[Core Port Req.] Hatari, an emulator for Atari ST

Upstream info

• Website
• Target platforms: Windows/macOS/Linux
• Source repo
• Language(s): C
• License: GNU GPL

Merits

Other than support for Amiga (see https://github.com/TASEmulators/BizHawk/issues/2003), I would like see if BizHawk will get support for Atari ST, the first personal computer with a bitmapped color GUI. But the closest thing on emulating it is Hatari, a multi-platform emulator. Unlike many other Atari ST emulators which try to give you a good environment for running GEM applications, it tries to emulate the hardware of a ST as close as possible so that it is able to run most of the old ST games and demos.

Technical details

Surprise, surprise! Hatari is built under the rock-solid foundation of the Simple DirectMedia Layer library (which is written in C), meaning it'll work well with C++, too! (Any version of SDL2 or newer will do that.) And as a bonus, there's also C# language binding for SDL (actually made for SDL3!), so I bet if you manage to implement it.

Alternatives

Atari System Emulator, which says it's partly based on Hatari.

Start by reviewing the Hatari source repository and its upstream documentation to understand the Atari ST emulation scope and dependencies. Then inspect BizHawk's existing core-port structure and determine how Hatari could be integrated; done means a working Atari ST core supporting the requested platforms and validated against relevant games or demos.