Interview schedule:

Not scheduled yet, but Logan Ward and Britt Monk have agreed to come on
the show.

Upcoming conventions/trade shows of interest to Coco people:

The next Dragon Meetup will be March 20/21 of 2027 at the Centre for
Computing History… and it’s the 10th anniversary of these meetups,
so they are hoping to have something special:
https://archive.worldofdragon.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=11383

CocoFest for 2027 is May 14-15:
https://www.glensideccc.com/

NEWS:

Dragon 32/64

Gonen Yarom has released an online Dragon 32/64 emulator, including some
games that have been released to the public by their original authors, the
ability to load cassettes from a local machine via the microphone, and more:
https://dragon1982.com/en/lab/1982/
Promo video showing some of the games running:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xa0o0N3lEzSfKSQ-hoAsXMTLxRoXebL3/view
Ken H on the World of Dragon forums said that he has used c0pperdragon’s
6847 digitizer for RGB to HDMI (which uses a Pi Zero W). He has also added
some of the no longer produced CocoVGA’s additions to it, including
64×32 text with full lowercase (as well as with 32×16), PMODE 4 artifact
color support, custom palettes, the VG6 (128x96x16 mode that the CocoVGA
supports), border color control & uploaded character sets. If this can be
modified for the Coco, could we see the CocoVGA upgrade available again?
https://archive.worldofdragon.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=11386
John Whitworth has been working for some years on the Dragon Beta
– the most advanced machine Dragon Data ever worked on, a powerhouse
with dual 6809 CPU’s (one for graphics alone), MMU, up to 1 MB of RAM,
advanced graphics and text, etc.) and running OS-9 Level II. Since the
original project was aborted, very little demo software was available (a
spreadsheet, C and Pascal compilers, and a graphics library demo written
in BASIC09) for the original machine. John and others have managed to
recreate the machine in hardware, and now with the help of Claude and
some other people’s code, some graphics demos are coming out showing
what this machine could actually do:
Starship 3D graphic demo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySe7dhLlYOo
He is also working on getting the Dragon Beta running properly in MAME:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnoiVTehltc
A Claude created Matrix “rain” & other demos including showing off
320x200x256, 640x512x2 and other modes that were supported on the original
1984 hardware:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-dz-1o2Bfg
3D Spaceship demo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvfNxjkQN0g`
Julian Brown did multiple updates, of which I will highlight some of
the latest ones:
DragonDiag cartridge update:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragon32/posts/4599770483615918/
New video system that should (in theory) work on ANY 8 bit computer. It
would support 32K graphics RAM, resolutions up to 320×200 and up to 16
colors at once, PAL and NTSC support, Genlock capability and more:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragon32/posts/4593357654257201/
He also fit his newly arrived keycaps (that we mentioned last week):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragon32/posts/4598696670389966/
I have no idea what to call this contributor to the Dragon Facebook
group, but he has started a series in that group called “What Dragon
Owners Were Reading”. Here is the first installment:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragon32/posts/4595498824043084/
Bradley Goldsmith has announced that the final version of his Dragon
Multi-Cart is done, including what it looks like (with 3D printed case),
cost (in Australian dollars) and some of the stuff tested with it:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragon32/posts/4595846444008322/
Tom Erik Gundersen posted an update on his Dragon FX (Fpga eXtended)
project:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragon32/posts/4596229927303307/

