C64 · BASIC V2 · gateway

Commodore 64 BASIC

Learn programming fundamentals before assembly

CPU

MOS 6510

RAM

64 KB

Language

BASIC V2

Where you are

02 · Language primer and gateway route

C64 BASIC turns the shared ideas into a real Commodore 64 program.

This route starts with BASIC V2 and uses complete games to make variables, loops, screen memory, input, and simple state concrete on the C64 before you decide whether to go deeper into assembly.

No assembly knowledge is needed.
If loops, variables, or binary still feel shaky, start with Foundations first.
The Craft and Pattern Library are supporting layers when a game introduces a reusable technique.

Curriculum MapThe whole route FoundationsIf programming is new C64 AssemblyThe deeper machine route

Games

Build complete games while you learn the fundamentals — variables, loops, and the C64's screen and memory. Start with Game 1 and work through in order.

01

Primer

1 games

Meet C64 BASIC screenshot

Write, run, edit and debug Commodore BASIC for real — and meet the screen, colour, sound and input the C64 reaches only by POKE and PEEK.

Typing and editing a programPRINT, LET, INPUTIF/THEN, FOR/NEXT, GOTO / GOSUBThe screen, colour, sound and joystick by POKE/PEEK

02

First Programs

8 games

Skyline screenshot

Build a city by writing straight to the screen

POKE to screen memoryThe separate colour RAMScreen codes

Oracle screenshot

Ask a question, get an answer from the machine

RNDINPUTIF/THEN

Reflex screenshot

How fast can you press a key?

The jiffy clock (TI)GET for an instant keypressScreen flash (POKE 53281)

Tally screenshot

Roll two dice a thousand times and watch a bell curve appear

Numeric arrays as countersThe roll value as an indexA POKEd bar chart

Bleeper screenshot

Make the SID chip play a tune you must repeat

SID registers as a voiceA sequence stored in an arrayGET to read and check the echo

Safe Cracker screenshot

Crack the code by narrowing it down

The loop-with-a-goalHigher/lower deductionColour feedback and a guess limit

Rover screenshot

Drive a rover around the screen with a joystick

Joystick (PEEK 56320)The continuous game loopLook-ahead collision

Dropzone screenshot

Fight gravity to land safely

Velocity, gravity and thrustThe continuous physics loopWin, lose, and a fuel squeeze

03

Boards and Sprites

9 games

Hold a whole board in memory and reason over it

2D arrays as a boardRow and column indexingTurn-based rules

Guess the word, letter by letter

String handling (LEFT$/MID$/LEN)Comparing lettersThe guess grid

Meet the VIC-II

Meet the chip behind the C64's graphics — charset, sprites and colour, reached by POKE and PEEK, before you build with them.

The VIC-II memory mapCopying the charset to RAMSprite registers — enable, position, pointerColour and the screen

Redefine the font and build a world from it

Custom characters (charset to RAM)A redefined tilesetScreen and colour RAM

Your first hardware sprite, steered by joystick

Hardware sprites — enable, position, pointerThe joystick loopA custom-char background

Hunt and be hunted in a maze

Game states (chase and flee)A grid moverSprites over a 2D map

Bat, ball and bricks — let the hardware spot the hits

Sprite collision registersA brick gridBall physics

Rooms and items as data you read at runtime

READ/DATARooms and items as tablesCustom chars and sprites

A game show with menus and a question bank

Menus and multi-state flowA DATA-driven question bankStrings and arrays

04

Worlds and Sound

8 games

Thrust in the direction you're facing

SIN/COS for motionAngle to dx/dySprites and the game loop

Blocks fall, settle and clear

Gravity over a grid2D arrays and stateCustom characters

Three voices and a tune that plays under the game

The full SID — three voices, ADSR, filterMusic and SFX togetherDATA-driven sequences

Read the beam for flicker-free updates

Raster reads (D012)Timed, flicker-free updatesSprites and motion

Many ships and a scrolling readout

Many sprites at onceA status readoutCollision and state

Explore a generated dungeon, carry what you find

Procedural dataInventoryRooms, sprites and strings

A road that rushes toward you

Pseudo-3D via charactersMotion mathsCollision

Several tiny events in one programme

A multi-event collectionSprites, SID, input and timingSeveral small mechanics

05

Systems and Saves

8 games

The screen scrolls a pixel at a time

Smooth scrolling (D016 fine scroll)Coarse character shiftSprites and chars

A world wider than the screen

A multi-screen world via scrollMap dataScrolling and state

Save your progress to disk

Persistence (OPEN/PRINT#/INPUT#)Save and loadRooms, strings and inventory

Strongroom (Part 2)

Save the whole game state

Saving full game stateThe state machinePersistence deepened

Two fighters, frame by frame

Two-sprite combatSprite animation framesCollision and state

Gameplay that moves to the music

SID-synced gameplayRaster timingState

Build something and keep it

A save-backed sandboxGrids and READ/DATAPersistence

Everything you've learnt, in one game

Sprites, scroll, SID and saveIntegration of all techniquesProfessional polish

After BASIC

Complete these 8 games and you'll understand C64 memory layout, screen handling, and the limits of BASIC. Then move to 6510 assembly to unlock the full power of the machine.