Here is a little space shooter game done in 6days by me and 2 friends.

I know a lot of people, myself included, usually write their pico~8 code a little off the cuff tinkering with it until it works. Which tends to be more fun in my experience. But it can also be incredibly frustrating if I'm working on sometime more complex where every time I change something I break something else. And in those cases planning out some formal tests helps me maintain my sanity and get the thing actually working much faster than I probably would otherwise. And since I'm working on something fairly complex at the moment, I took a bit of a detour and put together a little test framework and thought I'd make it available for anybody else who might find it useful.

The code is on github: https://github.com/jasondelaat/pico8-tools/tree/release/testo-8
Or you can just copy it here:

--------------------------------
-- testo-8: testing framework
-- copyright (c) 2022 jason delaat
-- mit license: https://github.com/jasondelaat/pico8-tools/blob/release/license
--------------------------------
do
   local all_tests = {}

   local function smt(t, mt)
      return setmetatable(t, {__index=mt})
   end

   local function shallow_copy(lst)
      local copy = {}
      for l in all(lst) do
         add(copy, l)
      end
      return copy
   end

   local function filter(f, lst)
      local results = {}
      for l in all(lst) do
         if f(l) then
            add(results, l)
         end
      end
      return results
   end

   local execute_meta = {
      execute=function(self)
         local result = self[4](self[3](self[2]()))
         if self._cleanup[1] then
            self._cleanup[1]()
         end
         return {
            result,
            self[1]..self.when_txt..self.result_txt
         }
      end
   }

   local when_result_meta
   local result_meta = {
      result=function(self, txt, fn)
         local t = shallow_copy(self)
         t.when_txt = self.when_txt
         t.result_txt = 'result '..txt..'\n'
         t._cleanup = self._cleanup
         add(t, fn)
         add(all_tests, smt(t, execute_meta))
         return smt(self, when_result_meta)
      end
   }

   local _cleanup
   local when_meta = {
      when=function(self, txt, fn)
         _cleanup = {}
         local t = shallow_copy(self)
         t.when_txt = 'when '..txt..'\n'
         t[3] = fn
         t._cleanup = _cleanup
         return smt(t, result_meta)
      end
   }

   when_result_meta = {
      when=when_meta.when,
      result=result_meta.result,
      cleanup=function(self, f)
         add(_cleanup, f)
         return self
      end
   }

   local given_meta = {
      given=function(self, txt, fn)
         local msg = self[1]..'given '..txt..'\n'
         return smt({msg, fn}, when_meta)
      end
   }
   function test(name)
      _cleanup = {}
      local t = smt({name..':\n', _cleanup=_cleanup}, given_meta)
      return t
   end

   local function run_tests()
      cls()
      cursor(0, 7)
      local results = {}
      for t in all(all_tests) do
         add(results, t:execute())
      end
      local failures =
         results and filter(function(r) return not r[1] end, results) or 0
      if #failures == 0 then
         print('all '..#all_tests..' tests passed!', 0, 0, 11)
      else
         for f in all(failures) do
            print(f[2])
         end
         rectfill(0, 0, 127, 6, 0)
         print(#failures..'/'..#all_tests..' tests failed:\n', 0, 0, 8)
         cursor(0, 127)
      end
   end

   function _init()
      run_tests()
   end
end
-- end testo-8 ------------------------------

[ Continue Reading.. ]

Hello,

Please feel free to delete this post if it is too off topic.

I am looking to commission an artist for a few different ASCII art renderings of my company's logo. You can see my company website here: https://rainlab.co.jp/en/, with the logo in the top left. As you can see, we're already going for a retro hacker aesthetic. The hope is to end up with 3 separate ASCII renditions---small, medium, and large.

Looking for ASCII artists these days rapidly ends up in a morass of old archived URLs and non-functioning email addresses. Despite no ASCII art floating around here, I absolutely love the artwork on display and thought there might be some overlap.

Anyway, if anyone is willing and able, I would love to chat.

Hi,

This is a work in progress.

