front matter
foreword
As pioneers in the exhilarating era of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), we are delighted to introduce Classic Game Programming on the NES. This book is not just a retrospective glimpse but a vivid re-exploration of an epoch where creativity blossomed amidst technological limitations. As the authors of 10 NES titles in the early 1990s, including the Dizzy games, Firehawk, Super Robin Hood, and DreamWorld Pogie, we faced these challenges head-on, transforming our innovative ideas into engaging gameplay and captivating visuals.
Our developmental journey was one of innovation and adaptation. We utilized an IBM PC equipped with an Intel 286 processor, 32K RAM, and a 30 MB hard drive. Programming involved using a DOS editor, running a 6502 compiler, and using a PDS board to connect the PC to an NES development kit. For graphics, we employed DPaint3 on an Amiga, later converting these creations into NES-compatible formats. This book guides you through the evolution of such methodologies to the best modern tools and pipelines available today. In our early careers, the NES was a source of inspiration, teaching us to navigate and transcend its limitations.