Idea for a talk: best debugger ever. period.

[+SvOlli]

Hello!

From December 27th to 30th it's time for the next Chaos Communication Congress (36C3).

I was invited again to the vintage computing assembly. Typically I do one or two talks there (a lightning talk and a "self-organized" one).

Last year I did a re-run of my "F**ked up for a cause", where I explain why things are "weird" on the 2600 as compared to other systems:

 

For this year, I had the idea of doing some fun stuff using the Stella debugger.

First of all give a rough overview of the 2600 and introduce the features of the debugger. But the highlight should be some "live-hacking" of games. I've seen a neat trick to get to an unreachable point in "Montezuma's Revenge" here (changing X position of Panama Joe). Myself I came up with doing the Easter egg of "Adventure" in less than a minute by changing the number the player is in. I also want to do a "trainer version" of "Solaris". Also the "Null Room" of "Superman" comes to mind. But I want to do some more. What else can I show?

 

I'll update the list of stuff that can be done here:

Must show debugger features:

• stepping through the code while watching the beam
• saving source code
• alternative color mode (object identified by color)
• ...

Hacking games with the debugger:

• Solaris: unlimited lives
• Adventure: Easter egg by changing the room number ($8A)
• Montezuma's Revenge: reach the unreachable spot by changing X position of player ($AA)
• ...

[Lillapojkenpåön]

Will it be recorded? I really need to learn how to use that thing

[+SvOlli]

Most probably. But you don't have to wait until then. There should be something here in the forum or blogs. I would guess @SpiceWare or @Andrew Davie have already done some howtos. I want to go through some basics, stuff I haven't seen so far in other debuggers (like showing the position of the rasterbeam and alternative colors) and then go for some toying around. The only function I've been missing so far is a direct assembler like I had in most C64 cartridges and the vice emulators.