Coco 1/2/3

The next live episode of TRS-80 Trash Talk is tonight at 8 PM Eastern
(I think I have the time right) live on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@TRS80TrashTalk
Felipe Antoniosi has announced that the CocoTANG is ready for people
who want to order the PCB’s and build their own. He does note that some
modifications will be needed for some Coco 2 machines; he only had two of
the possible motherboard layouts to design with. The github is here:
https://github.com/lfantoniosi/CoCoTANG
Early demonstration video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMcYRX7lQGU
He emailed the Cocolist which has specs
(show local file “CocoTANG rough specs.pdf”)
Nine Finger Tom has released a starting video demo of what will likely
be the first GIME-X enhanced game for the Coco 3 – an Ascent clone. This
requires a GIME-X, 6309 and at least 2 MB of RAM, but runs in a real 256
colors mode (I think it runs in 2.86 MHz mode too?):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy5rsKd8lIE
Paul Cunningham has made a github repository for CocoSID3, including
source, based on Remi Veilleux’s original program from 2010:
https://github.com/ugufru/cocosid
Keith Clark (a fellow Canuck from Rodney, Ontario) has announced a new
graphical shell for NitrOS9 (particularly EOU) called PRISM, that is a
work in progress. It will also expand with other applications that will
be part of the final package . It is currently version 0.2 (which already
includes draggable windows and a menubar clock) and Keith is looking for
beta testers for this version. Info on the project:
https://keithclark1966.github.io/prism/
Info on PRISM and the side projects that will eventually come with it:
https://keithclark1966.github.io/
Greg Ferguson released a video showing his Coco 3 version of Archon,
including background music:
(show local file “archon_coco3_gjf_test_1028.mp4”)
John Whitworth got Claude to help him make a high res/high color with
multivoice music demo for the SuperSprite FM+ board:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragon32/posts/4601750833417883/
Video demo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIox1-Fz6yQ
He is also working Alt Man, a PacMan style game utilizing the SuperSprite
board (I found it tremendously amusing that you play on a circuit board
maze – reminds me a bit of Steve Bjork’s game Marty’s Nightmare):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragon32/posts/4600325383560428/
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klK_Cr723Ds
John Linville used Claude to help clean up documentation for his
6801/6803 tools project that he did some years ago:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/6809assembly/posts/4180210972272253/
Matias Gutierrez, who has been working on the Coco 3 updates for the
ESP32-Coco project, is working on some fixes to get the Coco 3 colors
more accurate:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/4262638377332924/permalink/4508789456051147/
Mauricio Matte teased a new upcoming graphical adventure game called
The Tributes of Nefarkare, including some screenshots. He is one of the
Brazilian people who have done so much for the Coco clones like the CP-400
the past few years:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ClubeColor/posts/28565095609858115/
Robert Sitton’s version of Dragon’s Lair is progressing and is
now playable. As he mentions, he is still working on the compression
artifacts. I am not sure how close Paul Fiscarelli’s version that he
demo’s at a retro show recently is also to being done:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/colorcomputer/posts/1643105303971862/
Boisy Pitre announced that NitrOS-9 can now directly run files from
your host computer through DriveWire, by adding a new Remote File Manager
(RFM). He also updated the DriveWire desktop server to work with Windows,
Mac and Linux. Still a work in progress, but the basic functionality has
been tested:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165074604362641/
RW Chevalier posted some concepts for a new Coco 3 keyboard, with an
Expanded and Modern versions:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165070084857641/
John Laury posted an analog clock on the Coco based on stuff he had
done in Second Life years earlier:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165065533807641/
Thomas Cherryhomes posted the sad news that he will be pulling GDRIVE,
GMAIL and GCAL from Fujinet, due to soaring costs:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165065461527641/
Lance Schafhausen has released CocoDesk Beta v.01, a graphical desktop
and application launcher for the 64K Coco 1 or 2, which includes notes,
a calender, clipboard, CocoSDC integration, dual graphical desktops,
and more. It is a combination of BASIC and ML:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/?multi_permalinks=10165061946447641&hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen
Screenshots:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165052336507641/
It looks like both Ron and Kyra Alvar have created new “AI friendly”
Coco Facebook groups. I hope this doesn’t splinter things too much.
Kyra uploaded a video of an AI assisted port of Dig Dug to the Coco
I don’t think that it has been released yet?:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/4546740042259821/posts/4547106898889802
She also posted a Star Wars style trailer about her Last Ninja port:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165054614607641/
And an update to her Double Dragon port, including what hardware it supports
(512K 6809 required, enhanced functionality with 2 MB RAM and 6309, and
supports DAC, XSID, OPL3, SSC and ORCH-90 for sound):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/permalink/10165049447777641/

Robert Sieg posted some screenshots of photos turned into SG24 graphics
screens:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165055681862641/
James Diffendaffer is working on Star Raiders for the Coco 1&2, Coco
3 and even the MC-10. Still a work in progress, but he has some screenshots:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165051703277641/
Carlos Camacho put up some prelim specs on a new C compiler he has
been writing for Coco projects, and how it compares to GCC6809 and CMOC:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165049232347641/
Lee Perkins is getting back to his 6309/2 MB RAM port of DOS/VGA game
Cloud Kingdoms again, and is working on some possible ways to improve the
score/stat area:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165044563012641/
He also did an update on Paganitzu:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165077801817641/
Cedric Beaudoin posted a video showing his AI (Vibe Coding in this
case) port of Super Mario Bros. to the Coco 3. Still a work in progress,
but he indicates that it will need a 6309 and 512K RAM to run:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165042153457641/
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihvTKyWXC70
Vincent Tran posted a video of a 512K Coco 3 game he is working on
called Gridfall. This includes streaming music from the CocoSDC with the
latest firmware):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6e_kEqwXJU
He also posted a video showing his new Telnet BBS for Coco people to
log into. It is not available to the public yet; this is a sneak preview
(and even includes an AI generated Coco specific song in the background):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dktj7GjRZy4
George Janssen has released lesson 25 in his Coco 3 assembly language
series, featuring the “Many Dots Illusion”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fDgiFnjgjM
Tom Lindo posted a video showing his audio engine working alongside
his raycaster demo, keeping at around 10 fps (AI aided):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1445036194498553/posts/1448843374117835/
He also put up for download a modular game audio engine for the SSC:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1445036194498553/posts/1448810797454426/
Paul Shoemaker is now also experimenting with AI, and using it to port
Beyond Castle Wolfenstein (this is the game before the 3D game), based on
the IBM PC version (not the original Apple II version), and even includes
digitized speech amongst it’s sound effects:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1445036194498553/posts/1448331934168979/

