A programming teacher

[galymcd13]

Okay, if there's one thing I've wanted to know for years, is how to program games for the Atari 2600. It may seem like a losing venture for me (considering I'm only 14), but I would absolutely LOVE to know how to make games for the Atari 2600. I have so many ideas, and I have no idea how to program. So what I ask of you, the community, is to, step by step, instruct how to program for the 2600.

 

Like: What I need to program, how to use it efficiently, etc, etc. I haven't the slightest clue how to program, and I have never programmed anything beyond WarioWare DIY before. I am a total beginner. But please, I dont want to hire anyone, just give some tips or something. I really want to program. I've wanted to for so long. So if anyone here would be kind enough to offer some advice to a fellow classic gamer, it would be much obliged.

 

Thanks,

galymcd13

[roland p]

Such question has been posted recently: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/181902-im-officially-looking-to-become-a-programmer/

 

You can choose for programming in BAtari basic or assembly. Random terrain has put some nice tutorials for both methods on his website: http://www.randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories.html

[purduecrum]

I hear scheme, lisp, and paschal are good languages to learn programming!

[ScumSoft]

Pffft, nothing is easier than learning the atari 2600 as your first console

[esplonky]

i would start out becoming fluent in BAtari BASIC and then Reading ATARI ROOTS on atariarchives.org and learning 6502 assembly language. (Language that they programmed Atari 2600,5200,7800, NES C64, Apple ][, and other computers with) I've almost spent a year with bB and i am almost completely Fluent. But i'm no Random Terrain at bB. but i wrote my first game within a week and it wasnt even 100 lines long, so i seeked help, tried new things in my code, and a game emerged from it. Learning languages like this can take 1+ years, and the road is long, but if you put effort, it is possible.

[+Random Terrain]

But I'm no Random Terrain at bB.

Neither am I.

 

Sometimes people think that just because I edit the bB page that I'm actually good at making batari Basic programs. I suck. About the only thing I can do is make crappy half finished works in progress that are full of bloated code.

 

AtariAge members such as batari, SeaGtGruff, RevEng, Robert M, Atarius Maximus, and jrok are the ones you should be aspiring to be like.

[esplonky]

welcome to the club! haha and btw, i got my sound problems semi_figured out, not it has gameplay except no missile1 and the COLUPX goes away, and the sound is just a high ringing sound and it never stops

[galymcd13]

Hey guys, thanks for all your help! All look over and follow all the reasonable advice here! Thanks again!

~Galymcd13

[gorfcadet]

I'm on chapter 3 of the Atari Roots... very cool resource!

So the Atari 2600 and 7800's 6502 chip will understand the code and examples from that book? Very cool stuff.

[GroovyBee]

I'm on chapter 3 of the Atari Roots... very cool resource!

So the Atari 2600 and 7800's 6502 chip will understand the code and examples from that book? Very cool stuff.

 

Once you learn 6502 you've got the A8s, 2600, 7800 and 5200 covered. However the machines might also differ (depends which you compare) in terms of memory map, video hardware, sound, RAM, ROM and peripherals available.

[gorfcadet]

So on the 6502 the hexi numbers/addresses tell the system where in ram to store the results of commands, but do I also understand correctly that on an Atari 26/78 that those Hex vslues also tell the system what processor is to carry out that command as well? I think i read that in the 78 dev guide linked on the sticky post... or maybe in another thread... my head is swimming as my high school training from Basic/C+ meshes with the stuff I taught myself in grade school with my Commodore 64 and now the assembly stuff. Its like I'm chewing dynamite flavored chewing gum. Very cool stuff.

[gorfcadet]

I can't wait to see how to call and place sprites to display! This stuff is so friggen cool. Did I catch that the Atari Assembly language has some kind of "missile" command inherent to the language?

[Nukey Shay]

No. Missiles are just sprites that have no bitpattern...and there is no "Atari assembly language" (just as there is no AppleII assembly language, no C64 assembly language, etc - it's all 6502).

[gorfcadet]

My mistake. Assembly is just Assembly. Still very cool. My kid brother went to college for game design but this kind of stuff has always been self taught for me since my parents bought me a c64 in grade school.

[Nukey Shay]

The important thing is to experiment with how a given system's own registers are handled (which is explained in detail here for the 2600). An 8-bit pattern stored to GRP0 or GRP1 will display that specific pattern onscreen for the corresponding "player" sprite. With "missiles" (ENAM0,ENAM1) and the "ball" (ENABL) sprites, only bit1 is relevant...dictating whether it is displayed or not. All other bits in the value stored to those registers make no difference.

 

The summary near the top shows which bits are relevant for each function. If it is shown as <strobe>, the value itself makes no difference (the act of storing any value performs the function). Because all functions do not use all bits, you can use this as a programming "shortcut" in some cases. Reading a single value from a table can store a specific pattern to PF0 and AUDV0 each with no manipulation, for example...the bits controlling their functions are mutually-exclusive.