under pictures).

Quote

Just got an idea for a sequel:  the Taz Munch for the Driving Controller!

I don't have a driving controller  

Edited by Philsan, Fri Oct 10, 2008 2:51 PM.

[Philsan]

I attach the updated version of my simple educational game (v1.4).
Thanks to wonderful new Analmux's Multipurpose PM engine (http://www.atariage....r-use-in-basic/), now Cookie Monster character, made of 3 players, moves smoothly (and also faster), because all players are drawn in the same moment during vertical blank interrupt.

My daughter likes it!

Attached Files

•  Cookie Monster v1.4.zip   30.39K   95 downloads

Edited by Philsan, Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:23 PM.

[Philsan]

Here is the correct link to Analmux's Multipurpose PM engine:
http://www.atariage....r-use-in-basic/

[atariksi]

Philsan, on Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:17 PM, said:

I attach the updated version of my simple educational game (v1.4).
Thanks to wonderful new Analmux's Multipurpose PM engine (http://www.atariage....r-use-in-basic/), now Cookie Monster character, made of 3 players, moves smoothly (and also faster), because all players are drawn in the same moment during vertical blank interrupt.

My daughter likes it!
IMG_3872.jpg

My daughter also likes those VCS games like Big bird egg game.  I'm going to try your version on A8.  There's also this word glib cartridge game which I haven't figured out yet.  Is there some instructions for this game somewhere on the web?

[miker]

A bit offtopic but...

[high voltage]

That is very neat.
I used to own the Muppet Keyboard, whcih came with a educational game for C 64 and a loader program for the Atari XL (flip disk). Maybe a game can be written for this.

(picture courtesy of Computer History Museum)

Edited by high voltage, Sat Apr 17, 2010 1:47 AM.

[Philsan]

Version 1.5 released (first post).
After adding intro music to my VCS game L.E.M., I decided to add music to Cookie Monster too (title screen and final screen with karaoke).
I converted "C is for Cookie" song using SOUND and DATA commands.
Audiophiles, please don't hear!

[JamesD]

The download link for Analmux's Multipurpose PM engine doesn't work.

[Philsan]

JamesD, on Mon May 10, 2010 10:03 AM, said:

The download link for Analmux's Multipurpose PM engine doesn't work.

As written in first post,
you can find this routine inside my game or you can ask author to send it to you.