3 ms·

I want to do game programming again like it's 1999. No more `npm i` or "accept all cookies" :/ rant off :)

corysama 9mo ago
Go make a game for the Sega Genesis https://mdengine.dev/ https://mdengine.dev/ Or, the GameBoy Advance https://github.com/GValiente/butano https://github.com/GValiente/butano
- eru 9mo ago
  I was seriously looking into the GameBoy Advance, but the real hardware has gotten quite expensive these days. I wonder how the latest and greatest Wonderswan is doing in terms of price.
  - Keyframe 9mo ago
    One uses emulator while developing anyways. Try with C64 and VICE and join us at https://csdb.dk/ https://csdb.dk/
    - eru 9mo ago
      > One uses emulator while developing anyways. Yes, but part of the joy is the anticipation of playing on a real device at the end. > Try with C64 and VICE and join us at https://csdb.dk/ https://csdb.dk/ Thanks for the invitation! I used a C64 as my only computer in the late 1990s long past its prime, because my mother got a really good deal on a whole set with printer and disk drives and plenty of disks with software (mostly games, from magazines). However, I was still a bit annoyed by the limitations of the system. I guess, if I had had a forth disk, I might have felt different. In any case, for personal reasons I don't want to explore the C64 more. But I never had a GameBoy Advance nor a Wonderswan.
- araes 9mo ago
  Or an alternative for the Sega Genesis https://github.com/Stephane-D/SGDK https://github.com/Stephane-D/SGDK Or the Super Nintendo Entertainment System https://github.com/alekmaul/pvsneslib https://github.com/alekmaul/pvsneslib Or the Gameboy / GBC, Sega Master System, Gamegear, Nintendo Entertainment System https://github.com/gbdk-2020/gbdk-2020 https://github.com/gbdk-2020/gbdk-2020 Or the TurboGrafx-16 / PC Engine, Nintendo Entertainment System (alt), Commodore 64, Vic-20, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Apple II/IIe, or Pet 2001 https://github.com/cc65/cc65 https://github.com/cc65/cc65 Or the ZX Spectrum, TRS-80, Apple II (alt), Gameboy (alt), Sega Master System (alt), and Game Gear (alt) https://github.com/z88dk/z88dk https://github.com/z88dk/z88dk Or the Fairchild Channel F https://channelf.se/veswiki/index.php?title=Main_Page https://channelf.se/veswiki/index.php?title=Main_Page Note: Some are slightly pre-1999 (all these, I have at least successfully made a "Hello World" with) ---------------- If they're really wanting 1999, that's the 5th to 6th generation console range with Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast. (on these, only recommendations, no successful compiled software) Playstation is really challenging and remains so even in 2026. Lots of Modchip and disk swap issues on real hardware. Possibilities: https://www.psx.dev/getting-started https://www.psx.dev/getting-started and https://github.com/Lameguy64/PSn00bSDK https://github.com/Lameguy64/PSn00bSDK N64 is less horrible, and there's quite a few resources: https://github.com/DragonMinded/libdragon https://github.com/DragonMinded/libdragon and https://github.com/command-tab/awesome-n64-development https://github.com/command-tab/awesome-n64-development Sega Saturn is still pretty difficult. However, there is: https://github.com/yaul-org/libyaul?tab=readme-ov-file https://github.com/yaul-org/libyaul?tab=readme-ov-file and https://github.com/ReyeMe/SaturnRingLib https://github.com/ReyeMe/SaturnRingLib plus the old development kits from the 90's are still around https://techdocs.exodusemulator.com/Console/SegaSaturn/Software.html https://techdocs.exodusemulator.com/Console/SegaSaturn/Softw... Dreamcast is similar to the Saturn situation, yet strangely, a little better. There's https://github.com/dreamsdk/dreamsdk/releases https://github.com/dreamsdk/dreamsdk/releases and https://github.com/KallistiOS/KallistiOS https://github.com/KallistiOS/KallistiOS along with the official SDKs that are still around https://www.sega-dreamcast-info-games-preservation.com/en/release-de-sdk-tech-demo-et-dev-stuff-dreamcast https://www.sega-dreamcast-info-games-preservation.com/en/re...

