Project 6: Bare-Metal Game Console

A complete handheld game console on Raspberry Pi Pico with:

Quick Reference

Attribute Value
Primary Language See main guide
Alternative Languages N/A
Difficulty Advanced
Time Estimate 1-2 months
Knowledge Area See main guide
Tooling See main guide
Prerequisites All previous projects, basic game development concepts

What You Will Build

A complete handheld game console on Raspberry Pi Pico with:

Why It Matters

This project builds core skills that appear repeatedly in real-world systems and tooling.

Core Challenges

  • Writing a SPI driver in assembly for the LCD (timing-critical)
  • Double-buffering the framebuffer to prevent tearing
  • Implementing sprite rendering with clipping
  • Handling multiple interrupt sources (buttons, timers, DMA)
  • Optimizing the render loop to hit 60fps

Key Concepts

  • SPI Protocol & DMA: RP2040 Datasheet Ch. 4 (SPI) - Raspberry Pi Foundation
  • Game Loop Architecture: “Making Embedded Systems, 2nd Edition” Ch. 10 - Elecia White
  • Graphics Algorithms: “Computer Graphics from Scratch” Ch. 1-6 - Gabriel Gambetta
  • Performance Optimization: “Write Great Code, Volume 2, 2nd Edition” Ch. 12-13 - Randall Hyde
  • PWM Audio: “RP2040 Assembly Language Programming” Ch. 12 - Stephen Smith

Real-World Outcome

[BOOT] Game Console Init - 85ms
[LCD] ST7789 240x240 @ 40MHz SPI
[DMA] Ch0: Framebuffer → SPI TX
[AUDIO] PWM @ 44.1kHz, Ch1 (GPIO 15)
[INPUT] 4 buttons on GPIO 2-5 (interrupt mode)
[MEM] FB1: 0x20010000, FB2: 0x20022C00 (115,200 bytes each)
[GAME] Snake v1.0 starting...
[FPS] 60.1 fps (avg over 100 frames)
[GAME] Score: 5, Length: 8
[GAME] Score: 10, Length: 13
[GAME] Game Over! Final Score: 15

Implementation Guide

  1. Reproduce the simplest happy-path scenario.
  2. Build the smallest working version of the core feature.
  3. Add input validation and error handling.
  4. Add instrumentation/logging to confirm behavior.
  5. Refactor into clean modules with tests.

Milestones

  • Milestone 1: Minimal working program that runs end-to-end.
  • Milestone 2: Correct outputs for typical inputs.
  • Milestone 3: Robust handling of edge cases.
  • Milestone 4: Clean structure and documented usage.

Validation Checklist

  • Output matches the real-world outcome example
  • Handles invalid inputs safely
  • Provides clear errors and exit codes
  • Repeatable results across runs

References

  • Main guide: ARM_ASSEMBLY_LEARNING_PROJECTS.md
  • Primary references are listed in the main guide