iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 5h

Hey, I just enjoy what I do

A snippet from YouTube comments where a viewer asks "Dafuq you keep chuckling for, dude?"

060

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 21h

Ok, not the highest priority - but I fixed the title screen on Jurl for Vectrex. #IndieDev #RetroDev #RetroGaming

A screenshot from a Vectrex emulator showing the title screen for Jurl with text that says Press A to start

1151

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 29/09/2026

That day when I won an Amiga auction that came with a ton of copied disks but an original disk for XCopy

An image of a blue 3.5-inch floppy disk labeled "X-COPY & CYCLONE," indicating it is a special version for power computing. The disk is made by Verbatim and has a label with a serial number and contact information

7668

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 28/09/2026

Ok after working very late last night and most of my lunch break, the chunk movement is very wrong, but other than that - it's not far off.

050

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 26/09/2026

I made a sort of identikit system using someone's portrait graphics by splitting them into 4 bands. It produces some of the most horrendous images and I definitely have to fix it before proper launch, but right now I find it very amusing #IndieDev

A snapshot from a game called Herexis, showing a character creator with options for Skin, Forehead, Eyes, Nose, Gear, Hair, Hair colour and Accessories

0114

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 26/09/2026

Designing mouse pointers like it's 1990 #IndieDev (Fortunately, with the aid of the great Aseprite.

A snapshot of an Aseprite window, it shows four pointers in a sprite sheet, including a target, a dotted box, a hand picking something up and a green cross

0112

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 25/09/2026

3000 downloads over on tonsomo.itch.io mostly thanks to the recent rush on Quantum Hop which is now my most downloaded game. Thanks to everyone who has played it, shared it and reviewed it

a snippet from a webpage with writing that says 3,022 Downloads

040

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 24/09/2026

Hmm, going through my godot projects list is almost as bad as my retro ones. A few of these I at least released a prototype of, but a few didn't even get that far. I might revisit Herexis, because it wasn't that far off at least a prototype if I remember rightly. #Indie

A list of folders with names that suggest games

030

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 21/09/2026

Oh yeah, that's where I was with Jurl on the Vectrex

0120

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 20/09/2026

Is it professional plastering? No Bit is it good plastering? Also no Is it good enough? We won’t find out until it’s far too late But I completed it and frankly I think that’s the only criteria we should be judging it on

Fresh plaster applied in a hole surrounded by old plaster

0110

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 19/09/2026

What the absolute fuck??? I especially like the way that because they haven't setup an email address I can't use the "take me off this list link"

An email saying that the user has been invited to join a trial of an AI ad app in testflight

030

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 12/09/2026

I'll add some colour, but the idea is the standard "witchy" imagery of the circle and half circle, but with the half circle connected to the WIFI waves symbology

100

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 12/09/2026

Sort your bloody software out Elegoo

A screen from a slicing program, it shows that the software is unable to talk to the printer

000

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 12/09/2026

What the hell is this bot nonsense about? I’ve had this three times over two different videos

Image showing a post titled "Why I built Pocketity: A modern console with old-school limits," accompanied by an introduction graphic. Below the title is a comment from a user referencing a "new verity variant."

310

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 07/09/2026

Pockity running a simple 3D cube, some timing issues (hence the seemingly bendy lines) but otherwise good #RetroGaming #Maker

1150

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 31/08/2026

I may have spent much of the day getting the code to compile, seemingly i'd had a crack at changing something before I got distracted.

An ASCII game that has a hud with score, hiscore, bonus, lives and level and a play area with a matrix of blue Xs some red enemies, a yellow player and the words Watch and Avoid

131

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 30/08/2026

So I DID start a BBC port of Jurl? I have no recollection of starting this - some of the mechanics are there, but boy it's rough

A snapshot from MAME emulating a BBC Micro computer, it shows a screen with broken graphics and a block of text with Jurl, Score, Bonus and Lives

050

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 30/08/2026

I've been playing with retro development for a bit now and have amassed a bunch of finished, half-finished, failed and unstarted projects, I was just browsing my retro code folder and it's quite the collection.

A list of directories featuring gaming company names such as 3DO, Acorn, Amstrad - there are about 39

3333

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 30/08/2026

But I did fix the display glitches

A handheld gaming device displays a retro-style game featuring green aliens in a row at the top and block-like barriers at the bottom. The controls are visible on the side, including a directional pad and colored buttons.

030

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 30/08/2026

Ok, so maybe I jumped the gun a little with my statement that the PCB checked out, a couple of bodges needed. But new boards on the way.

An electronic circuit board with a microcontroller is mounted inside a black casing. A flexible ribbon cable is connected to the board, and there are visible wires and components, indicating a DIY or custom electronic project.

100

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 29/08/2026

It’s quite neat (if I say so myself). The main PCB holds the Tang Nano and has the control contacts, spaced to match the Super Nintendo controllers, on the opposite side. The SD extender and USB power/charger screw into the bottom part of the case. I also need to add audio stuff

A 3D printed case, split into two and placed on a surface. The top half holds a purple PCB and the bottom two small circuit boards

010

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 29/08/2026

Pockity is working, latest PCB checks out. I need to do some work on the SDK and put a sound solution in-place, but the hardware is basically done #Maker

3270

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 29/08/2026

I have sold books, I shall retire immediately

A summary of a transaction labeled "AMAZON MEDIA EU S." showing a gain of £5.20, dated "Today."

