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Show HN: A retro video game console I've been working on in my free time

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Re: Show HN: A retro video game console I've been working on in my free time

#13

Post by elliottcarlson »

stevenjohns wrote: post #4

This is something I wish I'd be able to do one day, but every time I look into getting into electronics I get overwhelmed. Can you recommend the materials you used when learning? Books or resources etc. This was a really interesting read, thanks for sharing.

There's the xgamestation boards that you put together yourself, that give you a helping hand in the initial steps of building your own retro console: http://www.ic0nstrux.com/products/gaming-systems/game-consol...

Re: Show HN: A retro video game console I've been working on in my free time

#14

Post by pkiller »

ArtWomb wrote: post #8
pkiller wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks a lot :) It really is super satisfying to get this far, I still turn it on sometimes just to check if it really works. And I also had zero experience with electronics (and I still don't know as much as I should...), so yeah I think you could piece together something like this. :)

I was a tad skeptical when I saw the title. But it looks like you really pulled it off. It took Atari engineers like 4 years ;) Is it fast enough for multi-input / multi-player?

Thanks :)

The only multi-input game I have right now is Tetris for 2 players. My girlfriend doesn't complaint while playing it (except when I win :P), so I'd say it's pretty responsive, even with the somewhat convoluted way the CPU communicates with the PPU and the double-buffering.

I think it will work for other types of games as well. With all the hardware, firmware for the 3 microcontrollers, bootloader software, compiler toolchain and tools, I still haven't gotten around to actually make a lot of games for it.

Re: Show HN: A retro video game console I've been working on in my free time

#15

Post by noonespecial »

stevenjohns wrote: post #4

This is something I wish I'd be able to do one day, but every time I look into getting into electronics I get overwhelmed. Can you recommend the materials you used when learning? Books or resources etc. This was a really interesting read, thanks for sharing.

People invariable ask a form of this question every time an impressive project like this is posted.

For what its worth(1), I think that "learn a bunch of stuff -> go build something cool on the first try" isn't quite the right approach. I think you have to set for yourself a series of tasks and then fight like hell to figure out how to accomplish them. Start with a single blinking led. Just google "how to blink an led" and try to do it a few different ways.

In short the only "material" you might use to get started is google, by typing in "how do I..." while chasing modest goals that look like they might be in roughly the right direction. If there is a magic book out there that will "teach you electronics", I haven't found it yet. It sounds a lot like the sort of book that might "teach you astronauting".

"Electronics" is broad enough that it might be more like learning a language than learning a skill.

(1)My own meandering opinion

Re: Show HN: A retro video game console I've been working on in my free time

#16

Post by larrydag »

stevenjohns wrote: post #4

This is something I wish I'd be able to do one day, but every time I look into getting into electronics I get overwhelmed. Can you recommend the materials you used when learning? Books or resources etc. This was a really interesting read, thanks for sharing.

Start with an Arduino. Really simple circuits and you get to learn on a microcontroller. It's fun too. For instance learn how to turn on and off an LED then go from there

https://store.arduino.cc/usa/arduino/most-popular

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