MiSTer Organize, the creator behind the MiSTer Organize project has released the hybrid PICO-8 core for the MiSTer FPGA, bringing the much loved fantasy console experience to the MiSTer FPGA hardware platform for the first time, with this core the MiSTer’s ARM CPU runs the PICO-8 emulator, while the FPGA handles video timing and output directly bypassing the MiSTer scaler for zero lag CRT support. The PICO-8 core is currently a work-in-progress but from initial testing is running very well so far.The PICO-8 is developed by Lexaloffle.

The PICO-8 has an overwhelming library of games, it is certainly worth checking out some of the highly rated PICO-8 games using the MiSTer FPGA core. Give the following a try: Celeste Classic its a precise and challenging platformer. Poom is another awesome title, being a reimagining of classic DOOM gameplay in a minimalist format. If you are looking for some exploration and crafting, try Terra, this is a demake of Terraria. Other titles worth mentioning include High Stakes, a tactical card game, Birds With Guns, an excellent arcade shooter, and finally Porklike, a roguelike dungeon crawler. Overall, a huge library of games exists to explore on the MiSTer FPGA with the PICO-8 core.

MiSTer PICO-8 Core GitHub: https://github.com/MiSTerOrganize/MiSTer_PICO-8

Exciting times lie ahead in the area of MiSTer FPGA arcade core development as in a recent update on his Patreon page, Jotego, the skilled developer behind many MiSTer FPGA arcade cores, shared the following news:

‘On the core development side, the focus is on closing the open betas. JTSHOUSE is one of them. We have continued working on it, and all Namco System 1 games boot up in the core now. However, most of them are unplayable due to graphics problems. Splatter House was already available, and we are adding Galaga ’88 this week. Pac-Mania is close to being ready for beta as well. The rest of the compatible games need more work, though.’

Galaga ’88 represented a significant evolution from its predecessor, Gaplus, in several key aspects. Firstly, the game introduced more advanced graphics and animations, leveraging improved hardware capabilities to create vibrant and visually appealing alien designs and backgrounds.

In the late 1980s, amid the dimly lit arcades, one game redefined horror gaming forever. Splatterhouse unleashed players into a nightmare filled mansion as Rick Taylor, where every swing and strike against grotesque foes delivered an adrenaline rush. It’s visceral graphics and eerie soundscape set a new standard, pushing boundaries and offering a cathartic escape.

The talented MiSTer FPGA developer Jotego, in a recent Patreon post shared the following news:

‘Work started on JTSHOUSE, a Namco System 1 compatible core (Splatter House, PacMania, etc.). This is a very sophisticated system with four CPUs that can all talk to each other through several devices. This is quite unusual. Most arcade systems feature two CPUs and only one of them can talk to the other.’

As the anticipation builds I am sure many arcade horror fans are looking forward to delving back into the blood-soaked corridors of Splatterhouse on MiSTer.

In October 1989, a significant event occurred across arcades in North America and Europe. This event marked a pivotal moment for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the gaming world, establishing its enduring legacy and setting new benchmarks for the beat-em-up genre. The game’s release, aptly named “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” granted players the unique ability to simultaneously control all four ninja turtles, resulting in exhilarating chaos and indelible memories.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles core for the MiSTer FPGA is available on Furrtek’s GitHub:
https://github.com/furrtek/Arcade-TMNT_MiSTer.

Furrtek’s Beta Release Tweet:
https://twitter.com/furrtek/status/1651959708201234437

Furrtek’s Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/furrtek

Update 16th September 2023:

Paulb-nl a talented MiSTer core developer has recently fixed a number of issues with Furrtek’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles core. Improvements are as follows:

Shadows Are Visible
DIP Switches Working (Difficulty)
Fixed MIA Flipped Tiles
Fixed Missing Parts Of Some Sprites
Add Video Options & Pause (Y/C, Gamma, Scandoubler, Crop, Integer Scale)
Add CRT H/V Adjust

The discolouration on CRT can be fixed by adjusting the image to the right. This core has a lot of overscan and currently the default horizontal position is too far to the left probably going too far into blanking.

Download here:
https://github.com/paulb-nl/Arcade-TMNT … p/releases

If you have never heard of a Tamagotchi, they were a virtual pet device that originated in 1996 and was invented by Akihiro Yokoi of Bandai. This small electronic toy with a screen and buttons was typically shaped like an egg. Users are responsible for caring for a digital creature, which requires feeding, playing with, and attending to its various needs to keep it happy and healthy. The virtual pet evolves and grows over time, and neglecting its needs can lead to its demise.

