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There is a little-known but clearly successful app called Petit Computer for the Nintendo DSi (It’s available on the 3DS eShop, too) from developers SmileBoom. And now, there will soon be a “Mark III” (Tentative title) for the series. It’s essentially a programming tool that lets you create very basic programs using BASIC.
3DS owners who download the software and understand BASIC will be able to program pretty much anything they can think of within the confines of the application. The original, if you check out the video in the eShop link above, shows that it’s possible to generate basic RPGs, graph charts and so forth. Mark III will up the ante by adding some more requested functions. Namely, it’ll add:
- Up to 999, 999 lines of code
- Support for extended Circle Pad interactions
- Color-coding for words
- Program return indicators
- Up to 4 source multi-editing
- A copy-paste function to help with the above
- Standard painting features (Which means not having to fiddle with knowing exactly what shade #015E is)
- More editing options, like undo and multi-line copy functions
- Input device support for the microphone, cameras, sensors etc.
- Server work and control capabilities
- A direct hook link to the DETUNE sound software application
It’s also hinted that there may be ways to code to make it possible to add 3D effects, leveraging on the 3DS’ main selling point, though details on this haven’t been officially announced yet.
SmileBoom did say they intend to bring the program to the West, since BASIC programming is pretty easy to swap over. There’s no current release date for the software beyond a “Coming soon”. We’ll keep you posted once it’s announced.
