Game Boy Interface/High-Fidelity Edition

Game Boy Interface

Information
Author(s)	Extrems
Type	Utility
Version	Rolling release
Licence	All rights reserved
Links
Download main package Download extra package
Website
Discussion
Source

A spiritual successor of the ultra-low latency version, Game Boy Interface High-Fidelity Edition aims to provide the best source quality for further processing or archival.

Controls

Type A (two-handed)

Nintendo GameCube	Nintendo GameCube Controller	Logitech Speed Force	Action
	A/B Buttons	A/B Buttons or Accelerator/Brake Pedals	A/B Buttons
	Y/Z Buttons	Y/Z Buttons	Select
	X Button or Start/Pause	X Button or Start/Pause	Start
	+Control Pad or Control Stick	+Control Pad or Steering Wheel	+Control Pad
	L/R Buttons	L/R Buttons	L/R Buttons
Reset Button	B, X and Start/Pause Buttons	B, X and Start/Pause Buttons	Power Switch
Reset Button	X, Y and Start/Pause Buttons (Hold for 1.5 seconds)		Recalibrate
	X, Y and Start/Pause Buttons (Hold for 3 seconds)		Swap controls (Only with SNES Controller)

DK Bongos Controller	Active Life Mat Controller	Action
Bottom Right/Left	Orange Up/Right	A/B Buttons
Hand Clap	- Button	Select
Start/Pause	+ Button	Start
Top Right	Blue or Orange Square	+Control Pad Right
Top Left	Blue Left	+Control Pad Left
	Blue Up	+Control Pad Up
	Blue or Orange Down	+Control Pad Down

Type B (one-handed)

Nintendo GameCube	Nintendo GameCube Controller	Logitech Speed Force	Action
	A/B Buttons	A/B Buttons or Accelerator/Brake Pedals	A/B Buttons
	L/Z Buttons	Y/Z Buttons	Select
	R Button or Start/Pause	X Button or Start/Pause	Start
	+Control Pad, Control Stick or C Stick	+Control Pad or Steering Wheel	+Control Pad
	Y/X Buttons	L/R Buttons	L/R Buttons
Reset Button	B, X and Start/Pause Buttons	B, X and Start/Pause Buttons	Power Switch
Reset Button	X, Y and Start/Pause Buttons (Hold for 1.5 seconds)		Recalibrate
	X, Y and Start/Pause Buttons (Hold for 3 seconds)		Swap controls (Only with SNES Controller)

DK Bongos Controller	Active Life Mat Controller	Action
Bottom Right/Left	Orange Up/Right	A/B Buttons
Hand Clap	- Button	Select
Start/Pause	+ Button	Start
	Blue or Orange Square	+Control Pad Right
	Blue Left	+Control Pad Left
	Blue Up	+Control Pad Up
	Blue or Orange Down	+Control Pad Down
Top Left/Right		L/R Buttons

Type C (Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2)

Nintendo GameCube	Nintendo GameCube Controller	Logitech Speed Force	Action
	B/Y or X Buttons	A/B Buttons or Accelerator/Brake Pedals	A/B Buttons
	Z Button	Y/Z Buttons	Select
	Start/Pause	X Button or Start/Pause	Start
	+Control Pad or Control Stick	+Control Pad or Steering Wheel	+Control Pad
	L/R or A Buttons	L/R Buttons	L/R Buttons
Reset Button	B, X and Start/Pause Buttons	B, X and Start/Pause Buttons	Power Switch
Reset Button	X, Y and Start/Pause Buttons (Hold for 1.5 seconds)		Recalibrate
	X, Y and Start/Pause Buttons (Hold for 3 seconds)		Swap controls (Only with SNES Controller)

Type D (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past)

Nintendo GameCube	Nintendo GameCube Controller	Logitech Speed Force	Action
	Y/B Buttons	A/B Buttons or Accelerator/Brake Pedals	A/B Buttons
	R Button or Start/Pause	Y/Z Buttons	Select
	L/Z Buttons	X Button or Start/Pause	Start
	+Control Pad, Control Stick or C Stick	+Control Pad or Steering Wheel	+Control Pad
	X/A Buttons	L/R Buttons	L/R Buttons
Reset Button	B, X and Start/Pause Buttons	B, X and Start/Pause Buttons	Power Switch
Reset Button	X, Y and Start/Pause Buttons (Hold for 1.5 seconds)		Recalibrate
	X, Y and Start/Pause Buttons (Hold for 3 seconds)		Swap controls (Only with SNES Controller)

Options

--poll=<0-11>

Set controller polling rate.

0:	VSync (most compatible)
1:	1000Hz (default)
2:	500Hz
3:	350Hz
4:	300Hz
5:	250Hz
6:	200Hz
7:	150Hz
8:	150Hz
9:	125Hz
10:	125Hz
11:	100Hz

--control=<P1[:P2[:P3[:P4]]]>

Set control scheme. The default is the Game Boy Player Start-up Disc's Controller setting (0 or 1).

