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Nintendo - Game Boy / Color (Gambatte)

Background

Gambatte is an accuracy-focused, open-source, cross-platform Game Boy Color emulator written in C++. It is based on hundreds of corner case hardware tests, as well as previous documentation and reverse engineering efforts.

The Gambatte core has been authored by

• Sinamas

The Gambatte core is licensed under

• GPLv2

A summary of the licenses behind RetroArch and its cores have found here.

BIOS

Required or optional firmware files go in the frontend's system directory.

Attention

The 'Use official bootloader' core option must be set to On in order for these BIOS files to be used.

Filename	Description	md5sum
gb_bios.bin	Game Boy BIOS - Optional	32fbbd84168d3482956eb3c5051637f5
gbc_bios.bin	Game Boy Color BIOS - Optional	dbfce9db9deaa2567f6a84fde55f9680

Extensions

Content that can be loaded by the Gambatte core have the following file extensions:

• .gb
• .gbc
• .dmg

RetroArch database(s) that are associated with the Gambatte core:

• Nintendo - Game Boy
• Nintendo - Game Boy Color

Features

Frontend-level settings or features that the Gambatte core respects.

Feature	Supported
Restart	✔
Saves	✔
States	✔
Rewind	✔
Netplay	✕
Core Options	✔
RetroAchievements	✔
RetroArch Cheats	✔
Native Cheats	✕
Controls	✔
Remapping	✔
Multi-Mouse	✕
Rumble	✕
Sensors	✕
Camera	✕
Location	✕
Subsystem	✕
Softpatching	✔
Disk Control	✕
Username	✕
Language	✕
Crop Overscan	✕
LEDs	✕

Directories

The Gambatte core's library name is 'Gambatte'

The Gambatte core saves/loads to/from these directories.

Frontend's Save directory

File	Description
*.srm	Cartridge battery save

Frontend's State directory

File	Description
*.state#	State

*Frontend's System directory

File	Description
palettes/Default.pal	Global custom palette
palettes/'content-name'.pal	Per-game custom palette

Geometry and timing

• The Gambatte core's core provided FPS is 59.7275005696
• The Gambatte core's core provided sample rate is [Sample rate]
• The Gambatte core's base width is [Base width]
• The Gambatte core's base height is [Base height]
• The Gambatte core's max width is [Max width]
• The Gambatte core's max height is [Max height]
• The Gambatte core's core provided aspect ratio is [Aspect ratio]

Custom palettes for Game Boy games

The 'GB Colorization' core option must be set to custom.

Create a folder called "palettes" in RetroArch's system directory. Then, you can place custom palette files (.pal) inside the "palettes" folder

You can define different palettes for specific games by creating a .pal file in the "palettes" folder with 'INTERNALROMNAME.pal' or "rom-name.pal". If no specific palette is found for a ROM then the default palette is used.

You can also define a palette to be used for all Game Boy games by creating a .pal file in the "palettes" folder named "Default.pal"

Custom palettes can be created from the GUI in standalone Gambatte

Core options

The Gambatte core has the following option(s) that can be tweaked from the core options menu. The default setting is bolded.

Settings with (Restart) means that core has to be closed for the new setting to be applied on next launch.

• Allow Opposing Directions [gambatte_up_down_allowed] (disabled/enabled)

  Enabling this will allow pressing / quickly alternating / holding both left and right (or up and down in some games) directions at the same time.

  This may cause movement based glitches to occur in certain games.

  It's best to keep this core option disabled.

• GB Colorization [gambatte_gb_colorization] (disabled|auto|internal|custom)

  Colorizes Game Boy games.

GB Colorization - Off

GB Colorization - auto

• Internal Palette [gambatte_gb_internal_palette] (GBC - Blue|GBC - Brown|GBC - Dark Blue|GBC - Dark Brown|GBC - Dark Green|GBC - Grayscale|GBC - Green|GBC - Inverted|GBC - Orange|GBC - Pastel Mix|GBC - Red|GBC - Yellow|Special 1|Special 2|Special 3)

  Select which internal color palette for GB Colorization is going to be used. GB Colorization must be set to internal.

