Retro Assembly Language

[Steve Elliott]

Excellent 

Well you can help us z80 assembly noobs then lol.  Yep a year to learn assembly, plus I already have a compatible Competition Pro Joystick, a Sega 6 button gamepad and a PS2 Mouse for the Next. 

[col]

I see there are a few new assembly instructions to help move the 'bits' around easier. Interesting that they've called the main core the Z80N to reflect the new instructions.

Plenty of 'Next' specific software ports to have a play with which can also be controlled by the copper chip by the looks of it.

I don't have any accessories lined up just yet. I remember the competition pro, best of the best back in the day

Interesting times ahead.

Just found this site for a couple of addons...
https://store.activeconsult.co.uk/shop/ols/products

[Steve Elliott]

Yes it seems you can access ports from Next BASIC too, with assembly language lots of possibilities.

And regards the Competition Pro yes it's a classic with microswitch clickyness.

[col]

That stick brings back fond memories, practically indestructible. Those super loud clicky switches BTW I'm sure you're aware that it can survive been thrown across the room an almost infinite number of times 

Are you going in for Basic or Assembly?

[Steve Elliott]

Yes I had to get a classic joystick of the era, and something more modern for Next games that take advantage of the extra buttons.  Haha, but could it survive Daley Thompson's Decathlon?   

I think I might do a bit of Next BASIC (rather than Sinclair BASIC) short term, but I see it as a machine for coding assembly language.

[dawlane]

This looks like it may be an interesting series if you happen to have a C128.

[Steve Elliott]

A week to go on the Spectrum Next Kickstarter and it's at £1,407,945.

[Steve Elliott]

Someone has setup Next BASIC coding from Visual Studio:

https://emails.kickstarter.com/ss/c/pGVEG5T9w7LP_74vNtZiwKprtA1sWzQ7I1zetmwN6UapXFzU_Q8AmjJGB-UmiHW0-R3_GKoUUMe0vho3zJ7Zkg/34w/y86NDYTCSXeNaPFPtdIJEg/h10/IB0WhCEJwHN6srdgcvk_5xmDPtRt1YnipSrFdvwm01I

[col]

If you're using Windows then this should help get you up and running:

https://specnext.dev/tutorials/creating-a-z80-assembly-development-environment-on-windows/

For mac:
https://specnext.dev/tutorials/cspect-mac/

Not sure where Linux is but it can't be difficult to work it out from those 2

[Steve Elliott]

Cheers col!   

[Steve Elliott]

Well the Kickstarter for the ZX Spectrum Next reached it's £250,000 goal in less than 5 minutes, so the team kept adding and adding to the Stretch Goals until they had the last stretch goal of £1.5 Million, with some extra goodies for the backers.  It's just passed that figure with a few days to go on the Kickstarter (currently £1,656,289).  *Steve raises a glass to The Next Team*

[col]

Over 1.7mil now 

This may also help noobies getting into z80 

http://www.z80.info/lesson1.htm
http://www.z80.info/lesson2.htm
http://www.z80.info/lesson3.htm
http://www.z80.info/lesson4.htm
http://www.z80.info/lesson5.htm

[Steve Elliott]

Over 1.7mil now 

Yep £1,707,078 and 9 hours to go.   

This may also help noobies getting into z80 

Cheers, I'll be looking at Z80 Assembly Language after the SB Coding Comp.

[Steve Elliott]

£1,846,756 the final figure.  Congrats to the team.   

[col]

Yep a huge congratulations to them. Over 5000 backers.

I wish it was August 2021 already lol