It doesn't look much, but if you made this you'd be proud

Gamebridge has announced it's bringing DSiWare game creation software Petit Computer to North America this summer.

The package serves as an introduction to the BASIC programming language that's powered games for decades. If you're not artistically inclined you can use the 512 pre-packed sprites and 256 backgrounds, or using the DSi's touch screen to draw your own.

After you've finished coding and tweaking you can share your creations online with other users by generating QR codes using a PC or Mac. This way you'll be able to pick at others' code to see how they've created their titles, a feature we can see being very popular.

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Petit Computer is out on DSiWare and in the eShop later this year. You can find out more at the Petit Computer site. Want to see the sort of thing you can create with it? Here's a DSiWare rendition of Out Run:

Petit Computer

Petit Computer is the American name of a Japanese DSiWare title called “Puchicom” by Smileboom. “Petit Computer” will be released by Gamebridge in America in Summer 2012.

Petit Computer is a BASIC programming language tool for DSiWare. Using the virtual keyboard on the Touch Screen, users can enter programming commands to create their own BASIC source code.

The first version of the software was released in Japan in March 2011 and has received a large following of users in Japan. The first version only allowed users to save their program source code within the Puchikon program, preventing users from exchanging their source code. As a result users have been videoing their code and uploading the video to youtube.

Do you recognize any of these?

In February 2012, one year after the release of the original version, Smileboom released a new and enhanced MkII version of the program in Japan. MkII has several major improvements including the ability to save your BASIC program source code to a SD card. Using a computer to access the Petit Computer website users can then convert their source code into QR Codes so others can read-in their programs using the Camera in their Nintendo DSi or Nintendo 3DS as a QR Code reader.

It is the latest MKII version that Gamebridge will release in America this summer as “Petit Computer”.

Features
Petit Computer is DSiWare for your Nintendo DSi/3DS. Many Nintendo DSi features can be accessed by Petit Computer using the BASIC programming language.

Fast and colorful sprites, BG screens (screen mode specialized for drawing backgrounds), graphic capabilities, and Touch Screen input are supported by the Nintendo DSi.

Petit Computer comes preloaded with 512 sprites. It also includes 256 BG chips for use in backgrounds. And by changing colors and rotating, the world of possibilities gets even wider.

You can use MML syntax to simultaneously play an 8-channel melody and trigger 16 sounds at once. The available 128 basic tones (instruments), 68 drums, 8 patterns of PSG (duty cycles), and noise can be freely combined to create the sounds you want.

Petit Computer comes with features that allow other people to see the programs you create. When you have a friend nearby, you can use your Nintendo DSi's Wireless Communications feature to exchange programs.

And when you want to release a program to an even wider audience, you can save it onto an SD Card, load it onto your PC, and then use a browser to convert it into a QR code that lets you easily make your work public. These programs can then be loaded onto a Nintendo DSi by using its camera to scan the resulting QR code.