Talk to Me

Lesson 1 – Talk to Me

When a Commodore 64 wakes up, it does not hide behind icons. It stares right at you with a blinking cursor and wordless expectation. This first lesson is about answering that stare, hearing the machine talk back, and realising that a few keystrokes already feel like magic.

[📷 suggested: screenshot of the Commodore 64 boot screen with blinking cursor]

The One-Minute Tour

• READY. means BASIC is waiting for your command.
• PRINT tells the computer to show text or numbers on the screen.
• RUN starts the program you’ve typed; RUN/STOP (often the Esc key) halts the chaos.

Example Program

NEW
10 PRINT "HELLO, 198X"
20 END

Sample output:

HELLO, 198X
READY.

Line 10 asks BASIC to display the words between the quotation marks. The quotes keep the message together, exactly as you wrote it.
Line 20 uses END to stop politely. On a tiny machine, being tidy is a kindness.

Tip: Use capital letters in BASIC programs so the listing matches what the C64 displays by default.

Try running the program: type the lines exactly, press RETURN at the end of each, then type RUN and tap RETURN again. BASIC will echo the phrase, print READY., and wait patiently for your next idea.

Experiment Section

Play with the conversation:

• Change the message in quotes. The computer will repeat whatever you shout at it.
• Add a second line: 20 PRINT "WELCOME ABOARD". BASIC prints in order from the lowest line number upward.
• Remove END and see that BASIC still stops—RUN ends by itself unless you give it more to do.
• Create a looping chant:

NEW
10 PRINT "SPACE TIME!"
20 GOTO 10

Run it, let the screen fill, then press RUN/STOP to escape. You just built a loop: the heart of every future game.

[🎥 suggested: clip showing the looping output and the RUN/STOP key halting it]

Concept Expansion

That blinking cursor is the C64’s way of handing you the controls. Learning PRINT, RUN, and RUN/STOP gives you the first tools to communicate. In the next lessons we’ll add pace with FOR/NEXT loops, decision-making with IF/THEN, and player input. Each concept stacks onto this moment of simply speaking to the machine.

Game Integration

Every scoreboard, splash screen, dialogue bubble, and victory message begins with PRINT. Even when you switch to sprites and sound, you’ll still use PRINT to show instructions, track score, or taunt the player. Mastering this simple command keeps your future games readable and welcoming.

From the Vault

• VIC-II — the video chip that paints the screen you’re talking to. You’ll meet it properly once we start changing colours and sprites.

Quick Reference

REM BASIC start-up essentials
PRINT "TEXT" : REM display text or numbers
RUN          : REM execute the program in memory
LIST         : REM show the program you typed
RUN/STOP     : REM halt the current program (Esc in most emulators)

What You’ve Learnt

• The READY prompt is an open invitation to type commands.
• PRINT lets you converse with the computer instantly.
• RUN, LIST, and RUN/STOP form your basic control panel.
• Loops like GOTO 10 can fill the screen—and you now know how to stop them.

Next lesson: We’ll add rhythm with FOR/NEXT loops to control timing and create motion.