Atari Graphics & Arcade Game Design
By Jeffrey Stanton with Dan Pinal
Atari computers are wonderful graphics machines capable of extraordinary visual effects. Unfortunately, few of these can be implemented directly from Atari BASIC without a thorough knowledge of Machine language and the architecture of the machine. Those who understand the techniques and have mastered them are mostly too busy writing programs to share their knowledge.
This book will allow you to enter the world of Atari graphics in which your most imaginative ideas can be animated. The various chapters will present a comprehensive course in both Atari graphics and high-speed arcade animation techniques. While at least half of the book requires the ability to program in Assembly language, we were careful to bigin the book with the simplest graphics concepts 'in Atari BASIC. The book alms to increase the novice programmer's skill. It assumes no prior knowledge of either Atari graphics or Assembly language. Since we know that many of our readers will be young teenagers, we made every attempt to include BASIC program examples, some with Machine language subroutines, in most of the chapters. We felt that concepts like custom display lists, color indirection, scrolling, character set animation, and player-missile graphics can be learned by beginners, but we didn't neglect the advanced programmer either. We cover the most advanced topics possible on a Machine language level. We discuss vertical blank and display list interrupts, kernals, bit-mapped graphics, sound, scrolling, and player-missile graphics, and use these techniques to develop four complete Assembly language games.
The only requirements for this book are an inquisitive mind, perseverance, and a good Assembler. Although prior Assembly language programming experience isn't necessary, you won't be able to write code without an Assembler.
We will attempt to explain the ideas in this book through a combination of text, drawings, flow charts, and working code. The concepts in this book may seem easy at times, and somewhat difficult at other times. The Atari is a complex machine with many idiosyncrasies. The hardware sometimes makes game design relatively easy, yet the concept of an interrupt-driven machine with its timing problems can make advanced programming frustrating. Out advice is to read the book in stages and try the examples. Learn how they work.
The only requirements for this book are an inquisitive mind, perseverance, and a good Assembler. Although prior Assembly language programming experience isn't necessary, you won't be able to write code without an Assembler.
We will attempt to explain the ideas in this book through a combination of text, drawings, flow charts, and working code. The concepts in this book may seem easy at times, and somewhat difficult at other times. The Atari is a complex machine with many idiosyncrasies. The hardware sometimes makes game design relatively easy, yet the concept of an interrupt-driven machine with its timing problems can make advanced programming frustrating. Out advice is to read the book in stages and try the examples. Learn how they work.
