When it comes to squeezing performance out of the Commodore 64, few do it better than Robin from 8-Bit Show And Tell. In his latest video, he dives into the world of C64 BASIC sprite animation—this time, tackling a deceptively simple idea: a bouncing pixel ball inside a sprite, while the sprite itself roams the screen. This dual-motion task, suggested by Eyvind, offers a rich opportunity to explore optimization techniques in an otherwise sluggish BASIC environment.
Here are five clever takeaways from Robin’s latest sprite showdown:
1. Reuse Variables for Speed
Robin avoids recalculating values by storing them once. BASIC benefits massively from fewer repeated computations.
2. Minimize Nested Loops
Rather than stacking loops, he restructures the logic to reduce overhead, keeping the C64 BASIC sprite routine responsive.
3. Update Only When Needed
He skips unnecessary screen refreshes. Instead of redrawing every frame, the sprite updates only when something actually changes.
4. Use Bitwise Thinking
Robin hints at how low-level bit manipulation—even in BASIC—can reduce code bloat and speed things up.
5. Keep It Visual and Fun
Despite the constraints, he never sacrifices charm. The final result is snappy, functional, and a joy to watch.
This episode is not just a nostalgia trip. It’s a practical lesson in how much can be achieved with thoughtful code in C64 BASIC sprite animation—even without diving into assembly.
