Quand j’étais jeune, j’ai eu la chance d’avoir une Game Boy originale et au fil des années, j’avais accumulé pas mal de jeux. Malheureusement un jour, un membre malfaisant de ma famille a quasiment tout volé pour les revendre à je ne sais qui, mais j’ai quand même réussi à sauver ma GB d’origine et surtout Tetris qui est, encore aujourd’hui, mon jeu préféré.
Je n’y joue pas souvent, mais je sais que si un jour elle tombe en panne, grâce à ce projet, je pourrais la réparer sans souci et même avoir de nouvelles fonctionnalités super cools. D’ailleurs qui n’a jamais rêvé de pimper sa bonne vieille Game Boy tout en conservant son look d’origine indémodable ?
Here’s my hot take for 2025, technology that cannot be upgraded is genuinely consumer-unfriendly. Framework proved it was possible by designing a sleek laptop that featured totally upgradable components – most gaming PCs are entirely upgradable too – so why not phones? Why not tablets? And why not drones?
Drones are devices that you probably buy once or twice in your lifetime. Nobody buys a new drone every 2 years – they use the one they have for as long as possible before upgrading (that’s only if they need to upgrade)… which really means you’re stuck with backward tech for a fairly long time. To combat this, Ethan White designed the ARK – a modular drone with an architecture that features removable and upgradable components. Need a new battery? Swap it out. Want a better camera lens? Substitute the older one for a newer model.
Designer: Ethan White
“Traditional drones require complete hardware changes or airframe redesigns to perform different roles. The ARK, however, offers an integrated solution with the simple act of swapping module pack,” says Ethan. Although the drone references Noah’s Ark, it quite literally represents the metaphor of the ‘Ship of Theseus’ – a thought experiment revolving around a ship that remains constant, with its parts gradually replaced over time.
The way the ARK is designed balances purposeful bulkiness with aerodynamics. Sure, laptops can be sleek for cosmetic reasons – but drones need to shed every single ounce they can for efficiency – a heavy or bulky drone can’t fly as well as a lithe, aerodynamic one – so making a drone that’s easy to disassemble, modular, and upgradable presents a unique challenge.
Components can’t be interwoven with each other inside a single outer body. The battery needs to exist independent of the PCB. The motors, sensors, cameras, every element has to be positioned very thoughtfully, so that they can be individually removed and replaced.
To that end, the ARK has a remarkable design, featuring components that interlock together when in use, and separate when you need to perform a swap. All this while still making sure you’ve got a drone that’s portable, foldable, and aerodynamic. The modularity also means you can purpose-build your drone based on your needs. Want something for entertainment, choose a basic package. Want a multimedia beast, upgrade your camera. Want to record at night, swap the daytime camera for a module that supports night vision. Want better range, add better antennas on top. You can build your drone with precise intent, just like you would your PC.
The drone features upgradable PCBs, cameras, propellers/motors, battery packs, and even other components like anti-collision sensors. Although conceptual, Ethan is working on a proof-of-concept and states that he’s aiming for IP43 water and dust resistance, along with a 30-minute flight-time. That might sound dull on paper, but I’d choose 30 minutes of flight with an absolutely incredible camera lens and sensor over 50-60 minutes with a fairly basic lens array. Plus, things will only get better with time – and as a consumer, you directly benefit from it.
Despite laptops overtaking their towering cousins in market share, these portable computers still lack one vital trait that has kept stationary desktops still relevant today. Desktop computers are, to a very large extent, modular by design, making it easier to upgrade and replace components as needs and technologies change. Sure, some laptops have upgradable RAM and storage, but that’s pretty much all there is to them given certain limitations in design.
Those limitations include the design of the motherboard itself, an all-in-one all-or-nothing object that is pretty much the soul of a computer. Intel, however, is proposing a rather ground-breaking change that will help make these components more repairable and less wasteful. If followed by its partners, it won’t just kick off a new age of modular laptops, it could even give Intel and AMD a huge edge over their Arm-based rivals such as Qualcomm and, of now, Apple.
The difference in motherboards between desktops and laptops is like night and day. Desktops follow an industry convention that has been shaped over decades, allowing components from rival companies to be mixed and matched as the consumer desires. Laptop motherboards, on the other hand, are often designed based on brand needs and whims. More importantly, they come as a whole package, with many parts soldered onto the board, including the ones that get worn out faster than others.
