What makes it special?
There is a number of simple game consoles available on the market today: Arduboy, Gamebuino, Pokitto, etc. — they are all very similar, giving you a screen, buttons, speaker and a microcontroller to program. However, the main difference is how they are programmed. You have to learn C++ or Assembly, you have to install the development environment: the IDE, the compiler, the flashing software. You have to get your programs to compile before you can flash them, and then guess what is wrong with them when they don’t work as expected once flashed. The C++ (even in its Arduino version) is demanding and difficult to learn.
µGame uses a different approach. It is running Adafruit’s CircuitPython — a version of Python that runs without an operating system. It executes your programs directly, without you having to compile or flash them. You can even try your code live in an interactive serial console to experiment quickly. A built-in tile and sprite engine lets you use BMP files for graphic elements of your game. Several banks of ready-to-use graphics let you prototype your game easily, before replacing them with custom graphics of your own. The tiny little speaker lets you play 8-bit WAV files (only one sound at a time, though).
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Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: Open Hardware is In, New CircuitPython and Pi 5 16GB, and much more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
