TwentySixHundred

Worst 1) Swordquest Fireworld - I feel all the Swordquest games were rushed 2) Swordquest Earthworld - ^^ 3) Swordquest Waterworld - ^^ 4) Superman - The gameplay - Good concept - bad level design and horrible sounds. 5) Smurfs - Impressive graphics and colour pallet - but i can never get into it - just so boring. Best 1) E.T - Was one my favorite games as a kid - involuntary falling in pits was a pain 2) The Pitfalls - Overrated? Yeah but there is a reason why - what a solid series 3) H.E.R.O - Another all-round fun solid game - can't pick a fault. 4) Adventure - Another childhood favorite, simplistic yet always fun - ducks... 5) Montezuma's Revenge - Underrated! Brilliant game that id say a contender of the Pitfalls - unforgiving My opinion anyway

I have had a few with games, one that comes to mind was Mountain King after playing for many hours trying to better my score in HSC. All i remembered was trying to get enough diamonds to trigger a musical sound for treasure chests. Problem was i kept collecting for what felt like a really long time but no trigger would ever happen (truly was a nightmare). There was a couple of other games but no where near as vivid. However i usually get this with programming too, im guessing it happens when spending excessive time on a game or program. Programming ones usually are a breakthrough only to wake up and find out i never actually solved the bug. Then i find myself, sitting there scratching the head trying to workout how i solved the bug in the dream.

I was born in 1983 so for my 5th birthday initially got 3 games and a 2600jr. Anyway yeah i used to play a friend of the families Atari prior to my birthday and really loved Missile Command. So of course they bought me Missile Command along with Midnight Magic and Realsports Boxing. I have a feeling Midnight and Boxing were included as a pack with the 2600jr here in Australia (not sure?). Wasn't long after i received everyone's hand me down's so that was pretty cool. Got to say though, if i haven't played the 2600 for awhile, the first game usually fired up is Missile command

Before i forget, AtariAge is great for Atari related information, there is some really smart techs here too(it's a great site). For projects like the one you have in mind i would suggest having a look at the Element14 community https://www.element14.com/community. The chances of more engineers seeing you project, will flock with information. There is many that specialize in the Raspberry PI and many fellow AtariAge members over there too.

If you install an Linux OS, you can have basically anything. Internet, complete game emulation, spotify and video playback. Essentially it's a mini PC although you will need to set it up ofcourse. I suggest you do some research https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi. There is many forums with information about how to set the device up.

Have you considered a raspberry PI? It will do everything you need and if you use a wireless keyboard and mouse there will be no need for drilling holes and such

Thanks, have downloaded the installer and dependencies so i will set it up and have a good look. Could be exactly what im looking for however they do say on the other website that assembly is the preferred option as it's faster and all that. Although like you said i can learn C useful language while making games at the same time. Seems like a win win to me Great links

Well to be honest NES is one the systems that really tickles my fancy, mainly because it seems the limitations and restrictions are alot less then those of the Atari 2600. I think my biggest issue is the simplicity of bB that makes it hard to step away from my comfort zone. For example i can atleast make a simple game with a playfield, some sprites and simple collision detection within a few minutes therefore gives that feeling of progress. Although i soon run into the limitations really quickly when expanding the program to add more content and features. Basically i can write something simple save, compile and run all within visual bB making it user friendly for a novice like myself. Half the hoo haa of compiling and all is done for us. I always never knew the NES or Gen were written in C as i always assumed they would be written in assembly much like the 2600 was back in the day. The NES has been an interest because the possibilities and amount of content i could add, i mean im a bit of a slow learner and sometimes things need to be explained in layman terms but once i understand i believe i have that mindset to produce quality. Im usually a bit of a perfectionist too, so things need to look neat and in order with most things i do in life. It's just getting the initial understanding and concepts that are the struggle. Also not bias with systems as i like all hardware, so i will probably still play around with bB anyway even if i decide to pursue another system (why not both hey?) . There is something about the 2600, even my $hity little programs written on bB kinda feels rewarding as i have a soft spot for the system. To think i created a game on a system i loved so much back in the day is great but im aware the limitations are the tricky part. Thats why something like the NES i feel would really open the gates, without so much having to use tricks and methods to produce lets say a variety of sprites within a program. I mean if i was to create 6 different enemy's i wouldn't loose the function of lets say the ball height or whatever. Is there anything similar to visual bB for the NES? I ask here to those who know what they're doing rather then google search and downloading someones incomplete project or something.

