Pygame, Atari style

[Pokeypy]

Hi,

 

"Pygame" is a framework for writing games by accessing the SDL-library ("Simple Direct Layer") from Python (an interpreted language on modern PCs.)

For some time now, I'm trying to setup Pygame in a way, that it looks like Atari 8 bit games. (Because unfortunately most Pygame games out there look much worse than Atari games did back then.)

I'm going for a resolution of 320x192, which is at the upper limit of the Atari. Actually, it's more what Amiga games used back then. I also have to take a look, how graphics in general on the Atari worked.

That's fun, but I don't think I'll be getting too much into into C and assembly programming on the Atari.

One of the good things about the approach with Pygame is, that I don't have to worry about memory limitations (like I would, if I wrote for an emulated Atari with just 64 or 130K memory).

I think, I'm making some progress and wanted to show, what I did today. It's a "starfield" moving from right to left, "inspired" by the Amiga version of the game "Katakis".

I'm quite happy, how this worked out today.

I may post other things, that are worth showing, here later.

starfield.py

Edited April 7, 2021 by Pokeypy

[Pokeypy]

Hi guys,

made another effort. Also set up a formal Github account. That's probably more appropriate than using forum attachments.

 

Quick OT: In general, if the interpreter is installed, Python scripts are just as powerful as .exe-files (just a bit slower). So they should better be downloaded from reliable sources. Github may be a little more trustworthy, as other developers on the huge platform may look over the code (after a while) and may find bad code, if there should be some in there. My code's ok though: It just reads in the font image (taken from Wikipedia), calculates a bit, plays a little sound and displays stuff on the screen. Ordinary Pygame stuff.

 

Anyway. So my script opens a window, which basically works like a Basic input window as you know it. It just doesn't execute Basic commands.

 

https://github.com/hlubenow/vintageinput.py

 

I was unsure about using the Atari font, because of copyright questions. The situation is a little better with the ZX Spectrum ROM (including the font), because the copyright holders (Amstrad) have once declared, that it's ok to use that ROM code in emulators and such.

So therefore my script uses the ZX Spectrum look and sound (even without directly including ROM code). Sorry for the Spectrum look, Atari fellows.

But it would be quite easy to put on another "skin". Also C64 for example.

When using the Atari font, its colors and beep noises on my local machine, I sometimes couldn't tell the script from the emulator and pressed the wrong keys.

Edited April 25, 2021 by Pokeypy