0120

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 28/08/2026

Alternative title, I made a giant arsed advert for Whatnot and pretended it was a normal video

A smiling individual poses with a decorative game console box in front of several packages, each displaying different prices. The image features a title about purchasing expensive consoles on a platform called Whatnot.

060

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 27/08/2026

There isn’t a landmass long enough for you to fuck off to a degree that would make me happy

1110

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 26/08/2026

New PCBs have arrived for Pockity

Purple PCBs with control contact pads, text says Pockity Handheld main PCB Team Pockity 2026

190

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 22/08/2026

I’ll release the files for it later, just working on a case for it

An array of colorful wires and cables surrounds a device labeled "ENTERPRISE." The setting appears to be a workspace or a technical environment, with various cables merging in a cluttered appearance.

020

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 22/08/2026

It’s not been a very successful weekend so far in terms of projects, but at least one of them worked

A close-up of a green circuit board with multiple wires connected to it, labeled for color channels (red, green, blue) and sync signals. The board is in the back of an Enterprise 64 computer

A television screen displays the colorful title "ENTERPRISE" with the text “© 1985 Intelligent Software Ltd.” in green below.

2210

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 22/08/2026

Not the best soldering I’ve ever done, but more solid than I was expecting

A green PCB with four surface mounted components, one IC and three resistors

040

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 18/08/2026

Of course the little GPD Win can’t run some of the more complex games, but it runs Kerbal Space Program - it’s just a shame I suck at Kerbal Space Program

The image displays a simulation interface showing a rocket launch pad with a rocket positioned in the center. There are various indicators and gauges on the screen, including speed and altitude metrics, along with a blue sky and green landscape in the background.

120

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 18/08/2026

What on earth happened in the last month, I actually got some yoof looking at my videos

A chart displaying viewer demographics by age over the last 28 days. The largest percentage (49.7%) is in the 13–17 age group, followed by 37.6% in the 45–54 range, and smaller percentages

170

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 16/08/2026

Well that’s the membrane fixed on the Enterprise 64, turned out to be a dodgy pin on the membrane header. Still doesn’t work with the plastic keyboard attached, but that’s probably the sheer amount of glue that was thrown in here, I’ll have to soak it in iso to try and break it down

A retro computer screen displaying IS-BASIC programming interface, showing memory stats with a text line reading, "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." The screen has a green and red color scheme.

The back of a grey plastic keyboard with multicoloured plugs. There are giant blobs of glue over it

030

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 16/08/2026

This is a genuinely lovely little handheld, I needed to run rufus and it won’t run well under emulation, so I needed a windows pc - the only other windows machine I have is my giant gaming laptop so this came in clutch.

A small black handheld computer, it’s a clamshell design with a small keyboard and gaming controls

090

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 16/08/2026

And this, which I have some hopes for - well, as long as I got the pinout right

A green PCB with holes for components is plugged into the back of a computer

071

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 16/08/2026

Did some more work on the Enterprise 64, EXOS 2.4 so BASIC is on tap now rather than requiring a cartridge. The keyboard is still missing a couple of columns, but the membrane headers are very corroded - this has seen a lot of moisture in its time.

A television screen displays a command prompt for IS-BASIC, showing memory usage statistics: 65,536 bytes in the system and 50,571 bytes unused. Several objects and clutter are visible in the background.

A close-up view of a printed circuit board (PCB) featuring a variety of electronic components, including capacitors, resistors, and a connector. The PCB displays green traces, silver pads, and a label with the number "2." The PCB is quite dirty and a slot with fingers can be seen with greenish patina

1110

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 16/08/2026

Unfortunately, this is as far as I’m getting on real hardware for now, I haven’t worked out how to properly sign the binaries

A tv screen showing the banner for a 3DO game called Jurl

030

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 15/08/2026

Experience has been … mixed. I got FTL to load, I wouldn’t play it on here because it really needs a mouse. Skyrim just kept getting stuck on updating a script Project Zomboid is taking forever to download, and it’s not that big

A TV showing the title screen for FTL. With blue tones due to Apple not knowing how white balance works

110

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 15/08/2026

So, I need an intervention at some point

RetroArch history screen, showing an entry for Jurl for the 3DO

470

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 14/08/2026

Hey #BookSky I released my first fiction book a couple of months back. It's an absurdist fantasy-fiction called The Orcs are attacking and we're all out of ham and sees Sam win a major catering contract AND become the saviour of humanity on the same day www.johnnyblanchard.com/2026/07/11/t...

The cover of a book called The Orcs are attacking and we're all out of ham by Johnny Blanchard. The artwork features a purple portal with a man, woman and green orc. The artwork is by Alison Gillespie

151

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 14/08/2026

A few PCBs arrived today, all Enterprise 64 related

Three different types of green PCB in sets of five

070

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 13/08/2026

Got a couple of things from Japan, not expensive (even though I got hit by import tax despite the items being less than £100) but there’s a nice laptop bag in my wife’s favourite colour and an Atari VCS, something I’ve always been intrigued by but couldn’t afford

A boxed Atari VCS, in the background two boxed controllers

081

Dr Johnny Blanchard @onlyretrofans.com · 11/08/2026

The Enterprise is in fairly bad condition inside, someone decided to use all the glue to fix the case. I’ve replaced the keyboard membrane but two columns still aren’t working so I’ll need to diagnose that

The back of a computer keyboard featuring a plastic shell with push in buttons, a large hemisphere of glue is on one part

040