0:	Type A (two-handed)
1:	Type B (one-handed)
2:	Type C (Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2)
3:	Type D (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past)

Note: A Game Boy Advance used as a controller is a Nintendo GameCube Controller.

--delay-reset=<N>

Set reset delay (default: 0).

--delay-video=<N>

Set video buffering (default: 1).

--movie=<path>, --no-movie

Play input log (default: no).

--movie-record, --no-movie-record

Record input log (default: no).

--palette=<xxxx-xxxx-xxxx>, --no-palette

Apply Super Game Boy color palette (default: no).

Note: Press Left + B while the Game Boy logo is visible for proper application on original Game Boy Game Paks.

--lut3d=<path>, --no-lut3d

Load 32x32x32 lookup table (default: no).

--lut3d-order=<rgb|gbr|bgr>

Specify lookup table order (default: rgb).

--matrix=<identity|gba|gbc|gbi|nds|palm|psp|vba>

Set color matrix (default: identity).

identity:	Identity matrix
gba:	Game Boy Advance (by Pokefan531)
gbc:	Gambatte/higan (requires --input-gamma=1.0 --output-gamma=1.0)
gbi:	Game Boy Interface
nds:	Nintendo DS (by Pokefan531)
palm:	Palm Treo 700p (by Pokefan531)
psp:	PlayStation Portable (by Pokefan531)
vba:	VisualBoyAdvance-M (by Pokefan531)

--input-gamma=<red[:green[:blue]]>

Set gamma (default: 2.2).

--output-gamma=<value>

Specify screen gamma (default: 2.2).

--contrast=<red[:green[:blue]]>

Set gain (default: 1.0).

--brightness=<red[:green[:blue]]>

Set bias (default: 0.0).

--volume=<left[:right]>

Set audio gain (default: 0.75).

--sound=<mono|stereo>

Set sound mode. The default is the Sound Mode system setting (mono or stereo).

--colorspace=<ycc601|ycc709|ycc2020|rgb709|rgb2020>

Set video color space (default: ycc601).

ycc601:	IEC 61966-2-4 xvYCC601
ycc709:	IEC 61966-2-4 xvYCC709
ycc2020:	ITU-R BT.2020 Y’C’BC’R
rgb709:	IEC 61966-2-1 sRGB
rgb2020:	ITU-R BT.2020 R’G’B’

--format=<ntsc|pal|pal-m|ntsc-50|pal-60|custom|custom-m|hd60|hd50|hd48>

Set video format (default: custom).

--scan-mode=<[interlace|quasi-interlace|non-interlace|non-progressive|progressive][,clock2x][,size2x]>

Set scan mode. The default is the Progressive Scan Mode system setting (non-interlace or progressive).

clock2x, no-clock2x

Enable 27MHz pixel clock (default: auto). Enabling doubles the refresh rate for interlace modes. Disabling halves the refresh rate for progressive modes.

Note: This cannot be used with the Analog AV Out.

size2x, no-size2x

Enable 2x video oversampling (default: auto). Enabling halves the refresh rate.

--usb, --no-usb

Enable USB Gecko features (default: yes).

--enhance, --no-enhance

Enable Game Boy Player enhancements (default: yes).

Title	Feature(s)
Drill Dozer	Rumble
Game Boy Advance Video Series	Not compatible
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga	Rumble, reduced contrast
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire	Rumble
Shikakui Atama o Maru Kusuru Advance: Kanji Keisanhen	Rumble, restored contrast
Shikakui Atama o Maru Kusuru Advance: Kokugo Sansuu Shakai Rikahen	Rumble, restored contrast
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3	Rumble, restored gamma

Note: Remove any accessory from the External Extension Connector, or the Rumble Feature will not work.

<path>

Load Game Boy Advance multiboot ROM (default: default.mb.gz).

Note: Remove any accessory from the External Extension Connector. Hold Start + Select while the Game Boy logo is visible.

Comparisons

Color matrix

Mario Kart: Super Circuit

• 
  Identity matrix
• 
  Game Boy Advance
• 
  Game Boy Interface
• 
  Nintendo DS
• 
  Palm Treo 700p
• 
  PlayStation Portable
• 
  VisualBoyAdvance-M

Pokémon Sapphire

• 
  Identity matrix
• 
  Game Boy Advance
• 
  Game Boy Interface
• 
  Nintendo DS
• 
  Palm Treo 700p
• 
  PlayStation Portable
• 
  VisualBoyAdvance-M

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

• 
  Identity matrix
• 
  Game Boy Advance
• 
  Game Boy Interface
• 
  Nintendo DS
• 
  Palm Treo 700p
• 
  PlayStation Portable
• 
  VisualBoyAdvance-M

Wario Land 4

• 
  Identity matrix
• 
  Game Boy Advance
• 
  Game Boy Interface
• 
  Nintendo DS
• 
  Palm Treo 700p
• 
  PlayStation Portable
• 
  VisualBoyAdvance-M

Examples

Color emulation

Game Boy Advance

Using a contrast ratio of 250:1.

