i want to make a game in asm for the x16, so how can i get a kickstart?how do i start making x16 games?
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jose014384
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2023 5:18 pm
how do i start making x16 games?
yea just it, so hello idk i want to make a game in asm for the x16, so how can i get a kickstart?
i want to make a game in asm for the x16, so how can i get a kickstart?Re: how do i start making x16 games?
Docs. We got docs. Not for *everything* but for all the new stuff that's in the X16 and not in the stuff that came before it.
http://github.com/x16community/x16-docs
And for the older stuff (like the KERNAL routines we inherited from the C64), I suggest finding a copy of the Commodore 64 Programmer's Reference Guide. The C64's 6510 CPU was based on the 6502, but the 65C02 used in the X16 has a few extra instructions, so for that you might want to try a site like http://6502.org/tutorials/65c02opcodes.html
Between all these resources, hopefully you will be able to create a game.
Good luck!
http://github.com/x16community/x16-docs
And for the older stuff (like the KERNAL routines we inherited from the C64), I suggest finding a copy of the Commodore 64 Programmer's Reference Guide. The C64's 6510 CPU was based on the 6502, but the 65C02 used in the X16 has a few extra instructions, so for that you might want to try a site like http://6502.org/tutorials/65c02opcodes.html
Between all these resources, hopefully you will be able to create a game.
Good luck!
Re: how do i start making x16 games?
It depends what you know. I've only just started learning Assembly myself and these are the resources I found useful for getting me going.
Starting from scratch I found this tutorial really good: https://skilldrick.github.io/easy6502/
I also found the "Build a 65C02 computer from scratch" videos by Ben Eater on youtube fantastic for helping me understand what was going on in the background: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... z1mu7dp7eH
The book, "Machine Language for the Commodore 64 Revised and Expanded" by Jim Butterfield was also amazing at walking through the basics. It's available in PDF from the internet archive here: https://archive.org/details/Machine_Lan ... ed_Edition
That said, if you already know what you're doing with assembly none of this is going to be a revelation to you. In addition you aren't going to be able to program games after reading these either, at best you're going to be able to understand some basics of assembly programming, you'll have to find other resources to get you further. I hope some of this is at least a little bit helpful though.
Starting from scratch I found this tutorial really good: https://skilldrick.github.io/easy6502/
I also found the "Build a 65C02 computer from scratch" videos by Ben Eater on youtube fantastic for helping me understand what was going on in the background: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... z1mu7dp7eH
The book, "Machine Language for the Commodore 64 Revised and Expanded" by Jim Butterfield was also amazing at walking through the basics. It's available in PDF from the internet archive here: https://archive.org/details/Machine_Lan ... ed_Edition
That said, if you already know what you're doing with assembly none of this is going to be a revelation to you. In addition you aren't going to be able to program games after reading these either, at best you're going to be able to understand some basics of assembly programming, you'll have to find other resources to get you further. I hope some of this is at least a little bit helpful though.
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SolarSurfer
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Sun Nov 26, 2023 2:18 am
Re: how do i start making x16 games?
Have you made any games yet, jose014384?
You could do what I did, which is to just think up something simple and achievable, and then just go for it. My first game was a framework for choose-your-own-adventure books. It had a simple data structure for each "page" (adventure text, 1 to 3 choices with choice text and the "turn to" page) and a score of 0/50/100/150 associated to each page, for hitting certain milestones throughout the adventure.
I made an extremely short and simple "adventure" data file for it, with not many branches. As you plod along reading pages and making choices of which page to turn to, it tracks your score. Then you just make choices until you die or reach the end goal. I wouldn't call it "fun" ... but it was arguably a game
Also I wouldn't call it good code. It was literally the first useful assembly-code I ever wrote (beyond just ASM tutorial stuff), so it was loaded with inefficiencies and bad design choices. But, I had to start somewhere.
You could do what I did, which is to just think up something simple and achievable, and then just go for it. My first game was a framework for choose-your-own-adventure books. It had a simple data structure for each "page" (adventure text, 1 to 3 choices with choice text and the "turn to" page) and a score of 0/50/100/150 associated to each page, for hitting certain milestones throughout the adventure.
I made an extremely short and simple "adventure" data file for it, with not many branches. As you plod along reading pages and making choices of which page to turn to, it tracks your score. Then you just make choices until you die or reach the end goal. I wouldn't call it "fun" ... but it was arguably a game
Also I wouldn't call it good code. It was literally the first useful assembly-code I ever wrote (beyond just ASM tutorial stuff), so it was loaded with inefficiencies and bad design choices. But, I had to start somewhere.