What topics does Janne Hellsten's nurpax blog cover?

nurpax.github.io is the personal blog of Janne Hellsten, and its content centers on his GitHub projects — above all Commodore 64 programming, his C64jasm macro assembler, and C64 debugging tooling, with occasional general programming notes such as Python argparse. If you are interested in retro-computing development at the assembly level, it is directly relevant; if you are looking for general software engineering content, only a small part of the archive applies.

Main topic areas

C64 programming and demo effects

The largest share of posts deals with low-level C64 development and the techniques behind demo effects. Examples from the post list include:

• "Dirty tricks 6502 programmers use" (August 18, 2019)
• "Break down of a C64 demo effect" (June 7, 2018)
• "BINTRIS C64: Bad lines and flexible line distance (series part 5)" (June 19, 2018)

These are explanatory, technique-focused write-ups rather than news or reviews — useful if you want to understand how specific visual effects are produced on the hardware.

C64jasm: the macro assembler

Hellsten documents his own assembler project, C64jasm, across several posts:

The sequence moves from the assembler's design to practical asset loading (sprites, PETSCII text, SID audio) and then to language features like object literals. Read in order, they function as informal documentation for the tool.

Debugging C64 projects

"Debugging C64jasm projects with VICE and C64Debugger" (February 22, 2021) covers the workflow of debugging assembled programs using the VICE emulator and the C64Debugger tool. This is the post to start with if you already write C64 code and need to trace what goes wrong at runtime.

General programming notes

Not everything is C64-specific. "Python argparse" (December 4, 2019) is a standalone note on Python's command-line argument library, and "C64 tool tricks (VICE and others)" (August 23, 2018) covers emulator tooling more broadly.

How to decide whether to read it

• Relevant to you if: you write 6502 assembly, follow C64 demo-scene techniques, or want to try C64jasm and need guidance on assets and debugging.
• Less relevant if: you want broad tutorials on modern languages or frameworks — the archive is narrow and project-driven.
• Best entry points: start with "Dirty tricks 6502 programmers use" for technique, or the C64jasm posts if you intend to use the assembler.

Practical notes

The blog is a simple chronological index with an "All posts..." link, so browsing the full archive is straightforward. The most recent listed post is a short update dated January 1, 2024, which suggests publishing is infrequent and the archive is best treated as a reference rather than a feed to follow. Contact is given as [email protected] or @nurpax, so corrections and questions go directly to the author.