Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cbmvax!daveh From: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: HELP: programming Nintendo's Message-ID: <13264@cbmvax.commodore.com> Date: 17 Jul 90 22:11:17 GMT References: <4035@celery20.UUCP> <538@telxon.UUCP> Reply-To: daveh@cbmvax (Dave Haynie) Distribution: na Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA Lines: 18 In article bianco@cs.odu.edu (David J. Bianco) writes: >One lady said she pulled out the guts and saw a 6502 as the CPU, but not >having a Nintendo, I really couldnt say if thats true. Anyway, she and some >others are working on debuggers (seperatly). Nintendos are apparently _almost_ 6502 powered, which would make sense, since at the time (and still, thanks to Nintendo), 6502 assembler was pretty much the universal language of video game writers. In any case, to avoid paying any royalties to Commodore Semiconductor Group (formerly MOS Technology), the CPU in these boxes is a 6502-ish critter with the appropriate patented sections hacked out. So there are very likely a few 6502 opcodes that don't op anymore. I haven't looking inside a Nintendo, but I would be surprised if the CPU is obviously a 6502; more likely, it's part of a larger chip. If not, it's about time for a Nintendo-CR. -- Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: hazy BIX: hazy "I have been given the freedom to do as I see fit" -REM