I’m a guy who loves programming, and loved a lot to make games on my casio calculator (which accepted DOS executables using 80186 asm/c/c++ via some amazing hack on a 128x64 pixels monochrome screen). I’ve made a lot of more or less working games by then, under the name of x-thunder28, back to around 2002, simcity clone, arcarde game, worms-like, etc.
I’m really upset to have miss the Pokitto kickstarter. It went totally under my radar.
I feel like it’s the device I always wanted to replace my dear calc! Programming game on a PC with “infinite” resources isn’t the same thrill for sure. I definitely want to experience this fun again. Fantasy consoles don’t have the hardware feeling at all. Lots of portable devices have so much CPU/GPU power and ram that they’re used to emulate stuff and that’s not acceptable for me. So yeah! 32KB of RAM, simple API, few buttons, low res, the only missing thing would be a 16bits proc ahah but I don’t mind a 32bits one. One of the best part is that I can add any missing buttons if I need any. And this community seems very lively and involved, I’ve been missing that for years…
Anyway I can’t wait to get my hand on one or two of those devices, and in the meanwhile, I’ll get myself familiar with the API and start experimenting stuff using the simulator!
If there is any way to get one or two I’m all ears also I think I might help beginners for C/C++ matters too
That’s a good question! The Palais des Sciences et de l’Industrie and Palais de la Découverte are focused on science and technology. Other than that, there are usually some temporary exhibitions that might fit your geeky needs, but I don’t see much right now. There is the Musée de la Contrefaçon I want to do myself -about counterfeiting stuff, should be really interesting. I admittingly don’t know much about culture in Paris haha you found out one of the worst guides. Might be best for you to get an actual (online) guide!
I am glad that you are interested in programming Pokitto. We have only scratched the surface of the things we can do. Our output of Pokittos was limited due to the production capacity of Daniel’s own pick n’ place machine but by january we should be running boards from several sources.
@eried : tip for Louvre. When you enter the Louvre shopping mall (not the actual Louvre) go down the stairs. There’s a tabac shop under the McDonalds. Buy tickets from there. Then, walk to the far end of the courtyard of the Louvre. Theres a gate with two lions, one on each side. This is “Porte des Leons”. You can enter from this gate also. Last time I was there, this trick saved us 30-60 minutes of time, as the main lobby was swamped with tourists. At Porte des Leons was only two guards almost asleep. Tourist guides do not take their busloads to that entry.
Personally, I wanted to visit Visit Musee Arts et Metiers but I did not have time
I tried to find your work but the sites were dead? Is it possible to see that stuff anywhere anymore? I think calculator projects are very interesting. I built a backlight, serial data connection and overclocked my TI when I was at school
@carbonacat
I concur, it seems you formerly hosted them with teamg100.free.fr which now links to teamg100.earthforge.com which “may be up for sale”. I did manage to find “Fall Down” which was distributed as an .exe in a .rar but I don’t have a DOS emulator/sandbox already installed and I’m not sure whether to consider planet-casio as ‘safe’ for dowloading executables.
Those executables won’t run in any version of windows or any DOS emulator. You’d need either the actual device or a special DOS emulator; unfortunately I can’t remember the name.
Old work files/emu screenshots that represents more stuff:
Battleground - Overpowered weapons :
Space Tournament - Old version with same-calc multiplayer and AI, game modes and cool menu (You can see the origin of the name hahahaha)
Save for the SimCity splashscreen, everything has been draw by me. The calculator was able to display some level of grey by using the LCD persistence effect.
Unfortunately I don’t have the serial cable to transfer more games or the original emulator and demo more to you!
OMG I just noticed you ported Blobby Volley to calculator! It’s my favorite libre game. Haven’t you been thinking about porting it on Pokitto? I think it would be a great start project, plus a very fun game. There is enough buttons to even have a “local multiplayer”, right? However the ergonomics would have to be tested
Oh yes, I loved that game and it’s simple enough to remake!
However I don’t see how it can be done properly.
I think I’d need an external button, because I need 6 inputs: 2 for moving right and left, and 1 for jumping. C isn’t an option as it interacts with LEFT and RIGHT for the volume.
Using the joypad for two players (P1: LEFT, RIGHT, UP; P2: DOWN, A, B) seems also too complicated.
Otherwise I had to abandon jumping (which would make the game kind of dull), or to make it kind of asymmetrical by, for example, making Player 2 jump when pressing simultaneously the two buttons. I might try that last solution and see if it fits!
also I think I might help beginners for C/C++ matters too
):
Same color choice as me!
It could as well be a singleplayer game with AI, but that would be a little more work and difficulty balancing.