Mr SQL

The driving controller and keypad controllers need to be supported too. two of the best classics Star Raiders and BASIC Programming require the keyboard controllers in order to play. This may already be on the 2600+ todo checklist. Another great reason to add support for the Supercharger may be to stay competitive with innovation from Activision/Audacity. Activision has released a fantastic modular programming model with the 128K super cart. The Supercharger extends these capabilities up to 1.5 MB.

There are a lot of embedded devices running 6502 microcode (technically a RISC processor) so this is not surprising. Agree the solid state drive is a good idea.

The promo Merch from Atari is very cool and I enjoy reading updates about it - Here are some ideas for Atari Merch and contest ideas with illustrating pics from my retro programming table. Host retro programming contests like ANTIC bitd for retro fans and their children. Simple tools like batari BASIC, SuperCharger BASIC and Atari Flashback BASIC provide a retro programming model anyone can learn. Enhance the 2600+ firmware to support the SuperCharger, this is one of the best programming models for the 2600, because it makes it more like a home computer equipped with RAM instead of just ROM. RAM means the program code can be rewritten on the fly, I'll share some examples of why this is cool after the pics - Here are motivating pics of cool contest Merch from the 2024 8-bit Underground demo contest and elsewhere to encourage these ideas! Adventure Details: There is a C64, Atari 800XL, 2600 and a Timex Sinclair 1000. There is a FOReVER8-bit engraved wooden coaster prize is right behind my C64 and usually has a Coffee cup on it. there is a Nintendo controller adapter prize is in the jewel case next to this. There is a hooded sweatshirt prize with the FOREVER8BIT logo is by the C64 and the Atari. There is a great sci-fi book I am reading "PRECINCT 20: DEAD STRANGE" by Alf Yngve, a C64 game designer from the 80's who still makes games directly on the C64 including a game based on the book. There is a cassette tape for the C64 with the game STARBLITZ NEON SOUND I am working on. There is a printout of C64 sound frequencies for the SID chip and some program listings. There is a hand-written note and some cassettes for the Timex Sinclair. There is a red pen for making corrections and a blue pen for annotating program listings. There is a retro lamp (Lava Lamp) providing a nice glow. There is a wooden back chair I built with hand tools to help with posture for programming. There is a 1st place Demo FOReVER8-bit Diploma on the wall next to instructions for starting the Tesla. The visible exits are West, Up and Down. Here are some demo and game examples of rewritable program code, Space Invaders Soundscape interactive demo - all the chiptunes you hear save one are created dynamically by an algorithm that rewrites the byte code for the TIA chiptune: STARBLITZ Neon Sound The Atari TIA sounds even better when emulated by the SID in the Commodore 64. Both retro consoles are running the same program code but the C64 has additional motion pixel art which is a lot of fun for designing super graphic Atari games! SuperCharger support idea: The 2600+ console is uniquely positioned to run SuperCharger RAM games via a usb audio in if SD card is not desirable in order to keep the console retro, which appears to be the case. VICE on Atari: The 2600+ is also uniquely positioned to be upgraded to include the VICE Commodore 64 emulator. This would enable enhanced C64 Atari games and C64 and Atari games. This could be a very interesting marketing concept different than adding support for ARM based games that are not fully 8-bit which appears an important precept in Atari's retro marketing ideology starting since the Flashback Consoles. A C64 core may be a popular addition. Good questions to explore may be, how are these ideas similar to experimenting with an Atari Hotel chain or the Commodore Phone, and how are they different? Share your thoughts or ask me any questions about the items on my retro programming table; syntax like "EXAMINE BOOK", "TAKE THE LAMP" or full sentences with additional verbs and nouns is encouraged

Pong Music Demo from the BCC#18 Party in Berlin recompiles the byte code for the soundtrack on every level! There were some errors during playback on the live stream, here is a 10 minute video of the C64 and Atari 2600 Supercharger versions showing the AI composing new sound tracks. Which pieces do you like best in the video? How it works: Music is mathematical. A complementary algorithm changes frequencies, tempo and instrument definitions based on the existing musical score. The algorithm is then called recursively against each set of outputs (new songs) created. The Atari 2600 Supercharger makes dynamic code recompilation possible like on the Commodore 64 by replacing ROM with RAM. PongMusicdemo.bin pongmusicdemo.prg Playing the demo: To play the demo push up to enter player mode, push down to resume demo mode. You can let the demo keep playing and hear new songs for hours from the AI!

