Difference between revisions of "MGBA"

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{{infobox
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{{lowercase title}}
|image = Mgba-logo.png
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{{Infobox emulator
|imagecaption =  
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|title = mGBA
|imagewidth = 128
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|logo = Mgba-logo.png
|first = 0.4.0
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|logowidth = 140
|second = Active
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|version = {{mGBAVer}}
|third = Windows, OS X, Linux
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|active = Yes
|fourth = Jeffrey Pfau (endrift)
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|platform = Multi-platform
|fifth = [https://endrift.com/mgba/ mGBA]
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|target = [[Game Boy Advance emulators|Game Boy Advance]]<br/>[[Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators|Game Boy]]<br/>[[Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators|Game Boy Color]]
|sixth = [https://github.com/mgba-emu/mgba/ GitHub]}}
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|developer = [https://github.com/endrift Vicki Pfau (endrift)]
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|accuracy = Highly-Accurate
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|prog-lang = C, C++
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|website = [https://mgba.io/ mGBA]
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|support = [https://www.patreon.com/mgba Patreon]
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|license = MPL v2.0
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|source = [https://github.com/mgba-emu/mgba/ GitHub]
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}}
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'''mGBA''' is an open-source [[Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators|Game Boy/Color]] and [[Game Boy Advance emulators|Game Boy Advance emulator]] developed by endrift. Being written from scratch, it aims for speed, accuracy, and portability. As of yet, it's the most complete GBA emulation effort, passing the older project [[VisualBoy_Advance|VBA and its forks]]. It's also available as a [[libretro]] core for [[RetroArch]].
  
'''mGBA''' is an open source emulator of the [[Game Boy Advance emulators|Game Boy Advance]]. The goals are speed and accuracy.
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==Download==
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{| cellpadding="4"
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|-
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|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin|Mac|NX|3DS|Vita|Wii}}
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|'''[https://mgba.io/downloads.html#current-downloads mGBA Stable and Nightly builds]'''
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|-
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|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin|Mac}}
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|'''[https://mgba.io/downloads.html#medusa-1 medusa Dev builds]'''
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|}
  
==Downloads==
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==Notable features==
[https://endrift.com/mgba/downloads.html Stable and nightlies]
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* [https://mgba.io/2014/12/28/classic-nes/ NES Classic series compatibility]
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* Local multi-pak link cable support, up to 4 players
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* Extensive hardware-based emulation that removes the need for game-specific patches
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** Solar sensor emulation for the Boktai series
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** Tilt sensor emulation for games like WarioWare: Twisted! and Yoshi's Universal Gravity
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** Rumble Pak emulation for games like Drill Dozer and WarioWare: Twisted!
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** Battle Chip Gate, Progress Chip Gate, and Beast Link Gate emulation for Rockman.EXE 4, 4.5, 5, and 6
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** Real-time clock (Boktai series, Pokémon series, Rockman EXE 4.5 Real Operation), synced to system time or set arbitrarily
 +
* Support for BPS/beat, IPS and UPS patching at runtime, including ROMs in compressed archives (.7z/.zip)
 +
* Game overrides, forcing games to use specific save formats or sensors (tilt, solar, etc.)
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* Very basic cheat code support (AR, GS, CB), though without search options
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* Save states <!-- would be more notable if it didn't support them -->
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* Fast-forwarding and rewinding
  
==Links==
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Some features that are still planned include:<ref>https://mgba.io/2014/12/09/announcing-mgba/</ref>
[https://mgba.io/2016/02/02/mgba-0.4.0/ 0.4.0 Release Notes and Feature list]
 
  
[https://twitter.com/mgba_emu Twitter Account]
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* ''Networked'' multiplayer link cable support
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* Dolphin/JOY bus link cable support (which is being taken up on Dolphin's side since they specifically developed connectivity for VBA)
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* M4A audio mixing, for higher quality sound than hardware
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* Re-recording support for tool-assist runs
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* Lua support for scripting
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* A comprehensive debug suite
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* e-Reader support
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* Wireless adapter support (Mario Golf, Classic NES Series, Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen/Emerald, the built-in software when no game is inserted)
  
