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  7. Atari 2600
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Atari 2600

Introduction

The Atari 2600 uses MOS 6502 assembly and small (< 8 KB) ROMs. Despite their simplicity, these programs can hide messages or encodings in data tables or graphics patterns.

Quick Reference

  • Emulate easily with Stella
  • Disassemble:
distella rom.bin > rom.asm
Tool Purpose
Stella Atari 2600 emulator with debugger
DiStella 6502 disassembler for static review

Tips

  • Flag strings may appear in tile maps or sprite data rather than text.
  • Read output .asm from DiStella to trace branch instructions and function flows.
  • Modify compiled byte patterns and reload in Stella to analyze runtime behavior.