Quidditch Game

[flickertail]

Ten years ago I started working on a version of Quidditch for the 2600. And then got divorced... life fell apart etc...

Lately, to blow off steam from work, I decided to pick it up again... and was shocked to see there was now a browser-based javascript IDE for programming.

8 Bit Workshop - pretty cool.

Guess 10 years is a long time.

Anyway, I bought the "Making Games for The Atari 2600" as I was kind of rusty on assembly programming... and after working on the game on and off for the last couple of weeks I have some working code that draws some basics. Doesn't take any user input yet.
http://8bitworkshop.com/?sharekey=6178c9a5d1d56fad9ceb122753d97c76

I don't know if all my ideas will translate on to the 2600, but eventually I hope to have Quidditch goal hoops, a goalies, a fifth player, and eventually a completely separate level for catching the snitch.

The game would have been way cooler 10 years ago... but it is what it is.

Gameplay will be like playing a "physical" Table Top hockey game. How that translates to joysticks, IDK. Would be nice to have a second button on that joystick... would make passing the Puck/Quaffle much easier.

If anyone has one of those new fancy Harmony carts, would love to hear how it looks on that... I'm playing on buying one myself... just haven't gotten around to doing it yet.

Edited December 19, 2017 by flickertail

[chavert]

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Edited September 8, 2023 by chavert

[vidak]

Good luck! I can try and help debug if you need! I'm always looking to improve my skill.

[flickertail]

@Chavert - sorry, I've attached a bin.

@vidak - Thanks, I'm sure I'll ask for your help to debug at some point.

broomsticks.bin

[chavert]

[StanJr]

Were you asking if a quidditch game for the Atari 2600 was passé?

[flickertail]

@StanJr - Not really asking, more like I was acknowledging it is passe... but it's the game I think I know how to build as I gave it a huge amount of thought 10 years ago. And as my ex is so fond of saying, I "only know how to live in the past."... Ha! Just kidding, she doesn't say that.

 

@Chavert - Thanks for posting that photo. The graphics look as good on the actual hardware as I was hoping they would.

 

Anyway, I started a development blog on AA. Used Indirect Indexed Addressing for the first time to add a bouncing Quaffle. Now its time to spend time with the kiddos.

Edited December 9, 2017 by flickertail

[Gamemoose]

How is that book for beginner assembly programmers?

[flickertail]

I like it. I had access to a similar book of the interdependently published variety with a green cardboard cover about 10 years ago (actually, I think it was just the Stella programmers guide someone had typed up and bound with construction paper and a stapler), but this one is really very good. I would say it pretty thorough, and worth the money. So far, I've only found 1 minor typo. I should probably go back to Amazon and give the book a 5 star rating.

 

Granted I really got into Atari programming 10 years ago, and built some Java-based tools to assist with development back then, so I had previous experience. So I can't say that I'm reading this book as a complete novice, but I doubt you'll find a much handier set of info about the VCS in a book form.

 

I mean... honestly, 40 years out from launch... a pretty much complete book for novice and intermediate VCS programmers that also delivers a browser-based IDE... it's hard to believe you get all of that for $33. It's more than enough to get you started and half way to Omaha.

 

It brought me back up to speed much more quickly than would have been possible otherwise... but I'm no expert.

Edited December 19, 2017 by flickertail