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Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators

582 bytes added, 23:22, 9 October 2018
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However shit hits the fan when it comes to '''unlicensed games''', since they didn't necessarily respect Nintendo's specifications about how a given mapper type should handle its memory and behave in general, and internal headers were often filled with erroneous data to hinder dumping and emulation efforts. Some emulators like MESS and [http://hhug.me/?tags=hhugboy hhugboy] try to emulate that behavior with various degrees of success ([http://hhug.me/dump/ Compatibility List]). The hhugboy project also proposed a similar solution to iNES for this mapper problem, as the [http://hhug.me/gbx/1.0 gbx ROM format] that appends a footer with extra information needed for some unlicensed games. However, this format, much less unlicensed hardware quirks, isn't widely adopted aside from tentative mGBA support.
<h2 style="width:100%;">Game Boy features</h2> ===HardwareFeatures=== ====IR Transmitter====
The Game Boy Color had an infrared transmitter and receiver. Generation II Pokémon games made use of this feature through Mystery Gift. Super Mario Bros. Deluxe could send high scores to another cartridge. GBE+ had [https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art4.html basic IR emulation] back in July 2016 but it then only worked with Pokémon games. Now, as of [https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art11.html April 2018], it has full IR emulation for most IR-enabled games (Hudson Soft's HuC-1's IR capabilities need to be emulated for Japanese ''Pokémon TCG'').
====Game Boy Camera====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Name
|Multi-platform
|Dev builds post 0.6.0
|{{✓}}
|-
|[[VBA-M]]
|Multi-platform
|Latest
|{{✓}}
|-
The latest dev builds of mGBA post 0.6.0 release can emulate the accessory by either using the PC's webcam or send a BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, or other image format to the game, as if it was coming from the camera itself.<ref name="mGBA_Cam">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/mGBA_emu/status/890954205472501762|title=Game Boy Camera in mGBA dev builds|publisher=Twitter|accessdate=2018-08-10|date=2017-07-28}}</ref> To enable the PC webcam, go to <code>Game Boy</code> under <code>settings</code> and switch the <code>camera driver</code> to <code>Qt Multimedia</code>, or by editing <code>qt.ini</code> and setting <code>cameraDriver=1</code> under <code>[General]</code>.
 
====Tilt sensor====
Two Game Boy Color games featured a built-in tilt sensor: Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble and Command Master. These games cannot be played without support for this feature. While VBA and KiGB have a "Motion Sensor" option to map four directional keys to emulate the cartridge tilting, BGB can emulate the tilting features with the use of the mouse.
 
====Rumble Enhanced Games====
Some cartridges came with a built-in rumble that required an AAA battery to power, such as ''Pokémon Pinball'', but the feature is optional. It is unknown if any emulator supports this feature.
 
====Game Boy Pocket Sonar====
Japan only cartridge released by Bandai. It is a sonar-enabled device used for fishing with a fishing game included. Only GBE+ [https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art13.html supports] this feature.
 
<hr/>
 
===Accessories===
There are [[wikipedia:Game Boy accessories#Game Boy|a few accessories that the Game Boy and Game Boy Color]] had.
 
====Link Cable====
BGB, KiGB, some versions of VBA-M and TGB-Dual supports link cable.
 
====4-Player Adapter====
Currently only [[GBE+]] supports it.
====Game Boy Printer====
[[VisualBoy Advance|VisualBoy Advance 1.8.0-beta 3]] and GBE+ had Game Boy Printer support that turned the signals into a bitmap form of the image. Some notable games and accessories to make use of this feature are the RPG Pokémon games, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, and Game Boy Camera. mGBA plans to support this feature but it is unknown if other emulators support or have plans to support it.
====Barcode Boy=Motion Control (Tilt Sensor)===An obscure JapanTwo Game Boy Color games featured a built-only barcode-scanning device released by Namcot (then-Namcoin tilt sensor: Kirby Tilt 'n's consumer division) in 1992Tumble and Command Master. A total of 4 These games were released to utilize cannot be played without support for this accessoryfeature. VBA and KiGB and [[GEST]] claim support for this devicehave a "Motion Sensor" option to map four directional keys to emulate the cartridge tilting, but they only feed random data to Game Boy until the game accepts it as a valid barcodecontrols aren't analog. GBE+ has [https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art7.html proper emulation] BGB can emulate the tilting features with the ability to read barcodes from binary filesuse of the mouse.
====Barcode Taisen Bardigun=Rumble===Another Japan only barcodeA good number of cartridges came with a built-scanning device with in rumble that required an AAA battery to power, such as ''Pokémon Pinball'', but the dedicated game. GBE+ [https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art6feature is optional.html It is unknown if any emulator supports this accessory]feature.
===Multiplayer===
* '''Link Cable:''' BGB, KiGB, some versions of VBA-M and TGB-Dual supports link cable. It can also be used for Netplay on the corresponding Retroarch core.
* '''4-Player Adapter:''' Currently only [[GBE+]] supports it. There is a 16-Player adapter as well, but it went unreleased outside of unused code in some games, and as such isn't emulated.
 
