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[German Hops]

I don't have the technical knowledge to make such a project but I always had the interest to do so. If it already been talked in another thread then I apologize in advance.

What I would like to know is, let's say someone would try to make a game console with parts that were common in older generation consoles. By older parts I don't means to salvage from older hardware but use the same hardware from 20~30 years ago since I like those old CPU or other video/sound hardware.

What would be the challenge of doing such a project? For example, are parts still available? Now that most people only use LCD, would it be possible to adapt the signal for new television sets? For video, does chips still exist or you have to make them with some programmable chip (I forgot the name of it but it was used to make some emulated nes hardware).

This is just all "in theory" but those things fascinate me and want to learn more about what is possible and the limitation of what can be done today.
I'd like to make a console that's somewhere in between the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast.

 

[diffusionx]

Look up the Commander X16, a bunch of nerds are making a PC that is like a spiritual successor of the old C64 or whatever but with real hardware. So yes it is doable but obviously very very niche. But there is a big leap between something like the 68k/Z80 and late 90s hardware. It's also much more complicated to make software on that hardware. That's why so many more new games are coming out on Genesis than SNES, Genesis uses a standard 68k which hobbyists know well.

 

[DragoonWalker]

I'm not a tech guy either but I have a feeling even if you could no games could run on it, which renders the whole thing kinda moot?

 

[EverydayBeast]

Making retro consoles requires a lot of knowledge, you can kinda follow a tutorial.

 

[Wildebeest]

You can buy kits with all you need. It isn't impossible, but you would have to follow the instructions and have some confidence with soldering. I don't think you are going to get kits to make a working NES though.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Parts is one thing, but do you have the knowledge to code with barely any backend support? Memory adresses? Assembly language?

Seems heavy even for me who coded assembly for micro-controllers and FPGA’d a game.

 

[Knightime_X]

The truly hardest part is knowing how to develop your game within hardware limitations.
Personally, I feel its a waste of time doing so unless you purely want some kind of unique hobby.
Retro games on modern hardware are far better imo.

 

[Holammer]

If you have the coding skills, there's nothing stopping you from making a virtual platform via emulation. Problem is to get more users on-board to develop games or software for the platform. For that you need a certain clout and The 8-bit Guy on YT got it, so he started the Commander 16 project.




They have early prototype hardware running and an emulator.

Commander X16 Emulator

 

[Buggy Loop]

No specific retro hardware, but C will at least give a skill in return and you’ll be going through nearly all the fundamentals of how graphics came to be, basically making your own graphic engine from scratch.

 

[DemonGamerTTT]

Look up the Commander X16, a bunch of nerds are making a PC that is like a spiritual successor of the old C64 or whatever but with real hardware. So yes it is doable but obviously very very niche. But there is a big leap between something like the 68k/Z80 and late 90s hardware. It's also much more complicated to make software on that hardware. That's why so many more new games are coming out on Genesis than SNES, Genesis uses a standard 68k which hobbyists know well.

This...

8 bit guy(YouTuber) is Althea head of the Commander X16 project he has several videos explaining the upcomings of trying to build your own retro computer, you should take a look.

 

[ReBurn]

If someone sold a kit I'd probably buy one.

 

[StereoVsn]

There are "new hardware" parts for NES, older 80s systems like Commodore and Spectrum and so on. Bunch of YouTubers are into that.

 

[existensmaximum]

Sure you can, as other have pointed out. Well, at least with the 8-bit processors you mention. Making something in between the Saturn and Dreamcast? Yeah, probably not.

 

[existensmaximum]

If someone sold a kit I'd probably buy one.

Check this out then:

http://www.ic0nstrux.com/products/gaming-systems

 

[RoboFu]

Ehh a console between the Saturn ad Dreamcast would just be a very low spec system using modern hardware. You could do it with some celeron soc.

 

[mopspear]

To reiterate what some others said, yes, check out the Commander X16. There is a forum for it https://cx16forum.com/forum/index.php but The 8-Bit Guy (David Murray) posts most updates on the Facebook group. Currently, the X16 is being manufactured in its first run but its pretty limited. After that, there will be a second (and maybe third) version which will be smaller and cheaper and be mass-produced. He was talking about adding a cartridge port but normally everything works off of a SD card. There are a number of games for it you can download but it's all still very early. There's a Super Mario Bros. port (not emulation) too. I worked with someone on about half of the graphics for this game: Rally Speedway