Internal Palette - GBC - Blue

Internal Palette - GBC - Brown

Internal Palette - GBC - Dark Blue

Internal Palette - GBC - Dark Brown

Internal Palette - GBC - Dark Green

Internal Palette - GBC - Grayscale

Internal Palette - GBC - Green

Internal Palette - GBC - Inverted

Internal Palette - GBC - Orange

Internal Palette - GBC - Pastel Mix

Internal Palette - GBC - Red

Internal Palette - GBC - Yellow

Internal Palette - GBC - Special 1

Internal Palette - GBC - Special 2

Internal Palette - GBC - Special 3

• Color correction [gambatte_gbc_color_correction] (enabled|disabled)

  Darkens Game Boy Color games to match the original hardware output.

Color Correction - On

Color Correction - Off

• Emulated hardware (restart) [gambatte_gb_hwmode] (Auto|GB|GBC|GBA)

  Choose which hardware is emulated Game Boy, Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Advance.

• Use official bootloader (restart) [gambatte_gb_bootloader] (enabled|disabled)

  Enables support for using official Game Boy and Game Boy Color bootloaders with startup logos. Check the BIOS section to see what files are needed.

Game Boy bootloader

Game Boy Color bootloader

• GameBoy Link Mode [gambatte_gb_link_mode] (Not Connected|Network Server|Network Client)

  Awaiting description.

• Network Link Port [gambatte_gb_link_network_port] (56400 to 56420 in increments of 1. 56400 is default.)

  Awaiting description.

• Network link server address part 1 (client only) [gambatte_gb_link_network_server_ip_octet1] (0 to 255 in increments of 1. 0 is default.)

  Awaiting description.

• Network link server address part 2 (client only) [gambatte_gb_link_network_server_ip_octet2] (0 to 255 in increments of 1. 0 is default.)

  Awaiting description.

• Network link server address part 3 (client only) [gambatte_gb_link_network_server_ip_octet3] (0 to 255 in increments of 1. 0 is default.)

  Awaiting description.

• Network link server address part 4 (client only) [gambatte_gb_link_network_server_ip_octet4] (0 to 255 in increments of 1. 0 is default.)

  Awaiting description.

Joypad

RetroPad Inputs	User 1 input descriptors
	B
	Select
	Start
	D-Pad Up
	D-Pad Down
	D-Pad Left
	D-Pad Right
	A

Compatibility

Game	Issue
Command Master	Crashes on start. Unemulated MBC7 mapper.
Game Boy Camera	Crashes on start. Unemulated Pocket Camera mapper.
Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi - Osutchi to Mesutchi	Crashes on start. Unemulated TAMA5 mapper.
Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble	Crashes on start. Unemulated MBC7 mapper.
Net de Get: Mini-Game @ 100	Crashes on start. Unemulated MBC6 mapper.
Pocket Family GB2	Crashes on start. Unemulated HuC3 mapper.
Robopon: Sun/Star/Moon Version	Crashes on start. Unemulated HuC3 mapper.

External Links

• Official Gambatte Github Repository
• Old Standalone Gambatte builds
• Libretro Gambatte Core info file
• Libretro Gambatte Github Repository
• Report Libretro Gambatte Core Issues Here

Nintendo - Game Boy (+ Color)

• Nintendo - Game Boy / Color (Emux GB)
• Nintendo - Game Boy / Color (Gearboy)
• Nintendo - Game Boy / Color (SameBoy)
• Nintendo - Game Boy / Color (TGB Dual)
• Nintendo - Game Boy Advance (mGBA)
• Nintendo - SNES / Famicom (higan Accuracy)
• Nintendo - SNES / Famicom (nSide Balanced)