==Important Features==
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==medusa==
mGBA is an open-source Game boy Advance emulator written from scratch with portability, accuracy and performance in mind. As of yet, it is the most complete GBA emulation effort.  
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'''medusa''' is a [[Nintendo DS emulators|Nintendo DS emulator]] being developed by mGBA developer endrift.<ref>https://mgba.io/2017/04/08/medusa</ref> The plan was for medusa to eventually merge with and replace mGBA sometime after mGBA 1.0 is released to form medusa 2.0, making it an emulator that could play GB/C, GBA, and NDS. Development began in 2016 and was expected to merge sometime in 2018. However, as of March 2018, medusa has been "suspended until further notice"<ref>https://mgba.io/2018/03/09/holy-grail-bugs-revisited/</ref> due to a slowdown in development for both medusa and mGBA. There is an alpha version available, but accuracy is spotty and some features are lacking.
  
This emulator aims to be easier to port and maintain than its older counterpart, VBA (or VBA-M). It's present as a Retroarch core. Notable features over other GBA emulators include:
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==Manual (CLI version)==
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:''<small>'''Note:''' The [[Emulation on Ubuntu|Ubuntu]] version consists of both a command-line version (<code>mgba-sdl</code>) and GUI version (<code>mgba-qt</code>). The command-line version does not need to be installed if you aren't going to run it. The main dependency for both is <code>libmgba</code>.</small>''
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<pre>usage: mgba [option ...] file
  
* Only GBA emulator thus far to load the NES Classic series due to a peculiar DRM system Nintendo implemented for those (which display "Game Pack Error" and crash on start-up for all other GBA emulators)
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Generic options:
* Local link cable support (up to 4 players)
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  -b, --bios FILE    GBA BIOS file to use
* Functional Solar Sensor (Boktai series) emulation. Besides no$gba (where this feature is emulated in a limited way), other emulators would need the ROM image to be modified, and the fix isn't very ideal.
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  -c, --cheats FILE  Apply cheat codes from a file
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  -g, --gdb          Start GDB session (default port 2345)
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  -v, --movie FILE    Playback a movie of recorded input
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  -p, --patch FILE    Apply a specified patch file when running
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  -s, --frameskip N  Skip every N frames
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  --version          Print version and exit
  
The emulator also has functional tilt emulation (WarioWare Twisted, Yoshi's Universal Gravity), and variable rumble emulation (Drill Dozer). Yet their controls are disabled in all current builds and hence unusable for now for the end-user.
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Graphics options:
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  -1              1x viewport
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  -2              2x viewport
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  -3              3x viewport
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  -4              4x viewport
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  -5              5x viewport
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  -6              6x viewport
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  -f              Start full-screen</pre>
  
Emulator's authors claim they're working on adding more features like:
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==References==
* GC/GBA connectivity (with Dolphin), being worked on atm.
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{{reflist}}
* e-Reader emulation (incomplete in other emulators with no active development as of now).
 
* TAS and romhacking oriented options.
 
  
Some other perks mGBA offers are:
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==External links==
* Basic save state support with rewinding.
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* [https://twitter.com/mgba_emu Twitter]
* Fast-forwarding is available (TAB key)
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* [https://mgba.io/2017/10/01/mgba-0.6.1/ 0.6.1 release notes and feature list]
* Very basic cheat code support (AR, GS, CB), no search options.
 
* Real-time clock support (used in Pokémon games), with the option to synch it to system time or set it to an arbitrary value.
 
* Can patch games at runtime with translation/romhack patches in BPS (beat) format. Like some other GBA emulators, it can also use IPS and UPS (tsukyomi) patches, and load games from zip/7zip archives without the need to uncompress it (unlike no$gba)
 
* Can force the game to use specific save formats, but also specific sensors (mostly unemulated altogether in other emulators).
 
