CF

Atari 2600 Programming with 6502 Assembly

16h 30m 54s
English
Paid
Updated September 2026

Atari 2600 Programming with 6502 Assembly is a 81-lesson 16 hours 30 minutes self-paced course by Gustavo Pezzi. Long before modern game engines, developers squeezed entire games out of a few kilobytes of memory and a handful of registers.

Course facts

Lessons
81
Duration
16 hours 30 minutes
Level
All levels
Language
English
Updated
2026-09-11
Instructor
Gustavo Pezzi
Price
Premium

Long before modern game engines, developers squeezed entire games out of a few kilobytes of memory and a handful of registers. This 81-lesson course uses the Atari 2600 as a hands-on lab for learning exactly how that was done, starting from the fundamentals of computer architecture and building up to working 6502 assembly code.

What you'll build

Rather than reading about low-level programming in the abstract, you'll write real 6502 assembly for one of gaming's most iconic consoles. By the end, you'll have a personal game running on the Atari 2600 (or its Stella emulator), built entirely from scratch.

Tools and setup

Everything runs on a plain text editor, the DASM assembler, and the Stella emulator — all cross-platform, so Windows, macOS, and Linux users can follow along equally well.

Who should take it

No formal prerequisites are required; the course is fully self-contained. That said, some familiarity with basic programming ideas like conditionals, loops, and functions will make the material click faster. It's aimed at anyone drawn to retro game development or curious about how early console hardware actually worked.

Who teaches Atari 2600 Programming with 6502 Assembly? Gustavo Pezzi

Gustavo Pezzi thumbnail

Gustavo Pezzi is a UK-based computer-science lecturer (Pikuma) and one of the most distinctive teachers working at the intersection of low-level programming and game development. His material is unusual in the modern course market for how deep it goes into the foundations: assembly, computer architecture, classical raycasting / rasterisation algorithms, and the math underneath modern graphics.

His CourseFlix listing reflects that range: courses on 3D Computer Graphics Programming, Raycasting Engine Programming, 2D Game Physics Programming, NES Programming with 6502 Assembly, PS1 Programming with MIPS Assembly & C, Atari 2600 Programming, Compilers, Interpreters and Formal Languages, plus C++ engine programming and Lua scripting. Material is paid and aimed at developers who want to understand systems from the ground up rather than ship CRUD apps.

What lessons are included in Atari 2600 Programming with 6502 Assembly?

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#1: Motivations & Learning Outcomes
All Course Lessons (81)
#Lesson TitleDurationAccess
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
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Books

Read Book Atari 2600 Programming with 6502 Assembly

#TitleTypeOpen
16502 Instruction Set Exercises PDF
2Scanline Analysis PDF

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Frequently asked questions

What are the prerequisites for enrolling in this course?
There are no formal prerequisites for this course. However, having some familiarity with basic programming concepts such as conditions, loops, and functions will make the learning experience more engaging. The course is designed to be fully self-contained, accommodating both beginners and those with some programming background.
What will I learn to build by the end of the course?
By the end of the course, you will have developed a personal game for the Atari 2600 from scratch. This project will involve creating sprites, managing player movement, and implementing game logic using 6502 assembly language, all within the constraints of the Atari VCS hardware.
Who is the target audience for this course?
The course is intended for individuals with a passion for developing retro games and an interest in understanding computer architecture and low-level programming. It's particularly suited for those who enjoy working with vintage hardware like the Atari 2600 and want to learn 6502 assembly language.
How does this course compare in depth and scope to other programming courses?
This course offers a unique focus on low-level programming and computer architecture through the lens of the Atari 2600 and 6502 assembly language. It delves deeply into the hardware specifics and machine-level programming, which is not typically covered in modern programming courses that focus on higher-level languages and contemporary platforms.
What tools and platforms will I use throughout the course?
You'll use a text editor for writing code, the DASM assembler for compiling, and the Stella emulator for testing your games. These tools are cross-platform, supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing you to work in your preferred environment.
What topics are not covered in this course?
The course does not cover advanced game development concepts for modern platforms or high-level programming languages. It focuses exclusively on the Atari 2600 hardware and 6502 assembly language, and does not delve into modern game engines or graphics programming beyond the capabilities of the Atari VCS.
How much time should I expect to commit to this course?
The course consists of 81 lessons, and while the total runtime is not specified, students should expect to dedicate a substantial amount of time to understand the intricacies of 6502 assembly programming and complete the final project. Active participation and practice will be essential to mastering the content.