Game Boy Coding Adventure

Game Boy Coding Adventure is a hands-on guide to programming one of the most iconic consoles ever built. And there is magic here: By leveraging the simplified assembly language of this retro machine, you’ll learn how to control every aspect of the Game Boy’s 8-bit hardware.

As you build tile-based graphics, sprite animations, sound effects, input handling, timers, and more, you’ll discover how hardware behaves­—and how software components work together to run interactive programs. Along the way, you’ll gain a strong foundation in systems programming, mastering concepts like memory management, registers, interrupts, and I/O.

You’ll learn how to:

• Write and debug assembly using RGBDS, the standard development toolchain
• Work with tiles, sprites, backgrounds, windows, and color palettes
• Control sound channels, interrupts, timers, frame pacing, and the joypad
• Leverage memory banking, DMA, and serial communication for more complex game features
• Experiment with the Super Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and the Game Boy Printer

Written by a veteran game developer with over 15 years of experience building graphics engines and shipping titles across PC, mobile, and consoles, this book teaches more than just syntax. It takes you back to a simpler platform with a reduced instruction set that’s perfect for learning. You’ll write assembly code that runs directly on real hardware, see the results immediately, and learn how to debug, optimize, and control every cycle. You’ll also build game-ready components and develop a clear understanding of how software and hardware interact.

Why stop now? Slot in the cartridge, flip the switch, and start coding.

About the Author

Maximilien Dagois has over 15 years of experience building graphics as a professional game developer. His credits include Final Fantasy XIV, Dragon Quest Builders, and Pokémon Ranger. Now an engineer at Google, he brings his passion for retro hardware and systems programming to a new generation of coders. He lives in Tokyo.

Table of contents

ForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroduction

Part I: Getting StartedChapter 1: Game Boy FundamentalsChapter 2: Assembly Language BasicsChapter 3: The Game Boy ToolchainChapter 4: The Sample Assembly Code Template

Part II: Essential DMG ProgrammingChapter 5: Graphics OverviewChapter 6: Graphics Asset ManagementChapter 7: High-Level FeaturesChapter 8: The JoypadChapter 9: Audio

Part III: Advanced Game Boy ProgrammingChapter 10: The Counter and TimerChapter 11: Serial CommunicationChapter 12: Advanced GraphicsChapter 13: Memory Bank ControllersChapter 14: InterruptsChapter 15: Programming and Debugging Tricks

Part IV: Beyond the Game BoyChapter 16: Game Boy ColorChapter 17: Game Boy PrinterChapter 18: Super Game BoyChapter 19: Going Further

Appendix A: InstructionsAppendix B: OpcodesIndex