https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes
Create your own games for the Nintendo Entertainment System! This "starter" game is easily extensible for your own projects. Includes references.
https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes
asm assembler assembly assembly-6502 assembly-language assembly-language-game assembly-language-programming cc65 emulator nes nintendo nintendo-entertainment nintendo-nes rom romhacking
Last synced: 2 months ago
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Create your own games for the Nintendo Entertainment System! This "starter" game is easily extensible for your own projects. Includes references.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes
- Owner: gregkrsak
- License: unlicense
- Created: 2017-03-08T20:33:26.000Z (over 8 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2023-04-24T22:34:56.000Z (about 2 years ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-04-04T16:13:44.174Z (2 months ago)
- Topics: asm, assembler, assembly, assembly-6502, assembly-language, assembly-language-game, assembly-language-programming, cc65, emulator, nes, nintendo, nintendo-entertainment, nintendo-nes, rom, romhacking
- Language: Assembly
- Homepage:
- Size: 159 KB
- Stars: 158
- Watchers: 7
- Forks: 17
- Open Issues: 10
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: docs/README.md
- Contributing: docs/CONTRIBUTING.md
- License: LICENSE
- Code of conduct: docs/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
first_nes project - Your first NES game!
=================
[](https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes/blob/master/first_nes.s)
[](https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes/actions/workflows/makefile.yml)
Create your own games for the Nintendo Entertainment System with this "starter" project!
If you'd like to contribute, [click here](https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes/blob/master/docs/CONTRIBUTING.md) so we can synchronize our expectations!
Boilerplate code is provided! | Instantly get up and playing!
------------------------------------|-----------------------------------
 | 
Quick Start
===========
Linux:
------
First, assuming you have Git installed, get the cc65 binutils:
```
git clone https://github.com/cc65/cc65.git
cd cc65
make
sudo make avail
```
Next, if you don't already have an NES emulator, install Nestopia using your package manager. Instructions
on how to do that aren't covered here, but the following distros *should* be supported:
- Arch Linux
- Debian
- OpenBSD
- Rosa Desktop Fresh
- Slackware (Slackbuilds)
- Ubuntu
- Void Linux
Now grab the first_nes project:
```
git clone https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes
cd first_nes
make
```
Finally, start Nestopia and load the generated ```first_nes.nes``` file. You can move the Luigi-like character back and forth with the A and B controller buttons, which may be mapped to the ```.``` and ```,``` keys initially.
Mac OS:
-------
First, get the cc65 binutils by following [these instructions](http://macappstore.org/cc65/) (alternatively, if you have ```brew``` installed, type ```brew install cc65```).
Next, if you don't already have an NES emulator, install the [Nestopia .app](http://www.bannister.org/cgi-bin/download.cgi?nestopia) on your system.
Now, assuming you have Git installed, and the ability to ```make```, grab the first_nes project using the Terminal:
```
git clone https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes
cd first_nes
make
```
Finally, start Nestopia and load the generated ```first_nes.nes``` file. You can move the Luigi-like character back and forth with the A and B controller buttons, which may be mapped to the ```.``` and ```,``` keys initially.
Windows:
--------
First, make sure you have Git and Git Bash. If you don't, click [this link](https://git-scm.com/download/win) to download the latest .EXE installer; make sure you install the Git Bash terminal.
After Git is installed, open Git Bash and type:
```
git clone https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes.git
```
Next download the cc65 binutils. Click [this link](https://sourceforge.net/projects/cc65/files/latest/download) to download the .ZIP file.
Create a folder named "cc65" and extract the .ZIP file into it.
A "bin" subfolder will be created; add it to your system path.
Next, if you don't already have an NES emulator, click [this link](http://sourceforge.net/projects/nestopiaue/files/1.48/nestopia_1.48-win32.zip/download) to download the .ZIP archive of Nestopia.
To make sure Nestopia installs correctly, create a "nestopia" folder and extract the .ZIP file to it; make sure you add this "nestopia" folder to your system path.
Nestopia needs the Microsoft Direct X End User Runtime, which you can install using [this link](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35).
Now, install the Make utility using [this link](https://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuwin32/files/make/3.81/make-3.81.exe/download?use_mirror=iweb&download=).
Following the installation of Make, add its "bin" subfolder to your system path.
Navigate to the "first_nes" folder using Git Bash and type ```make```.
Finally, start Nestopia and load the generated ```first_nes.nes``` file. You can move the Luigi-like character back and forth with the A and B controller buttons, which may be mapped to the ```.``` and ```,``` keys initially.
Credits
=======
Authors:
--------
- Written by Greg M. Krsak ([email](mailto:[email protected])), 2018
Standing on the shoulders of giants:
------------------------------------
- Based on the [NintendoAge "Nerdy Nights" tutorials](http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=7155), by bunnyboy
- Based on ["Nintendo Entertainment System Architecture"](http://fms.komkon.org/EMUL8/NES.html), by Marat Fayzullin
- Based on ["Nintendo Entertainment System Documentation"](https://emu-docs.org/NES/nestech.txt), by Jeremy Chadwick
Additional thanks to:
---------------------
- [@elennick](https://github.com/elennick) for testing the Mac OS quick start instructions (Issue [#22](https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes/issues/22)).
- [@hxlnt](https://github.com/hxlnt) for expanding the credits (PR [#33](https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes/pull/33)).
- Reddit user u/Rocky99433 for prompting me to fix the Windows quick start instructions (Issue [#21](https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes/issues/21)).
- [@ericandrewlewis](https://github.com/ericandrewlewis) for correcting some bad comments (PR [#53](https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes/pull/53)).
- [@nortti](https://github.com/nortti) for correcting my iNES header (PR [#55](https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes/pull/55)).
About my Development Environment
================================
Tested with:
------------
```
make
nestopia first_nes.nes
```
- **Editor:** [Sublime Text 3](https://www.sublimetext.com/3), 2-space tabs, tabs-to-spaces, 100-column ruler
- **Target CPU:** 8-bit, [Ricoh RP2A03](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricoh_2A03) (6502), 1.789773 MHz (NTSC)
- **Assembler:** ca65 (cc65 binutils)
Tested on:
----------
- Linux with Nestopia UE 1.47
- Windows with Nestopia UE 1.48
Additional Resources
====================
Git and GitHub:
---------------
- [What is Git](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git) and [how do I use it?](https://git-scm.com/doc)
- Download [GitHub Desktop for Windows and Mac OS](https://desktop.github.com/) or [Git for Linux](https://git-scm.com/download/linux)
NES programming in general:
---------------------------
- [Wikibooks: NES Programming](https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/NES_Programming)
- [NesDev](http://nesdev.com/)
The ca65 assembler:
-------------------
- [ca65 Documentation](http://cc65.github.io/doc/ca65.html)
- [cc65 GitHub repository](https://github.com/cc65/cc65)
Building this project:
----------------------
- This project's [Makefile](https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes/blob/master/Makefile)
- [Makefiles: A Tutorial by Example](http://mrbook.org/blog/tutorials/make/)
first_nes was written by [Greg M. Krsak](https://github.com/gregkrsak/), 2018. You may send me email using [this address](mailto:[email protected]). If you'd like to contribute, [click here](https://github.com/gregkrsak/first_nes/blob/master/docs/CONTRIBUTING.md) so we can synchronize our expectations!