by 
A Kickstarter has just been launched for a new way to develop homebrew NES and SNES games.
RetroGameForge is a new suite of tools from Joe Granato, the developer of NESMaker, and is aiming "to help you make the retro game you've always dreamed of making."
While Granato describes NESMaker as a "punk rock" chain of utilities "originally designed for in-house use", the goal with RetroGameForge is to make a set of tools that are "more intuitive and easier to use," while at the same time "making them exponentially more capable."
As outlined on Kickstarter, this new set of tools will let you create your own pixel art and animations, reduce the frustration of object management and screen editing, and include an easy-to-use GUI-driven script editor and greater flexibility in NES mapper and memory handling.
It is also said to contain a "proper" music editor, allowing for grid-based trackers and a DAW-style timeline environment for people more familiar with Pro Tools and Logic, and will enable "cross-platform development" for the NES and SNES on PC, Mac and Linux.
"At a time where generative AI is being used to circumvent the creative process," writes Granato, "Authenticity of experience created by passionate humans is even more valuable.
"While the chain of tools demystifies many of the complexities of development for these legacy systems, the process of creation through these tools is still very human. Retro Game Forge allows for people who are new to programming or have struggled to learn assembly language to use a more visual, more intuitive method to see their visions come to life, and offers an alternative way to learn programming languages.
"It also invites everyone, regardless of previous experience or knowledge of computer science, to contribute to an ever-expanding library of physical games for these systems we all love."
The Kickstarter for the project went live earlier this week with an initial goal of $6,502 (a reference to the NES's CPU) and has already smashed its target, raising $72,331 as of the time of writing, with 27 days still left to go. Those who back the project at $64 will receive an activation code for the NES and SNES modules, while other tiers offer bonuses such as Wi-Fi-enabled dev carts for the NES and SNES.
If you're wondering what these funds will be spent on, Granato states that while "the suite of tools is currently in great shape and fully able to create games," this Kickstarter will allow them to better stress test the software, improve the documentation, create building templates, and pay for fees, manufacturing costs, and shipping.
There's even the possibility of Retro Game Forge expanding to other retro machines, though exactly which ones are currently left unsaid.
Interested? You can back the project here. You can take a look at some videos of the tools in action over on the New 8-Bit Heroes YouTube channel.