PicoCalc Mini Apps
Compact programs designed for the ClockWork PicoCalc, written in MMBASIC.
So far just the one:
MiniMC – A character sprite edition inspired by Atari’s Missile Command, tailored for PicoCalc (Running on WebMite_PICO2W_V6.00.03_PicoCalc.uf2)
The latest code can be found here on GitHub: SaharaHex/PicoCalc-Mini-Apps
Mini Missile Command 🚀
Welcome to this “PicoCalc” project, where we use MMBasic to build a simple game inspired by Atari’s “Missile Command,” but using character sprites instead.
The device (ClockWork PicoCalc / WebMite) runs the BASIC language. The code is divided into sub‑functions to break the tasks into manageable parts, handling everything from drawing the border and game layout to managing controls on the 4‑inch screen.
To keep track of the high score, the game creates a text file where the data is stored. This file is then read each time the game starts.
There are several parameters that adjust the difficulty based on the points you score. You can easily edit these directly on the device, as it includes a built‑in editor.
Loops are used to create the missile animation effects, handle the respawning of missiles and cities, and update the game state when a city is hit. They also erase previous missile positions to keep the gameplay running smoothly.
Missiles can be launched using a grid system, since the device has no mouse or joystick controls. The screen is divided into nine sections arranged in a 3×3 layout.
And the explosions are drawn within that range. ASCII characters are used to represent the missiles, explosions, and cities.
The main function at the end combines all the steps of the game and reads the user’s input.
This was a fun project on a well‑designed device. It can be flashed with different systems, including ‘Micro Python’ and others, which I may explore in the future.
SaharaHex 