Intel’s proposed guidelines try to split the laptop motherboard into three distinct parts, two of which would hold the I/O or input out components such as USB and HDMI ports. The third would be where the core silicon is located, specifically the CPU and the GPU, among others. The modularity would allow different affected parts to be replaced if broken or, if desired, even upgraded, without throwing away the rest of the motherboard.
Those guidelines also have something for mini PCs, which are like the middle child between desktops and laptops. In this matter, the CPU and motherboard are separated from the graphics card and other components, making it easier to swap out GPUs or CPUs in the future. The growing popularity of mini PCs, partially thanks to the Mac mini and Mac studio, could be the driving force behind this initiative. Ironically, Intel itself has given up on the form factor, licensing its “NUC” brand to ASUS.
These guidelines might be ideal for reducing e-waste and promoting the right to repair, but it still all depends on whether other players are willing to play ball. Laptop manufacturers might be hesitant to do the work redesigning their laptops, and Intel’s rival AMD might not be keen to cooperate either. It’s still a distant dream, but one can already have a foretaste of the future today with the Framework laptops, proving that it can indeed be done with the right design.
Robot vacuum cleaners are so advanced these days that some of them barely need human intervention. Of course, that wasn’t always the case in the earliest days of this market segment, with the first generations relying on some very basic technologies and software by today’s standards. Although its name has become synonymous with robot vacs, the Roomba has almost all but faded into that background.
Some, however, have found some rather creative uses for older models, with a bit of hacking and ingenuity. Giving a very old rolling robot a better brain and literally space-grade software, this mod turns a cleaning machine into a mess-making one, albeit not by intention. Instead of picking up dirt or even clothes, the “Space Vacuum” will instead drop pieces of food for your canine companion to munch on when it’s near.
Most of us probably have a file of unused and abandoned electronics that are still a bit functional except for one broken or missing part. We don’t have much practical use for them, so they just end up gathering dust and taking up space, sometimes forgotten until the next Spring cleaning. A few people, however, have the fortunate skill to bring these machines back to life, though sometimes with a different function so different from the original.
This Roomba, for example, once cleaned up dirty floors in a previous lifetime. But with some clever use of off-the-shelf hardware like an Arduino and some skilled DIY electronics, it has been given a new lease on life as a dog food dispenser. Ironically, it now does the opposite of cleaning the floor and instead makes a mess, presuming the canine doesn’t gobble up the treats first.
What the Space Vacuum basically does is detect the presence of a dog, while differentiating it from other living critters in the house, and drops dog food from a paper cup that has its bottom partially cut out. Curiously enough, the software used for this project is NASA Jet Propulsion Labs’s (JPL) Fprime flight software used for space missions and controlling drones, which sounds a bit overkill for a food-dispensing robot. That, however, gives it the right to call itself a “Space Vacuum,” though the vacuum part is in question.
It’s definitely not going to win any awards for aesthetics or practicality, but the project does spark curiosity and maybe inspire a few more experiments using these house robots. The rather odd clothes-picking Roborock vacuum at CES 2025 demonstrated what these machines are actually capable of, especially with their advanced sensors and AI-powered brains. All they need is a robot arm or a proper food dispenser, and they have the makings of a general-purpose robot that won’t take up too much floor space.
Thanks to Apple, popping earbuds in and out of their charging cases almost feels natural these days. That doesn’t mean they’re convenient or easy, especially when you have to actually open the case first to get the earbuds out. It shouldn’t be that hard, but convention isn’t always on the side of common sense, especially when sticking to the norm is more cost-effective.
This concept design for a pair of modular wireless earbuds tries to challenge the status quo on many levels. It tries to create an ecosystem that goes beyond just playing audio in your ears, resulting in a few features that are, admittedly, a bit peculiar. Curiously, one of the most interesting parts of its design isn’t actually the modules but is instead its equally unconventional charging case.
Yes, the charging case, which is actually a lot larger than your typical design, still has a cover that you open up to reveal its contents. In fact, it might even be weirder than most charging cases because the cover opens down like a drawbridge. That doesn’t matter much, though, because you don’t even need to open it to access the earbuds. There are openings on each side that allow you to take them out and put them back in without opening the case at all.
