BBC Basic was the bomb, and later became the first programming language for ARM-based computers under RISC OS as BBC Basic V. Support for structured programming, incredibly well documented, including the OS calls, and a built-in in-line assembler.
CHUCKULUS
BBC Micro Model B version just released !
github.com/Snuggsy187/C...
What's really amazing is that we went from simple 2D platform games like Chuckie Egg to 3D space exploration, trading, dogfighting Elite in less than a year, *on the same hardware*!
elite.bbcelite.com
This has definitely stuck with me for over 40 years.... so much so that I've just released 'Chuckulus' for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro - a mash up of Chuckie Egg and Nebulus !
Also on the BBC Micro at Power Up in the London Science Museum!
(disclaimer - I set that up at both venues 🙂 )
Hi I wrote about the making of classic platformerChuckie Egg and talked to its creator Nigel Alderton. Please give it a read as I want to show there’s an audience for this gaming history stuff 🙏
www.theguardian.com/games/2026/a...
ROUGOL April 2026 meeting - Paolo Fabio Zaino
www.iconbar.com/articles/ROU...
Rougols's April speaker was Paolo Fabio Zaino, introducing his new Theme Manager.
Could be. I know of nothing that delivered on ARX's promise until Oberon, maybe even A2.
I think it's interesting that both the original Amiga OS, CAOS, & the original Archimedes OS, ARX, similarly got cancelled & replaced with much less ambitious efforts.
They both aimed too high for the time.
That's the point I'm making - if you look at Apple / Commodore / Atari - when those machines went from 8 bit to 16 bit, there's no connection between the hardware or the software. As a user back then, I actually LIKED the fact that the Arc was an improved BBC Micro in many respects...
Interested in coding on RISC OS? Want to learn more or meet others? Join our friendly fireside chat on Zoom—DM for credentials (unchanged). The event is on Saturday, 25th April at 7:30 pm (GMT).
#Zoom #Meetup #RISC_OS #Developer #Community #RaspberryPi #ARM #Retro #AcornComputers
The Elite Demonstration Disc
I've started disassembling the #BBCMicro Elite Demonstration Disc.
Acornsoft sent this out to shops in 1984. It flies itself and contains rudimentary pilot AI.
Did anyone see this back in the day? It’s fun to watch!
You can run it in your browser: bbc.xania.org?autoboot&dis...
#retrocomputing
Tomorrow evening 🙂
Watch Gerphs Mini Series Videos Now! Support his Work on 64-Bit and the Build Service for RISC OS - www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Rougol April 2026 meeting on Monday - Desktop themes
www.iconbar.com/articles/Rou...
The April 2026 Rougol meeting is on Monday and brings together current desktop theme developments
Someone has documented the entire source code for Elite and explained how every line works, plus included deep dives into various functionality. Covers all main versions like BBC Micro, Commodore 64 and NES. You can also play online in browser. elite.bbcelite.com
Watching 2001 again recently got me really fired up. SpaceChase will have a warp sequence as you chase the suspect from system to system, and it's heavily inspired by the star-tunnel sequence. Running on Acorn A3000 here. Mocked in SDL first with archie palette ❤️ #SDL. #retrograming #indiedev
Maybe you like Ursula Icons, Well lets revamp and modernise those too for Darkmode. Modern refresh of those icons underway. We will have at least 3 iconsets for darkmode or light by the end of 2026.
☺️
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjyp...
Coming up next month, the ARX team finally get to give their side of the story!
rougol.jellybaby.net/meetings/jim...
Does anyone here know much about the BBC Micro's ROMs and memory map? I know quite a bit about RISC OS, but not the 6502-based Acorn systems.
I'm curious whether BBC BASIC could be disassembled and then patched to run on a C64. Is there a good site to learn the kernel routines and I/O registers?
Like the Apple II, the BBC Micro seems to have quite a sophisticated OS for its time. Not only is the BASIC ROM double the size, but the OS ROM is also 16K, and that's the part I'm curious about how much would need to be ported over to run on the C64. I assume BBC BASIC uses *many* OS functions.
About a decade before that, I somehow managed to get Paul Fellows to come and do a talk at @rougol.bsky.social. It was fascinating (they're good at that!) and there's a transcript online.
www.rougol.jellybaby.net/meetings/201...
Quite a bit. I chaired a panel discussion with the project lead and some of the core team:
www.theregister.com/2022/06/23/h...
To port BBC BASIC to another 6502 system, you actually port the Acorn MOS and then BASIC just works. It makes no direct hardware access. Check out this thread on Applecorn, a port to the AppleII
stardot.org.uk/forums/viewt...
My DarkMode Test App is out for Wimp 5.89 on ROOL Forums, WIMP Module included with Instructions www.riscosopen.org/forum/forums...
Is your RISC OS desktop in need of a lick of paint? @paolofabiozaino.bsky.social will be talking to @rougol.bsky.social about his ExtTheme application, and showing off some themes on 20th April.
www.riscository.com/2026/redecor...
Something more like Hugo Tyson's ARM test suite error messages 😄
(page 55 of the slides or follow the link to The Register article)
rougol.jellybaby.net/meetings/202...
![Comic. [Person and person with white hat facing two boxes stacked with $80 price tag and sale tag on each box.] PERSON 1: They want $80 for this? I could make one myself for $10 in parts, an hour of work, a trip to the hardware store, another $30 in parts, another few hours of work, two more trips to the store for $20 more in parts, another hour of work to redo the first hour of work because I messed up, and $80 to buy this when the one I made breaks.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreifdsd32pjwefxji33c5eferlek4o6kkadoosqisb5uatqjmrq4q4q)
Comic. [Person and person with white hat facing two boxes stacked with $80 price tag and sale tag on each box.] PERSON 1: They want $80 for this? I could make one myself for $10 in parts, an hour of work, a trip to the hardware store, another $30 in parts, another few hours of work, two more trips to the store for $20 more in parts, another hour of work to redo the first hour of work because I messed up, and $80 to buy this when the one I made breaks.
Make It Myself
xkcd.com/3233/
Retrofest 2026 is taking shape - we now have an exhibitors list and details for most of the exhibitors, including 13 who'll be new to the event! www.retrofest.uk/whowhat.php
We also have a Bluesky list so you can follow them all, past and present, with one easy click - bsky.app/profile/shor...
