I would be shocked if anyone is really looking for anything practical out of this, its more of a lab exercise that lets you learn by actually doing things. I learn best this way. It's one thing to draw a circuit, or even put it in a simulator, but the act of hooking up the chips, and watching the blinking lights really sticks with me, and far more deeply ingrains the concepts in my head. And while the 8-bit kit is expensive, and time consuming, I found it worthwhile. There is probably a lot more value to be had in the 6502 series though, if for no other reason that the 6502 is iconic, and it was something of a thrill to me to really understand at a basic level the chip that powered the NES I spent so many hours with.

and you might want more than 16 instructions in your programs!