Astrocade Machine Language Documentation

DescriptionTypePagesSizeDate Added
Astrocade html color palettehtml1 page27K Mar. 25, 2002
Astrocade Screen Layout Sheettext - Once you are programming the Astrocade a bit, and setting up a screen, you may find that this sheet that I created for personal may come in handy.1 page4KJune 5, 2003
Astrocade Z-80 Mini-coursepdf46 pages5,613K Mar. 28, 2002
Bally System Descriptionpdf - This is part of the 'Nutting' Manual that was excerted by the Cursor newsletter and released as a separate document. If you want a slightly technical, yet general overview of the way that the Astrocade works, then read this. If it interests you, then move on to the full 'Nutting' Manual, which explains how to program the Astrocade using the on-board ROM subroutines. 63 pages373KJune 6, 2003
The Bit Fidder's CornerThe Bit Fidder's Corner is an Astrocade machine language programming tutorial that ran as a series of serialized articles in the Arcadian newsletter in 1983 and 1984. The Author, Andy Guevara, programmed the Machine Language Manager cartridge for the Astrocade. This tutorial complements that cartridge, but has a general focus so this information can be used without reinterpretation by Astrocade assembly programmers, or those wishing to learn about the machine. This zip file contains the article in text, RTF and PDF format.7 pages52K May 18, 2003
Machine Language Manager Docspdf50 pages5,853K Mar. 28, 2002
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'Nutting Manual' - This manual is actually called The Handbook of Hardware + Software, but is nicknamed for the hardware documentation that Dave Nutting Associates, Inc. released in 1978. The Bally FAQ has this to say, 'Source of most of the programming support for most of the arcade quality games made for the Bally/Astrocade systems.' If that isn't a recommendation, then I don't know what is. Thanks to Frank Palazzo for scanning this in and Rob Mitchell for pointing it out. I have broken the manual into three parts (about 2.3 MB each) to make it more managable. Finally, if anyone has this manual without the Propietary Information' overlay, let me know (when you see the manual, you will see what I mean). 143 pages6.85 MB Total Nov. 5, 2000
DNA 'Nutting' Manualpdf - Same as 'Nutting Manual, but this has been retyped. The file size is smaller, the text is searchable and, of course, there is no 'Propietary Information overlay.172 pages512K Mar. 28, 2002
DNA 'Nutting' Manualdoc - Same as 'Nutting Manual, but this has been retyped and is the original Word 2000 document that was used to create the pdf file. 172 pages983KJune 6, 2003
Peek 'n Poke Manualpdf. Good introduction to Astrocade Programnming.38 pages57K Mar. 28, 2002
Peek 'n Poke ManualRTF. Good introduction to Astrocade Programnming.38 pages105K May 19, 2003
Bally Vector TutorialPDF - By Lance F. Squire. Feb. 13, 2004. A step-by-step tutorial (with source code) It's quite good; read it. Included, for future reference, is the Word file from which the pdf was created. Lance frequences the Bally Alley discussion group, so if you have any questions you can ask him about them there.16 pages51K July 30, 2006
Astrocade BIOS ComparisonText and Pictures - Explains the forty-one byte difference between the Bally Arcade's 3159 ROM and white ROM. This answers some long sought after questions.5 pages8K June 5, 2004