GB Studio 3.0 now in development, 2.0 still in beta

Source: https://discord.com/channels/554713715442712616/591302255102132226

Scant details are available at the moment, but there’s been activity on the GB Studio GitHub regarding development and bugs for an upcoming 3.0 release of GB Studio, a popular game creation tool for the Game Boy.

It should be noted that GB Studio 2.0 has endured a lengthy beta period and it seems that might continue. The last stable version of GB Studio was 1.2.1, released almost a year and half ago in January 2020.

A brief message posted to the #faqs channel of the GB Studio Discord announcing the development of 3.0 notes that it’s currently unstable and there’s no timeframe for release. However, it also gives instructions on compiling GB Studio 3.0 from source code yourself if you’re interested enough, as well as the proper way to report bugs you encounter while using it.

GB Studio 3.0 is under development. Right now, it’s unstable and not suitable to develop with. We’ll post in #announcements when you can start testing it.
When is 3.0 beta coming out?
3.0 is made by volunteers, there cannot be a reliable release date.
How do I get 3.0? Some people seem to be using it already.
Visit https://github.com/chrismaltby/gb-studio/issues/244#issuecomment-511568971 for a guide to compiling the source code.
How do I report 3.0 bugs?
Open an issue on GitHub here: https://github.com/chrismaltby/gb-studio/issues/new?assignees=&labels=bug&template=bug_report.md&title=(3.0) Please keep (3.0) in the title.
pautomas on the GB Studio Discord

How exactly 3.0 differs from 2.0, and why the decision was made to jump to another major version, have yet to be formally revealed. However, it points to some serious under-the-hood work likely designed to make GB Studio more flexible in game creation and/or easier to develop updates for. Furthermore, a video posted by the creator of GB Studio, Chris Maltby, this past January teased a bevy of features enabled by a “completely rewritten game engine.”

“This new version is still a little while off yet. It will be worth the wait!” -Chris Maltby

Did work on the new engine balloon to the point it made more sense to debut it in a major new release? The new features in Maltby’s video (above) are impressive, especially the new integrated music tracker.

GB Studio 2.0 has been highly anticipated, packing in frequently-requested features such as full color support, platforming and other genres available as gameplay options, and the ability to save, among other things. Anecdotally, it seems most developers have already moved on to 2.0 for development of their games despite it still being labeled as beta software.

Hopefully this means 2.0 can graduate to the stable channel soon, as development on 3.0 heats up. 🔥

Andrew

Repugnant Bounty, a new Metroidvania for GB, launches Kickstarter

Source: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/repugnantbounty/repugnant-bounty

Repugnant Bounty is a game about a vengeful alien princess who swears to slaughter every single one of the alien creatures that invaded her kingdom and killed her mother.
Repugnant Bounty on Kickstarter

A brand-new game for Game Boy has launched its Kickstarter campaign: Repugnant Bounty!

It is self-described by developer Starlab Games as a Metroidvania-style adventure “featuring a kick ass soundtrack, particle effects, parallax effects, environmental details (such as insects pollinating various plants amongst other things), and more.”

In-development screenshots of Repugnant Bounty from the Kickstarter campaign video.

The spritework and environmental effects like falling rain in particular stand out as remarkable for the hardware. The art style also has to be commended for appearing to create a stark and stylish game despite the limitations.

21 backers have already pledged $458 USD ($553.29 CAD) towards its $4,143 USD ($5,000 CAD) goal, with 33 days left to reach it. If you’re looking for more information, of if you’d like to help bring this impressive-looking Game Boy game to life, you can head over to its Kickstarter page. You can also join the game’s official Discord to stay up-to-date on new developments.

Concept art from the game’s Kickstarter page.

An interview/Q&A with the developers behind Repugnant Bounty is coming exclusively to GameBoy.blog later this week. [Update: Published!] Let me know in the comments if there’s any questions you’d like answered!

Andrew

[Cool site] Boxy Pixel

Source: https://www.boxypixel.com

A machined aluminum GBA shell by Boxy Pixel

Boxy Pixel is an online shop which specializes in mods for GBC, GBA and Nintendo Switch. Their headlining items definitely have to be the eye-catching machined-aluminum shells!

They also sell other mod parts, such as aluminum buttons, new screens, rechargeable batteries, USB-C charging boards, and much more. Aluminum shells for either Color or Advance run for $69.00 USD, and come in a variety of colors (anodization) including gold, silver (clear anodization), red, blue, and teal. They also come in a “solid brass” variant, which seems to be a “shinier” gold.

Unfortunately, at the time of this post the GBC shells are sold out, with a note saying they’re being “redesigned.”

We are currently redesigning and prototyping new shells. ETA is June.
Boxy Pixel

I hope there’s as few (outward) changes from the official design as possible, personally! Their homegrown hingeless SP design is neat, but it’s hard to beat the people at Nintendo.

