Gameboy Development Forum

Discussion about software development for the old-school Gameboys, ranging from the "Gray brick" to Gameboy Color
(Launched in 2008)

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#1 2008-02-22 16:45:43

nitro2k01
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Registered: 2008-02-22
Posts: 249

Gameboy Development Resources

The GBDev Wiki!

A thread dedicated to useful tools and documents.

Compilers and assemblers
Redneck Gameboy Development System (RGBDS) Otaku no zoku mirror (Newer version) Carsten's original mirror
Gameboy Development Kit (GBDK) http://gbdk.sourceforge.net/
WLA - Multi-assembler with support for a range of CPU's, including the GB-Z80 CPU.

RGBDS contains an assembler and linker. GBDK contains a C compiler and some libraries as well. If you're planning to program assembly language only, RGBDS is your choice, since it has a more powerful macro language. If you're going going for C only, or C mixed with asm, you should use GBDK.

Graphics tools
Gameboy Tile Designer (GBTD) and Gameboy Map Builder - Two tools for designing tiles and maps by Harry Mulder, optimized to work together

Documents
Pandocs - Technical specification by Martin Korth.
Gameboy Cribsheet - Quick reference
cheat sheet to the IO map and more. (Mirror: http://gbdev.gg8.se/files/docs/GBCribSheet000129.pdf)
gbsound.txt - In-depth sound reference

Information
GameBoy Dev'rs - Big list of news and tools

Backup gear
Reiner Ziegler's Readplus - A lot of information about GB backup gear (Aka flash cartridges and burners) and also some DIY projects.
Rob Webb's shop - One of the two active suppliers of Gameboy backup gear.
Lameboy's shop - The other one.
Flash2advance+GB-Bridge - Still for sale at some places?

Tutorials
Otaku no Gameboy by Justin Lloyd - A book about GB development that was never released?
ASM School

Emulators
no$gmb - Martin Korth's emulator and debugger. Shareware (No GBC debugging in the freeware version)
Beware Gameboy Emulator (BGB) - One of the best emulators around. Has debugging functions similar to those of no$gmb

This list is nowhere near exhaustive. Please suggest more resources! (Updated as people suggest more links)

Last edited by nitro2k01 (2016-09-19 20:20:37)


Blog: Gameboy Genius
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step"
Old Chinese Proverb

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#2 2008-02-24 01:10:31

IIMarckus
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Registered: 2008-02-23
Posts: 9

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

ASM School - an (incomplete) ASM tutorial, with links to other technical docs.

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#3 2008-02-24 12:01:04

jdg
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Registered: 2008-02-24
Posts: 1

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

nitro2k01 wrote:

Backup gear
Reiner Ziegler's Readplus - A lot of information about GB backup gear (Aka flash cartridges and burners) and also some DIY projects.
Rob Webb's shop - One of the two active suppliers of Gameboy backup gear.
Lameboy's shop - The other one.

A flash2advance plus gb-bridge can also be used to do homebrew development for the gameboy. Allows flashing through usb.

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#4 2008-02-24 17:51:08

Orkie
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Registered: 2008-02-24
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Re: Gameboy Development Resources

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#5 2008-02-24 17:52:50

nitro2k01
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Registered: 2008-02-22
Posts: 249

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

Hmm, I've been looking at WLA, but never gotten into it really. I like RGBDS for its powerful macro engine. How powerful is WLA's macro engine?


Blog: Gameboy Genius
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step"
Old Chinese Proverb

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#6 2008-02-25 17:22:49

Awol
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Registered: 2008-02-25
Posts: 23
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Re: Gameboy Development Resources

I'm just beginning to teach myself C, but I highly recommend Bloodshed Dev-C++ as an IDE/compiler for anyone else just starting out. While not specifically for GB development, it doesn't have a ton of extra unnecessary features that will confuse newbies. I tried some other programs before Dev-C++, and I just got problems and headaches. Dev-C++ is quick to download and easy to use.

EDIT: Also, the book I am using to teach myself C is Absolute Beginner's Guide To C by Greg Perry. I also recommend it to anyone else just starting out with programming. You don't need any previous programming experience to use this book. I am not all the way through it, but it has been very easy to understand so far. When I am done with it and think I am ready for more advanced or complete instruction in C, I will get C Programming Language by Kernighan and Ritchie, since that seems to be widely regarded as the book on C.

Last edited by Awol (2008-02-25 17:41:32)


Formerly Grey_and_Purple.

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#7 2008-03-03 16:28:41

FailedArtifact
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Registered: 2008-03-03
Posts: 9

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

Me and my friend building a PC game through Visual Studio C++ (the free one). We believe it is better than Dev C++ because the compiler is newer. Also once you have found how to import your engine/compiler, its easy to use. But getting over that barrier is hard.

I assume you can use this with the C library given.

Thanks for the links above nitro2k02

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#8 2008-03-03 16:32:07

nitro2k01
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Registered: 2008-02-22
Posts: 249

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

FailedArtifact: Hmm? These are compilers that produce Gameboy code. If you're making a PC game, they are of no use to you.


Blog: Gameboy Genius
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step"
Old Chinese Proverb

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#9 2008-03-08 13:10:11

Awol
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Registered: 2008-02-25
Posts: 23
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Re: Gameboy Development Resources

Maybe it would be good to make a sticky similar to this one but in the Hardware Development section, with a list of resources/tutorials/etc that is more hardware-oriented than software-oriented.


Formerly Grey_and_Purple.