Its a little app that allows the user to enter arrow locations on a digital archery target to help keep track of your score. My 11 year old son Dylan is just starting out in archery and we have been using a paper score card to keep track of his efforts to date.

However, we thought that this current method of recording scores was ripe for a little app that we could run on our phone in the field (others may be available in the app stores, not checked but we wanted to make our own!), not only to score, but to also keep track of the approx. location of all 36 arrows shot during a scoring round. This is something the "traditional" recording method doesn't offer, it just captures the score achieved, not the location of the arrows.

The plan is to expand this app so it provides some insight into your performance (e.g. average score, total number of "gold" hits, any bias in arrow location e.g. most land in bottom left quadrant etc...

Plus, it was a good excuse to get Dylan into a bit of coding. He's done a bit of Scratch at school but likes "real" coding with commands etc.. and not just visual blocks! I also love it since it take me back to my days mucking about coding on the ZX Speccy and Atari ST :-)

[ Continue Reading.. ]

variantstranger3

by Ruva

Cart #variantstranger3-0 | 2022-10-19 | Code ▽ | Embed ▽ | No License

3

New version is here! What is changed is...

-Title screen added (I'm gonna make it better from now)
-Camera-moves changed!
-Red became Green because of its visibility.
-Player sprites are re-made.
-Now holding button can't do anything by using poke.
-Blue's gliding is removed, and got wall jump instead!
-Map re-made (but it's still as test)
-Player's speed is slower than before (To be honest, that was too fast and caused some bugs)
-Some SFX added! (Do you like them?)

Now I'm working on fundamental part (What is this game's goal? and so on).
Thanks for great advices!!!

variantstranger

by Ruva

Cart #variantstranger-0 | 2022-10-09 | Code ▽ | Embed ▽ | No License

3

[ Continue Reading.. ]

Hi! I'm pretty new here, but I've been working on something I think is pretty neat, following the Shmup tutorial found on LazyDev's channel. I wanted to know if I should just start with that, or learn all of the function, commands, etc..
and wing it. Thank you and have fun!

Working on trying to understand RLE and I found a simple algorithm which I converted to pico-8 lua. When I run it however it seems like the while loop exits and executes the next line of code every iteration even though the conditions are still being met. I'm not sure what is going on, but I am sure that it is my fault. :D

cls()
string='wwwwweehhhhhhhjjiiioop'

function print_rle(str)
	local string=str
	local n=#string
	local j=0

	for i=1,n do
		local char_count=1

		while i<n-1 and sub(string,i,_)==sub(string,i+1,_) do
			char_count+=1
			i+=1
		end
		print(sub(string,i,_)..char_count,8*j,10,7)
		j+=1

	end	
end

print_rle(string)

i found a game where you are a white cube trying to make other white cubes trying to crash into each other. i am trying to make a game like this but cannot find the original to base it off of? do anyone know what it is called

risodisosi

by Davi_dash

Cart #risodisosi-0 | 2022-10-01 | Code ▽ | Embed ▽ | License: CC4-BY-NC-SA

3

This is something a code a long time ago, is a basic 3d menu , the only time i saw a menu like diss was in sonic adveture, and i think a sony console had some menu like diss , but i not so sure , well i hope some one can find good use of diss.

drakeblue_picospacetrack2

by drakeblue

Cart #drakeblue_picospacetrack2-0 | 2022-09-29 | Code ▽ | Embed ▽ | License: CC4-BY-NC-SA

1

The second music track from PICO Space. This swaps with the main track every time you earn a reward from completing a mission.

There's a (short) third track too, but you need to finish the game for that...

rpg engine that i made

dusewofezo_rpg

by ezrashare21

Cart #dusewofezo_rpg-0 | 2022-09-27 | Code ▽ | Embed ▽ | License: CC4-BY-NC-SA

mewumiresu

by WalrusesAreAwesome

Cart #mewumiresu-0 | 2022-09-26 | Code ▽ | Embed ▽ | No License

Disclaimer: This is not my cart, I've just discovered it and made a version fit for speedrunning in 10 minutes.

