Download | «Two Birds, One Stone» comes to Atari 8-bit computers
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Robert "Mark2008" Dupuy shares the first version of "Two Birds, One Stone", his first full game for Atari 8-bit computers.
Through the AtariAge forum, Dupuy recalled that, a few years ago, the popular YouTuber PolyMars posed the challenge of creating a game from scratch in just 8 hours. Motivated by the challenge and their own skills, two Python developers embarked on this adventure against the clock.Encouraged by the announcement of THE400 mini, Dupuy convinced both authors to allow him to port his game to the Atari XL/XE series computers. Within 24 hours, he had a first version, consisting of ten challenging levels.
One of the highlights of this project is the meticulous optimization performed on the VBI (Vertical Blank Interrupt) routine, written in assembler by hand to make the most of the machine's resources.
The future of Two Birds, One Stone promises to be exciting, as Mark2008 plans to release a second version with twice as many levels next April. Dupuy also aims to take on an even bigger challenge: presenting the final version of the game, with 25 levels, at the prestigious Atari Bit Byter User Club (ABBUC) 2024 retro contest in July.
"I'm thinking of turning off the visuals when loading character sets. I think I've made both the birds and the rock too big, which makes the game too easy. And I need to apply some optimizations to the character sets to later change how the 'spark' animation works," he said. It is worth remembering that, in 2016, Dupuy shared a video of "Worm of Bemer", a port of a clone of the classic "snake" from its original version in BASIC to assembly language; as well as "Fireballoon" and "Runway 180" - which are still waiting for their turn.
This initiative is certainly not only a testament to the ingenuity, creativity and passion of the Atari developer community, but also a reminder of the innovative potential of the classics of the 8-bit era.
Two Birds, One Stone for Atari 8-bit computers
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