How hard is it to make a homebrew game for TG-16/PCE?

[Alt-Nintega]

I actually want to learn to make homebrew games. It would be pretty cool if I can make a new shmup or something. So what kind of tools or programs will I need?

[Arkhan Asylum]

It's a pain in the ass, just like any other homebrew on an old console that wasn't an open platform.

6502 based assembly is pretty wacky.  Other systems are easier, believe it or not.  Z80 based machines for example.  Z80 assembly is cake. 

Fortunately, if you know C, you can do that on the PCE and be alright. 

The dev-tools for PCE aren't the best.  HuC has some problems.  Fortunately there are enough examples out there, and enough helpful people that you should be ok. 

Tools you will need:

HuC (the only C compiler for the PCE)---> www.zeograd.com
It also comes with MagicKit's pceas which is the Assembler for the PCE

Squirrel, if you plan on making chiptunes for your game without hurting yourself ----> www.aetherbyte.com/psg.htm

Mednafen, for debugging your stuff.  http://mednafen.sourceforge.net/ 

You also need a paint program that accepts .pcx files.  The 4 plane DOS variety.   I personally recommend NeoPaint.  Photoshop does some stupid crap with the palettes, and makes it more work.


For Insanity, we used the following tools:

Squirrel (since we kinda wrote it here at Aetherbyte)
HuC w/ alot of optimized 6502 assembly
NeoPaint
DaemonTools (to mount CD ROM images for emulators)
Ootake (a nicer to navigate emulator)
Mednafen (for debugging)

Ask questions here, or try the forum at www.aetherbyte.com    We usually check and answer stuff.

I also have a #pcedev channel on Efnet if you use IRC.   You can try #utopiasoft also, but I personally don't recommend it anymore.  It's devolved a bit.  Maybe it got better.  I don't care enough to check.

Zeograd.com has alot of open source examples you can check out

ArchaicPixels.com has a pretty decent explanation of HuC's stuff.


In any event, I suggest you stick it out and dev for the PCE.  We need more people.

[BlueBMW]

Not to change the subject, but how does homebrew for the PC-FX compare to the PCE?

[Arkhan Asylum]

Not to change the subject, but how does homebrew for the PC-FX compare to the PCE?

It doesn't.  The tools for PC-FX homebrew don't fully exist and all that is out there is the old devkit thing for PC-98/DOS, and good luck using that crap.  Seriously.  You might as well just get high and pretend youre playing a new PC-FX game.

It'd be nice if it got some tools, but I don't see it happening, ever.  Not enough interest or manpower for it to happen at this time.

Though, Squirrel would totally work on it if there were tools.

[BlueBMW]

It doesn't.  The tools for PC-FX homebrew don't fully exist and all that is out there is the old devkit thing for PC-98/DOS, and good luck using that crap.  Seriously.  You might as well just get high and pretend youre playing a new PC-FX game.

It'd be nice if it got some tools, but I don't see it happening, ever.  Not enough interest or manpower for it to happen at this time.

Though, Squirrel would totally work on it if there were tools.

Ahh... thats a bummer.  My one semester of C++ probably wont take me too far in either case.  Maybe someday though!

[OldRover]

It'd be nice if it got some tools, but I don't see it happening, ever.  Not enough interest or manpower for it to happen at this time.

Whatever happened to the pc-fx library that Ryphecha was working on?

[Arkhan Asylum]

It'd be nice if it got some tools, but I don't see it happening, ever.  Not enough interest or manpower for it to happen at this time.

Whatever happened to the pc-fx library that Ryphecha was working on?

Im pretty sure the usual at #utopiasoft happened and she realized it wasn't worth pursuing further. 

[OldRover]

Well that sucks... I was gonna be first in line to make a killer app for the PC-FX. Oh well... guess I'll just build on what she started and see where it goes.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Well that sucks... I was gonna be first in line to make a killer app for the PC-FX. Oh well... guess I'll just build on what she started and see where it goes.

FIRST IN LINE BEHIND ME!  MWHAHAHAA