SnailRace (Commodore 64) by Metzelwurst

SnailRace (C64) by Sönke Schultz (Metzelwurst)

Retro-Game for the BASIC 10Liner Contest 2025

Author: Sönke Schultz (Metzelwurst)

Platform: C64

Language: Commodore BASIC V2

Category: PUR-120

(read the "ReadMe-SnailRace.pdf" for more Information and german text)

### Control / Steuerung ###############

To start the game, press a key between 1-5.

### Description #######################

Five snails stand patiently at the starting position. Who will win this race? It remains exciting. Now press a number between 1 and 5 to start the race. The snails now dash off, huffing and puffing towards the finish line, and there, just before the finish line, one of the snails goes one better and the crowd goes wild - it has won. At the end, press a key to start a new race.

### LINES OVERVIEW ####################

Line  1: Initialization

Line  2: Load sprite data

Line  3: Show game title, draw race track

Line  4: Initialize and draw sprites/snails

Line  5: Draw Player selection and draw finish line

Line  6: Start game loop, move sprites randomly

Line  7: First sprite data

Line  8: Update sprite frame and moving sound effects

Line  9: Winner sequence with sounds

Line 10: Second sprite data

### BASIC code (description in the pdf-file) ###

1 ?"{CLR}":Q=5:U=54272:V=53268:T=13:POKEV+12,0:POKEV+13,0:FORI=UTOU+24:POKEI,0:NEXT:POKEU+24,15:FORI=0TO62:POKE832+I,0:NEXT
2 FORI=0TO34:READX:POKE832+I,X:NEXT:FORI=0TO35:READX:POKE896+I,X:NEXT:DIMI(Q),X(Q),Y(Q):POKEV+1,31:POKEV+3,31:POKEV+9,31
3 ?"SNAILRACE, PRESS 1 -"Q:FORI=1TOQ:POKEV+19+I,I+2:FORJ=1TO33:POKE1143+J+I*160,64:NEXT:POKE1144+I*160,48+I:NEXT:W=2039
4 FORS=1TOQ:POKEW+S,13:X(S)=30:Y(S)=50+S*32:POKEV-20+2*(S-1),X(S):POKEV-20+2*(S-1)+1,Y(S):POKEV+19+S,S+2:POKEW+S,T:NEXT
5 GETA$:ON-(A$<"1"ORA$>"5")GOTO5:J=VAL(A$):?"YOU CHOOSE"J"!":FORI=1TO21:POKE1137+I*40,92:NEXT:P=1098+J*160:POKEP,60
6 FORS=1TOQ:R=INT(RND(1)*15):X(S)=X(S)+R:POKEV-20+2*(S-1),X(S):T=PEEK(W+S):IFT=13THENT=14:GOTO8
7 T=13:DATA0,3,142,0,4,81,3,229,85,4,19,142,9,137,4,18,73,140,20,73,252,20,137,120,18,53,8,81,199,152,120,15,240,63,252
8 POKEW+S,T:POKEU+5,190:FORI=255TO0STEP-24:POKEU+1,I:POKEU+4,129:NEXT:POKEU+4,0:ON-(X(S)>240)GOTO9:NEXTS:GOTO6
9 ?"SNAIL"S"WINS":POKEU+5,190:POKEU+4,17:POKEU+24,15:FORF=0TO99:POKEU+1,INT(RND(1)*15):NEXT:POKEU+4,32:WAIT198,1:RUN
10DATA0,3,142,0,4,81,15,133,85,16,67,142,38,33,12,73,35,24,81,39,248,82,39,144,72,215,16,71,31,16,224,63,48,255,255,224

### about the developer ###############

Hello, I am Sönke from Flensburg (Germany), born near Hamburg (1978). My mother bought a Comodore64 at the end of the 80s. I made my first code experiences when I was 10 years old. And sometimes, if time (and kids) permit, i connect the c64 on TV :-)

This is my third year here. 

2025 "SnailRace" (C64)

2024 "ColorFusion" (C64)

2023 "snake-star" (C64)