I've been diving into some new interests lately and I'm curious about the process of translating 68K Assembly into a more contemporary programming language. I want to break down the steps needed to tackle this, as I'm not quite sure how much effort it might require. A little background on me: I've developed web applications using C# and JavaScript, and during college, I had some hands-on experience with MIPS and ARM assembly. Now, I find myself intrigued by reverse engineering Sega Genesis games.
I know I need to learn 68K Assembly first, but I'm wondering how tricky it is to convert assembly calls into modern functions or methods. Since most games were originally coded in 68K Assembly and not compiled from C or similar languages, I'm aware that creating a straightforward decompiler may not be feasible. I'm looking for guidance on the necessary steps for this task and any tips to simplify the process, especially as I am considering a functional approach rather than an object-oriented one to keep things straightforward. Ideally, I just want to start with translating a simple 68K assembly file into another programming language.
1 Answer
When it comes to 68K assembly, keep in mind that many assembly routines interact directly with hardware, such as graphics and sound functions specific to the Sega Genesis. Typically, instead of translating the code directly, people find it more practical to develop an emulator that can run the original assembly code on a virtual console.
That's true, but the OP's goal may differ. It's totally worthwhile to reverse engineer code just for the learning experience. This could lead you to understanding game mechanics better.