TIC-80

Yes, you can write code in a separate file and then import it to cartridge with tic-80 console commands[1] You don't have to do this manually every time, just make a shell script with multiple commands; e.g. this will import code, save and run the cartridge: ./tic80 --skip --fs="$PWD" --cmd="load cart.tic & import code main.lua & save & run The other way is indeed to buy or build yourself a PRO version, it can work with cartridges in plaintext format. [1] https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80/wiki/import

You can also build the Pro version yourself for free according to the docs: https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80/wiki/PRO-Version

There is, but it's one of the few features reserved for the pro version ($10) https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80/wiki/external-editor

TIC-80 also has WASM support but is a more capable console IMO. Here for example is a rust template: https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80/tree/main/templates/rust

Try TIC80 https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80 Very mice, multi programming language support

> Final plug is of course PICO8. Cannot not mention a Tic80. It is a FOSS alternative to PICO8. Main differences are: 16:9 aspect ratio, no cpu limits and many languages to tinker with: lua, js, moonscript, ruby, squirrel, wren, fennel, janet, wasm, ... and just recently - a Python support was added. https://tic80.com https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80

Has a Raspberry Pi bare metal variant, too. As in, boots to the console with no OS underneath. https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80/tree/main/build/baremetalpi

Always worth mentioning is TIC-80 [1], another fantasy console/computer. Which is open source [2]. [1]: https://tic80.com/ [2]: https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80

The guys at TIC-80 had a proposal of embedding mpython to the engine, so you will be able to write in python: https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80/issues/935

There are a number of ways to accomplish this today. All have trade-offs, but generally, the main illusion-breaker is when they are user space programs that run on top of Linux, mostly on account of random console spew (which can be remedied) and boot-to-prompt time (which can be made to generally about <10 seconds, at best — DietPi and TinyCoreLinux are both useful here). Incidentally, the RISC OS Pico[1] mentioned is out of date and won’t run on the Pi 400 or other newer Pi’s. Aside from the excellent PC-BASIC[2] and BBC BASIC[3] mentioned, another in that vein is MatrixBrandy[4], a fork of Brandy BASIC[5]. PC-BASIC is excellent if, like me, you grew up on an IBM PCjr, since that is a very specific brand of GW-BASIC with better graphics & polyphonic sound. But, being Python, it’s relatively slow when doing things like POKEing the emulat

TIC-80 is also libre, though precompiled "Pro" binaries aren't gratis. https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80/wiki#pro-version Edit: actually, reading https://github.com/morgan3d/quadplay/blob/main/LICENSE.md it looks like it's only partially free (not unlike markdeep, another of the author's projects).