The Atari 2600 beat the C64 at the Fjälldata demo party in Sweden Yesterday! Both machines were running the same demo Breakout Pet Factory B-Side. The C64 version features PETSCII graphics extensions and all 16 colors scrolling on screen. The Atari 2600 version has a Blues Soundtrack that may have helped it beat the C64 as the Fjälldata party is a music centric festival. Here is the Atari 2600 version for the SuperCharger with the WAV file: brkoutpfbside_Atari_SuperCharger.bin brkoutpfbside_Atari_SuperCharger.wav And a CBS RAM Format version for the Atari Flashback Portable and 2600+ : brkoutpfbside_CBS_RAM.bin You can download the C64 version from csdb. I will be releasing an upgraded version of SuperCharger BASIC for the C64 with Dynamic Color RAM support like the demo presently.

I've added color support to the Atari 2600 emulator for the Commodore 64. Here's a screenshot of Gate Crasher Jazz Improv, my 10 line BASIC entry for the 2024 BASIC 10 Liner contest. Features two algorithms for Jazz improv, you have to make it thru the gauntlet to unlock the second algorithm and multicolor mode. I'll be releasing an updated version of the emulator with Atari Flashback BASIC support in addition to Supercharger BASIC prior to the March contest. Hope C64 fans are encouraged to enter the 10 liner contest with this fun BASIC! Download the game and the10 line BASIC program listing here from CSDB: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=238874 Video playthru with Jazz improv soundtracks and amazing color bloom Fx and artifacting on my classic JVC Television and 1982 breadbox with a 6581 R? SID and with RF over NTSC: real video unretouched How do you feel about the screenshot and the video shot on classic hardware and CRT? Is it fair to use classic Television and RF instead of Composite or S-Video the C64 natively supports? Many people had an ordinary color TV connected to their Home Computers in the 80's. Some sceners touch up their retro productions with 256 colors or more on modern hardware. We can do cool stuff with NTSC over RF too, the visuals are retro tricked out like my computer art contest entry from the 80's: That's a black and white image.

I remember an editorial that made the salient observation we began coding less efficiently when 16K became the standard.

Interesting PC-2 BASIC shows the entire 24K free with no RAM reserved.

Learn the C64 architecture first - this is a great place to start: C64 Programmer's Reference Guide.pdf (classiccmp.org) I think the guide was expanded to include the C128 later on. The C128 mode is interesting particularly the enhanced BASIC and built in Editor/Assembler and Dissembler in ROM. Here is an educational video from 8-bit show and tell using the Assembler and Dissembler to find compatibility differences between the C64 and C128:

Very cool ARMSID has analog filter support. It looks like a very close replacement. I read the spec sheet and this jumped out at me: Emulation of OSC3 and ENV3 registers (little delay, approximately 16 clocks of the C64 bus). The SID engine in this Christmas demo manipulates OSC3 and ENV3 rapidly I wonder if there are changes in sound reproduction: I notice differences between VICE using the 6581 resid engine and the 6581 SID in my Commodore 64. Both sound good but have differences particularly after a few minutes.

I have not tried ARMSID yet. If I do I will run it through the diagnostic program. This is helpful to see if the analog filters work. DeepSID and the resid engine in VICE are highly accurate but there are differences even between the different models of the SID.

The Kawari is a very interesting replacement for being able to switch between PAL and NTSC. It's still a C64 and has some extra functionality with the kawari. ARMSID has the opposite effect, it's still a C64 with a loss of some functionality. If the SID chip works you should put it back in and test it against the ARMSID with SID diagnostic software to see what you are missing.

Christmas Inertia For the Atari 2600 and Commodore 64 Christmas Inertia is a fast-paced demo and game where you pick up friends in different zones. Each zone has different inertia pulling you in different directions making it challenging to pick friends up. If you prefer to watch the demo the AI can pick up friends for you! xmasinertia.bin xmasinertia.prg Design Written in Atari SuperCharger BASIC using graphics commands. Three Display Lists are created using the ASCII art virtual world drawn in the program listing. The Display Lists split the screen up to create Windows on the virtual world. Each Window has a separate camera view. Create Display List Games and Demos Display List Windows are familiar to Atari Home Computer programmers but new for the Atari 2600 and Commodore 64. Programming Display Lists are limited only by your own imagination. Download SuperCharger BASIC with Display List graphics commands for the Atari 2600 and Commodore 64 from http://RelationalFramework.com Christmas Inertia is featured as an Interactive User Mode Demo in the 2023 Christmas Demo stream contest and the 2023 CSDB Christmas competitions.

Blues on Atari Sounds best on a Heavy sixer or four switch. Compatible with all Atari consoles including the Flashback Portable.

Very cool. I just downloaded Dancing Feats and will try it out. It sounds pretty good in this Jam session: