Update #2 []: That was quick!
"If you want to get truly retro with your gaming setup, then we have something very exciting to share with you," says RetroAchievements community manager Nepiki. "Thanks to the hard work of odelot, it is now possible to play NES games with HARDCORE achievements on MiSTer FPGA Hardware!"
Currently, only NES games are supported for hardcore achievements, but Odelot is working hard on other cores.
Update #1 []: Wes Copeland, who manages the tech side of RetroAchievements, has gotten in touch to reveal that he and his team are "actively pursuing hardcore verification for MiSTer".
Original Story []: If you're anything like me, then RetroAchievements will be a big part of your gaming lifestyle these days.
This amazing free service adds Xbox-style achievements to a host of classic titles, and is compatible with a wide range of emulators (RetroArch being my go-to option these days).
However, for those who prefer to play retro games via FPGA devices, this service has been off-limits – until now.
Developer Odelot has forked several MiSTer FPGA cores to add support for RetroAchievements. The support cores can all be downloaded from here, and include NES, SNES, Genesis / Mega Drive, Master System, Game Gear, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, N64, PSX and Neo Geo.
Here's some footage of the SNES core in action:
The catch is that at the moment, only 'softcore' achievements are supported. RetroAchievement's coveted 'hardcore' mode (which disables things like save states and other modern creature comforts for a more authentic experience) isn't available at this moment in time.