Not really for a game or anything im just looking for one i can learn for educational purposes. I have done modding in Lua and obviously some projects in bB and thought rather then learning little parts of all different languages it would be more educational to learn a single language. However im starting to think i first need a project in mind then use it as motivation to learn a language as i will have a goal rather then just to learn (if that makes sense). The issue i have had is i found with modding in Lua was im not really learning the language just the games API and copy/pasting alot of code editing variables. So oneday at a thrift shop i found a couple year old Java uni text book and thought great i will read it front to back to learn Java then. However i worked out fast that it was basically pointless just reading it because i wasn't really learning how to put it into practice. Basically what i have learned is all good for mods on games or within bB and works fine yet i have no idea how to lets say create anything else in that language. Maybe i should book myself into a course and learn the bare basic fundamentals rather then jumping in the deep end?

Brilliant, nice work i will have to have a good read of your program tonight after work.

Hey fujidude, yeah after doing some searching post of this topic i made, many have said Python aswell. There is lots of mixed reviews on the web saying it's great others saying it's not however i guess never know till give it a go. Guess starting with a language thats easy to read is the best idea. Im not too worried about performance for the moment as i won't be programming anything that needs to run fast. Also sounds good that Python uses an interpreter that can compile much like bB works, thats the setup im looking for as it makes things a little easier to start with. Thanks for the input

I think i got it, so if i set global variables, then if that variable is triggered ie: __kill_enemy=1 rather then preset 0 it will automatically goto a subroutine located outside the mainloop to check for conditions using the if statements? So basically rather then having if statements trigger the event the global variable will actually trigger the event (subroutine). If im understanding this correctly my lack of global variable use is actually bloating the mainloop with if statement making it confusing to follow? Actually makes alot more sense now im thinking about it, i never really understood what global variables where used for but now it's becoming alot clearer. Thanks for taking the time to help me with this, im actually getting more excited to rewrite this program. Guess i should do some more reading about setting global variables as they seem to work hand in hand with the gosub statement and could be really useful. Looks like using the gosub statement clutters the mainloop by using a global to make the decision of when to jump to a subroutine is better practice. As you can probably tell im very novice and lacking alot of fundamental knowledge however it's fun learning and understanding my mistakes

