[Gunloc]

Gamebridge has announced today that Petit Computer (aka PuchiCon in Japan) is coming to the DSi and 3DS eShop in North America. Petit Computer uses the classic BASIC programming language to allow gamers to create and share their own games.

This "game" has a devote cult following in Japan, someone even recreated Out Run on it.

Features

Petit Computer is DSiWare for your Nintendo DSi/3DS. Many Nintendo DSi features can be accessed by Petit Computer using the BASIC programming language. Fast and colorful sprites, BG screens (screen mode specialized for drawing backgrounds), graphic capabilities, and Touch Screen input are supported by the Nintendo DSi. Petit Computer comes preloaded with 512 sprites. It also includes 256 BG chips for use in backgrounds. And by changing colors and rotating, the world of possibilities gets even wider. You can use MML syntax to simultaneously play an 8-channel melody and trigger 16 sounds at once. The available 128 basic tones (instruments), 68 drums, 8 patterns of PSG (duty cycles), and noise can be freely combined to create the sounds you want. Petit Computer comes with features that allow other people to see the programs you create. When you have a friend nearby, you can use your Nintendo DSi's Wireless Communications feature to exchange programs. And when you want to release a program to an even wider audience, you can save it onto an SD Card, load it onto your PC, and then use a browser to convert it into a QR code that lets you easily make your work public. These programs can then be loaded onto a Nintendo DSi by using its camera to scan the resulting QR code.

Source

More info available at the Official Site.

I'm really excited about this.

[Like the hat?]

Can't wait for this one. Only question is 3DS or DSiXL.

[TeegsD]

My first ever course in programming was in BASIC so it's going to be nice to go back to a simpler time...4 years ago

So bought. Can't find a price though, I might be going blind

[rpmurphy]

I'm really excited that it's coming to NA as well, this summer even. Is the DS the video game system of the forever? Yes!

Can't wait for this one. Only question is 3DS or DSiXL.

Or 3DS XL... choices, choices.

[Emitan]

I remember wanting this real bad when it was announced in Japan. Hope it's actually an eShop game now.

[GoldenEye 007]

My first ever course in programming was in BASIC so it's going to be nice to go back to a simpler time...4 years ago

That's crazy. When I took my intro programming course in HS, they started out with C++. Then the next class was Java.

What is BASIC used in nowadays? Or is it at least good for learning to get a programming foundation? Not sure, I got out of the programming learning game quite awhile ago.

[Like the hat?]

I haven't done any programming really in ten years, and haven't used basic since the big qbasic days of the mid 90's. Hope I can pick things up again.

Really though I just want to play around with it. My dreams of being a computer programmer for a living are long long dead.

[vagabondarts]

This is AWESOME!! Can't wait to mess around with it!
:D

[TeegsD]

That's crazy. When I took my intro programming course in HS, they started out with C++. Then the next class was Java. What is BASIC used in nowadays? Or is it at least good for learning to get a programming foundation? Not sure, I got out of the programming learning game quite awhile ago.

Junior year we had 1 semester of Basic. Senior year we had 2 semesters of AP CompSci which was basically intro to Java. And my first two years of college have only been Java. Finally starting C this coming semester.

[Vitacat]

Wow, that Outrun remake is pretty amazing for a dialect of BASIC.

Don't have a 3DS, wasn't really planning to get one... but this might push me over the edge someday. Would love to see something like this on mobile platforms (iOS, Android).

[Drago]

If you can download others work I'll be all over this. Would someone be able to learn programming basics off this? I'd like to learn a little bit :)

[rpmurphy]

Wow, that Outrun remake is pretty amazing for a dialect of BASIC. Don't have a 3DS, wasn't really planning to get one... but this might push me over the edge someday. Would love to see something like this on mobile platforms (iOS, Android).

Android has an IDE app that you can get free from the the Android Market, and very easy to set up and compile and install an app to your device all done on your device. However, I haven't tried it on a smartphone, but it's probably the same thing minus the screen space.

If you can download others work I'll be all over this. Would someone be able to learn programming basics off this? I'd like to learn a little bit :)

I learned programming basics from my TI-calculator which had its own BASIC programming environment, so I would sure hope so!

[Fancy Corndog]

Not a fan of BASIC, and I'm curious why they would choose to use that language.

Totally a fan of the concept though.

[Gunloc]

If you can download others work I'll be all over this.

You can, though it's not as streamlined as I'd hoped it would be.

[M3d10n]

Not a fan of BASIC, and I'm curious why they would choose to use that language. Totally a fan of the concept though.

Because it's... basic?

What would you expect for a toy-ish compiler? Javascript? C++? Maybe Erlang?

You can, though it's not as streamlined as I'd hoped it would be.

Yeah, I can't think of a reason the app couldn't generate the QR codes by itself, short of it requiring some sort of license they didn't want to pay. Or maybe it's done on purpose to make it a bit more nerdy.

[speedpop]

Very cool. I remember creating ridiculously easy games on BASIC in the late 90s. Talk about a nostalgia trip. Hopefully we'll start seeing a dedicated site with QR uploads.

