BBC Micro Bot Invites You to Learn BASIC Like It’s 1985 ToddMitchell, January 31, 2021July 11, 2024 If you ever think about what it was like to code in the 8-bit glory days but shudder at the era’s inconveniences, Dominic Pajak created a Twitter bot you need to know about. The BBC Micro Bot allows anyone interested to tweet 280 characters worth of BBC BASIC instructions which will be run on an 8-bit emulator in the cloud. The bot will reply with a GIF showing your program running. This has led to a huge collection of fascinating demos available to browse at the project’s site. This tweet program was posted by @P_Malin on Twitter For those unfamiliar with coding in BBC BASIC (most of us at this point?) the site features a nice primer on the language including a short history of its creation. Advanced users can visit the project on GitHub where they can find tips on taking advantage of additional commands and reducing code size. Before you have to ask—the programming guide points out that the bot checks code against a strict obscenity filter and blocks offenders under the reasonable assumption that auto-generating bad word GIFs is a sure bet to get on Twitter’s bad side. According to the @bbcmicrobot Twitter account, the entire operation initially ran on a Raspberry Pi in a garage. Since that time, the program has moved to Amazon Web Services. While the whole thing is mostly for fun, BBC BASIC still has a loyal following with versions and tools still in active development. Many users find it to be a perfect fit for the Raspberry Pi. Share this:FacebookXLike this:Like Loading... Game Development 8-bitcoderetro
Culture Shammi Mohamed, formerly of Microsoft and Turn 10 August 14, 2020July 11, 2024 If you’re into any technology from the earliest days of PC gaming to modern 3D engine development (with a dash of pilot certification in the middle), Shammi Mohamed is a great person to get to know. Share this:FacebookXLike this:Like Loading... Read More
Culture Fay and Martyn Maillardet of Imaginary Friends Games September 23, 2021July 11, 2024 Former Nintendo employees Fay and Martyn Maillardet call in to discuss life after the pro industry and the creation of their first proper indie release, Shindig. Share this:FacebookXLike this:Like Loading... Read More
Culture RetroMania Wrestling Writer, Salvatore Pane April 17, 2020July 11, 2024 Salvatore Pane calls in to talk about his work for the upcoming release of RetroMania Wrestling. We discuss his work as a Boss Fight Books author (Mega Man 3), his focus as a university professor, and the trouble with bite-sized physical video games. Share this:FacebookXLike this:Like Loading... Read More