It’s becoming more common for TWS earbud cases to have screens of their own to display important stats, and the Orbit concept is no different. Where it differs is that the screen is so small to avoid being distracting, though it also raises the question of whether it will be readable at all. It’s just a minor convenience anyway, something to add some flavor to the already intriguing design.
Of course, the real meat of the Orbit design concept is its modularity and the modules it comes with out of the box, or rather out of the charging case. There’s a cog-shaped wheel, for example, that magnetically latches onto one of the earbuds to add some tactile feedback for more precise and satisfying controls. Presuming there will be other products in the Orbit ecosystem, this wheel could also be a controller for those.
The camera modules are a bit of an odd feature. They’re supposed to improve motion tracking and spatial awareness, though that could also raise privacy concerns. It could be used to take photos or record videos that are sent to a paired smartphone in a way that looks almost natural because of their proximity to your eyes. Given their size, however, they might not be that capable of recording important memories.
The wireless earbuds themselves have a rather unusual design. In addition to adopting an open-ear technology, the buds are meant to clip to the sides of the ear, which could be uncomfortable and unstable. Indeed, the concept has quite a few interesting ideas that go beyond the actual purpose of the earbuds, but it’s really the case that could be considered to be its selling point.
Handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion GO, and ASUS ROG Ally have proven to be popular designs in a somewhat niche market. Despite their small sizes, at least relative to laptops, these computers are quite capable of driving even graphics-heavy triple-A games, at least with reasonable settings. And as with any gaming-worthy computer, these handheld PCs are also capable of doing just about anything, including office productivity or even content creation.
That said, their designs are hardly conducive to use cases outside of gaming, especially for tasks that require at least a keyboard. There are alternative designs from the likes of AYANEO and GPD that do add a tiny keyboard, but those are meant more for chatting than actual work. This upcoming newcomer, however, wants you to have your cake and eat it too, and it’s using a rather ingenious design that supports both games and productivity without compromising too much.
Designer: ONE-NETBOOK
We’ve seen handheld gaming PCs that look like laptops, but these usually compress the keyboard in order to make room for gaming controls like joysticks and buttons. This creates a usable but not ideal experience, where typing is doable but uncomfortable and gaming is bearable but not always enjoyable. And that’s not even considering issues with ergonomics for both sides of the coin. Short of having a shape-shifting computer or a modular design (that has actually been done before as well), there’s really no easy way to bridge these two together, at least until now.
Unlike its predecessor that attempted to create a hybrid between a Nintendo Switch handheld and a Microsoft Surface tablet, the ONEXPLAYER G1 embraces the form factor of a small 8.8-inch laptop. Opening it up reveals what looks like a regular physical keyboard, complete with a tiny touchpad, so you might not even consider it as a gaming computer until you remove that keyboard. Yes, that keyboard is actually wireless and connected to the computer using magnets only, and lifting it up reveals the handheld’s gaming chops.
Underneath this removable keyboard are analog joysticks, a D-Pad, and face buttons, the essential parts of a game controller. Because there isn’t a critical need to have a keyboard, the design is able to accommodate a more comfortable arrangement of buttons similar to an Xbox-compatible controller. Of course, there are also triggers and shoulder buttons at the back of the laptop, as well as a number of extra buttons.
What’s interesting about this design is that even this gaming “mode” still has a split keyboard below the controls. It’s not immediately clear whether these are capacitive keys on a glass surface or if they’re just very low-travel keys for basic chat needs. Either way, it’s definitely an interesting twist on the handheld gaming PC design, though the price for such a multi-functional beast will probably cost as much as a laptop as well.
Given how many hours a day and how many days a week people work in front of their desks, the need for comfortable and ergonomic chairs is more important today than ever. Although work-from-home arrangements have made it possible to pick your own chair, that isn’t true for offices that buy generic chairs in bulk to keep costs down. While almost all manufacturers promise comfort, not everyone defines that word the same way.
A chair with an ergonomic yet cost-effective design would be great, but it would be even better if people could customize it to their own comfort without breaking the bank. That’s the kind of office chair heaven that this concept tries to envision, and unsurprisingly, it uses a modular design to solve that kind of problem.
Designer: Byeongjun Kang
To some extent, the typical computer chair with four to five wheels and height-adjustable backrests already has the foundations of modularity. They’re often flat-packed and require some assembly, so it’s just one step away from adjusting that design to accommodate other parts. You just need the right connections to use.
