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How to Create Your Own Atari Games

Atari games are some of the oldest games in the video game market. Originally released in the late '70s, the Atari 2600 lasted well into the '80s. Many people still design and release new Atari games every year. Websites like Atari Age help promote and sell these games. Designing your own Atari game takes an understanding of programming language, the ability to design a game and being able to convert your code into a playable game.

Instructions

- 1
  Pick a game genre to design. Gaming genres vary depending on your gaming goal. Pac-Man-type games involve players eating small dots while moving through a maze and avoiding enemies. Car-racing games need tracks and opponents. Shooting games need guns, different levels and aggressive enemies.
- 2
  Learn the 6502 programming language. This is the coding language that Atari programmers used to make their games. There are tutorials for this programming language at 6502.org.
- 3
  Use a text editor, such as Microsoft Word or Notepad to code your game. You won't be able to test your game until you have coded the entire game. Don't worry about this until you have finished. Save your finished file as "filename.asm."
- 4
  Download the program DASM from the Atari 2600 website. Copy and paste your code into this program to convert it to a readable code. The file saved will be a bin file. Save it as "filename.bin."
- 5
  Download an Atari emulator from the The Emulator Zone website. Emulators simulate the original gaming environment of the Atari 2600 gaming machine. There are many different emulators available. Download at least three emulators.
- 6
  Play test your game by running it in all your emulators. Play testing your games help find any coding mistakes you may have made. If you find a coding mistake, open the text file of your code and find the mistake. Edit the text and reassemble your bin file in DASM. Repeat the process until all errors have been resolved.

Classic Console Games