Petit Computer

Petit Computer is a software development application for the Nintendo DSi and later DS systems, developed by SmileBoom in Japan. The application is built around a custom dialect of BASIC known as SmileBASIC (not to be confused with the 3DS sequel with the same name). Users can write games and other software using the onscreen keyboard and run the applications from within Petit. The platform supports text-based console applications, visual applications, and any combination of the two. Input is available via hardware buttons, touchscreen input, or the onscreen keyboard.

In addition to the code editor and interpreter, Petit Computer includes a simple shell for file management, as well as file sharing functionality. Files can be shared by a direct wireless connection between two DS systems, or by the use of QR codes.

The usage of QR codes enabled some users to develop desktop software that can be used to write SmileBASIC and generate a QR code for easy transfer to the DS.^[1]

Petit Computer comes with several simple sample applications, 5 sample games, and several graphics-editing applications, all written in SmileBASIC with viewable source code.^[2] The latter applications can be used to create sprites, backgrounds, and other resources that can then be used within user-created software. Hundreds of premade sprites and tiles are included with Petit Computer. An extensive manual is available from within Petit that describes the basic features and limitations of SmileBASIC, as well as brief descriptions of most of the commands and their syntax.

SmileBASIC language

Petit Computer uses a customized dialect of BASIC known as SmileBASIC designed specifically for the DSi. Applications written in SmileBASIC can read input from all of the DS's hardware buttons except the Select button (which is always used to terminate the current application) as well as the touch screen, draw graphics and sprites to both screens, and play music written in Music Macro Language. Standard console commands are provided for reading, writing, and manipulating strings. An exhaustive set of graphical commands exists for displaying and manipulating sprites, background graphics, panels, and more, with support for layering, translation, rotation, scaling, palette swapping, and other features, on both screens (some features are limited on the touch screen). Up to 16 channels can be used to play simultaneous audio, with support for fully featured user-defined software instruments and sequenced music.

Reception

Nintendo Life gave the game 7/10 stars, praising its power and potential but criticizing the presentation as tailored towards seasoned programmers, as well as the "tedious" method of entering code via the touch-screen keyboard.^[1] Peter Willington at PocketGamer said the interface "puts you off experimenting" due to the difficulties in entering and navigating text, and complained that error messages weren't useful, but described himself as "massively proud" of his accomplishments with the software and write that "experienced hands will be able to make any kind of software they like".^[3]

Sequel

A sequel designed for the Nintendo 3DS, with new features and fewer limitations, has been released on November 19, 2014 in Japan and October 15th, 2015 in North America. It has yet to be released in Europe. The sequel is titled SmileBASIC (the same name as the dialect of BASIC used in both applications).^[4]

References