Jester-Emu
A retro TUI emulator that renders console graphics entirely in the terminal using unicode braille patterns.
Why Braille?
Traditional terminal emulators use block characters which limits resolution. By treating each braille dot as a pixel, we achieve significantly higher density and smoother motion.
Braille Rendering
Converts pixel data into Unicode Braille patterns (U+2800..U+28FF) in real-time, allowing for 4x4 sub-pixel resolution in a single character cell.
TUI Interface
Runs entirely in your terminal. No windowing system required. Works over SSH, in TTY, or your favorite terminal emulator.
Multi-System
Built to support GameBoy through PS1. Currently featuring a cycle-accurate GameBoy core with more coming.
High Performance
Written in C++ with heavy multithreading to ensure smooth 60FPS playback even with the overhead of text rendering.
Project Status
Phase 1: Jester-GB (Complete)
Fully functional GameBoy (DMG) emulation. Supports 98% of the library. Sound, input, and braille rendering are stable.
Phase 2: Jester-GBC & GBA
Color GameBoy implementation and ARM7TDMI core development.
Phase 3: SNES & PS1
The ultimate goal. hardware accelerated text rendering for 3D graphics in terminal.