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  _____             _           _   ____              _     _ 
 |  __ \           | |         | | |  _ \            | |   | |
 | |__) | _   _ ___| |_ ___  __| | | |_) | ___  _   _| | __| | ___ _ __ ___
 |  _  / | | | / __| __/ _ \/ _` | |  _ < / _ \| | | | |/ _` |/ _ \ '__/ __|
 | |_) \ | |_| \__ \ ||  __/ (_| | | |_) | (_) | |_| | | (_| |  __/ |  \__ \
 |_____/  \__,_|___/\__\___|\__,_| |____/ \___/ \__,_|_|\__,_|\___|_|  |___/
_______________________________________________________________________________
                                                                    
      PROUDLY PRESENTING AN ALPHA RELEASE FOR THE COMMODORE 128 (VDC)
                            "BUSTED BOULDERS"
_______________________________________________________________________________

  RELEASE DATE..: April 25, 2026       PLATFORM......: Commodore 128 (80-col)
  DEVELOPER.....: Richard Goedeken     VERSION.......: CLASS 2026 Alpha
_______________________________________________________________________________

  [ DESCRIPTION ]

  Forget everything you know about 8-bit graphics. BUSTED BOULDERS pushes the 
  C128's 8563 VDC chip to the limit, delivering a high-definition gaming
  experience on 40-year-old Commodore hardware.

  This game renders a crisp 640x480 playfield with 16 colors, catching up with
  the IBM VGA standard. No more blocky low resolution sprites. We're talking
  butter-smooth animation at 60 FPS with ball physics calculated at sub-pixel
  precision.

  [ FEATURES ]

  * 640x480 Interlaced Resolution, 16 colors.
  * Real-time Physics: Control the ball using spin from the paddle.
  * Precise Control: Supporting analog paddles via the SID chip.
  * 2MHz Mode: Pure 8502 power for lag-free multi-ball action.

  [ SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ]

  - Real Commodore 128 (Flat or D) - Does not run properly under VICE emulator
  - Real SID Chip (Required for analog paddle sampling)
  - Paddle Controllers
  - C128 Video DAC (original from me, or newer version from bit-c128.com)
  - GBS-8220 Scan Doubler (Required to fix buggy 8563 interlaced field timing)
  - 64KB VDC RAM (optional; required for the graphical title screen)

  [ CONTROLS ]

  - PADDLE BUTTON.....: Start Game / Launch Ball / Resume Game
  - KEY 'P'...........: Pause Game

  [ CREDITS ]

  - Code & Design.....: Richard Goedeken
  - Compiler..........: Oscar64 by Dr. Mortal Wombat
  - Sound Logic.......: C64SIDKit by Devin Venable

_______________________________________________________________________________

  [ DEVELOPER NOTES ]

  This alpha build was first shown at the Commodore Los Angeles Super Show in
  Burbank, California. It's about 80% done by features. Future updates will
  include high scores, more power-ups, more levels, and enhanced SID tunes.
  Search for Busted Boulders on itch.io later in 2026 for a full release.

  Join the revolution. Flip that 80-column switch and break some boulders.
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// GREETS TO THE C128 SCENE