MEGA65 – highly advanced C64 and C65 compatible 8-bit computer

This page summarizes the projects mentioned and recommended in the original post on news.ycombinator.com

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  • Main_MiSTer

    Main MiSTer binary and Wiki

  • For those who don't know the project :

    https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Main_MiSTer/wiki

  • xemu

    Emulations (running on Linux/Unix/Windows/macOS, utilizing SDL2) of some - mainly - 8 bit machines, including the Commodore LCD, Commodore 65, and the MEGA65 as well. (by lgblgblgb)

  • Why buy a Mega65 when you can emulate it? https://github.com/lgblgblgb/xemu/projects/2

    The emulator has been used to develop software for it and most stuff is open source or free.

    Plus C64 software runs on it like the 128 does in a C64 mode.

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  • icestudio

    :snowflake: Visual editor for open FPGA boards

  • I am slowly moving off my retro computing hobby. The last straw was recent chip shortage and crazy prices. I bought myself a copy of "The 8088 Project Book" and I wanted to build the presented 8088 breadboard computer. Guess what? The only factory that was building compatible 8088/8086 chips caught fire (Renesas factory fire). I had to order 20 year old chips for the price x2 of the new chips. But not only that, some chips are either unavailable or crazy expensive due to a lot of recent interests in retro-comp.

    In other way, the hobby became unreasonably expensive for me. So I decided to move my interests into FPGA. The fun is almost the same, but the cost is way lower (you only need to buy a good board and a book, and you are set up). I started with this extremely simple IDE: https://github.com/FPGAwars/icestudio

    As for this build, I have mixed feelings about using FPGAs to revive old computers. Can't we create something new out of it? It would be fun to have a _modern_ FPGA based SBC with easy to program graphics (memory mapped) and with simple device interface (I think USB is way too complicated for hobbyists). Just something powerful enough to create games, yet simple enough so that teenager can write a simple OS in his spare time.

NOTE: The number of mentions on this list indicates mentions on common posts plus user suggested alternatives. Hence, a higher number means a more popular project.

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