Cross-Lib and games built with it (e.g., Chase, Shoot, Bomber, Snake, Horde, Verbix, Shuriken, Stinger, Trex)

by Fabrizio Caruso (fabrizio_caruso@hotmail.com)

Cross-Lib is a WORA (Write Once Run Anywhere) framework for vintage systems, i.e., you code your game in C once and Cross-Lib builds the very same game for about 200 vintage systems (console, computers, etc.) with the very same code.

Read the Disclaimer.

Article [in English], first published in C.A.L.L. Apple Volume 3 Number 1 (January 2023): C.A.L.L.-Apple

Article [in French], first published in the French magazine "Programmez! Hors série #6": Programmez!

Click on the links below to play the games on your browser.

1. Trex is a mini-game and an obvious clone of off-line Chrome T-Rex game.
2. Stinger is a tank-shooter with several enemies, levels, power-ups and items to pick.
3. Shuriken is somehow inspired by Pac-man and Pengo.
4. Verbix is a Scrabble-like game that looks like Tetrix with letters.
5. Horde is a zombie shooter with several different enemies, levels, power-ups and special items to pick.
6. Snake is my personal re-interpretation of Nibbler (arcade game) to which I have added more game elements.
7. Bomber is a mini-game and clone of Air Attack (aka Blitz).
8. Shoot is a shooter somehow similar to Robotron. It has many items and secrets to discover.
9. Chase is somehow similar to Gnome Robots but in real-time game and with several items and power-ups.

Cross-Lib can be used to build games for more than 200 different vintage systems (computers, consoles, arcade boards, pocket calculators, etc.). An almost complete list of the supported systems with their status is in: Supported Systems

Some supported vintage CPU architectures are:

• GBZ80
• Intel 8080/85
• Intel 8086
• MOS 6502
• Motorola 6803
• Motorola 6809
• RCA 1802
• TMS 9900
• Zilog 80

Cross-Lib has also some support for vintage 16-bit and 32-bit systems and the native host PC.

For a more complete list of architectures you can look at: Architectures

Cross-Lib only assumes it is running in a POSIX environment with at least

• Python (2.7 is the bare minimum but 3.x provides more features)
• make (GNU make)
• gcc (or any other ANSI C compiler, e.g., clang)

If you want to produce interactive binaries for the native terminal you also need ncurses or ncursesw.

In order to build binaries for a supported vintage system, the corresponding cross-compiler has to be installed (see the list of supported targets to see which compiler is required).

It runs under any POSIX-like envirnoment such as

• Linux
• Windows/Cygwin
• Windows Subsystem for Linux
• Windows/MSYS2 (UCRT64 and MINGW)
• MacOS (ARM)
• FreeBSD

An actual installation is not necessary because Cross-Lib is made of scripts and a C source library, which is compiled on the fly when building binaries for target systems.

Moreover it can be used through GitHub Codespaces on any browser.

You can also use it with

• the pre-built docker image,
• the dockerfile to build an image or
• a clone of this repository, which requires some dependencies (compilers and a few tools).

For the details click on Installation

Inside the project main directory, you find the src and the build directories:

• src contains the source code and all other files that are necessary to build the games and the examples;
• build is supposed to be empty at first and it is the target directory for the build process.

First of all you need to be in the src directory. From src you can use the xl script to do different operations on projects.

xl is used as follows:

xl <command> <[optional] parameters>

You can get help with:

xl help <[optional] command>

You can build games and examples with :

xl <game_or_example_name> <[optional] system_name>

For example xl snake vic20 builds the snake for the Commodore Vic 20 +16K and xl stinger builds stinger for the native terminal.

For more details click on XL script

Cross-Lib provides a full tool-chain to build universal vintage 8-bit games.

Cross-Lib provides:

• a C library with hardware-agnostic APIs for game development;
• the "user-friendly" script xl.

When a game is built for a specific target, the Cross-Lib tool-chain will automatically:

1. if needed, convert the abstract graphics assets in graphics assets for the given target on the fly;
2. compile the game code (and the target-specific game assets) by using the appropriate compiler;
3. if needed, whenever possible, create a disk/cassette/cartridge image.

The user has to

• code the game in C with Cross-Lib APIs;
• draw the graphics assets in the tiles directory;
• run the xl script (see below).

For more details click on Build

Code written in C with Cross-Lib can be compiled by several different cross-compilers and natively on the PC.

The tool-chain currently supports: CC65, Z88DK (SCCZ80 and ZSDCC), CMOC, LCC1802, ACK, XTC68, GCC, GCC-Z8K, GCC-ATARI-ST, GCC-AMIGA, GCC-TI, VBCC, CC6303.

For more details click on Compilers

https://github.com/Fabrizio-Caruso/CROSS-LIB/blob/master/docs/HARDWARE_AGNOSTIC_CODE.md

https://github.com/Fabrizio-Caruso/CROSS-LIB/blob/master/docs/CROSS_LIB_APIS.md

https://github.com/Fabrizio-Caruso/CROSS-LIB/blob/master/docs/HOW_TO_LOAD.md

Cross-Lib would not exist without the cross-compilers and the support of their developers and the support of some people who have helped me handle the input/output of some targets.

A partial list of the people who have helped in found in Credits

This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this software.

Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for non-commercial applications, subject to the following restrictions:

1. The origin of this software must not be misrepresented; you must not claim that you wrote the original software. If you use this software in a product, an acknowledgment in the product documentation would be appreciated but is not required.

2. Altered source versions must be plainly marked as such, and must not be misrepresented as being the original software.

3. This notice may not be removed or altered from any source distribution.

For example I do not authorize selling hardware, software, firmware or any other product that contains any part of Cross-Lib and/or its games (e.g., pre-loaded disks, tapes, cartridges, etc.). On the other hand I authorize people to load the games in the most convenient way for their personal use.