===Online Features===
====Mobile Game Boy Adapter====
There is a Japan-only accessory that communicates with Mobile Golf and Japanese Pokémon Crystal. It was bundled with Mobile Trainer cartridge which allowed the player to use e-mail as well as browse Nintendo's website. It is possible saw use on some Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games, but support was limited to partially emulate its feature for Pokémon Crystal by [http://forums.glitchcity.info/index.php?topic=7509.0 using BGB's scripting capability]Japan, and GBE+ can at least reach the title screen of Mobile Trainer, but otherwise, no emulators properly support this accessoryservers went offline by 2002.
====Singer Sewing Machine====There It is link cable support possible to partially emulate its feature for the Singer IZEK Digital Sewing Machine. The IZEK was unique in that it came bundled with a specially coloured Game Boy and a cartridge for interfacing with the machine.<ref name="IZEK_1">{{cite web|url=httpsPokémon Crystal by [http://wwwforums.youtubeglitchcity.cominfo/watchindex.php?vtopic=AlhJKMXU7tg&t=5m25s|7509.0 using BGB's scripting capability], and GBE+ can at least reach the title=Game Boy Part 2 - Did You Know Gaming? Feat. Jake screen of Vsauce3|publisher=Youtube|accessdate=2018-08-10|date=2014-05-24}}</ref><ref name="IZEK_2">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-Epj2_eJdA|title=Singer IZEK Digital Sewing Machine - Gameboy Color Controller (GameBoy Color) Review|publisher=Youtube|accessdate=2018-08-10|date=2014-06-24}}</ref> No emulator supports thisMobile Trainer, mostly due to the IZEK being a rare itembut otherwise, along with the complexity of implementing a [https://hackaday.com/2015/01/07/arduino-controlled-sewing-machine-increases-stitch-options/ similarly automated sewing machine]no emulators properly support this accessory.
====Hudsonsoft KISS Link====
This accessory allowed users to download exclusive content by them from Hudsonsoft's website. No emulator supports this.
 
===Accessories===
There are [[wikipedia:Game Boy accessories#Game Boy|a few accessories that the Game Boy and Game Boy Color]] had. Due to their very small and game-specific use, most emulators don't bother with them at all, save for GBE+.
 
* '''Game Boy Pocket Sonar:''' Japan only cartridge released by Bandai. It is a sonar-enabled device used for fishing with a fishing game included. Only GBE+ [https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art13.html supports] this feature. A similar cartridge was released for the WonderSwan (still unemulated).
* '''Barcode Boy:''' An obscure Japan-only barcode-scanning device released by Namcot (then-Namco's consumer division) in 1992. A total of 4 games were released to utilize this accessory. KiGB and [[GEST]] claim support for this device, but they only feed random data to Game Boy until the game accepts it as a valid barcode. GBE+ has [https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art7.html proper emulation] with the ability to read barcodes from binary files.
* '''Barcode Taisen Bardigun:''' Another Japan only barcode-scanning device with the dedicated game. GBE+ [https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art6.html supports this accessory].
* '''Singer Sewing Machine:''' There is link cable support for the Singer IZEK Digital Sewing Machine. The IZEK was unique in that it came bundled with a specially coloured Game Boy and a cartridge for interfacing with the machine.<ref name="IZEK_1">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlhJKMXU7tg&t=5m25s|title=Game Boy Part 2 - Did You Know Gaming? Feat. Jake of Vsauce3|publisher=Youtube|accessdate=2018-08-10|date=2014-05-24}}</ref><ref name="IZEK_2">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-Epj2_eJdA|title=Singer IZEK Digital Sewing Machine - Gameboy Color Controller (GameBoy Color) Review|publisher=Youtube|accessdate=2018-08-10|date=2014-06-24}}</ref> No emulator supports this, mostly due to the IZEK being a rare item, along with the complexity of implementing a [https://hackaday.com/2015/01/07/arduino-controlled-sewing-machine-increases-stitch-options/ similarly automated sewing machine].
==References==
* [http://gbdev.gg8.se/wiki/articles/Main_Page Game Boy Development Wiki] – Information about the Game Boy
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_j0w7r6xSk Emulating Game Boy Camera and Game Boy Printer in BGB (work in progress)] – Game Boy Camera ROM running in bgb unofficially by exploiting linking capabilities
 
{{Nintendo}}
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