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This course is a complete immersion into the world of the Nintendo Entertainment System. We will learn how to program games for the NES using 6502 assembly while exploring the building blocks of computer architecture. The rudimentary hardware of the NES is a perfect sandbox for us to learn important concepts of low-level programming.
At the end of the course, you'll have a working knowledge of 6502 assembly language, a comprehensive understanding of the NES hardware, and a toy homebrew game project that we'll code together from scratch. We'll start with small examples and proceed to glue everything together in a final project that demonstrates how a simple NES game works.
We'll use a simple code editor, an assembler called CA65, and a NES emulator called FCEUX. All these tools are cross-platform, so you'll be able to follow along on either Windows, macOS, or Linux!
This is a self-contained course with no formal prerequisites. However, you will probably get the most out of it if you already know the basics of coding (if-else, loops, functions).
If you like retro game development and want to learn more about computer architecture and low-level programming, then this course is definitely for you!
Gustavo Pezzi is a university lecturer in London, UK. He has won multiple education awards as a teacher and is also the founder of pikuma.com.
Gustavo teaches fundamentals of computer science and mathematics; his academic path includes institutions such as Pittsburg State University, City University of London, and University of Oxford.
The 6502 processor is an extremely important part of computing history, powering many popular game consoles and microcomputers of the past, like the NES, the Commodore 64, the Apple II, and even the Tamagotchi.
Differently than other online resources about retro game programming, this course is not simply a documentation of assembly mnemonics that only experienced developers can digest. This course tries to be as beginner-friendly as possible, giving you the chance to learn assembly in a fun way.
Trying to understand how modern computers work under the hood can be overwhelming. The small architecture of the NES is our chance to take a step back and look at the fundamental building blocks of computing. So, if you want to really learn how digital machines work and finally lose your fear of the expression "assembly programming", then get ready and buckle up! We are about to go on a super cool nerd trip together.
73% of our students come back for another course
We don't offer discounts on our courses. Ever.
"Amazing course! This course helped me to understand NES hardware and to learn 6502 Assembly. Gustavo is a great teacher. Highly recommend!"
"Great follow up to the Atari Course - I learned so much! I took the Atari course and loved working with (and re-learning) 6502 programming. This was a much bigger and thorough course in many ways. It also highlights the complexity and the differences between the two machines. Gustavo is one of the best teachers for complicated subject like this. I had so much fun learning the material. I'd love to see a 6502 assembly language course for the Apple II - such a vibrant community out there. I am definitely looking at the other courses Gustavo offers."
"Highly Recommended! I found this course after attempting to learn how to develop NES games on my own. I started by looking through wikis, blogs, etc., but being a total notice to NES programming it felt like I was learning random facts instead of learning what I really needed to know. To say this course is great is an understatement. We discussed virtually any concept you would like to know about the NES. Everything from physical hardware to chip design to the actual mechanics behind the lockout chips, PPUs, APUs, etc. I went into this course with virtually no knowledge of NES programming but walked out feeling confident in creating a game myself. Gustavo Pezzi is an amazing instructure that doesn't just show you how to code things, but makes mistakes in his videos, explains his errors and shows you how to correct them (which is rare in online courses). I will definitely be taking more courses from him in the future."
"Very professional and well explained! I have been looking for something just like this. I love the way that he takes his time to explain everything and assumes nothing. I am making my first 6502 NES game and this is very very helpful to me."
"Great course! Before this one, I also took two of Gustavo's courses: The Atari and the LUA CLI, and enjoyed a lot. He gives just enough technical details to understand things. I especially like about this course the historical summary, to have a context how the NES was born, and the description about how the hardware is composed."
