BASIC for Sega Saturn ???

[Djidjo]

Hi folks,

Taelon gave this link in the Saturn forum :

http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA014587/indexe.htm

So there is a BASIC for Sega Saturn ! It must be much easier to use... Does anyone know more about it, is it still available, or on an FTP, do you need special hardware... Every page I found about it is in Japanese <_<

Djidjo

 

[vbt]

I'd love to have it too but I can't find it

 

[antime]

I don't know if you need special hardware, but apparently it came with its own keyboard and an RS232 adapter you could transfer data from/to a PC with (a Windows-based environment was included). You could probably use a Netlink keyboard/ or PS/2-interface for input, but you'd be pretty restricted using only the Saturn's save memory, not to speak of any artwork you might want to use.

This page has some small demo apps you can see the syntax from while this page has some small games that show what could be done with the kit.

 

[Djidjo]

You mean this Basic is used directly on the Saturn with its own keyboard ? You can't develop on the PC ?

 

[antime]

I believe you could do both. You could definitely program directly on the Saturn, but I think the Windows CD also included a compiler. If you Google for 'saturn gamebasic OR "game basic"' you'll get a ton of hits. Even if you don't understand Japanese (I don't) you'll still be able to glean some information.

There are some pics of the kit on Kaneda's pages (special->Saturn Development Kit). If you follow the Google hits you'll also see some screenshots of Gamebasic running on a Saturn.

 

[AntiPasta]

I believe there's this article about it somewhere in Gamespot or IGN's archives... supposedly it was announced to compete with Sony's Net Yaroze, and it included 3D capabilities...

 

[TakaIsSilly]

From what I could read, there was a simple editor/uploader. There are fan-made tools as well, like a poor-mans 3D modeler that's based on quads.

- You can't run games without the GameBasic CD. The CD includes the interpreter. and the file upload utility, so you need the PC at your side. There's definetifely not a compiler on the package. If you take a gander at this link the editor provides upload options like "Enable send program diffierence only between PC and SATURN", what's impossible on assembled code. It must provably use a bitcode to speed uploads a bit, but that's it.

- There is 3D capability, all right, but you're not drawing out the next Radiant Silvergun out of it. this link has the only pics i know of what you can do with the system. Looks quite fancy, never the less. The code looks remarkably intricate, like this snip from the shoot-em-up on the link:

setatr 0,37,(4,1,2,0,32767,0):'ƒtƒ‰ƒbƒVƒ…

?st$"Polygon..."

settex MessageID,320,224,32768

setatr MessageID,1,(0,1,2,MessageID,0,0)

objtype MessageID,1

objatr MessageID,,MessageID

objpos MessageID,,,10

cls MessageID+10

objzoom MessageID,&h.fffc,&h.fffc

for example, shows that there are several dozens of Saturn specific commands, and figuring them all out must not be very easy. On the up side, it comes with a debugger of sorts.

Funky things I didn't knew untill I cheked the official developer site:

- You could upload files, at least from the PC. Not sure about the CD itself.

- It came with a 471-page manual, that should be a record for any Saturn program ever built ^^;

- For polygons, the specs are these:

Maximum number of diferent objects : 255 objects

Maximum number of vertices: 2400 vertices.

Maximum number of polygons : 1800 polygons (visible)

Maximum number of defined textures : 256 pieces