Game Boy family emulation in Rust, written from scratch. GBA first.
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  • Python 2.3%
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Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-10-05 16:20:18 +07:00
crates refactor: split into gameboy-rust workspace with core, demos, and desktop crates 2026-10-05 16:09:46 +07:00
docs docs: split README into docs/ and add AGENTS.md 2026-10-05 16:20:18 +07:00
.envrc chore(dev): bootstrap Rust and Nix environments for Darwin 2026-10-05 12:58:37 +07:00
.gitignore chore(dev): bootstrap Rust and Nix environments for Darwin 2026-10-05 12:58:37 +07:00
AGENTS.md docs: split README into docs/ and add AGENTS.md 2026-10-05 16:20:18 +07:00
Cargo.lock refactor: split into gameboy-rust workspace with core, demos, and desktop crates 2026-10-05 16:09:46 +07:00
Cargo.toml refactor: split into gameboy-rust workspace with core, demos, and desktop crates 2026-10-05 16:09:46 +07:00
CLAUDE.md docs: split README into docs/ and add AGENTS.md 2026-10-05 16:20:18 +07:00
flake.lock chore(dev): bootstrap Rust and Nix environments for Darwin 2026-10-05 12:58:37 +07:00
flake.nix refactor: split into gameboy-rust workspace with core, demos, and desktop crates 2026-10-05 16:09:46 +07:00
README.md docs: split README into docs/ and add AGENTS.md 2026-10-05 16:20:18 +07:00

gameboy-rust

Game Boy family emulation in Rust, written from scratch. The Game Boy Advance (GBA) is the first and currently only system.

This cannot run Pokémon Emerald or other games yet. It is an emulator foundation: an ARM7TDMI interpreter, memory bus, timers, DMA, Mode 0–5 video, and an original BIOS replacement. The included demos run original ARM test programs through the emulated hardware. ROM loading, audio, and saves are not implemented.

Layout

Crate Purpose
crates/gba-core Platform-independent GBA emulator. No external Rust dependencies.
crates/gba-demos Original test programs that drive the core.
crates/desktop Native window frontend on minifb. Builds the gameboy-rust executable.

Quick start

macOS on Apple Silicon is the verified platform. Install Nix (with flakes) and direnv, then:

direnv allow .
direnv exec . cargo run --locked --release -- --tile-demo
direnv exec . cargo test --locked

Arrows scroll, Q rotates, W zooms, Z flips, X changes priority, Enter resets, and Escape exits. Run direnv exec . cargo run --locked -- --help to list every demo and smoke test.

Documentation

Document Contents
docs/status.md What works today, deliberate limits, and next steps
docs/demos.md Every demo, its command, and its controls
docs/development.md Nix, direnv, and macOS build notes
docs/testing.md Validation commands and what the test suites cover
docs/architecture.md Crate boundaries and a file-by-file map
docs/hardware/cpu.md ARM/Thumb execution rules, modes, exceptions, and timing
docs/hardware/bios.md The original BIOS replacement and each supported service
docs/hardware/timers-irq.md Timers, interrupt registers, HALT, and power control
docs/hardware/dma.md DMA channels, triggers, and timing
docs/hardware/display-timing.md Display clock, status, IRQs, and scanline capture
docs/hardware/video.md Backgrounds, sprites, mosaic, windows, color effects, and input
docs/references.md External hardware references and emulator sources consulted

Coding agents should start with AGENTS.md.

All demo content and the BIOS replacement are original. No Nintendo code or assets are included. Only use game ROMs that you may lawfully use. Do not commit game ROMs, BIOS files, or game assets.