Of course it would work! All you need is a 16-bit data storage device wired up correctly. In fact, you can use narrower ones, too, as long as they add up to 16-bits and are programmed correctly. F’rinstance, look at the dev carts that have been selling on ebay. They used two 8-bit EPROMs wired in parallel. AFAIK, every homebrew cart made thus far does the same.
Unless they’re rechargable (NiCd or NiMH) in which case they’re nominally 1.2 volts each and six is 7.2 volts.
Unless they’re connected in series/parallel. Three cells wired in series is 4.5 (3.6) volts. Two (or more) of such groups connected in parallel also produces 4.5 (3.6) volts. Connecting them the other way, as three groups of two, produces 3 (2.4) volts.
Likewise, twelve cells can also form a 9 (or 7.2) volt battery if wired in two parallel groups of six series-wired cells.
N.B. An, e.g., AAA “battery” is actually a cell. A car battery really is a battery, as it is composed of multiple cells. When you put, e.g., six cells into a device (such as a VB) you form a battery.
This has been “Power cells, Batteries, and You” by Dr. Nerdington.
Of course it’s possible, but it’s not really feasible.
GBA carts use a weird multiplexed address/data bus, and the data width is (I think) only 8-bits.
If your cart has a regular flash chip in it, you might be able to modify it to make a flash programmer, by replacing the chip with a socket, but that’s about it.
How big is it? I’d like to buy a new one, but they’re just a bit too expensive for my budget, right now. Since you’re not using it… 😀
Actually, the only pre-compiled gccVB binaries I know of (the ones on the above-linked PCFX site and, with the new linker script added, on this site) are console-mode Win32 progs, not DOS. You’ll probably need WINE to run them.
atari24: What are some specific problems with compiling? Any error messages? Maybe some missing files I/we can help you find?
I think I’ve decided to try compiling it twice, but never got past the “collecting all needed files” stage 😛 I think I might’ve tried applying the patches, once, and gave up…
I’m with lameboy, but I do want to learn v810 asm, someday…
You’re right about gccVB being very low-level. I love it! The VB is about the perfect compromise between power and simplicity.
I’m guessing most of the Nintendo games were written in asm, and some or all 3rd party ones were written in C. I especially think V. Lab was made with C 😛
lameboyadvance is right; you have to get the gcc code (probably only works with the version shown) and patch it with the diff, then compile. Then, do the same with the binutils.
If you do try it with other versions (perhaps using the gcc update patches before or after the v810 patches?) let us know how it goes!
Also, I don’t know if there are any, but other Mac user/VB dev’ers would probably like precompiled binaries. I’m sure PlanetVB would be happy to host them. 😉
The Virtual Boy only “understands” v810 machine language. Right now, there’s no JVM for the VB, so you’ll have to learn C (which shares some syntax rules with Java) and/or v810 assembly language before you can write software for it.
There are quite a few emulators for the VB. I’m pretty sure they all run BLOX pretty well.
Here you go! (Note: it says a PII-300 will run games at full speed, but I have a PIII-450 and AGP video, and most things still crawl 😐 BLOX is pretty smooth, though.)
If you want to learn C, you probably shouldn’t try to learn the VB at the same time. Best to learn C first, by making simple console-mode PC programs, for example, then learn the VB stuff.
About the only VB game I really want to make is a Zelda-style game. (Which could easily become a FF, Chrono Trigger, etc.) I have a feeling the VB’s “H-Bias” mode would be perfect to give the ground a 3-D “slope” effect.
If only I had more time to work on it… I can’t wait to see your results, though! Keep us updated 🙂
Post Edited (02-03-05 04:28)
Getting a 2-D shot from a 3-D one would be a LOT easier than doing that 2 shot process. I could write a script for ImageMagick or setup IView to do that, easily.
Again, to all those interrested: Take the shots in anaglyph mode!
I promise all will be well 😉
P.S. If you don’t have anaglyph glasses, get some! They give them away for free all over the place! (Just make sure the red lens is on the left.)
I would like to place my vote for using anaglyph and/or “cross-eyed” (left image on right and vice versa) stereoscopic screenshots. Stereoscopic 3-D is the very definition of the Virtual Boy. It’s what makes it superior to all other game systems!
To get anaglyphs, in Red Dragon use:
Options->Emulation->Display Mode = “3D Glasses” and
Options->Emulation->Palette = “Red, Blue, & Green”
In RBoy 0.8 use
reality_boy -dspmode red_blue -pallet rbg [other options]
To get “cross-eyed” images, in Red Dragon use:
Options->Emulation->Display Mode = “Cyberscope” and
Options->Emulation->Palette = “Red” and
Options->Emulation->Swap 3D = checked.
In RBoy 0.8 use
reality_boy -dspmode side -pallet red -flip [other options]
As for conversion (to 4-bit for anaglyph, of course) I suggest either IrfanView (GUI) or ImageMagick (command-line/script.)
