Commodore 64 + Atari XL/XE · Windows version 2.1.5
Mean Hamster
Power Engine for 8-Bits
Unlock the hidden power of your cartridge.
Play games you never imagined on your C64 or Atari.
MPE teams up your C64 or Atari’s own CPU with the processor inside your supported cartridge. Together, they power enhanced games, emulators and peripheral features—including disk drives, mice and more.
Learn more—check out this video.
Free software. More possibilities for the computers you love.
Use the Windows or Mac application to choose TeensyROM+, Kung Fu Flash 2 or A8PicoCart, prepare your files and card, and get matching firmware. Your preparation computer is not required while playing. Games and peripheral features vary by cartridge.
Free · Windows v2.1.5 · Available exclusively from Mean Hamster
Updated arcade players, Tritari controls and HamsterOS disk tools. A8PicoCart also gains automatic future firmware updates.
Bring your original game files and compatible ROMs. Commercial games are not included.
Licenses and noticesSource offer
Already using MPE for C64? Just download the update. The combined application now includes A8PicoCart for Atari XL/XE, and remembers each device’s settings.
Compare MPE with native games →See the Power Engine in Action!
30-second software captures of C64 graphics and SID sound.
Doom
NESVM
Game Boy
Game Gear
Monkey Island
Space Quest III
From your PC to your 8-bit
Set it up.
Make it yours.
The Game Packer is now part of Mean Hamster Power Engine for 8-Bits. Your firmware, supported runtimes, and game preparation belong together.
Preparing the SD card and installing firmware are separate steps. Use the setup guide for your cartridge’s first installation, then prepare its supported games.
- 01
Choose your cartridge and card
Separate TeensyROM+, Kung Fu Flash 2 and A8PicoCart tabs remember your device settings and selected SD card.
- 02
Choose how you want to launch
On Teensy, choose HamsterOS GUI (Default) with firmware 1.4.10, or Stock + MPE Extension with TeensyROM+ 0.8.0.15. KFF2 uses H28 with matching HamsterOS 1.4.10. A8PicoCart uses firmware 1.4.7 with HamsterOS 0.7.5 for Atari XL/XE. HamsterOS is optional on each platform.
- 03
Locate your original games
Use Locate Files once for each supported game. Your saved file locations remain available after closing or updating the app.
- 04
Build and prepare your SD card
Create the selected packages and copy the matching files, with firmware ready for its separate installation step.
Games, emulators & apps
The starting lineup
Choose your cartridge to explore its games and emulators. Prepare your favorites from the same application.
TeensyROM+ / Commodore 64
22 offered entries · Firmware HamsterOS GUI 1.4.10 or Stock + MPE Extension 0.8.0.15 · Optional HamsterOS 1.4.10 desktop.
AGI Enhanced
14 original Sierra adventures
Game Boy
GBVM · compatible Game Boy and Game Boy Color ROMs
Game Gear
GGVM · compatible Game Gear ROMs
NESVM
Compatible NES ROMs
Tritari
Compatible Atari 2600, 5200 and 7800 ROMs
Doom
Supported Doom shareware 1.9 WAD
Space Quest III
Supported original SCI edition
Leisure Suit Larry 2
Original DOS EGA edition
Police Quest II
Original English DOS EGA 1.002.011 edition
The Colonel's Bequest
Supported English DOS EGA edition
Loom
English DOS EGA versions 1.0 and 1.1 · experimental
The Secret of Monkey Island
Supported original edition
The Legend of Kyrandia
Original English DOS floppy edition · experimental
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Original game files · optional SIDKick Pico speech · experimental
Another World
Supported original Amiga edition
Gauntlet
Original four-player English rev 14 arcade ROM ZIP
Double Dragon
Supported World arcade ROM ZIP with HD6309 sprite board
CannonBall / OutRun
Original OutRun revision B arcade ROM ZIP
Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen
Supported World of Xeen files · updated combat, spells and original story scenes
M.U.L.E.+
Ready to install · optional original SID opening music
ZipZork
HamsterOS Z-machine player · bring your story files
HamWrite
Optional HamsterOS word processor and spell checker
Explore all 14 AGI Enhanced adventures
- The Black Cauldron
- Donald Duck's Playground
- Gold Rush!
- Mixed-Up Mother Goose
- King's Quest I
- King's Quest II
- King's Quest III
- King's Quest IV (AGI edition)
- Leisure Suit Larry
- Manhunter: New York
- Manhunter 2: San Francisco
- Police Quest
- Space Quest I
- Space Quest II
Original AGI editions only. The application checks the files you provide before building.
Next for TeensyROM+
Coming Soon
- Monkey Island 2
Availability requires the supported game edition, compatible firmware, and the matching device runtime. ROM compatibility varies; inclusion of an emulator does not mean every game for that console is supported.
A8PicoCart / Atari XL/XE
A familiar machine.
New possibilities.
An optional HamsterOS desktop GUI and all three classic Atari consoles are available for play through Tritari.
HamsterOS
Atari XL/XE desktop
Tritari
Game selection
Pitfall II
Atari 2600 · Tritari
Asteroids
Atari 7800 · Tritari
Beef Drop
Atari 7800 · Tritari
Montezuma’s Revenge
Atari 5200 · Tritari
Captured in Altirra using the release packages. Supply your own compatible ROMs; commercial games are not included.