Go make a game for the Sega Genesis https://mdengine.dev/ https://mdengine.dev/ Or, the GameBoy Advance https://github.com/GValiente/butano https://github.com/GValiente/butano

eru 9mo ago
I was seriously looking into the GameBoy Advance, but the real hardware has gotten quite expensive these days. I wonder how the latest and greatest Wonderswan is doing in terms of price.
- Keyframe 9mo ago
  One uses emulator while developing anyways. Try with C64 and VICE and join us at https://csdb.dk/ https://csdb.dk/
  - eru 9mo ago
    > One uses emulator while developing anyways. Yes, but part of the joy is the anticipation of playing on a real device at the end. > Try with C64 and VICE and join us at https://csdb.dk/ https://csdb.dk/ Thanks for the invitation! I used a C64 as my only computer in the late 1990s long past its prime, because my mother got a really good deal on a whole set with printer and disk drives and plenty of disks with software (mostly games, from magazines). However, I was still a bit annoyed by the limitations of the system. I guess, if I had had a forth disk, I might have felt different. In any case, for personal reasons I don't want to explore the C64 more. But I never had a GameBoy Advance nor a Wonderswan.
araes 9mo ago
Or an alternative for the Sega Genesis https://github.com/Stephane-D/SGDK https://github.com/Stephane-D/SGDK Or the Super Nintendo Entertainment System https://github.com/alekmaul/pvsneslib https://github.com/alekmaul/pvsneslib Or the Gameboy / GBC, Sega Master System, Gamegear, Nintendo Entertainment System https://github.com/gbdk-2020/gbdk-2020 https://github.com/gbdk-2020/gbdk-2020 Or the TurboGrafx-16 / PC Engine, Nintendo Entertainment System (alt), Commodore 64, Vic-20, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Apple II/IIe, or Pet 2001 https://github.com/cc65/cc65 https://github.com/cc65/cc65 Or the ZX Spectrum, TRS-80, Apple II (alt), Gameboy (alt), Sega Master System (alt), and Game Gear (alt) https://github.com/z88dk/z88dk https://github.com/z88dk/z88dk Or the Fairchild Channel F https://channelf.se/veswiki/index.php?title=Main_Page https://channelf.se/veswiki/index.php?title=Main_Page Note: Some are slightly pre-1999 (all these, I have at least successfully made a "Hello World" with) ---------------- If they're really wanting 1999, that's the 5th to 6th generation console range with Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast. (on these, only recommendations, no successful compiled software) Playstation is really challenging and remains so even in 2026. Lots of Modchip and disk swap issues on real hardware. Possibilities: https://www.psx.dev/getting-started https://www.psx.dev/getting-started and https://github.com/Lameguy64/PSn00bSDK https://github.com/Lameguy64/PSn00bSDK N64 is less horrible, and there's quite a few resources: https://github.com/DragonMinded/libdragon https://github.com/DragonMinded/libdragon and https://github.com/command-tab/awesome-n64-development https://github.com/command-tab/awesome-n64-development Sega Saturn is still pretty difficult. However, there is: https://github.com/yaul-org/libyaul?tab=readme-ov-file https://github.com/yaul-org/libyaul?tab=readme-ov-file and https://github.com/ReyeMe/SaturnRingLib https://github.com/ReyeMe/SaturnRingLib plus the old development kits from the 90's are still around https://techdocs.exodusemulator.com/Console/SegaSaturn/Software.html https://techdocs.exodusemulator.com/Console/SegaSaturn/Softw... Dreamcast is similar to the Saturn situation, yet strangely, a little better. There's https://github.com/dreamsdk/dreamsdk/releases https://github.com/dreamsdk/dreamsdk/releases and https://github.com/KallistiOS/KallistiOS https://github.com/KallistiOS/KallistiOS along with the official SDKs that are still around https://www.sega-dreamcast-info-games-preservation.com/en/release-de-sdk-tech-demo-et-dev-stuff-dreamcast https://www.sega-dreamcast-info-games-preservation.com/en/re...