Author: Robert L. Rucinski
The flavortext (as well as the included link to the emulator) hints that this is a program for the Commodore 64 (also confirmed by the BASIC program with the command SYS 49152, which is a common command for the C64 to execute a user-defined machine language program).
The DATA statements are told to be mixed up, thus requiring them to be "assembled" (jigsaw puzzle-like) correctly to form a working program.
To solve this part of the puzzle, you can reference any number of works on the internet such as: http://www.commodore.ca/manuals/c64_programmers_reference/c64-programmers_reference_guide-05-basic_to_machine_language.pdf
First, determine what instructions each line of DATA represents.
The first line of DATA represents the instructions: ADC $C060,Y; STA $C100,Y; INY; CPY #$23; BNE (-16)
The second line represents the instructions: BCC (+2); LDA #$2A; JSR $FFD2; INY
Etc.
By understanding what the different pieces of code do, it is possible to reconstruct the program (shown below). Input the program, with the DATA lines in the correct order into a C64 emulator (see ASSEMBLE.D64 for a working copy of the final program: mount the disc image in the VICE emulator, then LOAD "ASSEMBLE",8 and RUN).
The correct order of the DATA statements to make a working program is as follows:
100 DATA 162,0,185,64,192,32,210,255,200,192,32
110 DATA 208,245,160,0,24,152,121,129,235
120 DATA 121,96,192,153,0,193,200,192,35,208,240
130 DATA 162,0,160,0,169,32,24,30,0,193
140 DATA 144,2,169,42,32,210,255,200
150 DATA 192,8,208,238,232,224,35
160 DATA 208,231,169,13,32,210,255,96
170 DATA 147,13,84,72,69,32,65,78,83,87,69,82,32,84,79,32
180 DATA 84,72,69,32,80,85,90,90,76,69,32,73,83,58,13,13
190 DATA 234,240,225,241,117,133,131,232,71,32,197,209,154
200 DATA 34,45,0,203,155,38,179,185,181,150,19,179,158,175
210 DATA 173,36,157,157,137,167,18,144
220 DATA 256
When the program is run, the program gives:
THE ANSWER TO THE PUZZLE IS: ******* ******* ***** ******* * * * * * * * * * * * * ******* ***** ****** * * * * * * * * * * * ******* ***** ******
C64 disc image with program (mount in the VICE emulator)
;main program
*= $C000 ;assemble at $C000
;clear screen and print "THE ANSWER TO THE PUZZLE IS: "
LDY #$00
prloop1 LDA $data1,Y
JSR $FFD2
INY
CPY #$20 ;print all 32 characters
BNE $prloop1
;change the 35 bytes of data in lines 190-210 into the graphical output
;Those 35 bytes are essentially a coded way to produce the graphical output.
;This section essentially decodes it into the correct bytes needed to print
;the graphic (see below for how that happens). The encoding uses the C64
;keyboard table at $EB81. Essentially, add the byte position, the C64
;keyboard table value, and the byte to decode it. This has all been done
;so as to encode the solution to the puzzle in the DATA and make it
;impossible to determine the solution from the DATA alone.
LDY #$00 ;initialize loop counter
chgnxtbyte CLC
TYA ;.A = counter (ie. 0th byte, 1st byte, etc)
ADC $EB81,Y ;.A = .A + keyboard table value
ADC $offsets1,Y ;.A = .A + data byte
STA $C100,Y ;store decoded byte in $C100+.Y
INY
CPY #$23 ;there are 35 bytes of data
BNE $chgnxtbyte
;print the graphical output
;$C100-$C122 now has decoded data such that each bit tells this routine
;which character to print. If the bit is 0, print a space; if the bit is 1,
;print an asterisk.
LDX #$00 ;initialize loop counter X
nextchar LDY #$00 ;initialize loop counter Y
nextbit LDA #$20 ;prepare to print a space
CLC
ASL $inputs1,X ;check bit
BCC $prchar ;if 0, branch
LDA #$A2 ;if 1, prepare to print an asterisk
prchar JSR $FFD2 ;print a space or the character
INY
CPY #$08 ;have we done all 8 bits?
BNE $nextbit ;if not, do the next bit
INX CPX #$23 ;correct graphic takes 35 characters
;have we done all 35 characters?
BNE $nextchar ;if not, do the next character
LDA #$0D ;print a carriage return
JSR $FFD2
RTS ;end
data1 .byte $93,$0D,$54,$48,$45,$20
.byte $41,$4E,$53,$57,$45,$52,$20
.byte $54,$4F,$20,$54,$48,$45,$20
.byte $50,$55,$5A,$5A,$4C,$45,$20
.byte $49,$53,$3A,$0D,$0D
offsets1 .byte $EA,$F0,$E1,$F1,$75
.byte $85,$83,$E8,$47,$20
.byte $C5,$D1,$9A,$22,$2D
.byte $00,$CB,$9B,$26,$B3
.byte $B9,$B5,$96,$13,$B3
.byte $9E,$AF,$AD,$24,$9D
.byte $9D,$89,$A7,$12,$90