Pimoroni’s Tufty2040 is a color LCD badge powered by the Raspberry Pi Pico, but it does more than its name suggests.coder pixilatte Coded Atari Classic river raid MicroPython on Tufty2040 — looks perfect.
I had to move the display object to a singleton due to memory fragmentation but here’s an Atari game written in micropython on the @pimoroni tufty2040 badge pic.twitter.com/lqF3Cb0pZWMarch 29, 2023
For those of us who are too young to remember (I hope so), river raid It was released in 1982 for the Atari 2600 game console (I remember playing it on a Commodore 64). The objective of the game is to fly a jet fighter along a river and attack enemy vehicles in flight. You’ll need to fend off attacks and vehicles, and make sure you have enough fuel to complete your mission — “Don’t shoot the fuel tank” That’s what I would say to my younger self.
The game never ends, but the bridges act as checkpoints along the way to measure your progress, returning you to the previous bridge for each life lost.
| row 0 – cell 0 | RP2040 | Atari VCS 2600 |
| release date | January 22, 2021 | September 1977 |
| CPU | RP2040 Arm Cortex M0+ Dual Core, 133MHz | 8-bit MOS technology 6507 @ 1.19 MHz |
| RAM | 264KB of SRAM | 128 bytes |
| depository | 2MB flash | River Raid used 4KB ROM cartridges |
| price | Tufty 2040 $23 | $190 (approximately $850 after adjusting for inflation) |
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Pixilatte version of the game Fully coded in MicroPythonwill be added as a menu item to the default Tufty 2040 menu.This is a simple name tag right away game A badge that is taking a break at a meeting!
The game is coded brilliantly and uses sprite maps (large grids of sprites that are swapped as needed) for game assets. MicroPython code responds to player input to control the jet’s direction and speed, and to fire at enemies with a button. Enemy sprites fly across the screen from left to right, dodging your fire as you make your way further up the river.
Protecting the Tufty2040 from the rigors of gaming is a 3D printed case. This can easily be reproduced on the best 3D printers. CaseDesigned by Funkypiwy (aka Pierre-yves Baloche), the Tufty2040 offers excellent protection around it and also features an optional stand. It looks like Pixylante has printed a different caseback — one with an integrated coin cell battery pack — and you can even design your own case for the Tufty2040.
Pixylante’s projects are a lot of fun. GitHub repository.