FP, or “First-Party,” Chair concept design uses a rail system to make that not only possible but also easy. The seat and the backrest are the main modular parts that can be removed and replaced by any compatible design. It starts out with completely flat designs, but these can be swapped out for ones with cushions, curves, and armrests. Anything that can fit that rail system will do as long as it keeps the chair balanced.
The base is also replaceable, though the options are probably fewer. You have the typical caster for movability or a flat platform for stability. The latter can probably be screwed down as well, which might be necessary for some mass installation. There isn’t much wiggle room for differentiation here, especially since the need for stability is even greater.
The FP Chair doesn’t differ from those mass-produced office chairs in terms of packaging convenience or assembling complexity. There are also still some limits to what modular designs can be used, such as the balance of the chair and its stability. As with any modular system, it will also depend on just how many third-party designs take advantage of this feature, though given the need for personalization and customization, one can easily imagine how big that market could be.
With today’s more sophisticated users and complex software, the need for tools that can adapt to creators’ needs is growing higher as well. Full keyboards don’t have enough space for individual shortcuts, even those with a numeric keypad attached. It’s also quite tedious to memorize all those unrelated key combos, which is why gadgets like the Stream Deck have become quite popular with their programmable buttons.
These devices, however, don’t offer the same tactile experience as actual physical controls, and that’s the unique selling point of this concept design for a modular numeric keypad. On its own, it functions normally for fast access to numbers, but with the right parts, it can turn into a sound mixer, brush size dial, and more, adapting to whatever you need to get the job done.
For some desktop users, the numeric keypad or numpad has become an optional and almost useless part of the keyboard. They prefer to use more compact wireless keyboards to save space or offer more flexibility in where you want to move it on your desk. That is until they realize they need even more keys to keep up with all the keyboard shortcuts for the apps they use.
The KNOB numpad is a design concept that not only brings that numeric keypad, which you can use for those keyboard shortcuts but also adds more control options for an even better user experience. Mashing a single key repeatedly to increase or decrease Photoshop’s brush size isn’t as satisfying as turning a knob, and scrubbing through a video timeline feels more intuitive with a dial. A slider is also a better interface for raising or lowering levels than, you guessed it, a keyboard shortcut.
Best of all, the concept doesn’t force you to commit to having these interfaces on your desk all the time. Just like a wireless numpad that you can stash in a drawer when no longer needed, the magnetic modules can be attached and removed as needed, depending on what you’re working on. Even better, the wireless and modular design lets you place the device on either side of the keyboard, allowing for ambidextrous use.
The KNOB numpad comes with an aesthetic similar to the designs you see from Teenage Engineering or Work Louder. The silver brushed metal surface gives it that industrial appearance, while the orange accents add some points of visual interest to the design. It’s definitely a concept we’d like to see on store shelves, especially with more modular numeric keypad ideas sprouting recently.
The gas-powered Kia Pride was a successful subcompact hatchback from the 90s that was a rebatched Ford Festiva. For the 80th anniversary of the brand’s business in the UK, they have restored the 1996 Pride 1.3 LX into an all-electric restomod. This one-off electrified reincarnation of the classic family car gets a stellar EV powertrain conversion courtesy of a British manufacturer.
According to Kia, the electric hot hatch is one of the most powerful of its kind, and they playfully call it a “true socket rocket.” All the combustion components have been replaced with a powerful EV powertrain and the only components retained from the original are the five-speed manual transmission and drive shafts. This brings maximum drivable engagement for motorheads who care.
The renewed avatar of the Pride boasts 107 bhp (80kW) and 173 lb-ft of torque, almost double the power of its older counterpart. On the inside, the electric motor, twin 10 kWh battery packs, and a charging port replace the older gas-powered engine, fuel tank and filler neck. All these core modifications lead to an acceleration of 0 to 62 mph in 8 seconds flat. Kia assures that the 20 kWh battery pack can stretch a total mileage of 120 miles on a single full charge in the Evo mode which is good enough for a city commuter like this one. In this drive configuration the engine shifts to producing 60 bhp with a maximum torque of 11 Nm. Talking of which, the Pride EV also has two other modes – Auto and Sport – the latter offering a max power output of 107 bhp and 173 lb-ft torque.