[rpmurphy]

You can, though it's not as streamlined as I'd hoped it would be.

Is Smileboom working on a new eShop version? I think they said somewhere a while ago that they wanted to.

[jman2050]

I'm game for this. My first experience with programming was dealing with simple BASIC-type "compilers" like this, so it'll be fun to go back to that time :P

[M3d10n]

Is Smileboom working on a new eShop version? I think they said somewhere a while ago that they wanted to.

I'll be buying this one if it helps finance a 3DS version with an online gallery similar to Colors! 3D. It would be TITS.

It would be amazing if it worked like a mini GITHub (touch to fork!).

[rpmurphy]

I'll be buying this one if it helps finance a 3DS version with an online gallery similar to Colors! 3D. It would be TITS. It would be amazing if it worked like a mini GITHub (touch to fork!).

Yeah, that would be a great feature. Maybe also then GAF would finally finish Dudebro 2. :P

[Fancy Corndog]

Because it's... basic? What would you expect for a toy-ish compiler? Javascript? C++? Maybe Erlang?

Prolog! I'd rather this be Java or C#. Object oriented programming is pretty easy to wrap your head around.

Probably easier to play with too. Tap an object, choose an attribute or function, etc.

[MasterSheen]

Sounds cool, been hoping to try this out.

[GDGF]

I am so going to write the fuck out of some BASIC code.

[The Bookerman]

My first ever course in programming was in BASIC so it's going to be nice to go back to a simpler time...4 years ago So bought. Can't find a price though, I might be going blind

hell I first programmed in basic like, oh I dunno, 15 years ago?

Isn't this more like visual basic though?

[DavidDayton]

Isn't this more like visual basic though?

The source looks pretty much like BASIC to me...

BASIC, 80's computer style, is fun as it encourages tinkering and flexibility. So many nifty 80's computer things were BASIC...

[Talyn]

Saving and sharing your programs sounds pretty sweet. Writing code on a touchscreen with a stylus...not so much. Still probably won't be able to resist buying it though.

[SlipperySlope]

I got started on QBasic. Should be a good way to get younger people to enjoy programming.

[Javier]

Considering the first thing I had to play video games was an Atari 800XL, I'm very hyped for this. Day 1.

[@MUWANdo]

Is Smileboom working on a new eShop version? I think they said somewhere a while ago that they wanted to.

I think the "new version for eShop" ended up being Petitcom mkII, an update to the original DSiWare game and not an eShop game as such, but don't quote me on that.

[Lijik]

Oh awesome! I wound up on the official japanese site for this the other day while looking up some of Smileboom's wallkick and ladder tutorials for Action Game Maker, and was sad it never got a US release.
Glad its finally getting one!

[UncleSporky]

This right here is awesome.

You can make some really cool stuff with it too.

Spectacle Hurricane, a Space Harrier clone

Super TryGunners, a space shooter

Genesis's Columns

Fantasy Zone (made in the older version of the program, the current one is mk. II)

The intro from Ys 3 (really smooth scrolling)

It looks like you can basically do anything on the level of most 8 or 16 bit games, probably limited by size somewhat.

If you want to get to know more about it ahead of time, you can run the manual through Google Translate like I'm doing. :P

Starting here, and you have to change the "p01" to "p02" etc. manually because the buttons lose their functionality in Translate.

Here are the included sprites, and here are included BG tiles (further down). Looks like music is a standard MIDI set, programmable through MML, and there are a number of included songs and sound effects too.

It comes with 23 built in example programs, some simple and some complex, ranging from a calculator and guess-the-number all the way to a first person RPG and a fighting game. You can re-save all of them and edit them any way you like, which should be very helpful for learning the system.

[DirectX]

10 PRINT "Basic?"
20 GOTO 10

[Ramune]

Tinkering with my Apple II clone (The Laser 128) as a kid, with books upon books of BASIC tricks and games, it's a surprise that I haven't delved further into programming when I got older.

Nostalgia rush this thing is. I'd probably get when I acquire a 3DSXL!

[UncleSporky]

Oh man somebody made a roguelike for it too!

Looks like some impressive raster effects are possible. Not sure how taxing it is on the system, though.

[xk0sm0sx]

Got this in my Japanese 3DS, very nice program and mind blowing when I see what the Japanese made, but I'm too lazy to code for it...

By the way there's a sequel of this for Japan E-Shop, it allows downloading of code via QR, although no internet download functionality.
Besides that it basically improves the various tools in the program.

[SmZA]

Are they going to release those magazines that have BASIC programs all typed out inside and you input it all manually and in the end it doesn't work anyway? I coveted those as a kid.

[Ramune]

Are they going to release those magazines that have BASIC programs all typed out inside and you input it all manually and in the end it doesn't work anyway? I coveted those as a kid.

