libretro / libretro/RetroArch

[Feature Request] adding a core for the original Magnavox Odyssey

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feature request
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C
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Description

Is anyone interested in adding the original Magnavox Odyssey as a core in RetroArch? This was the first home video game console ever released, and acted more like a platform for setting up TV-assisted board games. It had 12 "cards" that were really just external circuit jumpers and could be used in different games. A "game" was just a set of rules including setup of physical items, TV screen overlays, positioning digital squares on the TV in the right position, and with the players rather than the system keeping score and enforcing the rules.

RetroArch would be a good fit because it can support overlays on top of shaders, so you could set up crisp HQ SVG overlays on top of a black and white CRT shader for a more authentic experience

OdysseyNow is a university-sponsored project by Dr. Zachary Horton, a professor of English and Media Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, that has a bunch of info on the system and games, SVG overlays, and even an emulator (Oyssey Now HAL) available

There is also another modern open-source emulator called Magnavody, which has binaries available for $3 on Steam and itch.io

links:
Oyssey Now project: https://www.odysseynow.org/About.html
Oyssey Now HAL emulator: https://pathealy.itch.io/odyssey-now-hal
Oyssey Now HAL emulator source: https://github.com/Vibrant-Media-Lab/OdysseyNowHAL

Magnavody source: https://gitlab.com/dodgyville/magnavody

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnavox_Odyssey
general history, with circuit card descripions: https://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com/2015/11/16/1tl200-a-magnavox-odyssey/

even MAME doesn't emulate the Odyssey, I also made a post there about it: https://github.com/orgs/mamedev/discussions/197

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

No RetroArch files, tests, or entry points are named. Start by reviewing how existing cores are integrated, then use the linked Odyssey Now HAL and Magnavody sources as references; done would require an implemented original Odyssey core with its game rules, cards, and overlay behavior supported.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
c
Domain
game-dev
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
15/100

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