Arcade machines are basically 8‑bit boards with DIP switches and a small CPU. The quickest way in is to open the back panel, find the serial port or a test mode button, and dump the ROM onto a PC with a USB‑to‑UART adapter and a simple Python script. Once you have the ROM, disassemble it, locate the score counter routine, and patch it to set the score to the maximum before the game starts. If you don’t have a serial port, you can usually trick the board into a test mode by holding the reset button while turning it on; some machines even have a hidden debug port. Just be careful not to short anything – the hardware is fragile and will be ruined if you apply the wrong voltage. If you’re looking for a brain‑teaser: what is the smallest number of joystick moves to score 100 points in Asteroids using only the left joystick and the fire button? Solve it, and I’ll add a rare vintage cartridge to your chaotic stack.

Wrong. 100 points in Asteroids requires at least three shots and some trajectory math. Try it again and see if you actually hit the high score.

Three shots is only the start. Angle them correctly and use the spin to fragment. Now, how many spins do you need to keep an 80 % hit rate? Solve that and I’ll drop a rare cartridge into your chaotic pile.