The Game Of Life - TI-99/4A

John Conway is a British mathematician who invented the simple set of rules for determining patterns on a board that became known as the Game of Life. Despite the name, it is not a game, merely a simulation. In the 'game' one places cells on a grid and, using a very simple set of rules, starting at the top left of the grid and working right and down, determines if the cell in question lives or dies.

In the early days, this was done using boards and counters, like draughts (checkers) by hand! Of course, it was a prime candidate for computers and over the years many Life simulations have appeared on many machines, from mainframes to mini's to Vic 20's to Windows Screen Savers!

This is my version, written in assembler (TMS9900) for the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Home Computer - the machine I grew up with as a child (had one in 1983 at the age of twelve).

It process the standard rules of Life (there have been quite a few variations over the years), and features an editor too. Using the editor, you can move the cursor around the 'universe' and drop cells where you like, and then animate them and watch life unfold before your eyes. Some shapes/patterns produce beatiful geometric shapes over the course of the a few 'generations' before stabilising or dying out - some of these can be seen in the demo.

The program is about 8K in size, but in truth the editor and engine only take up about 4K, the majority of the footprint is taken up with the long scrolly message! (ahem).

The program was written while I was working on site in Turkey. As I was ferried by my driver everyday between pipelines and block valve sites I would be writing assembly language! I developed it with Notepad, and assembled it with ASM994A by Cory Burr. The emulator I used was Win994A, again by Cory Burr. If anyone wants the source code, drop me a line. I also have a version of the source code that will assemble with TI's Editor Assembler. Also, this program is available for download on the wonder TI Gameshelf web site (www.tigameshelf.net), in the Edutainment section. Hope you retro computing folks like it!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• TI-99/4A
• game
• life
• John
• Conway
• Win994a
• Texas
• Instruments
• ti99

[EmmetEarwax]

I am intrigued that anybody still uses and exhorts this. It has a number of problems and was recalled when it developed major problems -like giving electric shocks to users- that not even Bill Cosby could fix.

I always swore by the Apple ][ line -until Bill Gates screwed Apple ][ users. Kill Bill.

[gjc82071]

Hello. I notice you're using Win994a. I was just wondering if with the emulator, you knew how to make game carts & get them to work? I never could figure it out. I've been trying to basically get Congo Bongo & Jungle hunt to work, for a few years now. No luck. I have formats in V9T9, TI Cart, .bin, etc. I actually can't make/get to work, ANY carts. Do you have any tips?

[smileyheart1]

???

[GeoCloaking]

me too...

I think it is about of built pieces.

[magicianspirit]

I don't understand this, but it sounds pretty cool.

[dead2thewind]

love the concept, really wanna write my own but cant program a computer for love nor money so im stuck admiring others and a chess board

[Mizgiwir]

Excelent! I've long been interested in Conway's Game of Life and still have my old TI-99/4A. I'll have to try it out sometime =)