[GB/CGB] BgB 1.4

BGB 1.4

• greatly improved game link accuracy, most games should now work perfectly.
• added optional HQ2X and Scale2x graphics filters
• various accuracy improvements including sound registers, joypad timing, and lcd/interrupt timing
• Performance/efficiency improvements including waitloop detection and more efficient high quality sound rendering and others
• Major debugger improvements: Supports SYM files containing debug symbols. "on jump" access breakpoints. immideate entry of data into assembler, data, and stack viewer. improved assembler flexibility. Multiline code/data entry window. Keyboard shortcut for navigation to previous/next breakpoint, label etc. Live update memory mode. edit IO map registers. Fixed causes of accidental running while debugging.
• Sound quality improvements: CH3 and CH4 are now bandlimited in high quality mode. Improved DC offset accuracy. fixed sound timing inaccuracies.
• Improved WAV writer + screenshot recording. Fixed audio/video desync problems. Exported files are now better named.
• fixed windows 98 compatibility problem. eliminated requirement for DX9. improved wine support.
• New truecolor/hi-res icon.
• Many small bug fixes and improvements.

Features (add in 1.4 - in bold)

• emulation of the GameBoy, GameBoy Color, and Super Gameboy
• accurate emulation of the hardware, based on research with lots of test roms, useful for debugging/rom development. some highlights:
  • clock exact timing of LCD behavior/state changes
  • realistic initial ram values - random but with specific bit patterns, and simulated values left by bootroms (for example "nibbler (pd)" depends on this)
  • accurate emulation of LCD register writes during scanline (prehistorik man, demotronic demo)
  • emulation of inaccessible VRAM and OAM as on real hardware
  • 10 sprites per line limit
  • clock exact emulation of sprites causing mode 3 to take longer
  • correct memory access timing (access happening at the last/second to last clock of an opcode)
  • accurate emulation of the differences between DMG and GBC, including timing differences, differences in hardware behavior, initial state, etc.
  • can run a GBC rom as on a DMG, and a DMG rom as on a GBC
• powerful debugger:
  • disassembler
  • assembler (change code and ability to save modified rom)
  • symbols (SYM file) support
  • "inline" editing in code, data, and stack viewer
  • breakpoints
  • break on access
  • conditional breakpoints
  • "on jump" access breakpoints for breaking before a jump into a range is taken.
  • source code breakpoints (ld b,b)
  • singlestepping/tracing/animating/step out/step over
  • vram viewer: BG map, tiles, OAM, palette.
  • IO registers viewer
  • live display of data during emulation and freezing of ram values
  • break on exceptions (accessing inaccessible VRAM, read unitialized RAM, echo ram access, access locked external ram, disable lcd outside vblank)
  • ability to modify all registers and state at any time
  • joypad window allows simulating button presses at any time while debugging
• SGB multiplayer with up to 4 gamepads
• graphics output: GDI, DirectDraw, Direct3D, OpenGL, null output
• graphics doubler: HQ2X, Scale2x, scanlines filter, blocky
• sound output: waveout, directsound, null, and disk writer supported. support for writing the 4 channels to separate wav files
• screenshot animation recording that is synchronized with the wav writer and can be converted to a video using avisynth
• runs almost all roms perfectly, compatibility comparable with the best GB/C emulators
• Accurate/high quality sound emulation, bandlimited synthesis
• accurate video emulation including "high color" graphics, correct sprite/background priorities, 10 sprites/line limit, and mid-scanline register changes.
• This emulator is fast.
• Joystick/Gamepad support, everything mappable to every button
• some user interface keys are configurable and can be mapped to joystick/gamepad buttons
• MBC3 Real Time Clock emulation. RTC is saved/loaded in the .sav file, compatible with VBA
• Auto delay/frameskip, emulation runs at 100% real speed and full 60 fps
• GameGenie and GameShark cheat, load/save cheats (auto and manual), "cheat searcher", easy creation of new cheat codes
• save/load state with quick (zsnes style) keys.
• Load from ZIP and GZIP files
• good OS/platform compatibility/low requirements
• support for optional border bitmap and pseudo and real fullscreen modes.
• TCP/IP game link support

Version history

BGB 1.3.2 - more accurate SGB color scheme. improved detection of non-working vsync. fixed: bootroms don't load if read only. fixed: "load rom dialog on startup" not working. fixed: "game controller works only if focus" not working. fixed: setting borderless window, and switching to fullscreen, if using directdraw, the "window" can still move, and cause graphical glitches and crash. fixed: GBC accurate initial WRAM values as left by bootrom (fixes the menu in baby felix - halloween). fixed: a sprite on X = 0 uses more time in mode 3, too. fixed: inconsistent timing if resetting in the debugger.

BGB 1.3.1 - fixed: a DMG rom with GBC bootrom would show a white background instead of colorized palette. fixed: header checksum suggestion showed only one hex digit. fixed: menu->reset did not correctly reset emulation.

BGB 1.3

• added direct3D and OpenGL output, giving accelerated graphics on windows vista/7.
• greatly improved emulation accuracy based on lots of test roms/research, also fixing a number of remaining rom compatibility problems.
• added VBA compatible RTC loading/saving (in the .sav file).
• added support for the GBC bootrom.
• fixed lots of bugs.
• improved debugger functionality.
• redone cheat searcher.
• various performance improvements.
• various gameplay experience related improvements.