Fallout Explore is a retro-style adventure game inspired by the iconic Fallout series. Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the game challenges the player to explore a dangerous world filled with hostile creatures, limited resources, and hidden treasures.
Using classic Atari 2600 graphics and sound effects, Fallout Explore centres on a vault dweller scouring an apocalyptic wasteland for anything of value while avoiding mutants, raiders and general misery. The interface is a crude representation of the familiar PipBoy, a large wearable computer with a green monochrome screen.
Fallout Explore is a work-in-progress Atari 2600 game that was created initially as an experiment. As such, the game is incomplete and serves as a proof-of-concept rather than a fully-featured game. Despite its unfinished state, the game showcases the potential of the Atari 2600 platform and demonstrates how modern game development tools and techniques can be applied to classic hardware.
Atari Programming in the 2020s
There are a variety of development tools available for creating Atari 2600 games. These range from classic command-line tools like DASM and Stella’s built-in debugger, to more modern integrated development environments like the Atari Dev Studio extension for Visual Studio Code. Additionally, there are many resources available online for aspiring Atari 2600 developers, including tutorials, forums, and online communities dedicated to homebrew game development.
Batari Basic
Batari Basic is a programming language designed specifically for creating games on the Atari 2600, a video game console that was first released in 1977. Developed by Fred Quimby in the early 2000s, Batari Basic is a high-level language that makes it easier for developers to write code for the Atari 2600. It provides a set of commands and functions that allow developers to manipulate graphics, sound, and input, as well as manage the system’s limited memory and processing power.
One of the key features of Batari Basic is its simplicity. The language is designed to be easy to learn, even for developers who have little or no experience with the Atari 2600 or other classic game consoles. At the same time, Batari Basic is powerful enough to create complex games with multiple levels, enemies, and other features.
Atari Dev Studio
Atari Dev Studio is an extension for Visual Studio Code that provides developers with a range of tools for building Atari 2600 games with Batari Basic. To get started, simply install the extension from the Visual Studio Code marketplace and configure your project settings.
One of the standout features of Atari Dev Studio is its integrated sprite editor, which allows developers to create and edit sprites directly within the Visual Studio Code interface. The extension also includes a built-in debugger, which can help you track down and fix issues in your code.
Other notable capabilities of Atari Dev Studio include support for custom fonts and sound effects, as well as the ability to export your finished game to a variety of formats, including ROM, binary, and source code. Whether you’re an experienced developer or just getting started with Batari Basic, Atari Dev Studio is a powerful and flexible tool that can help you bring your Atari 2600 game ideas to life.”
Stella
Stella is a cross-platform Atari 2600 emulator that allows users to play classic Atari games on their modern devices. It was originally released in 1996, and has since been continuously updated and maintained by a team of dedicated developers. Stella is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and several other platforms, making it accessible to a wide range of users. It also supports a variety of input devices, including gamepads and joysticks, to enhance the gaming experience. Overall, Stella is a reliable and feature-rich emulator that has become a go-to choice for Atari enthusiasts and gamers alike.
The Project
The idea for this game came about while I was testing ChatGPT3. I was curious if it could generate code for an Atari game based on Fallout Shelter. While the generated code was unusable, the experience sparked my interest in the programming language and tools used for creating Atari games. This led me to dive deeper into the world of Atari 2600 programming, and I started experimenting with the Batari Basic.
This Batari Basic code defines a 2D game that takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The player controls a character that can move around the game world, avoiding obstacles and interacting with objects. The game uses sprites to represent characters, objects, and terrain features. The player’s character can be moved with the joystick, and the game includes collision detection to handle interactions between the player and the environment. The code includes various subroutines and functions to handle different aspects of the game, such as displaying text, loading graphics data, and updating the game state. Overall, this code provides the foundation for a simple but engaging game that could be further developed and expanded upon.
GitHub repository: https://github.com/revnoah/atari2600-falloutexplore
Project Files
A typical Batari Basic project consists of a few different file types:
- .bas: This is the main code file, written in Batari Basic. It contains all the game logic, graphics, and sound data.
- .asm: This is an optional assembly language file that can be included in a Batari Basic project. It allows for low-level control over the Atari 2600’s hardware, and can be used to optimize performance or add new features not possible with Batari Basic alone.
- .bin: This is the binary file that is generated from the Batari Basic code and/or assembly code. It is the file that is actually loaded onto an Atari 2600 emulator or cartridge.
- .lst: This is an optional listing file that can be generated when compiling the code. It contains a detailed breakdown of the generated binary code, including the memory addresses of each instruction and the corresponding lines of Batari Basic code or assembly code.
- .sym: This is an optional symbol file that can be generated when compiling the code. It contains a mapping of memory addresses to labels, making it easier to debug and modify the code.
When writing a Batari Basic project, it’s common to mix assembly language and basic code together. Assembly code can be included directly in the .bas file using inline assembly syntax, or it can be included in a separate .asm file and linked to the main code using the include directive.
Kernels
For this program, I used the standard kernel. This was for simplicity and compatibility but there are options to make more advanced Atari 2600 games.
- Standard kernel: The default kernel that supports up to 4 sprites per scanline and one playfield.
- DPC+ kernel: An enhanced kernel that allows for larger playfields, up to 32 sprites per scanline, and various other improvements.
- SuperChip kernel: A kernel that adds support for larger sprites and playfields.
- RMT kernel: A music kernel that enables the playback of music and sound effects.
- DCP kernel: A kernel that adds support for compressed graphics data and more efficient use of ROM space.
- Title Screen kernel: A kernel specifically designed for creating title screens.
Conclusion
Creating Atari 2600 games using Batari Basic and the Atari Dev Studio extension can be a fun and rewarding experience for both experienced and novice programmers. The simplicity of the language, the robustness of the tools, and the thriving community make it a great choice for anyone looking to dive into retro game development. With the various kernels, sprite editors, and debugging tools available, the possibilities for creating unique and exciting games are endless.