MC-10

AI has been helping generate a lot of new MC-10 software lately too, and
not just games. Jim McClellan has been busy with multiple projects released:
MCX Commander now support RG3 screen savers (requires the MCX32-SD). He
uploaded the new version with some sample screen savers to the MC-10
Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/731424100317748/posts/28791260543907394/
He also released an updated version of MC-10 Composer, which has menu
selectable songs to play (5 included) and also supports composing songs
with 2 voices:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/731424100317748/posts/28747712338262215/
Jim Gerrie posted a video of his “Chevy Tech for the MC-10”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDMF_anpW6c

Game On news (all Coco related platforms):

Vincent Tran has released a playable demo of his Dead Air game for
the Coco 3 and CocoSDC with streaming, and is asking for people to test
it. 512K & CocoSDC with latest firmware required:
https://tequestafarian.com/games/dead-air/
Juan Carlos Castro has released a Coco 1&2 port of the old arcade
classic Depth Charge, called U-Boat Killer. It is based on the MSX version:
https://retropolis.com.br/2026/10/25/u-boat-killer-para-coco/
Paul Shoemaker has officially released his latest Coco 1,2 & 3 arcade
game, “Lad vs. Sewer Slimes” on his itch.io page. 64K RAM, joystick
required, and it supports the CocoMP3 hardware with background music. No
AI was used for this one:
https://pshoemaker70.itch.io/lad-vs-sewer-slimes
Prince of Persia has been released for the 512K Coco 3, based on the
Apple II version (I think the previous full intro cut scene version by
Paul Fiscarelli was based on the Amiga version?). The author Wagnerd,
may be Ghislain Harvey) even managed to get background music in, and fit
the whole thing on a single floppy. AI assisted, for those who want to know:
(show local copies of screenshots I saved from Discord)
Download link:
https://download.wagnardsoft.com/pop.dsk
Darren Ottery has been an absolute monster using AI to port/create
games for the MC-10, and for different levels of hardware:
For stock 4K MC-10/Alice machines, he did Ballbuster for 1 or 2 players,
and is PiKey and Multiport joystick compatible:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/731424100317748/posts/28769223886111060/
Dungeons of Daggorath port – MCX32-SD required, includes save/load game
in progress features & includes the shield fix that the original cartridge
did not have:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/731424100317748/posts/28740405625659553/
Omega-10: a clone of Omega Race (or Space Race on the Coco). This runs in
the CG1 mode – 64x64x4 color, so it only needs 1.5K for graphics. This
allowed this game to run even on a stock 4K MC-10 or Alice:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/731424100317748/posts/28722204817479634/
Also, by request of TJ Ferriera, who has reviewed a lot of his latest
MC-10 game ports, he mentions other things that he is still working on:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/731424100317748/posts/28736800542686728/
Sabotage (a game I played the heck out of on the Apple II way back). This
one only requires the standard 16K RAM expansion pack:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/731424100317748/posts/28709262238773892/
Link for all of his new MC-10 games/programs:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aXGowKGdlHs9cxj6JzRU977EdAH2nIHN
Not to be outdone, Jim McClellan has also been using Claude to generate
multiple MC-10 games himself:
Stalker – a mini version of Escape From the Mindmaster, which was a
Starpath Supercharger game for the Atari 2600:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/731424100317748/posts/28761170303583085/
Meteor Mission II clone; I am not sure what the system requirements are
for this:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/731424100317748/posts/28721678080865641/
Sudoku game that requires an MCC32-SD:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/731424100317748/posts/28720478994318883/
Gorf mothership game in low res – should work on a 4K machine:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/731424100317748/posts/28719261564440626/
Cyrille Fontaine has released both disk & cartridge versions of his
game Escape from Castle Wulf, after releasing the cassette version last week:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragon32/posts/4595210704071896/
Mauricio Matte has released demo version 1.1b of the graphical adventure
game for the Coco 1&2 machines (and their clones) called “The Missing
Wizard”. This will be a commercial game once play testing has been
completed:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ClubeColor/posts/28529435530090790/
Lance Schafhausen has released a beta of CrawlX, a 64K RAM RPG game
made with the help of AI::
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165077417647641/
Download link from Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165077426292641/
He also released Five Card, a 64K Coco poker game:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165077553262641/
Download:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165077558947641/
Alison DeNu has released that she is calling “The solid gold collection
edition of Cuthbert Gear Solid”, a Coco 1 and 2 game written in BASIC
with no AI assistance whatsoever. This updates last years version by adding
a map editor:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165072829942641/
Video demo (sense of humor recommended):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYct4YsJqR4
Carl Dougherty released a port to the Coco 3 (it will work on a Coco
1 or 2 with slight modifications) of Hamurabi, based on a GWBASIC original:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/?multi_permalinks=10165060974232641&hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen
He also released a Tic Tac Toe game that Claude produced in BASIC:
Download:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165058982492641/
Screenshot:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165058082037641/
Rich Stephens announced that Fujinet Blackjack is now available for
Coco’s (Both Coco 1&2 and Coco 3 versions are released):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/posts/10165053098742641/
Ian on YouTube released a video of a Dragon 32/Coco game called
Maze Munch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjjJDMDmaGo

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