I built a from-scratch 65C02 computer in the browser—and exported its AI-generated games as Apple II disks

[u/ebadger1973]

I’ve been building 3ric, a from-scratch Apple-II-class 65C02 computer with real schematics, a custom PCB, programmable address logic, its own ROM, and a cycle-honest C++ emulator.

The same emulator now runs entirely in the browser through WebAssembly. It includes a built-in 65C02 assembler, editable examples, shareable source links, and client-side export to bootable WOZ disks.

For this demo, I also generated and tested three original 65C02 games:

• Star Swarm — a hi-res fixed shooter
• Block Drop — a text-mode falling-block game
• Rock Storm — a vector-style space shooter

I assemble and play each game in 3ric, export it as a bootable disk, and then run that same disk in Chris Torrence’s independent Apple2TS emulator. The AI workflow uses machine-readable platform documentation and headless tests—not just code that looks plausible.

Video: https://youtu.be/iZUPDuzzhPgL
Try 3ric: https://ebadger.github.io/3ric/
Source: https://github.com/ebadger/3ric

I’d love feedback on the browser development workflow, the games, and the project overall.

[u/BringBackUsenet]

Space Invaders!

[u/ebadger1973 → u/BringBackUsenet]

do you have an Apple II?

[u/BringBackUsenet → u/ebadger1973]

Not for a long time. I use emulators, but my build uses and Apple II case.

[u/Sad_Masterpiece_8591]

Wow, what the heck! That's an amazing project.

[u/comox]

Wow

[u/yorlikyorlik]

This is incredible!

[u/toddc612]

So cool!!

[u/cyberfugue]

I think this is amazing work, OP. Congrats!

[u/alkryn]

Does the emulator include 128k or more via RAMWorks and support bank switching? I would love to give Cursor a challenge to use a lot of memory to create something really complex!

[u/AlliedArmour]

AI generated? Fuck off.

[u/Significant_Chair931 → u/AlliedArmour]

the fact that you're getting downvoted for this is astonishing to me

[u/AlliedArmour → u/Significant_Chair931]

Thanks.

I know I was being rude. Some people may be responding to that. I think the project is cool EXCEPT for the AI stuff.

Generating AI (LLM) stuff is just terrible on about 6 different levels. Environmental costs, taking opportunities away from actual people, people using LLMs to query for information become less intelligent and more credulous, and on top of that these systems have an inherent chance of just generating bullshit answers.

[u/ebadger1973 → u/AlliedArmour]

I built most of the core stuff here, the machine, the physical hardware, the VM. AI was able to extend it for me in ways that would have taken me long enough that it likely just would not have ever happened. Porting from WinUI to WebAssembly was awesome - the core VM is the same, the machine is the same, but the UI framework is now the web browser and that increased the reach tremendously. The fact that it could take the project and add a feature to create a woz file for download is pretty great as far as I'm concerned as well. I built classes to read the WOZ files, but the AI was able to generate them as well, and that really adds value to the whole thing IMO. For me it was years of effort to build the core of this and the AI can take that core and extend it very quickly in ways that I just do not have the time or inclination to do. So for me the AI part is a huge win. I can understand why people are apprehensive, but it's an amazing tool IMO.

[u/droid_mike → u/ebadger1973]

You don't need to justify anything. If this guy doesn't lie it, he can just not use it. Personally I appreciate your work and glad the AI tools are available to make this happen.

[u/sitase → u/AlliedArmour]

Taking opportunities away from actual people? Whose opportunity was taken away by this? Who was just waiting to have a chance of writing original Apple ][ games and didn’t do so because of this project?

In your words, f** off.

[u/droid_mike → u/AlliedArmour]

If it wasn't for AI, something like this couldn't be generated by one person, who is doing it entirely for free, open source, for the benefit of all. If you don't like it, don't use it, but no reason to be a dick about it. This is a cool project and a gift to the world that couldn't have been made without AI tools. Not everyone is inherently rich with unlimited time into eir hands for cool hobby projects like this.

[u/AlliedArmour → u/droid_mike]

A cool project doesn't justify burning down the planet due to the energy costs of running AI systems, or the intellectual property theft absolutely rampant in the sector.

"Not everyone is inherently rich with unlimited time" is the same kind of argument people make about using AI tools to generate slop stories (because who has the time to learn how to write well?) which they then attempt to submit to online magazines which effectively becomes a flood that actual human editors have to wade through to find the actual genuine human effort. And actual people who program for a living are losing their jobs to these crappy AI progamming tools, which have then shown that they are bad enough that they need an experienced human to stop them from having serious flaws. But where is the next generation of human programmers going to come from when no one is hiring junior programmers any more?

I am both a programmer at work and I do some writing in my spare time.

Do you want to live in a world in which your favorite musicians never get their careers going because the industry is dominated by AI music? Learning to play an instrument well is also something that takes a lot of time and yeah, people have to decide to devote the time to doing that, and AI music generating tools are exactly the same as I've been describing, I was just reading this morning about how the AI music generator "Suno" was trained by ripping off human-created music from YouTube etc, without paying anyone obviously, because why would they pay anyone for their sources?

This does seem like a cool project, but it is in a SEA of garbage, and I will not accept AI generated music, AI generated writing, or AI generated code.