Mike from Modern Retro Dev returns with a deep look at his latest creation, the Minidoku X16 Port. Building on his earlier PC release, Mike’s new version brings the fast-paced puzzle experience to the Commander X16. He explains how this port became a learning process in adapting modern C code to a memory-constrained retro platform.
The Minidoku X16 Port started as an experiment in cross-platform development. Mike initially assumed it would take a month, but the project stretched to two as he tackled challenges with the user interface. Unlike modern systems, the X16 demands creative use of layers, tiles, and sprites to replicate bitmap graphics. Despite the hurdles, Mike managed to share core logic with the original C version while carefully reorganizing the UI for the retro environment.
During development, Mike relied on the CC65 compiler suite and in-house X16 C libraries to manage sprites, tiles, and text. His finished game spans about 9,000 lines of C code and uses several 8K memory banks. He highlights the quirks of code banking—balancing available memory while maintaining performance—and how even small updates can affect the entire build.
In the video, Mike demonstrates the Minidoku X16 Port on both emulator and real hardware. The game runs smoothly and remains feature-complete, supporting keyboard, mouse, and gamepad input. He also showcases the color-blind mode, puzzle logic, and UI layering through the Box16 emulator’s debugging tools, offering a peek at how retro graphics are composed behind the scenes.
To close, Mike confirms the Minidoku X16 Port will be free to download on itch.io and the Commander X16 forums. It’s a project that blends modern programming knowledge with vintage creativity, proving that the Commander X16 still has plenty of surprises left in it.
