Awesome Game Boy Development
A curated list of awesome Game Boy (Color) Development resources, tools, docs, related projects and open-source ROMs. Inspired by the awesome list thing.
You can find a (way cooler) web version of this list here.
Disambiguation
Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance development is covered by another project, the awesome-gbadev list.
GBA, however, can run GB/GBC games. It does so in a slightly different way compared to native hardware: this is covered in the Emulator Development section of this list.Game Boy Color and Super Game Boy
This list is focused on the original Game Boy (GB or DMG, 1989), the Game Boy Color (GBC or CGB) and the Super Game Boy (SGB) are very similar systems, with a few important distinctions, such as:
- Different hardware specifications;
- Specific hardware and software features;
- Specific registers;
- Specific bugs, quirks and exploitable behaviours.
If you aim to develop your software for SGB or GBC, or you want to know how it runs on the other systems, you may want to take advantage and adapt to these differences, check the Game Boy Color category and look for specific references to GBC/CGB and SGB.
The single, most comprehensive technical reference to Game Boy available to the public. Corrected, updated and maintained by the community.
A precise documentation by AntonioND to make a cycle-accurate Game Boy emulator.
by Gekkio.
by Rodrigo Copetti.
Report of an hardware [emulator](https://github.com/kitsuneh/SVGameBoy) (on a Terasic DE1-SoC Board) developed as final project for the CSEE4840 Embedded Systems Design course at Columbia University.
Opcodes table
A reference of all instructions, including short descriptions, cycle and byte counts, and explanations of flag modifications.
A technical note regarding Hicolour mode trick for Game Boy Color and its realization in the GBC game “Crystalis”.
Hardware schematics.
Provides a study on the hardware and detailed constructional information for the implementation of three 8-bit bidirectional parallel ports.
by Gekkio.
Dev board for Game Boy accessories development, powered by ESP8266.
A device that emulates the GB Printer and lets you retrieve images using WiFi.
Page with loads of information on the hardware, custom boards to interface with the console and other related projects.
Data and photos of various types of Game Boy consoles.
Schematics and annotated overlay for the DMG-CPU B chip, extracted from die photos, made with KiCad. Also contains Electric VLSI library with layouts for some of the cells and memories.
Obscure Game Boy hardware documentation.
Documentation about GB Camera and tools used to reverse engineer it by using Arduino.
An in-depth technical document about the printer hardware, the communication protocol and the usual routine that games used for implementing the print feature.
Emulating a Game Boy Printer via the Game Boy Link cable with an Arduino.
A List of available, ready-made Game Boy Flash Cartridges.
Corrected schematics and infos on cartridge header data.
An overview on existing cartridge types.
Schematics for MBC2 and MBC3 types.
First schematics by Jeff Frohwein.
and explanation on how these MBC bank switch and control RAM.
Navigable table of every game released with details on their cartridges.
Emulating the functionality of a Game Boy cartridge with the development board STM32F4.
Game Boy cartridge with co-processor.
Eagle library, schematic, and board files for a cartridge PCB using an Atmel AT49F040 as ROM.
Board layout for an EEPROM powered cartridge.
Open-source flash cartridge using an Xilinx CPLD as MBC5 ([Post](https://hackaday.io/project/41160-nekocart-cpld-gameboy-cartridge)).
Commercial and homemade programmable cartridges and programming systems. Tutorials, wiring and schematics provided.
CPLD implementation of a MBC5/MBC1 Hybrid cartridge.
Workshop introducing basic assembly, debugging and reverse engineering.
A document detailing the Game Boy sound engine.
Must read by Jeff Frohwein.
Commented dump of the DMG bootrom.
Information on how the Game Boy interprets VRAM tile data to color pixels.
43 minutes talk by Gekkio given at Disobey 2018 ([errata](https://gekkio.fi/blog/2018-02-05-errata-for-reverse-engineering-fine-details-of-game-boy-hardware.html)).
Overview of the Game Boy hardware with the perspective of building an emulator.
