The Legend of Mel: A Real Programmer's Hexadecimal Blackjack
2025-07-16
This article recounts the story of Mel, a legendary programmer from the 1980s. A master of machine code, Mel wrote a blackjack game for the LGP-30 computer at Royal McBee, later optimizing it for the RPC-4000. He eschewed compilers and optimizing assemblers, manually optimizing code to exploit the drum memory architecture for maximum speed. Even simple loops were ingeniously crafted, using instruction address overflow to terminate, avoiding explicit tests. While forced to add a win/loss switch, he subtly reversed the logic, making the program always win when activated, showcasing his unique style and ethical stance. The article highlights Mel's profound skill and dedication to his craft.
Development
programming legend