parse.py

def parse_clues(data):
    """
    Traverse a block of wheelscii-encoded puzzles,
    yielding each decoded puzzle in ascii
    """
    word = []
    for pos, char in enumerate(data):

        # check for signal character
        if char & 0x80:
            # the correct ascii value
            char = char & ~0x80
            word.append(char)

            # determine if this is a newline or a clue boundary
            if data[pos - 1] & 0x80:  # end of clue
                yield bytes(word).decode('ascii')
                word = []
            elif not data[pos + 1] & 0x80:  # newline
                word.append(ord('\n'))
        else:
            word.append(char)

if __name__ == "__main__":

    rom = open('wheel.nes', 'rb').read()
    start, stop = 0x109d0, 0x14618

    puzzles = list(parse_clues(rom[start:stop]))
    print(puzzles[:5])
    # ['WHEEL\nOF\nFORTUNE', 'KINGSTON\nJAMAICA', 'PEKING\nCHINA', 'PLANETARIUM', 'NOME ALASKA']