Show HN: A working Nintendo in ~1GB of Qwen weights

A developer has compiled an NES CPU into the weights of a stock Qwen3.5 model, enabling a working Nintendo emulator within approximately 1GB of Qwen weights. This project, named nesformer, can run NES ROMs, with an example command provided: python -m nesformer run roms/thwaite.nes --frames 600 --show --buttons " start@90-95+200-205,a@230-233...". The system optimizes performance by advancing the clock during vblank loops, reducing token count by 2.6x to 4.2x, though it still runs 150-290x slower than a real console.

This project is the first to compile an NES CPU directly into the weights of a stock Qwen3.5 model, unlike prior attempts that might use external emulation or larger models.