A programmer got an NES to emulate a PC, and it's as ridiculous as it sounds

An NES emulator runs a Linux kernel using PC emulation techniques.

: A programmer named 'decrazyo' developed NES86, a project that brings early PC emulation to the NES. This emulator emulates an Intel 8086 processor to run a Linux kernel despite the NES's hardware limitations. He chose to use the Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset due to RAM constraints. Playing NES86 on the original Animal Crossing via GameCube emulation is surprisingly effective.

A programmer known as 'decrazyo' embarked on a mission to emulate early PC systems on the Nintendo Entertainment System, creating a project named NES86. By leveraging emulation techniques, he successfully recreated an Intel 8086 processor, allowing the NES to run a stripped-down version of the Linux kernel.

To address hardware limitations of the NES, decrazyo utilized memory mapping techniques and selected the Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset, suitable for 16-bit Intel processors like the 8086. Despite these efforts, the NES's limited RAM means ELKS wouldn't run on actual hardware, although modern emulators like FCEUX and Mesen2 support NES86.

An intriguing aspect of his work is the optimal NES86 experience found through Animal Crossing on a GameCube emulator, by exploiting the built-in NES emulator. This allowed for the PC version of Tetris to run at a very slow pace, highlighting the imaginative approach decrazyo applied in pushing the aging NES boundaries.

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