Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!mcnc!xanth!xanth.cs.odu.edu!bianco From: bianco@cs.odu.edu (David J. Bianco) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: HELP: programming Nintendo's Message-ID: Date: 18 Jul 90 13:26:14 GMT References: <4035@celery20.UUCP> <538@telxon.UUCP> <13264@cbmvax.commodore.com> Sender: news@cs.odu.edu Distribution: na Organization: Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA Lines: 14 In-reply-to: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com's message of 17 Jul 90 22:11:17 GMT In article <13264@cbmvax.commodore.com> daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) writes: 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. Almost a 6502? Which parts are patented and which arent? As for whether there is actually a little 6502 sitting on the board or not I dont know, but now you've piqued my interest! I guess I'll just *have* to find out now 8)