
Atari 2600 VCS and Adventure – Computerphile - jasonkostempski
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7roWLrbwao
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jasonkostempski
"Programming the Atari 2600 VCS: Coming Soon"

I've been trying to work through "Making Games For The Atari 2600" by Steven
Hugg over the past year and I'm just now starting to grok some of the key
concepts, not only in 6502 assembler, but VCS programming specifically, which
involves a lot of timing around the CRT beam. I don't expect to make a final
product ever but it's really a lot of fun to play with. There's a companion
site for the book that lets you play with Atari programming online [1].

I also just bought a physical 2600 last week when I got a bit nostalgic for
the paddle based games like Warlords, there's really no equivalent controller
for modern systems. I've been hoping they would make a comeback at some point.

[1] [http://8bitworkshop.com](http://8bitworkshop.com)

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ddingus
Paddles are very cool. Warlords is one of the top titles my kids played
growing up. They liked having 4 people get in on a simple game.

Grandkids are just about there.

I went and got a 6 switch model, modded it for a better composite signal
display, and it works pretty great on newer televisions.

One can notice the lag over a CRT playing Warlords though. It's not a big
deal, and on my HDTV, it's basically a frame. The kids don't seem to care.
Makes sense, as they've been dealing with that latency all the time.

Making games for that machine is very challenging and a lot of fun! I've
written code for it a few times. Enjoy your rewards as you get stuff working
and moving.

You know, the paddle could be spiffed up a little to make it more relevant,
and maybe expand on the scope of paddle games at the same time.

Push and or pull paddle for action, emphasis. Offer more than one button.

Old school paddles are done with a linear variable resistor. Those actually
work great, when clean and used fairly regularly, but they can't also be
effective spinners.

Traditionally, spinners are done with an encoder similar to old ball mouse
devices.

Those could be combined, the paddle using an absolute encoder, not a relative
one to start. This is very important, as being able to return to a given
screen position, given a specific motion, actually matters a lot! The Warlords
game is playable without this, but something like Kaboom isn't so much.

An absolute encoder, coupled with a clutch so the feedback can be disabled for
spinner mode, could work just fine as a spinner, we just handle the rollover
in software.

Maybe even take a page from the 3D space type devices, and allow the paddle
shaft to be moved like a joystick.

Turn, upward pressure, button A or B, allows for a whole lot more, while
keeping the direct, simple interaction of the paddle front and center.

If I had time... that's the paddle I would make.

~~~
jasonkostempski
I got the RF to Coax adapter to play on my TVs, I think I feel the lag but I'm
not sure. Either way, a CRT is going to be my next splurge :) Another thing I
love about the old stuff is that there's no boot-up, no login, no updates. I
was getting along just fine until one of my TVs forced me to do a "channel
scan" before I could even tune to channel 3, it took over 5 minutes :/ Won't
get that with a CRT.

Just getting a hold of a physical system really amped up the nostalgia, I even
picked up a boxed version of Adventure since that was always my favorite. The
annotated source code for it is fun to play with, I started modifying it to
make it Stranger Things themed version because I figured my kids would enjoy
it (Dragons are Demogorgons, Chalice is Will, Yellow Castle is Wills house,
Sword is a nail bat, stuff like that). I can't seem to find the source online
right now, can't remember where I picked it up but I had it archived in my
email for years.

~~~
ddingus
Awesome!

Yeah, I find the real hardware very stimulating myself.

Right now, I have an Apple //e and my old 2600 (VCS) hooked up to a
professional video monitor.

If you can find one of these, I very strongly recommend one. They deliver an
insane good image from old machines. Even from RF, which tends to be the
worst.

You can install a shorter cord to help with image, if you need to. It's easy.

Adventure is one of my top picks too. Back in the day, it was amazing, and it
hinted at so much more to come. That game is real history. Love your idea to
mod it.

The thing I keep coming back to, regarding older, analog controllers, is the
simple game mechanics, and interaction.

Once, in the 90s, when my youngest was 2, maybe 3, I had a VCS hooked up. He
started a Breakout game, and was near the TV. As he turned the paddle, saw the
little bar on the screen move, his head moved with it, all real time,
connected.

He remembers it. Powerful experience.

And yeah, flip the switch, and you are in. No bullshit. :D

On the dev side, I sometimes like to do it right on the machine. Can't with a
2600, but can with a computer. Good for learning, testing.

Then, in project mode, use emulators. So much faster, easier.