An educational Gameboy Emulator in Rust and a companion book explaining its development. *[Oh Boy! Creating a Game Boy Emulator in Rust](https://media.ccc.de/v/rustfest-rome-3-gameboy-emulator)- is a talk given at Rust Fest 18 about this.
Step by step tutorial.
Learning Rust by building a partial Game Boy emulator.
A series of posts about the design and implementation of the RealBoy Emulator.
Another series of posts documenting the building of an emulator.
Implementing a *rewind- feature.
Porting of the binjgb emulator to Web Assembly. [(Part 2)](https://binji.github.io/2017/02/27/binjgb-on-the-web-part-2.html)
Investigations on emulations quirks.
How to algorithmically decode Game Boy instructions (as opposed to writing one huge switch-case statement).
Notes about the development of a Game Boy emulator in JavaScript.
A command line tool for comparing logs from your emulator to those from a known-correct one. Useful for line-by-line debugging of Blargg's test ROMs.
Port of Artemio Urbina's 240p Test Suite to the Game Boy.
The Choosing tools for Game Boy development essay provides an overview of the available development tools for Game Boy.
Assembler and linker package. [Documentation](https://rgbds.gbdev.io).
Assembler engine and development system targeting Game Boy, among other CPUs. Written by the original RGBDS author. [Documentation](https://github.com/asmotor/asmotor/tree/develop#further-reading).
Yet Another GB-Z80/Z80/... Multi Platform Cross Assembler Package. [Documentation](http://www.villehelin.com/wla.txt).
Maintained and modernized GBDK (Game Boy Development Kit) powered by an updated version of the SDCC toolchain. Provides a C compiler, assembler, linker and a set of libraries.
Complete suite (IDE, compiler, programming language, resource editor) intended for developing games/demos for 8 / 16-bit line of computers, including the Game Boy and Game Boy Color.
In-browser coding environment to try out RGBDS.
A high-level assembly language for writing homebrew on retro console platforms (Game Boy, NES, Atari 2600, and more).
A Forth-based Game Boy development kit.
An opinionated Rust based compiler for Game Boy z80 assembly code.
A JavaScript based compiler for Game Boy z80 assembly code.
Macro Assembler.
Assembler written in Swift.
A compiler translates Go programs to C code. The output C code is built into GB ROM by GBDK.
A compiler and library that enable the development of GB ROMs using Rust.
Powerful emulator and debugger. Provides an accurate hardware emulation.
Accurate emulator with a wide range of powerful debugging features.
Research project and emulator in Rust.
Modern cross platform GBA emulator which also runs GB/GBC games.
5Kloc emulator that passes most of the tests. *Rewind- feature. Runs in the browser using WebAssembly.
Cross-platform and accurate emulator.
A playable, circuit-level simulation of an entire Game Boy.
A recently rewritten emulator that has a large effort in preserving the functions of obscure accessories (such as IR link, Mobile Network GB, Barcode Boy, GB Printer, local and online GB Serial Link Cable, ... )
Provides accurate emulation and includes powerful tools such as a profiler and source-level debugging for ASM and C via a [VS Code debug adapter](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=emulicious.emulicious-debugger).
A little engine for creating games for the original Game Boy (expands gbdk, more info [here](http://zalods.blogspot.com/2017/01/zgb-little-engine-for-game-boy.html)).
An engine for creating games (expands GBDK).
C library extending gbdk.
A small set of sources and tools for the Game Boy Development Kit by Michael Hope.
Game Boy ROM disassembler with RGBDS compatible output.
An online tool to inspect and modify a ROM's header data, including the logo.
Command line tool for estimating usage (free space) of Game Boy ROMs from a .map, .noi or ihx file. Works with GBDK-2020 and RGBDS.
Game Boy decompiler.
Set of tools for text manipulation and translation of Game Boy ROMs written in Node.js.
A scripting language for the Game Boy, useful for enemy AI, dialogue, animations, and coroutines.
A unit testing program for assembly code.
Generates statistics on which CPU instructions are run the most often using Python and Emulicious
HTML5 / JS web application that will convert bitmap images to hexadecimal data appropriate for use in tile based graphical applications, specifically GB.
