Another "where do I start?" Question

[cbmeeks]

My search skills are failing me. Where is a good place to start if I want to learn how to make a game for the Coleco?

 

I'm much more experienced with the 6502, C/C++ and Java. I've seen a C library somewhere but I'm not sure how good it would be. My ideal first game for the CV would be along the lines of Donkey Kong, Frogger, etc. Nothing super advanced.

 

I'm willing to learn Z80 asm as well.

 

I'm using Windows if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks!

[youki]

You can start by reading this thread :

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/222648-help-setting-up-a-programming-environment/

[Kiwi]

I would highly recommend getting the newcoleco devkit. http://ccjvq.com/newcoleco/

 

cv programming.pdf is included with the newcoleco devkit. As well as my favorite Colecovision graphic tools, ICVGM and CV Graphic Tool. There's source codes included for you to look at. CCI3 is the compiler and a linker. You need to install BlueMSX to test your game. CCI3 will boot BlueMSX and the ROM you just made.

 

And download and install SDCC.exe, the latest is 3.5.0.

 

https://sourceforge.net/projects/sdcc/files/

 

You'll need to have this installed in order for CCI2 or CCI3 to work. Window 'Program File' will probably deny when you run patchsdcc.bat to install the objcopy.exe and header file to SDCC folder. So either manually place the files in the sdcc folder or mess around with window's permission setting. There's a readme.txt files included with the kit.

If you want to use Cygwin to do advance stuff to compile your project if you wish to do Megacart game or set linking type like start the ram data to 0x2000 to use the SGM RAM(I haven't yet tried this yet.), then you can follow the PkK tutorial to get Cygwin installed.

http://colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/development/tutorial0.shtml

[cbmeeks]

Thanks for the suggestions!

[PkK]

I recommend the tutorials at

http://colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/development/tutorial0.shtml

 

Philipp

 

[nitrofurano]

you can also give Boriel’s ZX-Basic Compiler a try - it’s the neatest thing i found up to now!

Edited March 17, 2016 by nitrofurano

[Tony Cruise]

And if you do want to work in assembler, my series of articles and videos on it starting here. Includes templates to get you started.

[OmegaPrime]

I use electric adventures template,but I've been coding in z80 on the master system so it made sense to go the assembly route.If you're proficient in 6502 assembly,the switch to z80 shouldn't be difficult for you.If you can understand some of the example code snippet below,learning z80 should be easy.

 

 

 

 

;=========================================================
--:

call Do_ObjectMSBTileCheck
ld a,l
and %11000000
cp Ladder
jr nz,+
scf
ret

+:

xor a

ret
;=========================================================
;
;=========================================================
PlayerJumpingLadderCheck:
ld a,(_JoyPadPressed)
and %00000001
jp nz,JoyPadPressedUpCheck
xor a
ret
;=========================================================
-:
ld a,(_PlayerState)
cp PlayerOnLadderState
jr z,+
ld (iy+ObjStateOffset),PlayerOnLadderState
ld (iy+ObjAnimationSwitchFlag),0
;=========================================================
+:
scf
ret
;=========================================================
;d = YOffset
;e = XOffset
;=========================================================
JoyPadPressedUpCheck:
ld de,$f0fc
call --
ret nc
ld de,$f003
call --
ret nc
jp -
;=========================================================
;d = YOffset
;e = XOffset
;=========================================================
JoyPadPressedDownCheck:
ld de,$00FC
call --
ret nc
ld de,$0003
call --
ret nc
jp -

Edited March 23, 2016 by OmegaPrime

[Serguei2]

I downloaded SCDD.

 

The link to download newcoleco devkit is dead.

 

The tutorial links are dead too.