Sadly, this restomod version is going to be a one-off and not up for sale anytime in the future. That said Kia is launching many EVs like the latest EV3 as a part of the plan to have 15 electric vehicles by 2027. Nine of these will be available for sale in the UK.
Vehicles like cars and vans have a variety of storage solutions for almost everything you might want to bring with you except for coats, dress shirts, and dresses. It’s not uncommon for people to bring certain clothes they need to hang, but even after decades, the majority of cars don’t have a proper solution to that problem. At the same time, it might be a waste of precious space to have a permanent fixture just for hanging clothes you might bring occasionally, so this accessory concept utilizes a modular design that adds a hanger in your car when you need it or any other thing you need to hang from the back of a car seat, like a tablet, for example.
Theoretically, you could always hang clothes from the car’s grab handles or assist grips, but they’re obviously not designed for that purpose. It doesn’t align the hanger with the car’s cabin, making it awkward, cumbersome, and space-consuming. This Hyundai Multi Hanger, in contrast, uses the space right behind the driver or front passenger seats, using a hanger design that doesn’t get in the way when you don’t need it or can even be used for some other purpose.
The secret to this multi-functional feat is the modular design of the hanger. The hanger itself has “wings” that can fold inside its body, conserving space even while it’s still attached to the seat. The base of the hanger clamps onto the rods of the seat’s headrest, which means you will need to raise that headrest a bit, which could be uncomfortable for the person sitting in front. Alternatively, the hanger itself can be hooked somewhere else, presuming there’s a bar thin enough to fit inside the very small hook.
If you do remove the hanger from the holder, you can attach other parts instead. One of these is a clamp for holding tablets, which transforms the hanger into an entertainment panel, which kids might enjoy. That clamp can also be used standalone, with the connector at the back acting as a stand for the tablet.
In theory, plenty of other things can be attached to this modular system, like a pocket or basket for small items or maybe even a holder for food and drinks. It’s a simple yet effective solution that takes advantage of an often overlooked area of cars, made possible thanks to the creative use of foldable mechanisms.
Dental hygiene is already quite the tiresome chore at home, so you can probably imagine how some people use travel as an excuse to conveniently “forget” brushing their teeth. Of course, you can always bring your own toothbrush, or hope your hotel provides one, but not all travel toothbrushes seem to be designed for travel. Conventional toothbrushes take up plenty of space with their long bodies while folding designs feel flimsy, unreliable, and always disposable. For those who really want to keep their teeth healthy even when far from home, they’ll need this kind of toothbrush that can keep them company for years to come, thanks to a modular design that also ensures that the planet’s health isn’t sacrificed for the sake of yours.
The vast majority of toothbrushes, whether those for the home or for travel, are made from plastic. Given how people are advised to replace their toothbrushes regularly, the accumulated waste from all these dental hygiene tools is staggering. In reality, what you really need to replace is just the bristles of the brush, something that this concept design takes into heart.
More than just its compact foldable form, the IO travel toothbrush concept embraces a modular design that lets you swap out those bristles as needed. It helps reduce the amount of waste from toothbrushes that are thrown out as a whole object when you really need to only replace the head. It also makes the toothbrush more hygienic and convenient, since you can replace the bristles anytime, especially after an accidental drop or brush (no pun intended) with unsanitary surfaces.
The body of the toothbrush itself is also designed to last and is made using surgical steel or other durable metals. The smooth, edge-free design prevents that metal from cutting into your mouth or skin. It has an elegant minimalist design that not only makes it aesthetically pleasing but also reduces the space it takes up in your bag or kit. Like the bristles, it actually also has a modular design that lets you separate the two parts, in case you need to replace one or the other.
This IO toothbrush concept is designed for sustainability from every angle. Even the packaging is supposed to be biodegradable and can even be dissolved in water. You can easily just dissolve the packaging rather than throw it away, ensuring that you won’t be leaving any trash behind. With some outside-the-box thinking, this toothbrush concept proves that human health and convenience don’t have to come at the expense of the planet.
Smartphones have become very powerful and convenient tools for recording precious memories and sharing them with loved ones, but they can also be sources of stress, distractions, and dissatisfaction. The Instagram generation has many people snapping up photos or short video clips and then losing themselves in a sea of notifications and social media posts just as they try to quickly share those moments. It is quite ironic that these devices that connect us with others also disconnect us from the world around us and, more importantly, from ourselves because of those incessant distractions. A dedicated digital camera, even one with Wi-Fi, is a solution but an inconvenient one at that because of its bulk and complicated features. A better answer might be the evolution of the point-and-shoot camera, but one with a flexible design that can scale to people’s ever-changing needs and situations.