Some sources and home of Game Boy Tile Designer (GBTD) and Game Boy Map Builder (GBMB) tools.
Converts .GBR files created with Harry Mulder's Tile Designer (GBTD) and .GBM files created with Harry Mulder's Map Builder (GBMB) to different formats for use with the Game Boy and GBDK.
Graphics converter for Game Boy Color development providing real time palette adjustments.
CLI tool to convert image file to game boy .c array.
Game Boy tile conversion and map editor tool (converts to assembly).
A collection of primitive editor/converter tools for making assets used with homebrew ROM development.
A minimalistic ncurses tile editor.
Definition and specification of a custom GB/GBC memory/hardware mapper, as a functional superset of MBC.
A C library of useful Game Boy operations (SDCC).
GIMP image editor plug-in for importing & exporting GBMB and GBTD tilemaps and tilesets (as bitmap images or .GBM/.GBR files).
GIMP image editor plug-in for optimizing tile maps and tile sets.
A tilemap editor for Game Boy, Color, Advance, and SNES projects. Written in C++ with FLTK.
Flexible and composable tile graphics converter supporting Super Nintendo, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Mega Drive and PC Engine formats.
Game Boy Cartridge Dumper ROM.
Extracts photos from Game Boy Camera saves.
Sniff your Game Boy's LCD using a logic analyzer.
Diagnostic utility for Game Boy flashcarts.
Game Boy LinkUp serial cable networking project.
Sound driver embeddable in homebrews which supports pulse width manipulation, arpeggios, and multiple waveforms.
Music Engine.
A music player library and converter kit.
A MML parser and GBDK sound driver for the Nintendo Game Boy.
An MML based music compiler with support for Game Boy & Game Boy Color.
A modernized audio driver for GameBoy Tracker (aka the Paragon 5 music player).
A music tracker based on OpenMPT, focused on ease of use, compact output, and embeddability in homebrew games.
A GBDK-2020 sound effect driver compatible with FX-Hammer sound effects.
Guides, tutorials and tools to develop software for Game Boy using the development toolchains described in the Software Development chapter.
Standard include file containing Game Boy hardware definitions for use in RGBDS projects.
Good document to learn to produce working asm code for gb. Brief explanations of many important topics. Many examples with commented source code.
Exploring Game Boy programming techniques:
Some starting tips on disassembling and reverse engineering.
Step by step tutorial to implement Super Game Boy features (frame and palettes).
Step by step tutorial.
Game programming tutorials in assembly.
Example of how to use OAM DMA in assembly.
An e-book about making Game Boy games in Assembly.
A lot of working demos and sources.
A collection of prototype programs, mostly just toying around. Among others, a daylight effect, transparency and a weather effect.
A detailed tutorial on how to make the screen wobble, among other "raster effects"
Basic hello-world example for Game Boy using RGBDS.
Simple template code with memory defines, copy routines and IBM font tilemap.
An example Game Boy project.
Boilerplate project to move quicker into the actual assembly code for your game.
A software library for making your own Game Boy games. It is made to be used alongside the book [Game Boy Assembly Programming for the Modern Game Developer](https://github.com/ahrnbom/gbapfomgd) which also doubles as documentation.
Library to print variable-width text, comes with a demo.
A template for starting Game Boy projects, providing a Makefile for infrastructure.
An expansion on the above, including base library code as well to get started faster.
A template with basic functions such as joypad input, DMA transfers, and map/tile data loading.
Notepad+- and gedit syntax highlighting files for RGBDS assembly.
Vim syntax highlighting for RGBDS assembly.
Another Vim syntax highlighting file for RGBDS assembly.
A Sublime Text 3 package for RGBDS, including syntax highlighting and some completion snippets.
Visual Studio Code language extension for RGBDS GBZ80 Assembly.
Emacs major mode for RGBDS assembly.
Fragments of code, effects, proof of concepts and generally non complete games.
Well-written introductory document about how the Game Boy works and how to start developing working code for it.
A complete set of lessons about implementing various game mechanics in a Game Boy game.
Old (but still relevant) tutorial.
Fairly minimal game demo for getting started with GBDK.