Ok so the skeleton structure is more of a 'template' mainloop with the all possible subroutines to fill the blanks later, rather then adding subroutines later to a working mainloop? The gosub routines have me a bit confused as to how they work though; do they check conditions within those sub routines every read cycle? Because im used to having the if statements checked for conditions then if one is met the goto command with direct to a code block outside the main loop. Just so im understanding this correctly i will paste the source and a bin of a project im working on, pre warning it's a mess and im fairly novice so don't slam dunk me too hard . I have basically learnt by trial and error and doing what makes 'sense' to me so there is nothing professional about it at all lol. However i think if i post the code it will help to get a full understanding if you can point out a few bad practices im using that would be great. Atari 2600 OS v0.3.0 (2017) (TT2600).bin rem conditions includesfile multisprite_bankswitch.inc set kernel multisprite set romsize 8k rem Resets all varible reset OS __refresh player0x = 74 player0y = 40 player1x = 200 player1y = 90 player2x = 24 player2y = 72 player3x = 200 player3y = 90 player4x = 200 player4y = 90 player5x = 24 player5y = 60 ballx = 200 bally = 0 z = 0 g = 0 score = 0 rem Main desktop OS loop __desktop scorecolor = 10 COLUBK = 164 COLUPF = 10 COLUP0 = 12 COLUP1 = 10 COLUP2 = 10 COLUP3 = 10 COLUP4 = 10 COLUP5 = 10 rem clock h = h + 1 if h > 59 then i = i + 1 : h = 0 : score = score + 1 if i > 59 then j = j + 1 : i = 0 : score = score + 40 if j > 59 then k = k + 1 :j = 0 : score = score + 400 rem OS restart if switchreset then goto __refresh rem exit folder trigger if player2x = 200 then ballx = 21 : bally = 48 rem boundry if player0x < 6 then player0x = player0x +1 if player0x > 148 then player0x = player0x - 1 if player0y < 10 then player0y = player0y + 1 if player0y > 86 then player0y = player0y - 1 rem playfield and sprites playfield: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ end player0: %00000000 %00000110 %00001110 %01011100 %01111000 %01110000 %01111000 %00000000 end player1: %11111111 %10000001 %10101001 %10111001 %10101001 %10110111 %10000110 %11111100 end player2: %11111111 %10000001 %10100001 %10110001 %10100001 %10110111 %10000110 %11111100 end player3: %11111111 %10000001 %10111001 %10010001 %10001001 %10110111 %10000110 %11111100 end player4: %11111111 %10000001 %10111001 %10010001 %10110001 %10010111 %10000110 %11111100 end player5: %00111100 %00100100 %00100100 %01001010 %01010010 %11111111 %10000001 %01111110 end rem tone reset AUDV0 = 0 : AUDC0 = 0 : AUDF0 = 0 rem player input function if joy0up then player0y = player0y + 1 if joy0down then player0y = player0y - 1 if joy0left then player0x = player0x - 1 if joy0right then player0x = player0x + 1 rem tolder exit function 1 if collision(player0,ball) then goto __reset rem game exe function if z > 6 then goto __game1 if player4x = 24 then goto __gamestart rem open folder function if collision(player0,player1) then goto __folder drawscreen goto __desktop rem open folder fuction1 __folder if joy0fire then AUDV0 = 10 : AUDC0 = 12 : AUDF0 = 4 if joy0fire then player2x = 200 : player2y = 90 : player3x = 24 : player3y = 60 : player4x = 24 : player4y = 72 : player5x = 200 : player5y = 90 drawscreen goto __desktop rem folder exit function 2 __reset if joy0fire then AUDV0 = 10 : AUDC0 = 12 : AUDF0 = 6 if joy0fire then player2x = 24 : player2y = 72 : player3x = 200 : player3y = 90 : ballx = 200 : bally = 0 : player4x = 200 : player4y = 90 : player5x = 24 : player5y = 60 : z = 0 drawscreen goto __desktop rem game exe function1 __gamestart if collision(player0,player1) then goto __gamestart2 drawscreen goto __desktop rem game exe function2 __gamestart2 if joy0fire then z = z + 1 drawscreen goto __desktop rem game varible preset __game1 player0x = 74 player0y = 10 player1x = 90 player1y = 70 player2x = 200 player2y = 90 player3x = 200 player3y = 90 player4x = 200 player4y = 90 ballx = 200 bally = 90 z = 0 score = 0 rem main game loop __game11 rem reset system to OS if switchreset then goto __refresh scorecolor = 164 COLUBK = 12 COLUPF = 12 COLUP0 = 164 COLUP1 = 10 COLUP2 = 10 COLUP3 = 10 COLUP4 = 10 COLUP5 = 10 rem enemy - fly game logic a = a + 1 c = c + 1 if a > 200 then b = b + 1 if b > 10 then player1x = (rand&127) : b = 0 if c > 200 then d = d + 1 if d > 10 then player1y = (rand&63) + 1 : d = 0 rem game timer and gameover e = e +1 if e > 240 then f = f + 1 : e = 0 if f > 5 then g = g + 1 : f = 0 if g > 1 then player1x = 200 : player1y = 90 : player4x = 24 : player4y = 72: player3x = 24 : player3y = 60 : goto __gameover rem game sprites playfield: ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ end player0: %00011000 %00011000 %00011000 %00011000 %01111110 %01101010 %01010110 %01111110 end player1: %00000000 %00000000 %01010100 %00111000 %00010000 %00000000 %00000000 %00000000 end rem tone reset if joy0fire then AUDV0 = 0 : AUDC0 = 0 : AUDF0 = 0 rem game player input function if joy0up then player0y = player0y + 1 if joy0down then player0y = player0y - 1 if joy0left then player0x = player0x - 1 if joy0right then player0x = player0x + 1 rem game player boundry if player0x < 6 then player0x = player0x +1 if player0x > 148 then player0x = player0x - 1 if player0y < 10 then player0y = player0y + 1 if player0y > 86 then player0y = player0y - 1 rem kill enemy trigger if collision(player0,player1) then goto __kill __drawscreen_loop drawscreen goto __game11 rem kill enemy trigger1 __kill if joy0fire then goto __splat drawscreen goto __game11 rem kill enemy trigger2 __splat rem random spawn directly after kill if joy0fire then AUDV0 = 10 : AUDC0 = 10 : AUDF0 = 4 player1x = (rand&127) : b = 0 player1y = (rand&63) + 1 : d = 0 score = score + 1 drawscreen goto __game11 rem game over loop __gameover scorecolor = 10 COLUBK = 164 COLUPF = 10 COLUP0 = 12 COLUP1 = 10 COLUP2 = 10 COLUP3 = 10 COLUP4 = 10 COLUP5 = 10 ballx = 21 bally = 48 playfield: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ end if joy0fire then goto __refresh drawscreen goto __gameover I have no doubt this probably needs a complete rewrite and a great example of not what todo however i guess we all gotta start somewhere. Yeah any help would be great as i know there is way too many goto commands making it very hard to follow resulting in the need of so many remarks everywhere lol. It's embarrassing posting this to folks that actually know what they're doing

Without a doubt as the largest ROM set for those systems is the Colecovision thats something like 4MB. I havent ventured into the 8bit Atari computer range and i havent collected for the Odyssey either. But i do have complete sets of 5200, Colecovision and Intelivision

Sure but there is about 500GB of data lol. Thanks, yeah thats the result of near 10years collecting ROMs and a tonne organizing. Basically i started collecting for 2600, Nintendo and Sega but once i had all those ROM's i started collecting for the other systems like 5200/7800, Arcade ect ect the ball kept rolling. Those that make complete ROM packs like Rom Hunter make the job alot easier although with some the other systems there can be some dodgy packs full of hacks and missing ROM's. It's one those things i would go on a mission for a week tracking down ROM's for a particular system then have a break for a few weeks or so then back onto another system ect. I have to admit my PC and PS games are more just the ones i want rather then complete packs, for one there is no packs so it's all individual downloads so they are only games i really want to play. Other issue is there is no way i could store all the data for PC and PS games. Anyway im really happy with what i have, all the cartridge consoles and mame are complete sets

Maybe because it's the duel link that makes a performance difference?

Yes you're both correct i thought it looked strange when typing the comment but didn't bother to check Yeah DVI-D to VGA but it's a single cable without any converter like thegoldenband mentioned as a PC monitor cable. DVI-D plugs into the GFX. I have no idea why it's actually faster then HDMI because as far as i know the only difference is HDMI also carries audio and like DNA128k mentioned it should be the same. However there is definitely a difference in lag, well with my setup anyway; i tried HDMI to eliminate the 3.5 audio jack input cable but the lag was unbearable so i went back to DVI-D. Might have something to do with my GFX or the TV input via HDMI is just slower, no idea.

HDMI is definitely alot slower then DVDI as i have tried both and is clearly noticeable but i use DVDI to eliminate that issue. Without a doubt you can't beat CRT and never will as it uses completely different technology; there will always be some input lag on modern screens. However having said that my LED TV is rated to have a 32ms input lag and when using DVDI the lag is hardly/if noticeable. Also i highly doubt using a decent emulator is any worse then real hardware on the same TV although personally i think emulators are more suited on modern screens to correct aspect ratios and filters. I have no figures but fairly sure the lag i experience is no worse then a modern day console on the TV if not less as DVDI is faster the HDMI anyway. Therefore it's definitely playable just not as responsive as real hardware on a CRT. I also believe good emulators try to reduce input lag and use sync corrections as much as possible because most people run then on modern screens, although im not 100% sure if thats true. Maybe Stephana or one the Stella devs could give us a little more information on the subject

Thought i would create this topic rather then running off topic in other threads and it may help others in the same boat. The biggest issue is i feel like a Magpie creating a nest when it comes to deciding what to learn. For those who are not familiar with magpies, they are an Australia native bird that goes around picking up sticks, wire and bits of trash to make a nest... Yeah i know kinda a lame joke but that's what i feel like when it comes to learning a language. The BASIC language makes sense and thinking it is more of a stepping stone into programming? The Magpie statement comes from after 6 years or so with programming as an interest, i have never made a solid decision on a language. I have done some simple script modding in Lua, batari BASIC projects and was studying Java from a Uni text book i bought at a thrift store (still have it). I have also noticed when swapping from language to language, i have still learned over the years because changing to another language i can implement some the practices in other languages. However im finding it a very slow way to learn, having to switch up methods every time obviously because of different syntax and methods. Im also aware the choice is really up to me but looking for some tips, insights and similar syntax to BASIC. Any thoughts about the language you recommend would be great, as when google searching im getting results to nearly every language out there... Basically looking for something to sink my teeth into or should i just bite the bullet and commit to a course? Im thinking the best place to ask the question is here on AA as this community really seems to know their stuff in a mature sense. All cards are on the table for this discussion it can be anything you feel will contribute in programming related for beginners trying to step on the boat.