Point-and-shoot digital cameras were the first to be obsoleted by the rise of smartphones, unable to keep up with the growing number of connectivity features and fun filters that these mobile devices offered. At the same time, however, it is exactly those lack of features that now gives the design its appeal, as people using Polaroid-style instant cameras have discovered. Their simplicity allowed people to simply have fun and enjoy the moment, without having to worry about instantly applying filters or even immediately uploading photos and videos.
Keepsake is a concept design that embraces that simplicity but with an added twist. Unlike those very basic cameras, it can actually expand to add features needed by users. Best of all, it can also go back to that basic functionality once those extra tasks are done. In other words, it has a modular system that keeps it agile and flexible in ways that even a smartphone might have problems keeping up with.
At the heart of the Keepsake design is the screenless digital camera itself and four basic modules which include a mic recording and flash that stick to the front of the camera, as well as a MagSafe clip and a wide charging hub that connects to the back. With this kit, shutterbugs have most of what they need to have an enjoyable disconnected experience that simply focuses on the world around them. At the same time, it keeps the doors open to even more possibilities with future add-ons.
Of course, Keepsake also connects and syncs with a mobile app so you can still share your photos when you want to. It gives users the freedom and control to put their phones away and just immerse themselves in the moment but still gives them the power to enjoy the conveniences of the Internet afterward. And with the modular design, they can take only what they need with them and hold a compact device, unlike a powerful yet bulky and heavy camera.
If you wish to again play games on your Nintendo console with the GameCube controller that has damaged wires and bad instances of drifting analog sticks, then this accessory arrives as a blessing in disguise. 8BitDo has introduced a mod kit that lets you upgrade your GameCube controller to a wireless gamepad, so that you’re not impulsively tempted into buying a new one.
This is not the first time 8BitDo has introduced a mod kit for the Nintendo controllers including the N64 and earlier ones, so this comes as no surprise. The trick here is that you’ll have to replace the existing PCB of the NGC controller with a drop-in board. The Chinese tech company is taking pre-orders for this useful gaming accessory that’ll make you go wireless if you hate the wire clutter on your Nintendo ecosystem. Called the NGC Mod Kit, this one is slated to ship on 25th September.
You’ll need to have basic soldering knowledge and loads of patience to make the changeover. Remember, controllers are not that easy to put together when opened up. Although not as tedious as putting together something like a DualSense. Of course, there are certified adapters on the market (including 8BitDo GBros and Nintendo’s official adapter) that allow you to use the wired GameCube controller with the Switch but this mod kit cuts out the extra and brings straightforward wireless Bluetooth connectivity.
Along with making your gamepad wireless, there are other add-ons as well. It has Hall effect joysticks for improved lifespan and immunity against sensitive vibrations if you love to play your FPS games hard. The accessory adds a 300mAh USB-C rechargeable battery with 6 hours of playtime for gaming without interruptions. It also adds a new set of triggers to the controller, so basically, you’ll have a virtually new gaming controller to play around with.
8BitDo Mod Kit priced at $26 is worth the spend if you have a Nintendo GameCube controller with chewed-down wires and defunct joystick controls. The only catch is, that you’ll have to slash out another $26 for the Tetro Receiver for GNC to connect to the GameCube. So, spending $52 on a wire-free setup for your existing NGC controller makes logical sense.
Vous vous souvenez de l’époque mythique du Commodore 64 ?
Ce bon vieux clavier qui claque, les disquettes qu’on insère délicatement dans le lecteur, les heures passées à dompter l’assembleur pour créer des petites merveilles de pixels et de sons… Ah, c’était le bon vieux temps !
Eh bien, figurez-vous qu’on peut retrouver un peu de cette magie en 2023, avec des outils modernes et sur un bon gros PC.
Pour cela, vous allez avoir besoin de quelques ingrédients de base :
Visual Studio Code, l’éditeur de code ultra polyvalent qui s’adapte à tous les langages
L’émulateur VICE (what else?) pour faire tourner vos programmes comme sur un vrai C64
Le compilateur Kick Assembler pour transpiler votre code en binaire (il vous faudra java)
Git pour versionner votre code comme un pro
Installer et configurer tout ça, c’est un peu le parcours du combattant mais rassurez-vous, tout est expliqué dans cette vidéo qui vous prend par la main et vous explique tout pas à pas, même si vous débutez.
