A screenshot of the hidden sound test menu from Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine for the Sega Genesis. It can only be accessed by switching the console's region to Japan while the game is running, using an emulator or hardware mod. Image by Sega, via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).

Nuked-MD

GENESIS MEGA DRIVE EMULATOR

Nuked-MD

Nuked-MD is a cycle‑accurate Sega Mega Drive / Genesis emulator core and research project that reimplements Mega Drive chipset behaviour from decapped chip data and reverse engineering. The repository contains a C implementation of core chips (68000, Z80, VDP/Yamaha parts, etc.), progress notes, and an associated FPGA/Verilog effort referenced from the same/

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genesis mega drivePRIMARY SYSTEM

History documentedPROJECT BEGAN

Open sourcePROJECT MODEL

WHY IT MATTERS

Why Nuked‑MD exists

Nuked‑MD aims to reproduce the Mega Drive chipset as closely as possible by using decapped chip photos and reverse engineering rather than by reusing higher‑level approximations. Its stated goal is cycle accuracy and faithfulness to specific chip revisions (NMOS 68k, NMOS Z80, FC1004) to support detailed research and precise reproduction of hardware behaviour.

BEST FOR

What Nuked‑MD is best for

Research, verification and development of cycle‑accurate Mega Drive behaviour; serving as a reference implementation for chip-level accuracy; experimentation (including an associated FPGA core effort) and contributions to emulation research rather than being a plug‑and‑play end‑user front-end in emulation suites.

Gameplay from Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Genesis.

The people behind Nuked-MD

Project and development status

The project is hosted on GitHub (nukeykt/Nuked‑MD). The README documents the project goals, credits, the chipset components targeted, and links to progress notes and references. The codebase contains a C implementation of many Mega Drive subsystem components (files such as 68k.c, z80.c, vdp.c, fm.c, tmss.c and a top-level CMakeLists.txt) and a Progress.md file that tracks ongoing work. The README explicitly states the project targets NMOS 68k, NMOS Z80 and the FC1004 integrated Yamaha chip, and notes that no single real Mega Drive configuration matched that exact combination. The repository also references related work (SEGAChips and decap/photo resources) used during reverse engineering. Current activity and the commit history are visible in the repository; releases are published via the GitHub releases page when available.

What Nuked-MD supports

Sega Mega Drive / Genesis (core-level emulation of chipset)
Research and FPGA core derivation (Nuked‑MD–FPGA referenced)
Host platforms: source builds on systems that can compile the repository (POSIX/desktop systems typical for C/CMake projects) (see repository).
Does not include commercial ROMs or Sega firmware/BIOS (no such files are bundled in the repository).

Download and availability

OFFICIAL DOWNLOADS

Get Nuked-MD

Official sources and releases are hosted in the project's GitHub repository and its Releases page. Use the repository to fetch source, and the Releases area for any packaged artifacts the author publishes. Do not expect commercial games, firmware, BIOS files or keys to be included.

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DOCUMENTATION

Official documentation

Read the official configuration, compatibility, and troubleshooting material before changing advanced options.

Read official documentation ↗

Broken or missing download? Emulator projects move and official links sometimes change. Please contact Retro Replay so the source can be verified and updated.

Nuked-MD setup guide

Setup note: Notes before you build/run: Nuked‑MD is primarily a core/research implementation. The repository contains C sources and a CMakeLists.txt, but it does not ship commercial ROMs or console firmware. You should be comfortable building from source. Follow the repository README, Progress.md and code comments for up‑to‑date build hints and platform notes. The steps below are practical, repository‑centric guidance derived from the project's layout and CMake-based build hints in the repo.

1) Get the source: Clone the official GitHub repository: https://github.com/nukeykt/Nuked-MD and inspect README.md and Progress.md for current status and any platform/build notes. Use the Releases page if the maintainer published release artifacts.
2) Prepare a build environment: The repository contains C source files and a CMakeLists.txt. Prepare a standard C development toolchain for your platform: a recent C compiler (gcc/clang or MSVC on Windows), CMake, and build tools (make, ninja or MSBuild). Install any platform packages required for building C projects (development headers, build essentials). The repository itself should be consulted for any additional required libraries or explicit build flags (check CMakeLists.txt).
3) Configure and build: From the repository root create a build directory (for out‑of‑source builds) and run CMake to generate native build files, then build with your chosen build tool. Example (POSIX): mkdir build && cd build && cmake .. && cmake –build . — or use your platform's equivalent. Because the project is a core/research implementation, details (executable names, example front‑end, or test runner) should be confirmed by reading the repository files (CMakeLists.txt, README and top‑level source files).
4) Provide ROMs and test input separately: Nuked‑MD does not include commercial games or BIOS files. To run games you must supply your legally obtained Mega Drive/Genesis ROM files. Place ROMs where the built program or test runner expects them — check the repository for any sample invocation or a test folder. Respect copyright and licence obligations when using commercial ROMs.
5) Run and verify with examples and progress notes: The project includes Progress.md and references videos and tests. Use those notes and any included test ROMs or regression checks to verify correct behaviour. If you plan to use the C core in another frontend or to build platform ports (GUI, RetroArch core, MiSTer conversion), read the README and the referenced progress/notes to understand which chip revisions and features are implemented (for example NMOS 68k, NMOS Z80 and FC1004 are explicitly targeted).
6) Contributing or FPGA use: If you intend to contribute or adapt the core to FPGA (there are separate/verilog FPGA efforts referenced externally), follow repository contribution guidance and the project credits. The README includes references to related repos and decap resources used for reverse engineering; consult those links for deeper technical background.

Software reminder: Nuked‑MD is source code under GPL‑2.0; check the repository LICENSE and follow its terms. The project does not ship commercial ROMs, BIOS, or firmware; you must supply those separately if you have legal rights to them.