I am in the process of using Claude Opus 5 to build an N64 game, and it really works. I've written no code and it is able to build a fully functional game.
I got it to write a skill for driving the Ares emulator via GDB Remote Serial Protocol and it uses that for its feedback loop.
What do you get out of that? The utility of having the end product (a generated game for an obsolete console) seems pretty small, and personally I would think the fun is in learning about the inner workings of the time capsule that is 90s hardware. Would you mind explaining?
It's just not the same. I made games for the PSP and Vita and it's "different" than making games for Windows or Playstation/Xbox. There's something about seeing your creation on a tiny handheld. I guess maybe nowadays we got desensitized to it because our phones are actual supercomputers which can run Fortnite without breaking a sweat, but making a device with 2MB of ram play your game as you imagined it is just hyper cool and (for me personally) is incredibly satisfying.
I'm not trying to be dismissive here - I am the type to be into the nitty gritty nerdy stuff that using Claude skips, BUT I have exactly zero experience developing anything for a legacy hardware platform in any capacity (with or without Claude) so genuinely curious to learn varying perspectives here.
Is it about the idea of the platform having limited capabilities (e.g. akin to Game Bub or MiSTer) or about tactile aesthetics (e.g. possibly vaguely comparable - though not really - to r36t or play.date) or something different entirely.
Honestly I think part of it is just that it's cool to see software running on this platform. I remember coding some trash apps on the 3DS back in the day simply because I could. It was great seeing code running somewhere it isn't strictly "supposed to"
stewx · · focus · HN ↗
I got it to write a skill for driving the Ares emulator via GDB Remote Serial Protocol and it uses that for its feedback loop.
Flashtoo · · focus · HN ↗
hnlmorg · · focus · HN ↗
My point is, people get enjoyment out of game design too. It’s not just about nerding out on technical specs.
lucideer · · focus · HN ↗
gambiting · · focus · HN ↗
lucideer · · focus · HN ↗
Is it about the idea of the platform having limited capabilities (e.g. akin to Game Bub or MiSTer) or about tactile aesthetics (e.g. possibly vaguely comparable - though not really - to r36t or play.date) or something different entirely.
AussieWog93 · · focus · HN ↗