leaded solder
@leadedsolder.com
I never met a broken TV I didn't like. Come read the blog at https://www.leadedsolder.com and see what old junk computers I'm fixing this week.
since oscilloscope graphics are doing the rounds again, here's some photos from that time a few years ago when I built a gizmo to show dril tweets (and assorted other nonsense) on my ancient Tek 466
New blog post! In Part Two of the BBC Bridge Companion adventure, I get some real hardware to take apart. It's... very nice! Too bad the cartridge slot is mangled. #retrogaming #retrocomputing #bbcbc www.leadedsolder.com/2026/08/04/b...
Companion & Companion’s Cartridge Complication
The repair of a BBC Bridge Companion home game console with a damaged cartridge slot. A homebrew cartridge for the system is designed by disassembling and reverse-engineering the original game cartrid...
leadedsolder.com
New video is up! It's a massively expanded and revised version of the first video i ever did, talking about the rival clubs of University of Tokyo Microcomputer Club and The Theoretical Science Group and how that informed games like Heiankyo Alien and the AX series. youtu.be/ZlHZoXpp0k0
Rival Clubs: How University Computer Groups influenced early 80s Japanese Arcade & Computer Gaming
YouTube video by F_T_B
youtu.be
If you missed it… hey, I’m alive! I’ve got a new site going so that I can put things somewhere that isn’t social media. The first truly new post is about a heretofore undocumented 2600 clone console manufactured in a state-owned factory in China. Much more to come! theatari.spot/blog/2026-07...
Shanghai's Dazzling 2600 Clone: Apollo-8 TV GAME
The 新建 (Xinjian) XJ 8811 -- a beautiful Atari clone console from a Chinese state-owned factory.
theatari.spot
AtariSpot // rob@atarispot.bsky.social · 4d ago*blows 14 months of dust off Bluesky* Hi to friends old & new, and to so many followers amassed for no good reason! 😸 I’ve started a website with help from a good friend. Only a few things are there so far, but more will come now that I have a non-social-media place to put things! theAtari.spot
New blog post! What do you get when a British television channel makes a home videogame console? A really long project to make a Tetris clone for it. www.leadedsolder.com/2026/07/28/b... Come back next week for part 2! #bbcbc #tetris #retrogaming #retrocomputing
The BBC Tetris Companion
Overview and history of the BBC Bridge Companion home game console, and a brief overview of a composite video mod, repairs, the design of a game cartridge PCB, and the development of a new puzzle game...
leadedsolder.com
Hand printing labels for my next resin kit using an old Riso Gocco hand printer. Riso made these for the Japanese market for household projects like making custom news years cards and I’ve read that at one point like 1/4 of all Japanese households had one. Messy and imprecise, they’re neat.
New PicoIDE update on Crowd Supply! Injection mold samples! And announcing the Open Retro Storage Front Panel project, which explains why the samples say "BlueSCSI" instead of "PicoIDE." www.crowdsupply.com/polpotronics...
Enclosure Samples
I promised an update once I received the samples for the injection molded case, so now I’m happy to share what they look like!
crowdsupply.com
I just fucking realized that Brysko, Warframe's new detective themed Frame coming out in the next big story quest, is hitting the Columbo pose. I've seen game devs who use subtext and they're all cowards lmao
Looking for a handful of testers for Dottie, before release on 6th August 2026. Requirements: prior pixel art skills, Intel/Apple silicon Mac, enough free time to create detailed pixel art test. Bonus for having an iPad+Apple pencil. You'll receive the app for free on release!
New blog post! Because it seemed like a deal, I bought a CRT monitor that is meant for a computer I don't have. Can I trick it into working with a computer I *do* have? #retrocomputing #crt #crtrepair #pc98 www.leadedsolder.com/2026/07/07/f...
400-Line’s Just Fine For A Party
When Suruga-ya gave me a really good deal – with free shipping to Canada – on a CRT monitor, I had to take it. Only once it arrived did I realize this monitor was a lot weirder than I thought it was, ...
leadedsolder.com
Lets Play: Mario Artist Talent Studio Mario Artist: Talent Studio Released for the ill-fated magneto-optical drive addon for the Nintendo 64, Talent Studio was part of the Mario Artist range of titles which also included Paint Studio and Polygon Studio. Talent Studio was intended to be used with…
Lets Play: Mario Artist Talent Studio
Mario Artist: Talent Studio Released for the ill-fated magneto-optical drive addon for the Nintendo 64, Talent Studio was part of the Mario Artist range of titles which also included Paint Studio and Polygon Studio. Talent Studio was intended to be used with the Capture cartridge which allowed the player to capture sound and video from external sources.
re-enthused.com
Can These Fire Damaged ColecoVision Games Be Saved? Find it in my latest video! youtu.be/sJaad6oZljY #retrogaming #colecovision #80s
Can These Fire Damaged ColecoVision Games Be Saved?
