Back to BASICs with Petit Computer.

More like BA-SICK!

Coming this Thursday [EDIT: actually, July 19th, error mine] to DSiWare (and thus also to the 3DS), Petit Computer promises to have everyone partying programming like it’s 1980. The program lets users laboriously type in commands using the touch screen keyboard to program in a version of the BASIC programming language to do… well, pretty much whatever the BASIC language is capable of, I suppose. There are several sample programs included to give an idea of what’s possible, including, apparently, an old-school RPG and a scrolling shooter, as well as several non-game applications and demos. Perhaps the greatest feature, and the one most people (especially lazy ones) will likely be interested in, is the ability to share programs as QR codes, letting users download programs simply by aiming the 3DS/DSi cameras at an image of the code in the now-familiar way. There’s a trailer behind the break.