Presents a workflow for getting multiple sprites to display and animate.
Extends your knowledge of basic spriting on the Game Boy by adding colors to sprites, backgrounds and the window layer.
Details the use of the joypad with GBDK.
Some full games and sources.
Configuring GBDK, Using Tiles, Colliding Sprites, GBTD, GBMB, Memory Management and ROM Banking.
A series of video tutorials introducing beginners to programming with GBDK.
A collection of detailed GBDK-2020 based tutorials.
A community-led attempt to collect, archive and preserve every unlicensed and homebrew game released for Game Boy. Entries are playable online.
Complete and open source games.
GB303 wavetable-based TB-303 style synthesizer for the Nintendo Game Boy.
A simple Game Boy Powerpoint-like slides viewer.
Pokémon Red remade with full GBC support.
Fourway Breakout clone.
DES encryption.
Program visualizing the wave form used by the wave channel. The wave form can be edited freely and playback of the wave is updated immediately.
Developed with gbasm.
Puzzle game for the Game Boy (Color) and Super Game Boy.
([ZGB engine](https://github.com/Zal0/ZGB/)).
*Vanilla- SDCC (no gbdk).
Atari 2600 Boxing clone for the Game Boy (Color).
and some other projects.
An arcade platformer for the Game Boy (Color).
A clone of the Google Chrome offline game.
Another clone of the Chrome game.
A port of the first level of Evoland.
A puzzle game of shapely pets for the Game Boy Color ([itch.io](https://bbbbbr.itch.io/petris)).
RPG developed by Affinix Software primarily between the years 1999 and 2001. The game never found a publisher and was eventually canceled. Got recently released with the full source, development tools and workflows.
Side scrolling platformer for the Game Boy ([itch.io](https://user0x7f.itch.io/black-castle)).
Shmup for the Game Boy ([itch.io](https://user0x7f.itch.io/genesis)).
Side scrolling platformer for the Game Boy (Color) ([ZGB engine](https://github.com/Zal0/ZGB/)).
([ZGB engine](https://github.com/Zal0/ZGB/)).
([ZGB engine](https://github.com/Zal0/ZGB/)).
TOTP (RFC 6238) two-factor authenticator with SGB border, GBC palettes and an MBC3 RTC clock.
Interactive horror fiction.
A Matrix digital rain effect in assembler.
A technical demo demonstrating how the Game Boy LCD controller can be hacked to make a Game Boy Color play a full motion video in color, together with music.
The second iteration of the above demo, which increases the resolution, adds *stereo- PCM audio, and introduces video compression*.
a python module that provides various reverse engineering components for various Pokémon games.
A walkthrough to reverse engineer a Game Boy ROM challenge using radare2.
A series of blog posts about disassembling Link's Awakening DX.
A simple technique that allows you to run custom code in most GB/SGB/CGB games, provided you have an ACE exploit.
Pokémon Gold and Silver 1997 Space World demo.
Complete Tetris disassembly.
Emulate a gameboy printer via the gameboy link cable.
A device that emulates the Gameboy Printer and lets you retrieve images using WiFi powered by an ESP8266.
A GameBoy printer emulator which provides the received data over a WiFi connection.
Game Boy Printer interface shield for D1 mini/mini Pro ESP8266 boards.
Sniff packet communications between a Game Boy and the Printer.
Game Boy Printer emulation (e.g. to retrieve images from the camera):
based on the above.
Manipulate the ROM of a camera to include custom frames
Methods to improve and/or manipulate the camera's quality and behavior:
Generate as-if-printed images of digital printed images.
Gallery app for to the Game Boy camera: import pictures from exports or cartridge dumps and choose color palettes.
Thanks to every contributor of this project, Jeff Frohwein, Pascal Felber, KOOPa, Pan of Anthrox, GABY, Marat Fayzullin, Paul Robson, BOWSER, neviksti, Martin "nocash" Korth, Nitro2k01, Duo, Chris Antonellis, Michael Hope, Beware, Jonathan “Lord Nightmare” Gevaryahu, Carsten Sorense, Sindre Aamås, Otaku No Zoku, GeeBee.