Hectoped

Hectopede is a new homebrew arcade game for the Micronique Hector 2HR+, a French 8-bit computer from the early 1980s.

Inspired by Atari's arcade classic Centipede, Hectopede was written in Z80 assembly and designed specifically around the hardware limitations of the Hector 2HR+.

Move your cannon through the lower part of the playfield, destroy the advancing centipede and survive the creatures invading the mushroom field.

Every destroyed segment can create a new mushroom, progressively transforming the battlefield and changing the path of the centipede.

Gameplay features

• Centipede made of multiple independent segments
• Destroying a segment can split the centipede and create a new head
• Destructible mushrooms
• Spider enemy roaming the player's area
• Flea and Scorpion special enemies
• Poisoned mushrooms
• Multiple waves with increasing difficulty
• Score and extra-life system
• High-score table with player initials
• One-player and two-player modes
• Configurable lives and bonus-life threshold
• Arcade-style attract mode with an AI-controlled demonstration

Technical features

• Written in Z80 assembly
• Designed specifically for the Micronique Hector 2HR+
• Z80 running at 5 MHz
• No hardware sprites — all sprites are software managed
• Game synchronized with the Hector's 50 Hz interrupt using Z80 IM2 mode
• 50 Hz display synchronization with a 60 Hz gameplay logic cadence
• Software collision detection
• Sprite erase/redraw with background restoration
• 1-bit sound effects generated directly by the Hector

Arcade spirit

The goal of Hectopede is not to reproduce the original arcade machine pixel-for-pixel.

Instead, the project tries to answer a different question:

How close can we get to the feeling of the original arcade game using the limited hardware of an Hector 2HR+?

The game includes several details inspired by the original arcade experience, including an attract mode, high-score table, configurable game settings and alternating two-player mode.

AI-assisted development

Hectopede was developed in 2026 by KoReYaS Gaming, with Claude used as an AI development partner for Z80 coding, debugging, documentation and optimization.

The game itself runs entirely on the Hector hardware — the AI is only part of the development process.

Controls

• Joystick 0 or arrow keys: move
• Space: fire
• 2: start a two-player game
• O: options
• Return: return to the Hector ROM menu

The project is still under development, so feedback is very welcome!