Taking over the NES with javascript

[emkay]

Use javascript to hack that old Nintendo you have in the garage.

• Parsing through ROM data to find images and sounds
• Using a js like language to write programs for the NES
• Creating images and sounds for the NES

Slides would of course be presented on real NES hardware using a Powerglove.

[mikeal]

holy shit.

[mikeal]

how does this work? like did you hack a cartridge to run to a connector you can program with node.js over serial port?

I see your https://github.com/emkay/nes-notes and it seems you're documenting the hardware quite well.

BTW, have you seen Alex Dickson's work?

https://github.com/alexanderdickson/Chip-8-Emulator
https://github.com/alexanderdickson/NES

He's going the opposite route, parsing the ROMs in to a JS emulator of the hardware you're talking to.

[emkay]

@mikeal you can buy or make cartridges that take SD cards that will read ROMs.

For example, http://shop.retrogate.com/EverDrive-N8-NES-ver-EDN8-NES.htm.

nesly is hacky and only works for the demo I have, but it's compiling down to 6502 asm. The goal is to create some simple functions to do just the basics: writing text to the screen, loading palettes, sprites, and backgrounds. Then get to more complicated stuff, such as horizontal scrolling. I'm using falafel to parse source files and update the nodes to asm but directly running each token.

nesly-split reads a ROM file and parses the iNes header out. The header is like a treasure map, and tells you where most of the good stuff (like sprites) is.

I have seen Alex's work and it's awesome.

[mikeal]

impressive.

[mikeal]

this is accepted!

this is kinda perfect to open up the narrative for The Evolution of Experience.

[mikeal]

also, are you one of the organizers for js.la? if so i'll include it in your bio.

[emkay]

Awesome! Yes I am one of the organizers of js.la.

[mikeal]

i'll announce this in the next day or so, have a few other announcements first :)

[kwhinnery]

please please please let this be a real thing.

[emkay]

@kwhinnery oh it's real. @jxson and @davidguttman have seen a demo.

[davidguttman]

It is real... and incredibly awesome.

[alexanderdickson]

Awesome, how is progress going?