Atari 2600 Programming with 6502 Assembly

Name: Atari 2600 Programming with 6502 Assembly
Price: 9 USD
Availability: InStock

16h 30m 54s

English

Paid

February 6, 2026

Course description

This course is a gentle introduction to the fundamentals of computer architecture and the 6502 assembly language. We will learn to create games for the Atari 2600 gaming console and understand how digital machines work from the inside. The minimal hardware setup of the Atari 2600 is an ideal sandbox for mastering low-level programming.

By the end of the course, you will gain practical skills in 6502 assembly programming, a deep understanding of the Atari 2600 architecture, and a completed personal game for the VCS, which we will develop together from scratch.

Required Tools

We will use a simple text editor, the DASM assembler, and the Stella emulator. All these tools are cross-platform, allowing you to work on Windows, macOS, or Linux.

Who this course is for

This is a fully self-contained course with no formal prerequisites. However, you will find it easier and more engaging if you are already familiar with basic programming concepts (conditions, loops, functions).

If you enjoy developing retro games and want to understand computer architecture and low-level code, this course is definitely for you!

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#1: Motivations & Learning Outcomes

All Course Lessons (81)

#	Lesson Title	Duration
1	Motivations & Learning Outcomes Demo	13:10
2	How to Take this Course	02:59
3	Atari VCS Hardware & Specs	28:11
4	Digital Binary System	06:17
5	Counting in Base 10 and Base 2	13:48
6	Hexadecimal Representation	10:09
7	The 6502 Processor	15:54
8	Processor Carry and Overflow Flags	17:06
9	The Assembler	15:17
10	Popular 6502 Assembly Instructions	13:39
11	Picking a Code Editor	02:35
12	Our First Assembly Code	25:12
13	The DASM Assembler	09:39
14	The Stella Emulator	16:04
15	The Javatari Emulator	05:38
16	Installing DASM under Windows	07:13
17	Our First Assembly Bug	08:21
18	Addressing Modes	06:39
19	6502 Instruction Set Exercises	12:11
20	6502 Instruction Set Exercises (Solutions)	36:49
21	VCS Memory Map	07:36
22	Setting the Background Color	16:21
23	Stella Debugger Warning Messages	06:36
24	NTSC Frame Synchronization	20:33
25	Painting the CRT in a Controlled Way	18:17
26	TIA Screen Objects	13:50
27	Players, Missiles, and Balls	06:42
28	Playfield Graphics	18:13
29	Exercise: Playfield Pattern	01:13
30	Player Bitmap and Scoreboard	14:47
31	Playfield Color	05:36
32	Defining RAM Variables	05:06
33	A Discussion on Registers and Variables	08:00
34	Vertical Positioning	11:55
35	Implementing Vertical Position	07:15
36	Horizontal Positioning	17:16
37	Smooth Horizontal Position	18:44
38	Implementing Horizontal Position	19:22
39	Exercise: Limiting Horizontal Movement	03:51
40	Limiting Horizontal Movement	10:17
41	Horizontal Position & Time Keeping	11:50
42	Counting Clock Cycles	07:37
43	Joystick Input	09:28
44	Joystick Player Movement	11:14
45	Bitwise Operations	09:43
46	Subroutines	09:37
47	The Stack	09:24
48	Pointers	05:47
49	The "Bomber" Project	02:01
50	Creating Sprites with PlayerPal	01:55
51	Defining the Project Playfield Graphics	29:58
52	Defining the Project Player Graphics	17:09
53	Drawing Player Sprites	20:32
54	Temporarily Ignoring Clock Cycles	06:20
55	Player Horizontal Position Subroutine	08:56
56	Handling Joystick Movement	08:48
57	Changing Sprite Frame	09:15
58	Enemy Vertical Movement	08:37
59	Generating Random Values	24:10
60	Bitshift Operations	08:23
61	Random Enemy Position	05:50
62	Collision Registers	08:48
63	Checking Object Collision	16:13
64	Score Digits	39:39
65	Configuring Scoreboard Graphics	12:52
66	Performing Tasks Inside Vertical Blank	19:40
67	Implementing Asymmetrical Playfield	09:12
68	Scoreboard Background Color	09:17
69	Game Over Color Effect	13:13
70	Exercise: Incrementing the Score	02:08
71	Implementing the Score Increment	04:51
72	Exercise: Limiting Player Movement	02:07
73	Implementing Player Movement Limits	08:04
74	Using BCD Decimal Mode	07:46
75	Drawing Missiles	27:50
76	Missile Collision	13:10
77	Addressing Mode Mistakes	14:10
78	Sound Registers	11:58
79	Generating Sound	29:58
80	Scanline Analysis	06:02
81	Next Steps	09:01