Comet 64 is a Programming Game on an imitation Commodore 64. Solve programming puzzles in a custom assembly-like language with 7 registers using your trusty manual!
Rough Draft of Content
Comet 64 is a Programming Game on an imitation Commodore 64. Solve programming puzzles in a custom assembly-like language with 7 registers using your trusty manual! There are 4 disks, and each disk gives you a character to use in a password to unlock [TODO: what was unlocked again?], and 2 bonus disks that unlock [TODO: what was unlocked?]
TW: Unoptimized Ending is just biblical quotes.
Rating
This game has great aesthetics, but it has no music, the puzzles are unimaginative, and there's no story. The custom programming language, registers, and language manual make for a solid set of crunchy puzzles. The leaderboard, optimization targets, and a few fun easter eggs give it decent replayability. This is a game for those who enjoy puzzles purely for the puzzle's sake.
[TODO: cheese it]
Gameplay
This is a frustrating language to optimize, but solving the puzzles are basic input/output transformations and there are plenty of different solutions. The syntax rules can sometimes be frustrating, like " reg = reg + 1" is valid, but "output = reg + 1" is not. As with most of these games, we're in Jump territory now, so your familiarity with iterating using jumps instead of loops will be tested.
The difficulty curve is about right. They like to remix puzzles, which allows you to reuse code. So it'll ask you for the highest value in the list, then the highest of 3, and then the middle of 3 values. I would say the difficulty curve is solid, and the final puzzle is always the hardest. There are some familiar faces like Fibonnaci's sequence, and ....? There are [TODO: puzzle count] puzzles. 10 puzzles split between 4 disks, and then 2 additional disks with [TODO: Puzzle count] puzzles each.
[TODO: Insert video of solving a puzzle here]
Real-life Skills
Transforming inputs into slightly different outputs is one of the most profitable skills a developer has, and that's what most of these puzzles are. Learning a language through documentation is also a valuable muscle to flex. The language itself isn't close enough to Assembly to teach you practical skills, but it will get you comfortable with building procedures using jump, data types, and limited registers.
[TODO: video of Comet 64 loading a set of puzzles]
Is it Fun?
There's no real story, but the sounds and atmosphere definitely invoke a sense of nostalgia, even in those of us who never coded on a Commodore 64! There are a few easter eggs that surprise and delight!
Title:
Description
Comet 64 is a Programming Game on an imitation Commodore 64. Solve programming puzzles in a custom assembly-like language with 7 registers using your trusty manual!
Rough Draft of Content
Comet 64 is a Programming Game on an imitation Commodore 64. Solve programming puzzles in a custom assembly-like language with 7 registers using your trusty manual! There are 4 disks, and each disk gives you a character to use in a password to unlock [TODO: what was unlocked again?], and 2 bonus disks that unlock [TODO: what was unlocked?]
Rating
This game has great aesthetics, but it has no music, the puzzles are unimaginative, and there's no story. The custom programming language, registers, and language manual make for a solid set of crunchy puzzles. The leaderboard, optimization targets, and a few fun easter eggs give it decent replayability. This is a game for those who enjoy puzzles purely for the puzzle's sake.
[TODO: cheese it]
Gameplay
This is a frustrating language to optimize, but solving the puzzles are basic input/output transformations and there are plenty of different solutions. The syntax rules can sometimes be frustrating, like " reg = reg + 1" is valid, but "output = reg + 1" is not. As with most of these games, we're in Jump territory now, so your familiarity with iterating using jumps instead of loops will be tested.
The difficulty curve is about right. They like to remix puzzles, which allows you to reuse code. So it'll ask you for the highest value in the list, then the highest of 3, and then the middle of 3 values. I would say the difficulty curve is solid, and the final puzzle is always the hardest. There are some familiar faces like Fibonnaci's sequence, and ....? There are [TODO: puzzle count] puzzles. 10 puzzles split between 4 disks, and then 2 additional disks with [TODO: Puzzle count] puzzles each.
[TODO: Insert video of solving a puzzle here]
Real-life Skills
Transforming inputs into slightly different outputs is one of the most profitable skills a developer has, and that's what most of these puzzles are. Learning a language through documentation is also a valuable muscle to flex. The language itself isn't close enough to Assembly to teach you practical skills, but it will get you comfortable with building procedures using jump, data types, and limited registers.
[TODO: video of Comet 64 loading a set of puzzles]
Is it Fun?
There's no real story, but the sounds and atmosphere definitely invoke a sense of nostalgia, even in those of us who never coded on a Commodore 64! There are a few easter eggs that surprise and delight!
[TODO: insert video of the drawing easter egg]
Quick Guide