BadCoder ConsolationAtari Jaguar Video-Games Programming and Development |
![]() |
The downloads presented here are for your general amusement and surprise,
they represent an example of what can be done quickly, and by keeping aclear
head. They are not demos in the traditional sense, they're not meant to impress
you with my technical skill, they're just demonstrations of what can be achieved,
and to explain how it was achieved.
PLEASE read-about BadCode0 first, and follow the
arrows
through to BadCode4C.
BadCode0 - A small "Hello World" type program
intended to do nothing more than prove I can code. A small page explaining
the techniques necessary to write such a simple program for the Jaguar will
follow soon.
Both .COF and .BIN versions now available, both load to $4000.
Now with screen shots.
BadCode1 - A development from Badcode0, this program
shows how a simple program becomes much more with the additionof a menu,
adding interactivity. Most of the code is shared, but a menu allows new code
to plug-in.
Both .COF and .BIN versions now available, both load to $4000.
Now with screen shots.
BadCode2 - A development from Badcode1, now the
program largely obeys Atari conventions, with * and # resetting the game
and adds an options screen. You can run in Tramiel or Minter colours, and
speed up text displays.
Both .COF and .BIN versions now available, both load to $4000.
Now with screen shots.
BadCode3 - A development from Badcode2, really
just a binary to prove I've not given up. Oh yes, also features sound, which
I really can't explain with a picture. Froody text added, and an Easter Egg
for Jeff Minter.
Both .JAG and .BIN versions now available, both load to $4000.
As ever, with screen shots.
BadCode4 - A development from Badcode3, introduces
some new graphical features. Oh yes, also features a small game, for 1 or
2 players, a variation on Squash. The hint was actually intended originally
to be a Squash, but Europeans saw it as a Pumpkin, and I decided to coincide
the release of BadCode4 with the European Halloween autumn celebration. Timing
problems meant I missed that Halloween release.
Both .JAG and .BIN versions now available, both load to $4000.
As ever, with screen shots.
BadCode4 C- A development from Badcode4, it reduces
the size of the BadCode4 upload by nearly 200K by supporting decompression
of graphics from a (proprietary) lossless compression format, similar to,
but not identical to PCX. An article linked to this release will follow.
The use of compression has made no change to the appearance of the demo,
but does change internal code significantly. The compression format is
deliberately simple in this code to ease explanation. This version is better
than BadCode4 but does not replace it as all BadCode demos include unique
text and explanations of the evolution of small demo to a larger project.
It also fixes the '0' does not mute bug, and makes the Jaguar player 2 more
"human".
Both .JAG and .BIN versions now available, both load to $4000.
Screen shots are currently unchanged from BadCode4.
BadCode4 (Metal)- A development from Badcode4,
it introduces different graphics. The objective is to demonstrate how much
graphics in a game change how players perceive it, the same with sound. The
rendered chrome graphics do not show so well on the Jaguar at this resolution,
and with some (deliberate) colour limitations to save space, but they are
significant. The demo also introduces a new 5 point white ball, a Jaguar
vs. Jaguar attract mode and various other small refinements including an
Easter egg and special feature. This version is better than BadCode4 but
does not replace it as all BadCode demos include uniquetext and explanations
of the evolution of small demo to a larger project.
Both .JAG and .BIN versions now available, both load to $4000.
Screen shots accurately reflect how different it looks from BadCode4.
BadCode4 (New Metal)- There are quite a few changes with BadCode4n (New Metal) because in the process of developing BadCoder5, I found some bugs in BadCoder4m, and I did not like to leave them there untamed. Of course some plug-in routines had been updated so BadCode4m with bug-fixes has inherited some code from it's children, bizarre as that is, creating BadCode4n. The easy way to see the difference is 2 planets on tht title screen, more sounds, new messages flash on-screen, and the Jaguar player chases the white ball.
The rest of this page has not really been updated due to lack of time, if
anbody else would like to maintain some information on my BadCode releases
then I would be very happy to link to them, as maintaining even the most
basic pages here is taking up lots of time. The pages would need to be on
your server though, but I would provide advance information and exclusives
to such a person.
Both .JAG and .BIN versions now available, both load to $4000.
Screen shots (do not yet) accurately reflect how different it looks from
BadCode4.
Easter Eggs - Most of the BadCoder
demos to-date have included at least one Easter Egg, a small secret in the
code activated by a secret code or button combination. It is odd that for
many modern games, the Easter Eggs are more talked about than the product,
which may reflect the fact that many modern games are bigger on graphics
than they are on game-play. This page provides information on them all, along
with background information on how Easter Eggs came to be a must-have hidden
feature of any operating system, application, or game produced today.