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C64 · Assembly · 6510

Commodore 64 assembly

Learn the machine by building games on it

CPU
MOS 6510
Speed
1 MHz
RAM
64 KB
Graphics
VIC-II
Sound
SID

Before you begin

You'll need an emulator and an assembler. Both are free and take five minutes to install.

Set up your tools →

Games

Each game teaches new skills while building something you'll want to play. Start with Game 1 and work through in order — each builds on what came before.

0
Meet the Machine screenshot
Meet the Machine
The assembly on-ramp — meet the 6510 and the C64 one idea at a time, before you build a thing.
Registers and memoryThe screen as memoryTest-and-branch control flowIndexing, loops and subroutines
16 / 16 units
1
Starfield screenshot
Starfield
Single-screen space shooter with hardware sprites
VIC-II spritesJoystick inputSID soundRaster interrupts
16 / 16 units
2
Soon
Platform Panic
Single-screen platformer with gravity and jump physics
Jump physicsPlatform collisionPlayer animationLevel design
0 / 64 units
3
Soon
Maze Raider
Pac-Man style maze chase with custom characters
Custom character setsTile-based mapsTile collisionPathfinding AI
0 / 64 units
4
Soon
Brick Basher
Breakout clone with ball physics and power-ups
Ball physicsReflection anglesBlock destructionLevel editor
0 / 64 units
5
Soon
Catacombs
Dungeon exploration with map scrolling
Map systemsDungeon generationItem managementExploration
Coming soon
6
Soon
SID Symphony
A rhythm game that makes the SID chip sing
Screen layoutSID audioInput handlingAnimation
Coming soon
7
Soon
Scroll Runner
Horizontal scrolling introduction
Hardware scrollingScreen splitLevel streamingCamera systems
0 / 64 units
8
Soon
Night Raid
Scramble-style side-scroller with terrain
Scrolling shooterTerrain collisionFuel mechanicsLevel design
0 / 64 units
9
Soon
Sprite Storm
Sprite multiplexing for 16-32 objects on screen
Sprite multiplexingSorting algorithmsRaster timingMany enemies
0 / 64 units
10
Soon
Raster Rider
Pseudo-3D racing with raster effects
Raster interruptsPerspective mathsRoad renderingSpeed illusion
0 / 64 units
11
Soon
Dungeon Crawl
Adventure game with disk I/O and saving
Disk I/OSave systemLarge game designAdventure mechanics
0 / 128 units
12
Soon
Arena Fighter
Fighting game with combo systems
Fighting mechanicsHit detectionAnimation statesTwo-player
0 / 128 units
13
Soon
Parallax Patrol
R-Type style shooter with parallax scrolling
Multi-layer parallaxBoss patternsWeapon systemsLevel design
0 / 128 units
14
Soon
Isometric Quest
Isometric adventure with depth sorting
Isometric projectionDepth sortingPuzzle mechanicsWorld building
0 / 128 units
15
Soon
Mega Blaster
Turrican-style action platformer
Large spritesScrolling actionWeapon varietyBoss battles
0 / 128 units
16
Soon
Symphony's End
Capstone game with demo-scene techniques
Demo effectsAll techniquesProfessional polishFull game
0 / 256 units

What you'll master

By the time you've built all the games, you'll have deep knowledge of C64 hardware and assembly programming.

VIC-II graphics

Sprites, character graphics, smooth scrolling, raster interrupts, and the tricks that made C64 games look impossible.

SID sound

Three voices, filters, ADSR envelopes, and the techniques that created the C64's legendary sound.

6510 assembly

The full instruction set, addressing modes, and optimisation tricks that squeeze every cycle from the CPU.

Game architecture

State machines, collision systems, input handling, and the patterns that make games feel right.

Ready to start?

Game 1 starts with a ship on screen. By Unit 2, you're moving it with the joystick. By Unit 16, you've got a complete shooter.

Start: Meet the Machine →