Right on! Nothing like typing poorly for hours only to be met with an error on line 2! ^_^;

[Fancy Corndog]

10 PRINT "Basic?" 20 GOTO 10

Well played.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Are they going to release those magazines that have BASIC programs all typed out inside and you input it all manually and in the end it doesn't work anyway? I coveted those as a kid.

230 DATA 23,486,1,45,3,102,107,56,205,17,20,112,298,46,78,254,36,357,324,43,578,34,7 ,354,444,67,86,456,33,64,23,789,323,76,54,754,88,43,576,355,23,66,89,324,24 ,74,22,678,122,275,865,34,123,47,5456,67,456,47,32,435,78,544,367,965,356,8 4,23,21,765,678,43,46,25,23,79,654,24,234,456,8,21,334,79,08,56,23,34,86,57 8,96,54

240 DATA 34,768,08,576,46,45,85,333,890,57,68....

[Talyn]

Considering the first thing I had to play video games was an Atari 800XL, I'm very hyped for this. Day 1.

Did you know Atari's Greatest Hits Vol 2 for the DS includes an Atari 400 emulator? I played around with it last year but never did much. This guy seems to have had better luck entering programs from old archives.

[SmZA]

230 DATA 23,486,1,45,3,102,107,56,205,17,20,112,298,46,78,254,36,357,324,43,578,34,7 ,354,444,67,86,456,33,64,23,789,323,76,54,754,88,43,576,355,23,66,89,324,24 ,74,22,678,122,275,865,34,123,47,5456,67,456,47,32,435,78,544,367,965,356,8 4,23,21,765,678,43,46,25,23,79,654,24,234,456,8,21,334,79,08,56,23,34,86,57 8,96,54 240 DATA 34,768,08,576,46,45,85,333,890,57,68....

Oh wow, that looks like machine code. At least BASIC sort of makes sense and could be fixed if you knew what you were doing (I didn't).

[Luigiv]

Because it's... basic? What would you expect for a toy-ish compiler? Javascript? C++? Maybe Erlang?

ARM Assembly of course. :P

Edit: Or FORTRAN.

[SmZA]

Hey, let's tell our BASIC stories here. My best friend's dad worked in a bank and so he go a portable computer to do work at home.

My friend taught himself BASIC and wrote his own paint program. He could use the keyboard to draw a picture pixel by pixel.

He also used those graphics to make a game where you had to blow up a bridge using the right amount of dynamite. If you used too little, a tank would be alerted and would roll across the bridge to squash you. If you used too much, you would squash yourself.

When I stayed over one time my task was to do the sound. I studied up on how to make tones with the PC speaker and and I had the tank do a rumble as it drove across the bridge. Then I modified the code to do a 'splat' when it squashed you.

[KeioSquad2]

Do you think someone can do an honest port of the first Dragon Quest on this?

[Why would you do that?]

Very awesome. I hope it gains some popularity in America.

I started programming in the late '90s, thanks to a little edutainment game from Interplay called "Learn to Program: BASIC" which taught me the fundamentals of programming while I was around 9 years old. It was intended for programming games, but I didn't like the sprite handling or the built-in sprites, so I just made paint programs with awesome menus. Lol.

It did not support functions. All it had was GOTO. I ended up becoming sorely disappointed when I learned other languages didn't support GOTO or highly discouraged it. Haha. I still am a little. :p

[Odrion]

Hey, let's tell our BASIC stories here. My best friend's dad worked in a bank and so he go a portable computer to do work at home. My friend taught himself BASIC and wrote his own paint program. He could use the keyboard to draw a picture pixel by pixel. He also used those graphics to make a game where you had to blow up a bridge using the right amount of dynamite. If you used too little, a tank would be alerted and would roll across the bridge to squash you. If you used too much, you would squash yourself. When I stayed over one time my task was to do the sound. I studied up on how to make tones with the PC speaker and and I had the tank do a rumble as it drove across the bridge. Then I modified the code to do a 'splat' when it squashed you.

When we were thirteen a friend and I found a busted old Apple II (or some other old Mac), we spent a month during the summer finding parts for it and trying to figure out how to rebuild a computer. Eventually, we got it working and could play it on a TV, where we would make simple games in BASIC under fake business names.

Ah, memories.

[lordfroakie]

When we were thirteen a friend and I found a busted old Apple II (or some other old Mac), we spent a month during the summer finding parts for it and trying to figure out how to rebuild a computer. Eventually, we got it working and could play it on a TV, where we would make simple games in BASIC under fake business names. Ah, memories.

Wow, could of made something out of it :)

[adroit]

What would you expect for a toy-ish compiler? Javascript? C++? Maybe Erlang?

It's Ada or nothing. Go big or go home.

[Mr_Appleby]

It's Ada or nothing.

I'll take Befunge thanks ;)

Seriously this looks pretty rad. I grew up with c64 basic and later Amos/Amos Pro on the amiga (standard AmigaBasic is bloody terrible). The longest program I ever wrote on it was a text adventure scripting language + parser. Fun times!

[Luigiv]

I'll take Befunge thanks ;)

OMG that's amazing. I need to learn how to program in Befunge now.