Quote:Original post by Cubed3 I don't think you know what your getting yourself into!
something i find more interesting.. how about a SDK or some documentation for created games for the original NES. anything out there?
Unfortunatley I don't think there are SDKS for it :-P More like instructions on assembler programming for the NES's processor and graphics code and thats all you get :P
Someone started (and probably abandoned) a wiki book on Snes programming; check it out.
And if you ever really want to see you game running on hardware, I suggest gba programming; there is actual documentation for it, and specific hardware made to get you games running on it.
Quote:Original post by Cubed3 I don't think you know what your getting yourself into!
something i find more interesting.. how about a SDK or some documentation for created games for the original NES. anything out there?
Unfortunatley I don't think there are SDKS for it :-P More like instructions on assembler programming for the NES's processor and graphics code and thats all you get :P
where would i begin to look for such?
..and yeah my next question was going to be about the graphics code -- like for drawing the characters/sprites/background stuff plus the synth music that goes into those games(what format?). Think Mega Man for example..the nice game music, plus character movement and such. also what assembler was used for the NES? Motorola 68000?
[Edited by - OpenGL_Guru on April 19, 2006 8:11:07 AM]
The SNES processor is a 65c816 - it was custom made for the SNES. If you want to program the SNES, you'll need to know the assembly language for this processor, which of course will not be knowledge which can directly be used for any other programming.
The third document here seems to be a good reference for the assembly. Also make sure you understand everything in the fourth document (the one by Yoshi) - it tells you about the hardware beyond the CPU, of which the SNES has a lot.
Quote:Original post by bakery2k1 The SNES processor is a 65c816 - it was custom made for the SNES. If you want to program the SNES, you'll need to know the assembly language for this processor, which of course will not be knowledge which can directly be used for any other programming.
The third document here seems to be a good reference for the assembly. Also make sure you understand everything in the fourth document (the one by Yoshi) - it tells you about the hardware beyond the CPU, of which the SNES has a lot.
do you know where instructions for the NES would be?
nesdev.parodius.com has good info, as well as a starter pack for snes stuff. But it's true, you're probably in for more than you bargained for. At least if you go the NES route, there's a forum full of people who can help you. You'd be wise to move up to SNES only after mastering NES.
You transfer your binary onto it via USB, then plug in an official SNES cart (which is just used to bypass the lockout chip), and it will work in any SNES.
Quote:bakery2k1 wrote: The SNES processor is a 65c816 - it was custom made for the SNES. If you want to program the SNES, you'll need to know the assembly language for this processor, which of course will not be knowledge which can directly be used for any other programming.
Actually the 65c816 was used for the Apple IIgs as well as some accelerator cartridges for the old Commodore 64/128. Getting one of those systems and learning to program them in Assembler would be a good step in the right direction.
65c816 is basically a 16bit version of 6502, it contains all the 6502 instructions in 8bit mode and adds a few more in 16bit mode, which you can switch between. Learning 6502 would be a very good starting point and its a very nice easy chip to get going on.
The SNES as has been pointed out didn't have an SDK as such, Nintendo used to provide a user manual detailing the memory map, register addresses and graphics and maths accelerators which were built i. These let you do fast multiply's/divides and so on. Program's were mostly written in assembler or early forms of c. Nintendo supplied hader info and a sample proram to kick you off but that was basically it.
It is actually a very very nice system to work on, its fairy small so you can work on it alone, and it won't take too long to get something up and running. I've got a hardcopy of the manual in the attic somewhere, but I'm sure someone will have posted an on-line version somewhere.
