Re-writing the past with Python

[kevman3d]

If anybody wants a flash-back to the fun days of writing their own BASIC games, I've just completed a 3-part blog tutorial on rebuilding an old 1K ZX81 game using Python. It was a load of fun, and a chance for me to toy about with python and pygame as the 'modern homage to the 80s programmer'

Link to all three parts is here:
http://kevman3d.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/BASIC

Python is, as far as I am concerned, the "BASIC of the modern day" when it comes to being an easy language to learn and perfect as a way to get young kids (and those not-so-young) into programming.

[tezza]

Thanks for posting Kevin,

Yes, I've heard a lot about Python. I'll be checking out the link.

[kevman3d]

If you want to see an old fart mumble his way (badly) through a presentation on this at last months Auckland Python meetup.

https://youtu.be/KyAkOqO9yNA

The video/audio was done as a live stream from a web cam on google hangouts. Which I won't complain about as it (hopefully) disguises some of my burbles and stumbles...

If anybody is keen to play about 9 of the games out of the "34 Games for the 1K ZX81" book in Python, and have Python 2.7 and PyGame installed, all the source code is here. The slideshow is here

[tezza]

Watched a bit of this Kevin. Great to see people spreading some microcomputing history about. What was the audience size, do you know?

[kevman3d]

38 people RSVP's, but only about 18 people actually came. Surprisingly mostly computer engineers who work with embedded systems. Plus a health specialist, a few students and some academic faculty. There were about 1/3rd of the audience who were unfamiliar with the old 80's tech, the rest were all in the right age bracket to remember it.

Its a fairly specific group, all people using Python in some form or another. They just needed someone to do a talk... And mine apparently was 'really interesting' though it didn't quite go the way I'd hoped (too many 'ummms' )

[Avon]

If anybody wants a flash-back to the fun days of writing their own BASIC games, I've just completed a 3-part blog tutorial on rebuilding an old 1K ZX81 game using Python. It was a load of fun, and a chance for me to toy about with python and pygame as the 'modern homage to the 80s programmer'

Link to all three parts is here:
http://kevman3d.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/BASIC

Python is, as far as I am concerned, the "BASIC of the modern day" when it comes to being an easy language to learn and perfect as a way to get young kids (and those not-so-young) into programming.

As a ZX81 owner this sounds like fun...thanks I will take a look at the blog posts and fire up the Raspberry Pi..

[kevman3d]

I've been meaning to test that Python on my Pi at some stage. Let me know if it works ok...

[khanjoy]

I currently have a Python major subject, I will definitely look into the link and would love to learn more about it, planning to make a simple game by the end of semester I think this will be a big help, many thanks