CHANGES:
Time is displayed at the end (from button press out of instructions to pink balls merging) (breaks with times over 9 minutes due to overflow)
All 6 starting balls are now white.

	[8x8]

DIGBUILD pico 8 minecraft demake

digbuild

by JaysThing

Cart #digbuild-3 | 2022-09-28 | Code ▽ | Embed ▽ | License: CC4-BY-NC-SA

controls are the arrow keys for movement and the X key to place a block

things that are in the game---

player movement
block breaking
block counter
random world generation
random mob spawns
sfx
death screen

so far 11 implemented enemy mobs

update 1

ADDED PLACING BLOCKS

press X to place block

UPDATE!!!

new movement physics

added player direction

player can now place blocks in last direction they moved

block counter colour changed to green

improved world generation

bugs to be removed---

player can now walk off screen

player can be killed by mob on other screen before switching

player can delete mob by placing a block over it

[ Continue Reading.. ]

Hey guys.

Yeah, I'm actually back again after 2 years or less...and I've been busy. Like super busy. I've had several projects, most of which aren't even related to Pico-8, but nevertheless hard work. Also, IRL has been a rollercoaster too, but I have little time to explain everything.

Anyway, I do have a Pico-8 shmup game in the work. I can't really post it here yet until I'm actually satisfied with it. I can give one thing though: I think I finally got the problem-solving part of programming down somewhat.

In case if you haven't noticed by the change of profile settings, I have an itch.io account now. It's cheez26. Check it out sometime. I even released a non-Pico8 project on there. Also, I've pretty much abandoned Twitter at this point, so don't bother with that tbh.

To put it simply, keep an eye out for a new Pico-8 game on here and maybe itch.io.
If you've been following me here, good job. You're more patient than me. Thanks for that.

Anyway, see y'all later.

Sincerely,

[ Continue Reading.. ]

Helloo, how are you my loves? I have a question, if you would be so kind to share ideas for a video game, any idea doesn't matter, the only thing that matters to me is your opinions and suggestions, please. If you don't read this in the posts section I'll put it in any game.

PICO-8 Cheat Sheet: Print Edition!

Hey there!
This is a little something I've been working on for a while. Using the P8 cheat sheets from @ztiromoritz and LightBWK as a baseline, I've edited a printable cheat sheet that has only the most necessary information on it. I've touched it up to be more compact and colorful, yet still easily readable, and added some extra stuffs that weren't on the previous cheat sheets I've mentioned.

Credits where credits are due:

• first and foremost, Zep for giving us a creative space to mess around in!
• wh0am1 for a comprehensive and super-helpful API
• @platformalist for maintaining PICO-ATE, practically the one-stop shop in terms of general information, help and resources
• all the contributors who put together another awesome resource list for PICO-8
• LightBWK's and ztiromoritz's cheat sheets, which are both great to use as well

[ Continue Reading.. ]

Colorful clay is like a summer breeze.
Sixty-four welcomes spring!
Sevenworm shot the sheriff.
Too long a stick approaches at high velocity!

• The other side could please even the most demanding follower of Freud. says 7.
• The other side was always the second best. says 6.
• The other side visits Japan in the winter. says 7.
• The other side asked you a question? asks 4.
• The other side loves a good joke! responds 7.

Lucky number slevin loves a good joke!
A sound you heard loves a good joke!
A small mercy loves a good joke!

So this isn't strictly Pico-8 related but I just came across a video series on Youtube which I thought others here might enjoy.

The Animation of Final Fantasy

The intention seems to be to follow the evolution of FF animation all the way from FF-I up to FF-whatever-number-they're-up-to-by-the-time-he-finishes-the-series.

So far he's only up to FF-IV (the first Super Famicon/SNES release) but I think the first three (the Famicon/NES releases) are probably most interesting to Pico-8 developers. I thought it was an interesting look into how the developers managed with so few assets and—especially in FF-II—how they were able to use those assets to tell a story and convey at least some very basic sense of character.