Why This Matters
This innovative demo showcases how complex multimedia visuals and sound can be compressed into just 256 bytes, pushing the boundaries of size optimization in software development. It highlights the potential for creating highly efficient, compact code for real-time graphics and audio, which is especially relevant for embedded systems, retro computing, and minimalist digital art. The project underscores the ongoing importance of size-efficient programming techniques in the evolving tech landscape.
Key Takeaways
- Demonstrates extreme size optimization in multimedia demos.
- Highlights the capabilities of DOS and DOSBox-X for retro-style graphics and sound.
- Encourages innovation in compact code for embedded systems and digital art.
Endbot
256-byte DOS intro · HellMood/Desire · Revision 2026
What is this?
Endbot is a complete audio-visual demo that fits in exactly 256 bytes. It runs under DOS (via DosBox-X) and renders in real-time: a robot sprite with progressive bullet damage, a growing explosion, a scrolling checkerboard landscape, and a MIDI soundtrack - all from a single tiny .com file.
Build - ASM → COM
You need FASM (Flat Assembler). One command produces a raw binary with no linker step:
fasm endbot.asm endbot.com
Run - DosBox-X Setup
The intro writes to MIDI port 0x330 for music. Use DosBox-X (not plain DOSBox) for its proper MPU-401 emulation.
dosbox-x.conf
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