Running Doom on the Nintendo Game & Watch: A Journey into Homebrew

TLDRIn this video, the author demonstrates the process of running Doom on the Nintendo Game & Watch device. Despite several challenges, including limited memory and hardware constraints, the author successfully ports the game and achieves playable performance. The video also highlights the potential for future homebrew projects on the device.

Key insights

🎮Porting Doom to the Nintendo Game & Watch required overcoming limitations in memory and hardware, but ultimately resulted in playable performance.

💡Dumping the full firmware of the main processor was a crucial step in the process, enabling further modifications and custom homebrew development.

🔍Reverse engineering the pin connections and using a logic analyzer were necessary for getting the hardware to run with custom code.

📦The game assets and resources had to be compressed and reduced in size to fit within the limited storage capacity of the Game & Watch device.

🚀Collaborative efforts between the author and another hardware hacker were instrumental in solving challenges and improving the performance of the homebrew game.

Q&A

Is this method applicable to other games as well?

—While the author specifically focused on porting Doom, similar techniques can be applied to other games, with the understanding that memory and hardware limitations may vary.

Can I try this on my own Nintendo Game & Watch?

—Yes, the author plans to release scripts and resources that will enable others to dump their device's firmware and explore custom homebrew development.

Are there any risks involved in attempting these modifications?

—Attempting modifications and custom homebrew development may carry some risks, such as potential damage to the device or voiding warranty. It is recommended to proceed with caution and follow instructions carefully.

What other homebrew projects can we expect for the Nintendo Game & Watch?

—While the future of homebrew on the Game & Watch remains open, this video serves as a starting point for building a basic project that others can use as a foundation for their own homebrew creations.

How can I stay updated on the progress of Game & Watch homebrew development?

—By subscribing to the author's channel, you can stay informed about the latest developments and future projects related to homebrew on the Nintendo Game & Watch.

Timestamped Summary

00:00Introduction and motivation behind running Doom on the Nintendo Game & Watch.

01:21Dumping the full firmware of the main processor as a crucial step in the process.

03:26Reverse engineering the pin connections and using a logic analyzer to get the hardware running.

03:55Compressing and reducing the game assets and resources to fit within limited storage capacity.

04:59Collaborative efforts and performance improvements for the homebrew game.

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