question i would like to learn how to make a game for atari 2600 but idk anything about programming

[Achillebrac]

hi, could someone help me to make a game for atari 2600?  I don't know anything about programming so I think it will be very difficult for me, so can you tell me where to start?

[CapitanClassic]

You should ask yourself a couple of questions first:

• Why do you what to make a game for the 2600 (the VCS specifically,  rather than another system)
• What sort of game do you want to make (genre, single/multiplayer, port or new IP, etc.)
• How many hours do you want to invest in making the game? (Weeks, months, years?)

 

How much have you already read in the pinned threads? 

 

 

[Cisano]

On Youtube there are lessons on how to program in assembly for the 6502

After try to write something with this 6502 web emulator

 

[LatchKeyKid]

On 9/11/2022 at 5:22 AM, Achillebrac said:

hi, could someone help me to make a game for atari 2600?  I don't know anything about programming so I think it will be very difficult for me, so can you tell me where to start?

Have you thought about dipping your toes into the scene first by making a hack?  That's the Atari-scene term for a game mod where you take an existing game and tweak things to see how they work.  There are several games out there that have been fully documented step by step by experienced coders so you're not running around in the dark.  That's what I did with Pitfall earlier this year to learn how some things work.

[+Gemintronic]

There's Oscars new book too:

https://www.lulu.com/shop/oscar-toledo-gutierrez/programming-games-for-atari-2600/hardcover/product-n8z9r6.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

Normally I'd brag about batari BASIC but I often imagine myself a better developer if I had started with assembly and C first.

[CapitanClassic]

For someone who doesn’t know anything about programming, I would think that the best system to start making games for is the fantasy Pico-8 system.

There are many tutorials to guide you through making your first game.
Video tutorials: Lazy Devs, 
Written Tutorials, Manual, Cheat Sheet: https://eugene.libguides.com/gamedesign/pico8
the Zine: https://sectordub.itch.io/pico-8-fanzine-1

 

It is the most popular fantasy program, and still has a very active forum. When you get stuck, lots of people to answer questions and get help.

https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?cat=7

 

The development system is only $15, or the free educational version is online only.

https://www.pico-8-edu.com

 

The system constraints keep you from gettting to over your own head. The 32K limit for code/comments, 8092 token limit, 16 color, 128x128 screen resolution limited sprite sheet/map size force you to keep your game simple. You also can quickly make changes to your game, instantly run the changes and see what you did.

 

You can play Pico-8 an nearly any system, from iOS, windows, Linux, or even those cheap linux set-top boxes or thousand games in one handhelds.