I worked on a game boy emulator a while ago to learn C. I did pretty well and was able to run most games I came across just fine, but never got audio working...I just couldn't understand any of the stuff online about how it worked, and was unable to find any good resources that walked through how audio emulation in general worked, much less game boy's version.
I had never considered an emulator to be anywhere inside of the realm of possible projects I could take on for fun. I just thought it would be too complex without having a ton of very specific knowledge.
Your comment prompted me to go look up some other attempts, and I’m really glad I did. It seems much more approachable to me now. Thanks!
Consider starting with a CHIP-8 emulator. It's a perfect size for starting out and touches on a lot of important concepts you'll apply to the next emulator.
I love, most of all, how modular the project is. I can do an hour here or there and make meaningful progress.
I'm really eager to discover other very large programming projects that break down into sensible bites so well.