YouTube video by Mark Fixes Stuff
youtu.be
Commercial for plug-in mini console aimed at grandpa with horse racing, mahjong, and, inexplicably, ihatovo monogatari
"This Whole Thing Smacks Of Gender," i holler as i overturn my uncle's pottery studio and turn boku no natsuyasumi into Boku no Shit
Woot! The final games from Llamasoft’s 2011/13 Minotaur Project are preserved * You’ll need a jailbroken device running iOS 10 or earlier: blog.gingerbeardman.com/2021/03/08/p... Caverns of Minos Deflex Five a Day * Goat Up Goat Up 2 * Gridrunner Minotaur Rescue Minotron: 2112 Super Ox Wars *
New blog post! Another little throwaway PCB, this time from Konami! What makes "Target Panic" different? nicole.express/2026/stay-on...
How a Konami Cabinet Stays on Target: Target Panic!
We’ve seen a few test PCBs now; games that were only sold alongside Japanese arcade cabinets to satisfy a law requiring a minimum amount of functionality. Se...
nicole.express
One of my favourite hobbyists has done a really wild thing to one of my favourite niche Sega games, and there's a great write up to boot. Happy Friday.
matt sephton@gingerbeardman.com · 2mo agoThought I better write a blog post about me reverse-engineering old T&E SOFT golf games to extract the courses from PC-9801 and Virtual Boy and get them playable on Sega Mega Drive...before I forget it all. #romhack #megadrive #pc98 #virtualboy #tesoft blog.gingerbeardman.com/2026/06/19/n...
cozyMIDI: my brand new 68k mac application coded in C (and sweat). Plays standard MIDI files assuming you have an external module plugged on the modem port. Runs on a Mac Plus, speed is perfect on a SE/30 and up. Has fun animations during playback (see the 2/2 post in this thread) #macintosh 1/2
RIP Bobby Prince. His music legacy will live on, making inspired music for Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, countless others. A true legend. And such a nice man, great musician, wonderful, fun-loving man, nothing but happy memories of him. A loss to the world.
New blog post! Sometimes understanding yourself is long, and torturous, and brutal. Other times you just buy an Apple IIgs and realize... everyone missed out on this cool little machine. #retrocomputing #apple2 #falcom #ys www.leadedsolder.com/2026/06/16/a...
IIgs The Future
Analysis and repair of an Apple IIgs computer
leadedsolder.com
It's been a week, and that means everyone can now read about the Louie-filled delights of PC Engine classic, Bomberman '94! kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com/2026/06/15/b...
Bomberman ’94: Surprisingly laid-back for a game full of explosives
The first boss in Bomberman ’94’s single player mode is a naughty little monkey remotely controlling a giant and very angry banana. The next one’s a walking temple with rocket-pow…
kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com
Kimimi🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️@kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com · 2mo agoLet's get this week started off right! I've got a brand new piece for all Ko-fi subscribers here on Sakura Wars' beautiful GBC-exclusive turn-based RPG! I love this game so much - it's a brilliant showcase for the GBC's abilities, and a fantastic Sakura side story: ko-fi.com/post/Sakura-...
New blog post! Trying to nail down what exactly is the difference between the Japanese and export versions of the Genesis / Mega Drive's TMSS licensing lockout. nicole.express/2026/the-tru...
The Truth about Sega's TradeMark Security System (TMSS)
I’m bringing out the truth about TMSS! Admit it! Sega never made a game console that can’t play that region’s release of Phantasy Star II, and it’s time to s...
nicole.express
Hi. Today is my birthday. In lieu of wrapped gifts, I'm asking you to have a look at Mario 101, my project about weird Mario history. And if you have already looked and think it does not suck, please share this link somewhere.
Mario 101: For Super Players — Thrilling Tales of Old Video Games
The weird history of Super Mario, told in one hundred and one stories.
thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com
Old blog post! Remember when... I fixed up this super-cool-looking NEC monochrome monitor? www.leadedsolder.com/2023/11/14/n... #retrocomputing #crtrepair #crt
NEC’s Apple Clone
Fix of a 1980s NEC JB-1260MA monitor that won’t show anything on screen.
leadedsolder.com
New blog post! I came across a fully-interactive offline archive(!!) of a BBS from 1994 and wanted to share an interactive walkthrough of it. Let's explore 90s Kansai online and see what people were chatting about. cdrom.ca/games/2026/0...
A Trip to 90s Kansai: Exploring the XD FirstClass Network BBS
cdrom.ca