Neko: History of a Software Pet (2022)
2 months ago
- #open-source
- #software-history
- #nostalgia
- Neko is a cat that chases the mouse cursor on the screen.
- Originated in the 1980s with NEKO.COM for NEC PC-9801 in MS-DOS.
- Macintosh version (NekoDA) created in 1989 by Kenji Gotoh with public domain pixel art.
- X Window System (xneko) and Linux/BSD (oneko) versions appeared in 1990.
- Windows 3, Commodore Amiga, and OS/2 versions followed in the early 1990s.
- IBM bundled Neko with OS/2 2.x, calling it 'Cat and Mouse'.
- Keiji Gotoh sold non-exclusive rights to IBM for the OS/2 version.
- Neko98 (Windows) by David Harvey in the late 1990s.
- JavaScript version (webneko) by Gregory Bell in 2004.
- 64-bit Windows adaptation by neozeed in 2010.
- Neko runs on various platforms: PC98, Mac, Windows, OS/2, mobile, and microcontrollers.
- A GitHub repository serves as a historical archive for Neko.
- Future plans include a web-based Neko editor for custom variants.