Alors, vous commencez par installer Git, Java et Visual Studio Code. Ça, c’est la partie facile. Ensuite, vous récupérez Kick Assembler et VICE, et c’est là que ça se corse un peu. Mais suivez bien les instructions, et vous verrez, au bout de quelques minutes, vous aurez un environnement de développement parfaitement opérationnel !
Visual Studio Code dispose d’extensions pour faire tout un tas de trucs, et bien sûr, il en existe une pour l’assembleur C64. Une fois installée, vous pourrez profiter de la coloration syntaxique, de la complétion de code et même du débogage en temps réel avec VICE.
Ensuite, avec Kick Assembler, vous allez pouvoir écrire votre code source de manière beaucoup plus confortable qu’à l’époque. Déjà, vous n’êtes plus limité à 40 colonnes, et l’éditeur vous évitera bien des fautes de frappe. Mais le plus sympa, c’est que vous pouvez utiliser des macros, des constantes et même des instructions de haut niveau pour vous faciliter la vie. Et au final, Kick Assembler transpile tout ça en bon vieil assembleur 6502.
Quant à VICE, c’est tout simplement le meilleur émulateur C64 disponible actuellement. Il est hyper fidèle au hardware d’origine, et il propose une tripotée d’options pour faciliter le développement : exécution pas à pas, points d’arrêt, inspection des registres et de la mémoire, etc. Un vrai bonheur pour déboguer vos programmes !
Voici pour tester, un petit Hello World qui affiche un message à l’écran et change la couleur de la bordure.
;===============================================================================
; Ceci est un exemple de programme en assembleur pour Commodore 64
; utilisant l'assembleur KickAssembler.
;===============================================================================
; Constantes pour les couleurs du C64
BLACK = 0
WHITE = 1
*= $0801
;===============================================================================
; Le code BASIC au début sert à lancer notre programme en assembleur.
; Nous utilisons ici la macro BasicUpstart2 de KickAssembler qui génère
; automatiquement le code BASIC approprié.
;===============================================================================
BasicUpstart2(start)
;===============================================================================
; Notre programme en assembleur commence ici
;===============================================================================
start:
; Change la couleur de la bordure en noir
lda #BLACK
sta $d020
Et pour compiler, charger et exécuter le programme :
Presser F5 dans VSCode pour compiler avec KickAssembler
Dans VICE, utiliser LOAD "HELLO.PRG",8,1 pour charger le programme puis RUN pour l’exécuter
Pour compiler ce programme, assurez-vous d’utiliser l’assembleur KickAssembler. Vous pouvez le compiler en pressant F5 dans Visual Studio Code si vous avez configuré KickAssembler comme assembleur par défaut. Une fois compilé, vous obtiendrez un fichier PRG que vous pouvez charger dans l’émulateur VICE avec la commande suivante : LOAD "HELLO.PRG",8,1
Puis tapez RUN pour exécuter le programme. Vous devriez voir apparaître « HELLO WORLD! » à l’écran, avec la bordure de l’écran en noir.
Voilà, vous savez maintenant comment redonner vie à vos vieilles machines 8 bits dans un environnement ultra moderne et confortable. Plus d’excuse pour ne pas vous remettre à l’assembleur et pondre les démos et les jeux de vos rêves !
Et si vous êtes un peu nostalgique, rien ne vous empêche de transférer vos programmes sur une vraie machine, armé d’un vieux lecteur de disquettes Commodore 1541 et d’une pile de D7. Et puis il y a une sacrée communauté de passionnés toujours prêts à vous filer un coup de main ou une bonne vieille rustine. N’hésitez pas à traîner sur les forums spécialisés comme Lemon64 ou C64-Wiki, vous y trouverez une mine d’infos, de démos et de bouts de code à recycler.
Avec ce setup VS Code + Kick Assembler + émulateur, vous pouvez également vous attaquer à plein d’autres machines mythiques : Atari 800, Apple II, ZX Spectrum, la liste est longue. Chaque hardware a ses spécificités et ses petits trucs à découvrir, de quoi vous occuper pendant des années !
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