Andrew

YouTuber creates a GB link-cable-to-USB device, uses it to mine Bitcoin and play online

Source 1: Mining Bitcoin on the Game Boy – YouTube

Source 2: Online Multiplayer on the Game Boy – YouTube

In March, this video by stacksmashing on YouTube began blowing up in various Game Boy and cryptocurrency circles. And what an incredible feat! The software side of things is impressive, but even moreso the hardware. The first step was using a Raspberry Pi Pico to create the actual device, otherwise there wouldn’t be a way for the Game Boy (and game) and PC to talk to each other.

Continue reading →

That time Hudson Soft built an IR reader into GB carts for PC compatibility

Source: http://nectaris.tg-16.com/GB-KISS-LINK-FAQ-hudson-gameboy-nectaris.html

“GB KISS” is a term created by Hudson Soft, and yes, it implies that two Gameboy cartridges are “kissing” each other — but instead of exchanging saliva, they are exchanging data.
nectaris.tg-16.com

Do you remember GB KISS? Probably not, since it was only released in Japan circa 1997-1998. Which is unfortunate, because this technology let you transfer saves and other data (inclding DLC!) between your PC and supported games.

Wirelessly*.

Directly from the game cartridge itself.

In 1997.

*After plugging the IR receiver into your PC’s parallel port.

Well, GB KISS LINK was an infrared modem that allowed folks to connect their Gameboy (with a GB KISS cartridge installed) to a personal computer (running PC Windows 95). This allowed gamers to transfer data (i.e. game save states, custom maps created with the map editor, exclusive content downloaded from Hudson’s website, etc.) between their PC and Gameboy cartridge.
Esteban (emphasis added)

GB KISS games could also transfer data between two Game Boys, similar to other titles that went on to use the Game Boy Color’s built-in IR reader (such as Pokémon Crystal.)

The linked article is chock-full of photos of GB KISS marketing materials and hardware, and spans multiple pages. It’s a fascinating read and quite in-depth!

Andrew

Continue reading →

Source: Comics by Adam Ellis

[Good read] “Why did I spend 1.5 months creating a Gameboy emulator?”

Source: https://blog.rekawek.eu/2017/02/09/coffee-gb/

From 2017, this coder covers why (and how) he created a new GB emulator using Java called Coffee GB.

So why did I spend all this time trying to write it? I treated it as a programming riddle (or a series of riddles), quite similar to those you can find on the Project Euler. It’s a complex, self-contained problem that can be nicely splitted into stages (as I did in the blogpost) and every stage, once completed correctly, gives a rewarding result. Maybe because of these results I got quite addicted to the project itself.
Tomek Rękawek

You can find the source code on GitHub. Important resources mentioned are The Ultimate Game Boy Talk and the Unofficial Game Boy CPU Manual, which may get their own posts in the future. 😊

I’ve tried my own hand at developing a GB emulator (in JavaScript), and this post really does a great job at breaking down the basic principles and the process of iterating until you get something “real.” Seeing the correct Nintendo boot logo is incredibly satisfying!

Andrew

[Cool site] Homebrew Hub

Source: https://gbhh.avivace.com

A community-led attempt to collect, archive and preserve every unofficial game and homebrew released for Game Boy produced through decades of passionate work.
Homebrew Hub

This is the Library of Alexandria for Game Boy homebrew! Not only can you play over 500 homebrew games and demos for the Game Boy directly in your browser, but it hosts a wealth of other information and links to get started homebrewing things yourself.

Here you can enjoy a wide collection of games and homebrews for Game Boy released in the last 30 years. You can play directly here, in your browser.

Definitely worth a look.

Andrew

[Cool site] Game Boy Guru

Source: http://gameboyguru.blogspot.com

I will attempt to collect, play, and review every North American Game Boy game release. Then, every Game Boy Color release. Then finally, every Game Boy Advance release. Yes, I’ll be doing this until I’m dead.
Game Boy Guru

One of the more interesting websites I’ve come across in a while! By my count, this blogger has reviewed at least 29 games for the Game Boy already. More information is available on the blog’s first post:

My name is Josh, and I’ve been playing video games, in some form, since I was 5 years old. I first experienced the thrill of video games at the ripe young age of 5, at a family get together. My uncle brought his Atari 2600 console, and between Pac-Man, Combat, Battlezone, and a handful of other titles, I was completely smitten with the idea of controlling some small, multi-pixel object on the screen. Every time we would get together with family, I hoped one of my uncles would bring their Atari 2600. Every time I’d visit friends, I would beg them to play video games. And eventually, I would own my own gaming platform, but more on that later.

[…]

So why does the world need a Game Boy Guru? I’m not sure it does, but as my conversation with Dylan Cornelius went (great dude, go follow him on Twitter right now!), the more people exploring the entire game libraries of each console, the better. The more people that are uncovering the lesser known titles, milling through the shovelware, and truly highlighting the best games of a platform, the better off the retro gaming community will be.
From Introduction to Game Boy Guru

I agree, Josh! Even though updates are somewhat spare, this seems like a great blog to follow.

Andrew