What’s new in Windows 2.1.5
Arcade updates.
Disk tools.
Simpler firmware updates.
Updated OutRun and Double Dragon on Teensy, new Tritari controls and compatibility repairs, disk utilities for HamsterOS, and automatic future firmware updates for A8PicoCart.
Includes the AGI mouse-click repair and setup tutorials from 2.1.4, along with the previously released Atari games and supported original editions.
- DOOM for A8PicoCart. The shareware episode is included as a self-contained Atari package. Choose it in MPE and prepare your cartridge; no original game folder is required.
- OutRun on Teensy. Steering and Fire respond correctly in the music selector, with the Prism+ picture and SID music retained.
- Double Dragon on Teensy. The full arcade view combines multicolor action with a high-resolution HUD, black panels and border, and an FPS meter. Fire starts player one after adding a coin and remains the kick button during play. Presentation targets 15 FPS while SID music follows its own clock.
- Tritari on Atari. V1.33E automatically recognizes Genesis B/C controls, including direct ROM launches. B provides the normal fire button; C provides a second button in compatible 5200 and 7800 games. No enable keys are needed.
- Tritari on C64. V1.33 adds a black game selector, updated PAL/NTSC Atari 2600 colors, Beef Drop movement and RIOT polling repairs, and closer Pitfall and Pitfall II jump sounds.
- C64 Disk Utility. HamsterOS on the custom Teensy GUI firmware and KFF2 adds Format, Disk Copy and Write Image for compatible 1541, 1571 and 1581 drives. Write D64, D71 and D81 images with track progress, readback and confirmation before erasing a disk.
- Teensy SD2IEC copying and mounting. Copying from SD2IEC folders no longer stalls. File > Mount, the context menu or Ctrl+M opens a D64, D71 or D81 image in Files; double-click keeps its launch action.
- HamsterOS A8 0.7.5. Browse D1–D4 and use Format, Disk Copy and ATR Write Image. Copy files from CART into a physical-disk Files window with Paste, using DOS 2/DOS 2.5 formats and automatic 8.3 names. Boot Disk and Exit to BASIC join click-only menus. CART Delete now asks for confirmation and permanently removes files, replacing Trash and Restore.
- Automatic A8Pico firmware updates. Install firmware 1.4.7 once using BOOTSEL or the existing compatible updater. For future compatible updates, copy the complete supplied file as
FIRMWARE.UPDto the cartridge drive’s root using your PC. Safely eject it, disconnect USB and turn on your Atari to update automatically. Keep power on until completion, then turn the Atari off and on as instructed. USB connection to a PC alone does not run the update. - Leisure Suit Larry on Atari. The supported original DOS 1.00 edition retains PrismA8 graphics, resident POKEY music and the reviewed trivia bypass. The AGI mouse-click repair keeps a clicked walking destination active.
- High-resolution Atari AGI menus and dialogs. The five supported Sierra games use clear IBM/PCjr text with PrismA8 colors and a resident POKEY music player. Updated movement pacing, caching and Atari control labels improve the experience.
- Another LOOM edition. English DOS EGA version 1.0 joins version 1.1 on all three device tabs. Resource validation identifies the file when its size or checksum is incorrect.
- Retained compatibility and setup repairs. Bounty Bob’s 5200 banking, 1942’s 7800 banking, Atari text readability, Commodore file-selection ranges and A8Pico storage reclaim remain included. Original-file selection shows the resources being located. A8Pico drive choices remove the 1–16 MB/FAT restriction; setup copies files without formatting. Ordinary Atari arrow keys work without Control in the updated clients. Existing long-path extraction failure and display-scaling repairs are retained.
Compatibility varies by game, original edition and hardware.
GameGearVM on Atari: Hardware speed and sound are still a work in progress (but Sonic 2’s “Sega!” speech works!). No save functionality.
A different way to draw the classics.
Prism+ combines C64 display techniques with cartridge processing to bring supported games to a 320 × 200 image. PrismA8 serves the Atari editions. Resolution and presentation vary by game and machine; high-resolution text is also available in native Sierra Game Compiler games.
Your desktop, your choice
HamsterOS for MPE is optional.
Choose Include HamsterOS desktop for a graphical home on your C64 or Atari XL/XE. Compatible games can also launch without it. The app keeps your firmware choice and desktop preference with each device.
This is the MPE desktop. HamsterOS for PCs is a separate operating system with its own applications and disk images.
On A8Pico, games and the desktop are installed as packages alongside the generic firmware. The C64 SID player supports mono and stereo PSID files; MUS/STR playback has been removed.
Both custom and stock TeensyROM+ firmware and KFF2 now open compatible .nes, .gb, .gbc, .gg, .a26, .a52 and .a78 files with the matched players. Install the supplied MPE.TRH host once on Teensy and fully power-cycle the cartridge.
Built to grow
Keep your collection current.
New game support, runtime improvements, and desktop updates come through the same application. Your remembered game locations and separate device settings stay with you between application updates.
Firmware files are prepared for installation on the selected cartridge. Follow the device’s installation instructions to complete a firmware update.
If you are a developer interested in developing or porting a game to the Mean Hamster Power Engine, get in touch!