New Mario Bros.-style platformer for Atari 8-Bit | Video
Eric Carr’s project, first presented at NOMAM 2023, evolves with optimized graphics and new levels.
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During the NOMAM’s BASIC Ten-Liners 2023 competition, Eric “The Ecg Man” Carr introduced an early version of what is now called Atario Bro, a platform engine inspired by Super Mario Bros. for Atari computers with 48K or more. This week, a video revealed that Carr has been secretly working on the project, expanding it with significant improvements.
Currently in the Proof of Concept stage, the game was originally developed in FastBasic but has since been rewritten in C (CC65). It doesn’t aim to replicate Nintendo’s classic but rather adapts its mechanics for Atari 8-bit hardware. It features original 12x12 pixel block graphics instead of the traditional 16x16, optimizing memory and performance. The game runs in ANTIC 5 graphics mode, allowing levels up to 255x10 blocks, though with some vertical limitations.
The current prototype includes eight levels closely resembling the original and features refined physics. Some graphical and gameplay glitches remain, but Carr plans to release a playable version for both PAL and NTSC soon. The video showcases the game running on a PAL machine, highlighting that it’s still a work in progress, with some visible issues.
The sound design respects the Atari’s four-channel audio, featuring jump, collision, and movement effects to enhance control feedback. Carr aims to launch a full version with at least 32 levels by the end of the year. He is also considering modifying the graphics to avoid potential legal issues while preserving the core mechanics and level design.
In 2023, the earlier version of Atario Bro won the Public Choice - EXTREME-256 category at NOMAM’s BASIC Ten-Liners. The previous year, Carr participated in the competition—where games must be coded in ten lines or less—with Tetris in FastBASIC 4.6, alongside Gunner and Magic Carpet Ride in other categories.
Finally, Carr plans to make the game’s source code public later this year, including all original assets.
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