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#10 2008-03-10 09:47:58

FailedArtifact
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Registered: 2008-03-03
Posts: 9

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

nitro2k01: My Pc game project is something else im doing. I was just stating that Visual Studio is much easier to use and to use with other compilers like the gameboy compiler by linking like you would in Dev C++. Sorry to confuse.

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#11 2008-03-22 14:53:11

Shiny
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Registered: 2008-03-17
Posts: 21

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

I'm using GBDK/lcc for compiling and Notepad++ for code editing (lightweight and simple (: ). Are there any better compilers out there that I can use with the GBDK libraries?

lcc has a bunch of strange quirks (all variables defined in main are global? O_o) and tends to do a horrible job handing operator precedence; but worst of all, its error messages are so vague D:. It also hasn't been updated in ages.

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#12 2008-04-02 18:26:23

cooper
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Registered: 2008-04-02
Posts: 1

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

Anyone happen to have the crib sheets?  Unfortunately it seems the link is broken, and my HD which had them is no longer working.  Thanks in advance!

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#13 2008-04-02 18:34:06

nitro2k01
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Registered: 2008-02-22
Posts: 249

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

There you go:
http://gbdev.gg8.se/files/docs/GBCribSheet000129.pdf
As always, I keep my 10 minute guarantee! wink

Last edited by nitro2k01 (2016-09-19 20:22:21)


Blog: Gameboy Genius
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step"
Old Chinese Proverb

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#14 2008-04-07 07:13:32

www.BoumPower.ch
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Registered: 2008-04-04
Posts: 20
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Re: Gameboy Development Resources

Awol wrote:

but I highly recommend Bloodshed Dev-C++ as an IDE/compiler

Don't understand very well: do you use Dev-C for creating GB software ?

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#15 2008-04-07 22:30:34

Awol
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Registered: 2008-02-25
Posts: 23
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Re: Gameboy Development Resources

www.BoumPower.ch wrote:

Awol wrote:

but I highly recommend Bloodshed Dev-C++ as an IDE/compiler

Don't understand very well: do you use Dev-C for creating GB software ?

No. It is an easy-to-use and quick-to-download IDE/compiler that I am using for learning C and recommend to other beginners like me. I have to finish learning C before I can write GB stuff.


Formerly Grey_and_Purple.

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#16 2008-04-09 11:11:29

www.BoumPower.ch
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Registered: 2008-04-04
Posts: 20
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Re: Gameboy Development Resources

Awol wrote:

No. It is an easy-to-use and quick-to-download IDE/compiler that I am using for learning C and recommend to other beginners like me. I have to finish learning C before I can write GB stuff.

Are-you interested to test and help me to develop GB simulator that can be used with your Dev-C IDE ?

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#17 2008-07-09 06:09:12

xzakox
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From: Asturias, Spain
Registered: 2008-07-09
Posts: 10
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Re: Gameboy Development Resources

The cribsheet is not longer online at that link... anybody has it and can post it here??

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#18 2008-07-09 09:55:10

nitro2k01
Administrator
Registered: 2008-02-22
Posts: 249

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

I edited he post with a link to a mirror of the file.


Blog: Gameboy Genius
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step"
Old Chinese Proverb

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#19 2008-07-09 12:25:47

xzakox
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From: Asturias, Spain
Registered: 2008-07-09
Posts: 10
Website

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

Thanks :-)

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#20 2008-07-14 04:05:37

xzakox
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From: Asturias, Spain
Registered: 2008-07-09
Posts: 10
Website

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

I'd like to share this, it's a friend's blog post explaining the port of RGBDS to MacOSX, with links to download it.
http://www.pepinismo.net/game-boy-assem … -mac-os-x/

(It's also in english, scroll down)

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#21 2008-10-17 12:40:03

swordfishII
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From: Barcelona
Registered: 2008-10-17
Posts: 2

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

I need the Graphics tools (Gameboy Tile Designer and Gameboy Map Builder) and download links are forbbiden (403). Someone can upload this tools at megaupload or something else? Thank's!

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#22 2008-10-17 12:53:04

nitro2k01
Administrator
Registered: 2008-02-22
Posts: 249

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

Hello, swordfishII. The site devrs.com is down for the moment. I don't know if it will be back again. But here are the files. Do you need other files? I think these two are the only graphics related files I have.

http://gbdev.gg8.se/files/tools/gbmb18.zip
http://gbdev.gg8.se/files/tools/gbtd22.zip

Last edited by nitro2k01 (2016-09-19 20:22:02)


Blog: Gameboy Genius
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step"
Old Chinese Proverb

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#23 2008-10-17 15:32:16

swordfishII
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From: Barcelona
Registered: 2008-10-17
Posts: 2

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

Thank u very much ^^

ED: I'm begginer in it, for now I think I don't need more tools (I have Visual C++, CGbridge and GBDK). I'm just learning C, and I want to make a 'racing game' for GB, and no idea how to start LOL

Example of perspective I want to make http://stanz05.free.fr/Landscape%20Demo%20(PD).gb

Last edited by swordfishII (2008-10-17 15:57:58)

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#24 2009-08-14 00:47:09

Keaton_Blue
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From: WI
Registered: 2009-04-07
Posts: 13

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

Update the supplier list!  Put nonfinite and kitsch, and this site!  You should also mention Jose somewhere in there! wink


Also known as Lotus or Piglet

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#25 2010-05-30 04:10:56

auto-chord
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Registered: 2010-05-30
Posts: 1

Re: Gameboy Development Resources

Looks like the ASM School is now a porn site.
EDIT: Moved to http://gameboy.mongenel.com/asmschool.html

Last edited by auto-chord (2010-05-30 04:12:06)

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