  
 
{{Game Boy Advance emulators}}
 
{{Game Boy Advance emulators}}
{{lowercase title}}
 
 
[[Category:Emulators]]
 
[[Category:Emulators]]
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[[Category:Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators]]
 
[[Category:Game Boy Advance emulators]]
 
[[Category:Game Boy Advance emulators]]
 
[[Category:Windows emulation software‏‎]]
 
[[Category:Windows emulation software‏‎]]
[[Category:OS X emulation software]]
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[[Category:macOS emulation software]]
 
[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
 
[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
[[Category:Game Boy emulators]]
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[[Category:IOS emulation software]]

Revision as of 00:03, 5 April 2020

mGBA
Mgba-logo.png
Developer(s) Vicki Pfau (endrift)
Latest version 0.10.3
Active Yes
Platform(s) Multi-platform
Emulates Game Boy Advance
Game Boy
Game Boy Color
Accuracy Highly-Accurate
Website mGBA
Support ($) Patreon
Programmed in C, C++
License MPL v2.0
Source code GitHub

mGBA is an open-source Game Boy/Color and Game Boy Advance emulator developed by endrift. Being written from scratch, it aims for speed, accuracy, and portability. As of yet, it's the most complete GBA emulation effort, passing the older project VBA and its forks. It's also available as a libretro core for RetroArch.

Download

Windows Linux macOS Switch Nintendo 3DS Vita mGBA Stable and Nightly builds
Windows Linux macOS medusa Dev builds

Notable features

  • NES Classic series compatibility
  • Local multi-pak link cable support, up to 4 players
  • Extensive hardware-based emulation that removes the need for game-specific patches
    • Solar sensor emulation for the Boktai series
    • Tilt sensor emulation for games like WarioWare: Twisted! and Yoshi's Universal Gravity
    • Rumble Pak emulation for games like Drill Dozer and WarioWare: Twisted!
    • Battle Chip Gate, Progress Chip Gate, and Beast Link Gate emulation for Rockman.EXE 4, 4.5, 5, and 6
    • Real-time clock (Boktai series, Pokémon series, Rockman EXE 4.5 Real Operation), synced to system time or set arbitrarily
  • Support for BPS/beat, IPS and UPS patching at runtime, including ROMs in compressed archives (.7z/.zip)
  • Game overrides, forcing games to use specific save formats or sensors (tilt, solar, etc.)
  • Very basic cheat code support (AR, GS, CB), though without search options
  • Save states
  • Fast-forwarding and rewinding

Some features that are still planned include:[1]

  • Networked multiplayer link cable support
  • Dolphin/JOY bus link cable support (which is being taken up on Dolphin's side since they specifically developed connectivity for VBA)
  • M4A audio mixing, for higher quality sound than hardware
  • Re-recording support for tool-assist runs
  • Lua support for scripting
  • A comprehensive debug suite
  • e-Reader support
  • Wireless adapter support (Mario Golf, Classic NES Series, Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen/Emerald, the built-in software when no game is inserted)

medusa

medusa is a Nintendo DS emulator being developed by mGBA developer endrift.[2] The plan was for medusa to eventually merge with and replace mGBA sometime after mGBA 1.0 is released to form medusa 2.0, making it an emulator that could play GB/C, GBA, and NDS. Development began in 2016 and was expected to merge sometime in 2018. However, as of March 2018, medusa has been "suspended until further notice"[3] due to a slowdown in development for both medusa and mGBA. There is an alpha version available, but accuracy is spotty and some features are lacking.

Manual (CLI version)

Note: The Ubuntu version consists of both a command-line version (mgba-sdl) and GUI version (mgba-qt). The command-line version does not need to be installed if you aren't going to run it. The main dependency for both is libmgba.
usage: mgba [option ...] file

Generic options:
  -b, --bios FILE     GBA BIOS file to use
  -c, --cheats FILE   Apply cheat codes from a file
  -g, --gdb           Start GDB session (default port 2345)
  -v, --movie FILE    Playback a movie of recorded input
  -p, --patch FILE    Apply a specified patch file when running
  -s, --frameskip N   Skip every N frames
  --version           Print version and exit

Graphics options:
  -1               1x viewport
  -2               2x viewport
  -3               3x viewport
  -4               4x viewport
  -5               5x viewport
  -6               6x viewport
  -f               Start full-screen

References

External links

Nintendo Game Boy Advance Emulators