# NES Emulator for Arcada ## Overview ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/076/621/medium800thumb/adafruit_products_smbemu.jpg?1560113411) That Arcada player is great for writing your own games in MakeCode Arcade or CircuitPython - but if you'd like to try homebrew Nintendo design, you can play NES ROMs as well thanks to a port of [nofrendo](https://www.zophar.net/nes/nofrendo.html) to the ATSAMD51. This emulator plays games from off the built in QSPI storage, at full speed and with sound as well! Play any ROM that's 256KB or smaller and save/restore game state so you can take a break whenever you like. Try out some classic ROMs, or check out [the amazing NES homebrew](http://www.nesworld.com/article.php?system=nes&data=neshomebrew) scene to try out the classic 8-bit gaming platform that defined a generation # Supported Hardware In theory [any board with Arcada support](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Arcada) - but we recommend ones that have a gamepad + buttons: ### Adafruit PyGamer Starter Kit [Adafruit PyGamer Starter Kit](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4277) **Please note: you may get a royal blue _or_ purple case with your starter kit (they're both lovely colors)** What fits in your pocket, is fully Open Source, and can run CircuitPython, MakeCode Arcade or Arduino games you write yourself? That's right,... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4277) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4277/guides) ![Adafruit PyGamer Starter Kit with PCB, enclosure, buttons, and storage bag](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/640x480/4277-08.jpg) ### Adafruit PyGamer for MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython or Arduino [Adafruit PyGamer for MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython or Arduino](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4242) What fits in your pocket, is fully Open Source, and can run CircuitPython, MakeCode Arcade or Arduino games you write yourself? That's right, it's the **Adafruit PyGamer!** We wanted to make an entry-level gaming handheld for DIY gaming, and maybe a little... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4242) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4242/guides) ![Angled shot of Adafruit PyGamer for MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython or Arduino.](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/640x480/4242-00.jpg) ### Adafruit PyBadge for MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython, or Arduino [Adafruit PyBadge for MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython, or Arduino](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4200) What's the size of a credit card and can run CircuitPython, MakeCode Arcade or Arduino? That's right, its the **Adafruit PyBadge!** We wanted to see how much we could cram into a ​3 3⁄8 × ​2 1⁄8 inch rounded rectangle, to make an all-in-one dev board with... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4200) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4200/guides) ![Angled shot of a Adafruit PyBadge for MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython, or Arduino. ](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/640x480/4200-01.jpg) ### Adafruit PyBadge LC - MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython, or Arduino [Adafruit PyBadge LC - MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython, or Arduino](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3939) What's the size of a credit card and can run CircuitPython, MakeCode Arcade or Arduino even when you're on a budget? That's right, it's the  **Adafruit PyBadge LC!**  We wanted to see how much we could cram into a ​3 3⁄8 × ​2 1⁄8 inch... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3939) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3939/guides) ![Angled Shot of Adafruit PyBadge - Low Cost. ](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/640x480/3939-05.jpg) Things it does: - Emulate a large number of ROMs/games using the nofrendo core - Play at full speed most of the time (if there's a lot of sprites from various parts of the ROM there may be a little slowdown) - Play game audio through headphones/speaker - Downsample for 160x128 displays (4-to-1 pixels), or 1:1 pixels if a 320x240 display - Save and restore game state - Support Adafruit Arcada boards like PyGamer and PyBadge - Overclock the chip quite a bit Things it does not do: - Play ROMs larger than 256KB - Play non-NES ROMs - Some ROMs don't work - e.g. Dragon Warrior - Support non-SAMD51 chips ([for Teensy support, check out TeensyCEC](https://github.com/Jean-MarcHarvengt/TeensyCEC)) - Support other hardware unless you've added support to Arcada (which you can!) - [Next Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/nes-emulator-for-arcada/quickstart.md) ## Featured Products ### Adafruit PyGamer Starter Kit [Adafruit PyGamer Starter Kit](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4277) **Please note: you may get a royal blue _or_ purple case with your starter kit (they're both lovely colors)** What fits in your pocket, is fully Open Source, and can run CircuitPython, MakeCode Arcade or Arduino games you write yourself? That's right,... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4277) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4277/guides) ### Adafruit PyGamer for MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython or Arduino [Adafruit PyGamer for MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython or Arduino](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4242) What fits in your pocket, is fully Open Source, and can run CircuitPython, MakeCode Arcade or Arduino games you write yourself? That's right, it's the **Adafruit PyGamer!** We wanted to make an entry-level gaming handheld for DIY gaming, and maybe a little... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4242) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4242/guides) ### Adafruit PyBadge for MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython, or Arduino [Adafruit PyBadge for MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython, or Arduino](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4200) What's the size of a credit card and can run CircuitPython, MakeCode Arcade or Arduino? That's right, its the **Adafruit PyBadge!** We wanted to see how much we could cram into a ​3 3⁄8 × ​2 1⁄8 inch rounded rectangle, to make an all-in-one dev board with... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4200) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4200/guides) ### Adafruit PyBadge LC - MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython, or Arduino [Adafruit PyBadge LC - MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython, or Arduino](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3939) What's the size of a credit card and can run CircuitPython, MakeCode Arcade or Arduino even when you're on a budget? That's right, it's the  **Adafruit PyBadge LC!**  We wanted to see how much we could cram into a ​3 3⁄8 × ​2 1⁄8 inch... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3939) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3939/guides) ### Adafruit EdgeBadge - TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers [Adafruit EdgeBadge - TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4400) Machine learning has come to the 'edge' - small microcontrollers that can run a very miniature version of TensorFlow Lite to do ML computations.  But you don't need super complex hardware to start developing your own TensorFlow models! We've adapted our popular... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4400) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4400/guides) ### USB cable - USB A to Micro-B [USB cable - USB A to Micro-B](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) This here is your standard A to micro-B USB cable, for USB 1.1 or 2.0. Perfect for connecting a PC to your Metro, Feather, Raspberry Pi or other dev-board or microcontroller Approximately 3 feet / 1 meter long Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/592/guides) ## Related Guides - [Adafruit PyBadge and PyBadge LC](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-pybadge.md) - [Introducing Adafruit PyGamer](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-pygamer.md) - [PyBadger Event Badge](https://learn.adafruit.com/pybadger-event-badge.md) - [Next Level MakeCode Arcade Games](https://learn.adafruit.com/next-level-makecode-arcade-games.md) - [PyBadge Case](https://learn.adafruit.com/pybadge-case.md) - [CircuitPython Stage game library](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-stage-game-library.md) - [Custom Color Palettes for MakeCode Arcade Games](https://learn.adafruit.com/custom-color-palettes-for-makecode-arcade-games.md) - [Creating Your First Tilemap Game with CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/creating-your-first-tilemap-game-with-circuitpython.md) - [Arcada Animated GIF Display](https://learn.adafruit.com/pyportal-animated-gif-display.md) - [Use circup to easily keep your CircuitPython libraries up to date](https://learn.adafruit.com/keep-your-circuitpython-libraries-on-devices-up-to-date-with-circup.md) - [How to Hack NES ROMs to Add Your Own Sprites](https://learn.adafruit.com/how-to-hack-roms-to-add-your-own-sprites.md) - [Trash Panda: The Game](https://learn.adafruit.com/trash-panda-the-game.md) - [Blinka Jump PyBadge Game](https://learn.adafruit.com/blinka-jump-pybadge-game.md) - [MLX90640 Thermal Camera with Image Recording](https://learn.adafruit.com/mlx90640-thermal-image-recording.md) - [Re-MakeCode the Classics: Arkanoid](https://learn.adafruit.com/re-makecode-the-classics-arkanoid.md) - [CYBERDECK Bonnet and HAT for Raspberry Pi 400](https://learn.adafruit.com/cyberdeck-bonnet-and-hat.md) - [Adafruit ADXL375](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-adxl375.md)