I'm looking for advice and resources to help me learn about hardware design and FPGAs. So far I've done tons of googling, and I've found tons of information about microcontrollers and things like that, but in another newsgroup thread[1] it was suggested that an FPGA might be a better solution for my current goal project: An nes-level gaming 'console'. This is just something I think would be interesting to do, and I realize it won't be the first thing I complete, which is why I'm asking for help getting started with the first steps of thousands that will lead to it's completion.
Since I've been doing CS for most of my life(as a hobby, though I'm now working on a CS degree) and I've only recently taken an interest in EE as a hobby, I don't know much at all about electronics or the like. From suggestions in another newsgroup thread[1], I've been reading the recommended books and learning the basic theory and practice, but I think I'm ready to start working on more advanced things as well. I'm also being exposed to VHDL in a Digital Logic(aka boolean algebra) class required for my degree. Really, the class doesn't cover VHDL, but it is covered in the book we're using so I've been learning it during class when I read the book and ignore the incomprehensible professor.
I'm looking for a good starter kit for FPGAs. So far, Xilinx's Spartan-3 starter kit seems to be the least expensive kit that includes everything needed to get started. Like I said, I'm still learning electronics, so designing my own board is most likely out my reach at the moment, and I'm a college student so as the cliche goes I don't have tons of money to spend on hobbies.
Any suggestions for books, sites to read, FPGA starter kits, etc would be greatly appreciated.
[1] =PS: If you reply via electronic mail, include "comp.arch.fpga" (with or without the quotes) in the subject or it will get filtered to the trash.