In the quirky and often unpredictable world of Commodore 64 experimentation, Episode 14 of the BackBit Impawsible series dives straight into the nitty-gritty of glitch-free Character Set creation—this time with the SuperCPU and SD2IEC thrown into the mix.
The goal? Simple on paper: use two files simultaneously on the SD2IEC to streamline the process and, hopefully, dodge the usual graphical hiccups. With the SuperCPU at the helm, things should be running like a well-oiled SID chip. But as any retro computing enthusiast knows, nothing ever goes exactly as planned.
Things start with cautious optimism. The plan is to load one file as the primary data source while using the second to buffer or swap in additional character data. It’s a clever way to minimize interruptions, especially with the SuperCPU’s increased processing muscle. In theory, this should eliminate the glitches that often plague complex visual updates.
But almost immediately, the wheels start to wobble. Despite everything being wired and configured correctly (or so it seems), the system refuses to cooperate. Instead of crisp, clean graphics, there’s a smattering of strange behavior—glitches that don’t make sense, files that don’t load as they should, and that classic C64 “why-you-little” frustration.
Could it be the SD2IEC’s limitations? Is the SuperCPU playing a bit too fast and loose? Or is it just one of those classic cases of “everything was working until you tried to make it better”?
As the episode unfolds, we’re treated to a healthy mix of deep tech dives, minor tantrums, and the kind of improvisational troubleshooting that defines retro computing. There’s a certain charm in watching modern solutions bump heads with vintage hardware—and a healthy reminder that even after decades, the Commodore 64 still has a few secrets left to share.