Adam Gastineau’s MiSTer Tamagotchi core features, savestates, automatic restoration upon core launch, a turbo mode allowing up to 1800x speed to quickly evolve your Tamagotchi and custom backgrounds.

You can support Adam Gastineau by sponsoring him here on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/agg23/

The Tamagotchi core for MiSTer currently requires a manual installation more detail are available on the Tamagotchi FPGA GitHub.

Tamagotchi Core from agg23

Robert Peip (@AzumFpg) has now revealed for the past 3 months he has been working on a new project, it is his Nintendo 64 emulator, as Robert stated in a twitter post ‘Still a way to go before we will have this state in a #MiSTerFPGA core’. However this is still exciting news and clearly the first stage in the software development life cycle towards a working MiSTer Nintendo 64 core!

Robert’s goal is that you can try an N64 homebrew demo yourself on your MiSTer in summer 2023, with Robert’s extraordinary talented track record of MiSTer core development, this is in the best hands.

One of the standout features of the N64 was its extensive library of games, including many classic titles such as Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and GoldenEye 007.

Robert’s Announcement Tweet:
https://twitter.com/AzumFpg/status/1646452662676619264

Robert Peip’s Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/FPGAzumSpass

In a recent tweet Sergey (@srg320_) confirmed work has started on Battletoads, he tweeted ‘Couldn’t resist trying to make a core for MiSTer’. Sergey is also the talented developer currently behind the Sega Saturn core for the MiSTer.

Battletoads is a classic arcade game released by Rare in 1994. It is a side-scrolling beat ’em up game that follows the adventures of three anthropomorphic toads, Rash, Zitz, and Pimple, as they attempt to save their kidnapped friend and defeat the evil Dark Queen. Battletoads supports up to three players in co-operative play.

You can support Sergey Dvodnenko’s efforts here on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/srg320/posts

The Battletoads arcade core is still very much a work in progress, but it is available on the MiSTer Forums:

Battletoads New Core from srg320

Bandai’s TV Jack console line, which began in 1977, saw its final iteration with the release of the TV Jack 8000 in 1979. This version was also known as the Super Vision 8000 or the Bandai TV Jack Micro Computer System. It was the first programmable cartridge-based console in Japan and marked Bandai’s attempt to expand into the computer market. Logic Systems International (L.S.I) provided development assistance.

The Super Vision 8000 was an impressive console for its time, boasting an 8-bit NEC D780C (Z80 clone) processor capable of a maximum speed of 3.58 MHz. The console used a General Instruments AY-3-8910 audio chip, which supported three sound channels and two general-purpose parallel I/O ports used for joysticks. Similar processors could be found in later systems such as the Amstrad GX4000 and the popular MSX computer line in Japan in the 1980s, making the Super Vision 8000 ahead of its time.

The FPGA implementation of the Super Vision 8000 by Bandai, was created by Flandango

The Super Vision 8000 core is available now, for more details see MiSTer FPGA GitHub:

https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Super_Vision_8000_MiSTer

The MiSTer FPGA Super Vision 8000 console core supports the following game titles:

Cosmic Guerilla is a classic arcade game that was released in 1979 by Universal. The game is a single-player shooter game that involves defending the player’s base from alien invaders.

In the game, the player controls a laser cannon that can move horizontally along the bottom of the screen. The player’s objective is to shoot down waves of alien spacecraft that descend from the top of the screen. The aliens will fire back at the player, and if the player’s cannon is hit, the game is over.

Macro is the talented developer who recreated Cosmic Guerilla as an arcade core for MiSTer.

Macro’s website is here: http://macros-arcade.com/

You can support Macro here on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/macrofpga

The Cosmic Guerilla arcade core was first released on 04/04/2023 and is available now from the MiSTer GitHub:

https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Arcade-CosmicGuerilla_MiSTer

Freeze is an arcade game developed by Cinematronics in 1984. The game is set in a frozen world where the player controls a character who must navigate through a maze while avoiding obstacles and enemies. The gameplay is simple yet challenging, as the player must use strategic planning and quick reflexes to avoid getting frozen by enemies or the environment. The game’s unique freeze mechanic allows the player to freeze enemies in place, making them temporarily harmless. Freeze was well-received upon its release and remains a cult classic among arcade game enthusiasts.

Pierre Cornier is the MiSTer FPGA developer who ported the PCB to MiSTer creating this arcade core.

You can follow him here on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pcornier

The Freeze arcade core is available now and for more details and the download of the .rbf and .mra files see Pierco’s Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/five-little-for-80577545

The MiSTer FPGA Freeze arcade core also supports the following arcade game titles: