Building 2600 game prototypes/mockups

[almightytodd]

Greetings all,

 

I'm a professional applications programmer with over 13 years experience. I am currently developing in Delphi, and have previously done work in C++ and Java. I'm fascinated by Atari 2600 games, which take me back to my teenage years when our family Christmas present in 1977 was a Heavy Sixer. I have ideas for some new games, but rather than dive right into 6502 Assembly Language programming, I think I'd rather explore creating prototype-mockup versions of these games using C#, and then see if there's any interest in them before proceeding further. The games I have in mind are:

 

Atari Recess

Games based on elementary school recess playground games

- Four Square

- Tether ball

- Monkey bars

- Tag

 

WeiChi

9x9 adaptation of Chinese "WeiChi", or Japanese "Go" - the game that inspired the Atari name

 

Computer Space Deluxe

Variations on a theme with an Atari 2600 port of the original Nolan Bushnell "Computer Space" as game #1.

 

Combat AI

Remake of the original pack-in game cart "Combat", but with a computer AI opponent

 

Microsoft offers some support for learning C# this way at this web site: http://msdn.microsoft.com/coding4fun/gamin...rticleid=916355

 

My question for the forum is: Would you be interested in trying out any of these mockup games and providing feedback? Do you see any value in creating the same game twice, first as a C# Windows application and then as a 2600 ROM? (The value to me, is a chance to learn C# programming, which has greater career growth potential than 6502 Assembly...)

 

Thank you in advance for your response.

[Video]

Yeah, I'd sure be interested in trying any new games out. And yeah, programing them in multiple languages makes a lot of scense, since you can gain experiance in more languages that may have a greater value to present day life than the 6502 would.

 

Sounds like some interesting game Ideas there too. I'd like to see where this goes.

[Urchlay]

Those are some pretty good game ideas, but...

 

Combat AI

Remake of the original pack-in game cart "Combat", but with a computer AI opponent

 

I'm pretty sure someone's already done this...?

 

The tricky part of doing 2600-like mockups in a modern language is that you'll get tempted to break the rules (too many players on one line, or too many variables/arrays/etc that wouldn't fit in a real 2600's 128 bytes of RAM). Nothing wrong with that, unless your intention is to really port the game to the 2600 later. I'd say you should first write a simple game on the 2600 for the experience you'll get, if you haven't already.

[bcprs1]

I would suggest you read the programmer threads first. Programming for the 2600 is VERY difficult. I think I got 1/2 way through the tutorial before I thought my head was going to explode.

[Shawn]

Combat AI would be a sure thing. No need to demo that one.

[+batari]

Those are some pretty good game ideas, but...

 

Combat AI

Remake of the original pack-in game cart "Combat", but with a computer AI opponent

 

I'm pretty sure someone's already done this...?

 

The tricky part of doing 2600-like mockups in a modern language is that you'll get tempted to break the rules (too many players on one line, or too many variables/arrays/etc that wouldn't fit in a real 2600's 128 bytes of RAM). Nothing wrong with that, unless your intention is to really port the game to the 2600 later. I'd say you should first write a simple game on the 2600 for the experience you'll get, if you haven't already.

Agreed - if you don't know the hardware's limitations, you won't have any idea what's possible and what's not. At the very least, read through Andrew's tutorials and get acquainted with the system before you write games that might not be possible.

[Lord Helmet]

Combat AI would be a sure thing. No need to demo that one.

 

Yep. This one would have a ton of interest.

[Video]

Combat AI would be a sure thing. No need to demo that one.

 

Yep. This one would have a ton of interest.

 

I'd love a Combat AI, though I am pretty sure it has already been done (just not releast on carts due to bugginess or something) I'll have to fix my old computer and look through my hombrew/hacks section and see if I can dig this game up.