TI-89PROGRAMS
TI-89 Games, Programs and TI-BASIC: What People Run and What Calc89 Does Instead
TI-89 games have kept students busy for decades: puzzle games, shooters and text adventures that fit on a 160 × 100 pixel screen. Behind them sits a real programming culture, from simple TI-BASIC programs to assembly code that pushes the hardware to its limits.
Here is what people run on the TI-89 Titanium, how it gets there, what a ROM is, and what Calc89 does in this area. Short answer for the last part: programs yes, games no.
The games people look for
The best known TI-89 game is Block Dude, a puzzle game in which you pick up and stack blocks to climb walls and reach a door. It is short, clever and runs on the TI-89 Titanium. Next to it you find falling-block puzzles in the style of Tetris, space shooters, card games and the classic text trading game Drug Wars, which many students first typed in or received as a TI-BASIC program.
Searches for Mario and Doom on the TI-89 come up too. Fan-made versions of famous games exist for many calculators, but whether one runs depends on the model, the operating system version and how the program was written. Read the notes that come with a file before you send it to your calculator.
Two kinds of programs: TI-BASIC and assembly
TI-BASIC
TI-BASIC is the language built into the calculator. You write it in the Program Editor, which you open from the APPS menu, and every line starts with a colon. A program begins with Prgm and ends with EndPrgm:
:hello():Prgm:ClrIO:Disp "Hello":EndPrgm
You run it from the home screen by typing its name with parentheses, hello(), and pressing ENTER. TI-BASIC also has functions (Func and EndFunc) that return a value, loops, conditions, input prompts and simple graphics. Most TI-89 "programs" that students share for class, such as formula solvers for physics or civil engineering, are TI-BASIC. They are readable, you can edit them, and they are a good first step into programming.
Assembly
Fast games like Block Dude are usually written in assembly or compiled C for the calculator's processor. These programs run much faster than TI-BASIC but cannot be edited on the calculator. Some older assembly programs were written for earlier models and do not run on the TI-89 Titanium without extra helper software, so check that a file says it supports the Titanium.
Where programs come from and how they get on the calculator
The largest archive of TI-89 games and programs is ticalc.org, which has collected community files for decades, sorted by category, with descriptions and readme files. Teachers and classmates are the other common source, especially for formula programs.
To transfer a program, you need TI's computer software and the USB cable of the TI-89 Titanium. Connect the calculator, send the file, and it appears in VAR-LINK, where you also manage and archive your programs:
Two calculators can also exchange programs directly with a unit-to-unit cable. Only install files you trust: a broken assembly program can freeze the calculator, and archiving your own work first is a good habit.
What is a ROM, and why do emulator apps need one?
A ROM image is a copy of the calculator's operating system. Emulator apps for phones and computers imitate the calculator's hardware, and to do anything they need that operating system, which belongs to the calculator maker. The intended way is to copy it from a calculator you own. We do not point to sources for ROM files, and you should be careful with sites that offer them.
Calc89 is not an emulator and needs no ROM. Its computer algebra system is its own, built into the app.
In Calc89: programs yes, games no
Calc89 is a CAS graphing calculator app intended for use with TI-89 Titanium, made for math. Here is what it does and does not do in this area:
- Programs in classic calculator BASIC: you can write and run your own programs, for example a formula you use in every physics problem.
- Your own functions:
Defineworks the same way as on the handheld, and the function is then available like any built-in command. - No games: Calc89 ships with no games and has no game library.
- No program downloads: it does not load program files from a TI-89, from ticalc.org or from anywhere else, and it does not run assembly programs.
Defining a function takes one line, with the same keys as on the TI-89 Titanium:
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| Define f(x)=x^2+1 | Done |
| f(3) | 10 |
See Define for more examples. Many of the formula programs students share for the TI-89 boil down to a function like this one, or to a single CAS command such as solve(, which Calc89 has built in.
If you came for games, the handheld and its community archives are the place to go. If you came because you need a formula program for class, a defined function or a short BASIC program in Calc89 often does the job, and the tutor can show you the keys for it.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get games on a TI-89?
Download the game files to a computer, connect the TI-89 Titanium with its USB cable and send them with TI's computer software. ticalc.org has a large archive of TI-89 games and programs.
What is Block Dude on the TI-89?
A small puzzle game where you stack blocks to climb over walls and reach the exit. It is one of the best known TI-89 games.
Does Calc89 run TI-89 games or programs?
No. Calc89 has no games and does not load program files. You can write your own programs in classic calculator BASIC and define your own functions.
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