CandyBar for Atari 2600

[+Gemintronic]

Normally double posting gets me tarred and feathered on other boards. I blame Devin for suggesting I should also post here

AtariAge Entry with Binary and Source:

http://www.atariage....for-atari-2600/

 

TIGSource "A Game by Its Cover" Entry:

http://forums.tigsou...p?topic=13761.0

 

Basically, I needed an excuse to get creative and DO SOMETHING. The TIGSource Independent gaming forum has competitions that, although I never win, push me to accomplish. I enter competitions to compete with myself as I can't find anyone of low enough caliber to compete with

 

The competition asked contestants to find mock up box art and create real games from them. PANIC INC. had taken a joke too far and created fictitious screenshots, advertisements and even purchasable Atari boxes for their Mac software. http://www.gamesetwa...i_2600style.php

 

I took it upon myself to create a real CandyBar game. Batari BASIC allowed me to code an actual 2600 binary! After getting warmed up with Drunken Pooper 2600 and Uppa Creek! coding Candybar was an attainable goal.

 

Coming from what snaggle-toothed punch card operators call a 4GL background, going back to BASICs was hard. VisualbB comes very close to a full IDE and Batari comes very close to being a solid language.. but, when they fail it's a hard, mind violating reality check. Sort of like when you trade up from a RROD Xbox 360 only to have your next one fry anyway. BASIC to assembly converters are what they are. Third party IDEs are what they are. Hacks, who blame the tools on their own shortcomings are, er, me

 

Early on my problems were minimal such as multi-colored sprites wouldn't work and getting stuck on indentation and typo errors. The real problems came when reaching that 4k limit. I literally had to scrape off notes in the title screen music for AI code. Game variations had to be scrapped.

 

Thanks to AtariAge and you (yes, whoever you are, thank you Dear Reader!) I found that it is possible to get a real cartridge made, manuals printed and boxes and inserts made. Okay, I lie on the last part: I scrapped a shrink-wrapped copy of Atari 7800 Jinks for its insert.

 

One physical copy gets put in a real PANIC INC. Atari box with manual and insert - 1980s Sears discounted price tag like a cherry on top. One copy gets sent to PANIC INC. as thanks for letting me use their art and CandyBar name. The source and binary are for all to gaze at, in sheer wonderment how I stay upright and not choke on my own tongue, er, I mean, BRILLIANCE! Yes! That's the ticket!

 

Again, thanks 'yall for your support. Batari and AtariAge were critical in enabling this project. See you next game!

Edited October 22, 2012 by theloon

[Devin]

Normally double posting gets me tarred and feathered on other boards. I blame Devin for suggesting I should also post here

 

Oooooh. I see. Throw me under the bus, will ya. If Albert takes a Texas longhorn and shoves it where the sun doesn't shine - I will blame YOU!

 

The game is very great. I love the artwork you have for the cartridge/box.

[+Gemintronic]

An update draws near!

 

The boys at PANIC (who came up the the art and concept for CandyBar) posted a blog entry for my game:

http://www.panic.com/blog/2010/11/candybar-2600-found/

 

They were nice enough to include a link to Batari BASIC. Hopefully more press will mean more homebrewers