--matrix=gba
--input-gamma=4.
--contrast=.74851331406341291833644689906823
--brightness=.25148668593658708166355310093177

Nintendo DS

Using a contrast ratio of 600:1.

--matrix=nds
--input-gamma=2.2
--contrast=.94539857500845076575010909270066
--brightness=.05460142499154923424989090729934

Palm Treo 700p

Using a contrast ratio of 75:1.

--matrix=palm
--input-gamma=2.2
--contrast=.85949252616415732890698972119636
--brightness=.14050747383584267109301027880364

PlayStation Portable

Using a contrast ratio of 750:1.

--matrix=psp
--input-gamma=2.2
--contrast=.95066513192721403818280764386444
--brightness=.04933486807278596181719235613556

Color restoration

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

This game reduces contrast when played with Game Boy Player enhancements.

--contrast=1.1

Super Mario Bros. 3: Super Mario Advance 4

This game reduces gamma when played without Game Boy Player enhancements.

--input-gamma=2.8

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons

This game reduces gamma when played on a Game Boy Advance. Due to Game Boy Color limitations, only shadows can be restored perfectly.

--input-gamma=4.

This can be combined with Gambatte/higan's color emulation as a special case.

--matrix=gbc
--input-gamma=1.8
--output-gamma=1.

Video optimization

Datapath VisionRGB (Component Video Cable)

--colorspace=rgb709
--scan-mode=non-interlace,clock2x,size2x

• Resolution and Refresh
  • Width: 360
  • Height: 240
  • Vertical Refresh: 59.72
• Video Adjustments
  • Horizontal Position: 65
  • Horizontal Size: 433
  • Phase: 27
  • Vertical Position: 18
  • Black Level: 245
• Cropping
  • Top: 40
  • Left: 60
  • Width: 240
  • Height: 160
• Color Adjustments
  • Brightness: 32
  • Contrast: 128
  • Colour Domain: RGB (601)
  • Colour Balance
    • All Colors
      • Brightness: 32
      • Contrast: 128
    • Red
      • Brightness: 169
      • Contrast: 190
    • Green
      • Brightness: 176
      • Contrast: 190
    • Blue
      • Brightness: 159
      • Contrast: 190

Open Source Scan Converter

--format=hd60
--scan-mode=non-interlace

XRGB-mini Framemeister

Included as gbihf-xrgb.cli, gbihf-xrgb.dol+cli and gbihf-xrgb.gci. Refer to FirebrandX for configuration.

--format=custom-m
--scan-mode=non-interlace

High-definition televisions

Change the Aspect Ratio on the television to Zoom 1.

--colorspace=ycc709
--format=hd60
--scan-mode=non-progressive

FAQs

How do I change Game Paks?

1. Hold the Reset Button.
2. Slide the Game Pak Ejector.
3. Insert a Game Pak into the Game Pak Slot.
4. Release the Reset Button.

Can I play Game Boy Advance Video?

Yes. You can do so by disabling Game Boy Player enhancements (--no-enhance), or holding a direction while the Game Boy Player logo is visible.

Is this an emulator? Can I play ROMs?

No, but there's Enhanced mGBA if you're looking for one.

Changelog

June, 2018

• Added video options.
• Added component video DAC oversampling.
• Changed brightness/contrast controls to match BT.1886.
• Removed left/right chroma location support.

May, 2018

• Added Super Game Boy color palette setting.
• Changed default chroma location to center.
• Fixed Game Boy Player advertisement.
• Fixed rumble protocol handshake.

April, 2018

• Added movie recording/playback.
• Updated GBA-as-GC controller.

March, 2018

• Added RGB Sync-on-Green support.
• Added xvYCC/BT.2020 support for auto-generated 3D LUT.
• Added control swapping for SNES Controllers.
• Added center/right chroma location support.
• Improved multiboot implementation.
• Fixed SD card compatibility.
• Fixed multiboot to rumble protocol transition.

Media

• Console Verified: GBC Pokémon: Blue Version "warp glitch" by gifvex in 10:11.25
• Console Verified: GBC Pokémon: Blue Version "Gotta Catch 'Em All!" by luckytyphlosion in 37:54.11
• Console Verified: GBA Sonic Advance by Mukki & ruadath in 10:49.75
• Console Verified: GBA Sonic Advance by Mukki in 11:02.64
• Console Verified: GBA Sonic Advance 2 by Mukki in 18:09.45
• Console Verified: GBC Pokémon: Yellow Version by TiKevin83 in 1:36:34.55