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******* Virtual GameBoy *******
The Portable Nintendo GameBoy Emulator
version 0.6
by Marat Fayzullin
email: fms@freeflight.com
IRC: RST38h
WWW: http://www.freeflight.com/fms/
(*) GameBoy is a registered trademark of Nintendo.
* NEW IN THIS VERSION *
o Several bugs fixed in CPU emulation
o CPU emulation now accesses memory via pointers which makes it slower,
but page switcihing takes much less time
o GameGenie cheats can now be used
o A check for NOP;JP sequence at 0100h is removed
o LCD controller emulation is slightly corrected
o Makefile now contains comments on compiling VGB
o New debugger is added, thanks to Pascal Felber
o Sprite priorities are *not* implemented yet
* INTRODUCTION *
Please, *carefully* read this manual. Do not write me email with
questions answered in here, as such letters are going to be ignored: I
have too many other things to do to answer the same questions over and
over again.
*Windows users* will find a special section downgraded in content for
better comprehension.
Virtual GameBoy [VGB] is a portable emulator of the Nintendo GameBoy
handheld videogame console written in C. Although many things do not work
quite well yet, it was able to run about 85% of games checked with it. You
can always get the latest VGB source code, binaries, and support files
from
http://www.freeflight.com/fms/VGB/
Another GameBoy-related archive is at
ftp://altair.komkon.com/pub/GameBoy/
There are versions of VGB for Amiga, Macintosh, and IBM PC [both
MeSsyDOS and Windoze]. Following people are maintaining ports of VGB to
these systems:
MSDOS: Marcel de Kogel [m.dekogel@student.utwente.nl]
Windows: Marat Fayzullin [fms@wam.umd.edu]
Macintosh: John Stiles [jstiles@cello.gina.calstate.edu]
If you would like to port VGB to another system, or make changes in
VGB's code *please*, contact me by email or some other means. Note, that
VGB source code is freely distributable, but it is *not* public domain.
You can not use it in commercial purposes unless you contact me to arrange
the conditions of such usage and get my permission. Feel free to look at
existing drivers as well as at other code. More explanations follow.
This manual covers two different VGB distributions:
1. *** Source Code Distribution ***
This distribution contains C sources of the emulator, and the
screen/keyboard drivers for Unix/X. Virtual GameBoy has been tested on the
following Unix systems:
SunOS Solaris OSF/1 FreeBSD HP/UX Linux AIX
2. *** VGB-Windows Distribution ***
Due to the flood of requests from the people who use DOS/Windows running
PCs and are unable to compile the emulator on their own, I have ported VGB
under Microsoft Windows. This distribution contains an executable of a
limited version of VGB-Windows which doesn't allow you to reload a new
game from a menu when emulation is already running, and has an annoying
"Virtual GameBoy DEMO" message across its window. The uncrippled version
of VGB-Windows is available for $35US from
Marat Fayzullin
6304 Hampton Place
Elkridge, MD 21227
USA
VGB-Windows is a 32-bit application which runs under Windows 3.11,
Windows 95, and Windows NT. It is compiled with Borland C++ and needs
Microsoft WinG library which can be obtained from
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Softlib/MSFILES/WING10.EXE
Windows 3.xx users will also require Win32s library available from
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Softlib/MSLFILES/PW1118.EXE
* SHORT MANUAL FOR THE WINDOWS USERS *
In order to use VGB-Windows, you will first have to install WinG
graphical library which can be obtained from Microsoft [see address
above]. If you have Windows 3.xx, you may also need to install Win32s
extension libraries whose address is also given above. Also, the
VGB-Windows distribution contains a file called BWCC32.DLL which should be
either kept in a directory from which VGB runs, or copied into
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.
VGB-Windows runs in a resizable window with the following menus:
o File
o New
This opton allows to run a new game. If you only have an unregistered
version of VGB-Windows, it will be disabled so that you will only be
able to choose a game when emulator starts.
o Setup
This option pops up a setup dialog allowing to change all 4 GameBoy's
colors and some emulation parameters:
o Palette
Use this group of controls to select a color and change its RGB
components. The palette controls may not work very well if you
run Windows in 256-color mode. Use 16-bit or 24-bit graphical
mode for best effect.
o VBlank Period
This parameter determines how many CPU commands will be executed
between vertical blanking interrupts. Setting it lower may speed
up the emulation, but setting it too low will hang it.
o Update Period
This parameter determines how many vertical blanking interrupts
will pass between window refreshes. It is usually set to 2, but
you can increase it to make VGB work faster. The sprite
movements become jerky at high update periods though, and some
sprites may simply disappear.
o Delay Line Interrupts
If you see "dirty" horizontal lines in some games, you may turn
this option on or off to remove them. There is no some universal
state of this option which will work for all games though.
o Check CRC
With this switch off, VGB will not check the control sums of
the loaded cartridges.
o Save CPU
With this switch on, VGB will suspend the execution when its
window is inactive.
o Autofire A
Turn this on to make the [A] button generate series of keypresses
instead of a single keypress.
o Autofire B
Turn this on to make the [B] button generate series of keypresses
instead of a single keypress.
o Quit
Quit the emulation. A .SAV file will be saved if the game has a
battery-backed RAM.
o Size
o 1:1 These options change the window size to be the same as in real
o 2:1 GameBoy, or 2/3/4 times bigger. Please, note that you can change
o 3:1 window size by simple dragging the bottom-right corner of a
o 4:1 window with the mouse.
o Help
o About
This option will display a dialog box with copyright information
and other legal stuff.
* FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS *
1. What is GameBoy?
GameBoy is a handheld videogame machine produced by Nintendo. It is
built around a custom CPU similar to Z80, but with some changes. GameBoy
is frequently laughed at because of its reflective green-on-yellow LCD
screen which in fact is its virtue. Due to the low power consumption of
its LCD, GameBoy can work for 35 hours off 4 AA batteries. There is a lot
of good games produced for GameBoy, both classics [Tetris, Pacman,
Asteroids, etc.] and specific ones [Final Fantasy series for GB]. It
excells in RPGs and classic games where gameplay is more important than
graphics. More information about GameBoy is available from
http://www.freeflight.com/fms/GameBoy/
2. Where do I get GameBoy games?
You buy the cartridges. GameBoy software is copyrighted and still sold.
Therefore, its distribution is an act of piracy. Nothing prohibits you
from backing up a cartridge you own and playing it on the emulator though.
To back up a GameBoy cartridge, you can use either SmartCard copier [about
$100 for a standalone version], or a self-built copier designed by Pascal
Felber, description of which is available at
http://www.freeflight.com/fms/GameBoy/
Please, DO NOT SEND ME MAIL ASKING TO SEND YOU THE CARTRIDGE FILES OR TELL
YOU WHERE TO FIND THEM. I ignore such letters.
3. Where is the complete list of command line options of VGB?
Use -help option. It will tell VGB to display all options available in
your version. Following are the currently available options:
-ver