The 'P' stands for PAL region and Adventure is a common cart across the globe, id say atari181 is right with a price tag of $5

Wow this is a very informative discussion that will definitely help me with my bB projects, so far i have learned that i have already picked up bad practices and alot of spaghetti/messy code lol. Thinking i might start using the gosub structure rather then the goto because as much as i understand the goto it can get confusing to read. I find when the code grows im needing to 'rem' nearly every condition otherwise im code hunting for a long time looking the next condition statement..... Obviously this is an issue when placing the condition outside the main loop, once there is multiple conditions it's a game of where's wally/waldo. I do have a question though, out of all languages i have tried to understand Batari BASIC is one the only that makes sense. From reading along BASIC is still used however others have dominated the market and more practical for modern day uses. Guess im asking what modern day languages are similar to BASIC? Im fairly sure bB is more of a hybrid/custom language <--- or i could be wrong? I enjoy bB for Atari fun projects but wouldn't mind learning a more versatile language for other practices. Any suggestions are welcome thanks

Id say Stella is by far one the best emulators going around in general especially for 2600 it's all you need. Higan from Byuu is brilliant for Nintendo systems and Fusion is great for Sega Systems, although Steve Snake hasn't updated Fusion for the past 6 years so it would be nice if he could get back into it. I highly doubt he will though it seems he has moved on from Sega development so the next hope is to see what Byuu is going to pull out the hat as he's working on Sega cores for the Higan emulator. If he pulls off accurate Sega emulation then all i will need is 3 emulators for all my needs. Stella, Higan and DOSBOX

First emulation i got my hands on was for DOS games, as when the years rolled by the family computer was running newer versions and not backwards compatible with DOS programs. A few years later i discovered emulators popping up for consoles so jumped onto the boat. Nowadays i actually enjoy collecting ROMs for all systems, not so much for 'free games' but rather as a hobby. Basically the same as i did with all my DOS games and console games back in the day, many friends and family would ask why im holding onto all this old software, i don't really know i just enjoy collecting software

I have to agree with the others the TV can make a huge difference. As for wireless controllers i have no idea as i always use wired so there is no restrictions on that side. However having said that i have noticed sometimes it depends on the emulator; i find for Nintendo emulation the Higan emulator by Byuu is by far the best if your system can run it to full potential. Like i said before though the TV can make a huge difference, once i upgraded to a LED Samsung with PC mode and gaming settings it runs with minimal input/output lag. I run all emulation on PC though as i find it to be most accurate: Atari 2600 --> Stella of course Atari 5200 --> havent found anything decent yet Atari 7800 --> Mame MSDOS --> DOSBOX Nintendo --> Higan Sega --> Fusion 3.64 Sony - Epsxe

I find ROM packs to be well structured especially ROM hunters packs for the Atari 2600 http://www.atarimania.com/rom_collection_archive_atari_2600_roms.html As for other systems with some looking around you can find good packs however i recommend torrents as they usually have complete packs. If homebrews and hacks i have separate folders for those keeping original retail release packs intact to save confusion. So basically on my backup HDD i have a structure much like this: Games ______| | | | Arcade | |__Mame --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | | Atari | |__2600 --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__5200--> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__7800--> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__Jaguar--> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | | Nintendo | |__Nintendo Entertainment System --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__Nintendo Entertainment System 64 --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__Nintendo Entertainment System DS --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__Nintendo Entertainment System Game And Watch --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__Nintendo Entertainment System Gameboy --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__Nintendo Entertainment System Super --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | | PC | |__MSDOS --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__Windows 3.11 --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__Windows 7 --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__Windows 95 --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__Windows XP --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | | Sega | |__Sega Mastersystem --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__Sega Megadrive/Genesis --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | | Sony | |__Sony Playstation 1 --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | |__Sony Playstation 2 --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect | Various - Misc |__Amiga --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect |__Colecovision --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect |__Commodore 64 --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect |__Intelivision --> Emulator --> ROM's, boxart, manuals ect Basically im very picky how my data files are stored for organization and easy navigation. I used to have ROMs and files ect stored all over the place then a few years back went through the pain staking clean up. Got so sick of trying to find a ROM and searching my HDD for 5 minutes or having to do a file search. Now i know exactly where what file is with easy navigation like a library. Only pain is with MSDOS games as i have to create a structure path aslong as my arm just to mount the directory lol. I also use this directory structure for sub directories for example: ROMs |__ Community Hacks |__ Community Homebrews |__ My Hacks |__ My Homebews |__ Retail Release Complete Set Yeah im fairly sure i have OCD