8-Bit

A while ago, in 2008, I started coding a unicycle video game for the PC. I never finished it, but I always wanted to code one. And a few months ago I started coding the game again, but instead of coding it for the PC, I decided to code it for the Commodore 64. I want to code the game in a retro style. Coding a Commodore 64 game is already retro, and I want to create a retro game for the Commodore 64, like if this game were coded in 1982 instead of 2015. So it would be something like a retro-retro game. Developing code for the Commodore 64 takes a lot of time, and taking into account that my free time is almost null, my progress is very slow. But so far I managed to code the Intro and About scenes, and I started coding the game mechanics. If you want try the game, you can download it from here: https://github.com/ricardoquesada/c64-the-muni-race Here are some screenshots:

I started to code a unicycle game for the Commodore 64. The first thing that I realized was that I needed an game editor, so I started to code one: VChar64. Today I released v0.0.1 which has basic functionality but the functionality that it has, just work. You can download it from here: Download: https://github.com/ricardoquesada/vchar64 Features: Imports raw, PRG and CharPad file formats Exports to raw and PRG Basic editing functionality: Rotate, Invert, Clear, Shift left/right/up/down Multiplatform: Win, Linux and Mac Screenshot: ...

I stopped developing for the Commodore 64 in 1993. Since then a lot has happened: Back in late 80’s ~ beginning of 90’s: I did all my coding using the Commodore 128’s MONITOR command That means no text editor, no compiler, no linker. Similar to the debug.com command that used to be in DOS Since I didn’t use a text editor, I put all my comments in a notepad (I still have that notepad somewhere) I used the Commodore 128’s SPRDEF as the Sprite editor I used my own character editor called vchar… (later I created a similar one for DOS and Linux) I did some basic graphics using a graphics editor… but I can’t remember which one I didn’t know any other C64 developer, so I did everything kind of isolated My sources of information were Commodore Magazine, Tu Micro Commodore and some books I reversed engineer some games / demos in order to learn tricks I had a 300 bps modem but I didn’t find any good C64 BBS I did some cracks for a local company that was “publishing” (AKA pirating) games. In exchange they were providing me games. To put things into perspective it was impossible (I mean IMPOSSIBLE) to get original games in Argentina back then. I knew some basic tricks like how to use more than 8 sprites, how to open the top and bottom borders, some raster effects… but nothing very advanced. I loaded all my programs / games using the disk drive, which was much faster than the datasette, but still very slow I had a fast-loader cartridge to accelerate the disk drive loading times. It also had a rudimentary MONITOR. Although Argentina was using the PAL-N standard I had a NTSC Commodore 128. In Argentina we also had the Argentinean Commodore, called Drean Commodore, which was a PAL-N machine assembled in Argentina