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Last active October 30, 2017 21:37
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What is a Fantasy Console?

What is a Fantasy Console

  1. A Fantasy Console (FC) must not have existing hardware.

    E.g. The arduboy is not a fantasy console.

  2. A FC needs to have intentional restrictions not related to the hardware it is being deployed on.

    I feel adding the retro component (e.g. looks like X) to be defeating, as it might stifle the creation of new fantasy consoles. At the end of the day, a FC is based on a fantasy hardware product that is difficult to alter once released. For example; the fantasy console may only have a few MB of memory, whereas the system it is being deployed on may have GB of memory.

  3. A FC may be influenced by retro hardware.

    While most FC's already are influenced by hardware choices of the past, I don't think it's a hard requirement. I feel that while the nostalga factor is awesome, but it can't be required.

  4. A FC must have tools or documentation included.

    I feel that requiring built-in tools being necessary is also beyond the scope of a fantasy console. Old NES hackers remember having to make their own software and hardware just to dev for it. Requiring tools is a very nice thing, but it can't be a requirement. Regardless, documentation or tools should be included, as you could not find a console without one or the other.

  5. It must have some form of input.

    Buttons, keys, controller, etc. The user of the hardware has to provide some form of input

  6. It must have some form of output.

    Lights, screen, speaker, etc. The user of the hardware has to be provided some form of output. You could make a controller console that only outputs sound. That would be a legit, albeit strange, FC. RAM can't be a requirement - I imagine there could be some interesting FC's that only have CPU registers (e.g. the 6502 only with registers). ROM is not a requirement (e.g. the Altair 8800).

This is my (@josefnpat's) opinion, and is more than open to debate and discussion.

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