You can also download the programming tools "Propeller Tool Software" (compiler and IDE) from the same location.
The Hydra is mostly just a propeller with minimal external hardware, but the Hydra kit comes with a knock-down-drag-out fabulous book, lots of example code, and hardware interfaces (plus the hardware) for mouse, keyboard, and game controller.
Hmmm. Others can weigh in on this but if you mean "no programming knowledge in SPIN or any other programming language" then I would say no. Hydra is a bare bones minimalistic system and it takes some technical savvy to pull off elaborate games. Today you can not do source-level debugging on the Hydra, which means you typically need strong debug skills to find and correct problems.
To hit the ground running and crank a game in 2 weeks I'd say you should have 1) programming knowledge in other languages 2) previous game writing experience 3) a strong hardware / embedded systems background. Then if you were to leverage the support content out there and work within an existing sprite engine or draw library you could pull it off in 2.
By the way; I interpreted your question to mean something like "I have a school project and have to get a game working in 2 weeks", in which case my answer stands. If you question is really "Is this thing accessible enough to a new programmer that in 2 weeks I will feel like I know what I'm doing and can make some things happen on my own" then I say yes yes yes! The Hydra book is an excellent introduction to game design and programming.
Get a hydra, that's the only way to find out! And you can always take one of the pre-made SPIN based games and personalize it and pass it off as your own for you school project [noparse]:)[/noparse]
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The high level programming language is SPIN, which is a byte-code-interpreted language (as is Java). You can also program it in assembly.
The processor on the Hydra is a Propeller. Download the "Propeller Manual" from here for all the info on the chip and the language: http://www.parallax.com/propeller/downloads.asp
You can also download the programming tools "Propeller Tool Software" (compiler and IDE) from the same location.
The Hydra is mostly just a propeller with minimal external hardware, but the Hydra kit comes with a knock-down-drag-out fabulous book, lots of example code, and hardware interfaces (plus the hardware) for mouse, keyboard, and game controller.
There's lots of Hydra info on the main site at http://www.xgamestation.com/browse_products.php?category=7.
To hit the ground running and crank a game in 2 weeks I'd say you should have 1) programming knowledge in other languages 2) previous game writing experience 3) a strong hardware / embedded systems background. Then if you were to leverage the support content out there and work within an existing sprite engine or draw library you could pull it off in 2.
Andre'