Homebrew RELEASE Play Original GameBoy Games on the GBA emulators

GalaxyYT

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This method is useful only if you want near perfect audio and a selective color palette for GBC/GB games.
This is probably my first actual post that's decent. A̶s̶ ̶f̶a̶r̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶I̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶t̶e̶l̶l̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶w̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶k̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶G̶B̶C̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶s̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶m̶e̶s̶s̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶ ̶s̶a̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶"̶T̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶G̶a̶m̶e̶P̶a̶k̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶G̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶B̶o̶y̶ ̶C̶o̶l̶o̶r̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶s̶y̶s̶t̶e̶m̶.̶"̶
Tutorial updated to work with GameBoy Color games! (thanks to KuraudoSutoraifu for sending EZGoomba)
You can play original GameBoy games on khedgb (gameboy color emulator), but you will have audio glitches and a grey color palette. This method has perfect audio and multiple color palette options.
Also, feel free to use EZGoomba (scroll down to the GameBoy Color section) for GameBoy games as well, since it is simpler.


GameBoy Games:
1. I recommend using this build of VBA-Next because it is a special version with audio fixes. If you don't use this, you will most likely have audio issues. Also, if you use GDKgba, the game does slow down a bit at some parts.
2. Get Goomba. This tool converts GB/GBC games to GBA. (Don't follow this part for GBC games. Follow the GameBoy Color Games part below.)
3. Extract Goomba to it's own folder, and I also recommend putting your roms in this folder for ease of use.
4. Open goombafront.exe.
5. Click the 3 dots next to "Select Emulator File", and select the goomba.gba in your Goomba folder.
g1.PNG

g2.PNG

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6. In the file browser in the bottom left portion of Goomba, navigate to the folder containing all of your roms.
7. You should see all of your roms in the list on the right now. (Notice the .gb extensions. This means they aren't converted. duh.)

g3.PNG

8. Hit the 3 dots next to "Select Output File:", and type whatever you want your converted GB/GBC game to be called. (e.g: Pokemon - Red Version.gba)
9. Click on the rom you want to convert in the list on the left, and hit the "Add ->" button in the middle. Don't do more than one rom at a time.
10. Click "Compile" at the bottom. Done! Your new "gba" game is now where you saved it in "Select Output File".
Change the output file and "<- Remove" your rom from the list on the right before compiling another rom.\

If you want to get rid of the nasty yellow color palette, click both L+R (left and right bumpers) while you're in game, select "Display ->" and change the palette. For Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow, I recommend BionicCom. You can also change the border here.


GameBoy Color Games:

1. Download EZGoomba. This is a "modified" version of Goomba that lets you properly emulate GBC games without an error message.
2. Extract EZGoomba Frontendv1.0.2a to it's own folder and open it. (You don't really need your roms in this folder for ease of use anymore)
3. Open it. If you want, you can use this version for GB games as well. But, just open the GBC tab.
g4.PNG

4. Click Load ROM at the top of EZGoomba and open the .GBC rom you want to "convert"
5. Now, simply hit Compile. It will ask you for an "output file" like it did in regular Goomba.
6. Name it accordingly. (If your GBC game was Pokemom Gold.gbc, name it Pokemon Gold.gba.
7. Done!

If you want to get rid of the nasty yellow color palette, click both L+R (left and right bumpers) while you're in game, select "Display ->" and change the palette. For Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow, I recommend BionicCom. You can also change the border here.
 
Last edited by GalaxyYT,

GalaxyYT

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Im lost on what this does, can I use this tool for gba games too?
It basically converts GB/GBC games to GBA and also adds a custom menu allowing you to change the color palettes, save/load state, etc. This doesn't work for GBA games because Goomba doesn't let you open them, but you don't need to because GBA games already work on GBA emulators :P. And this fixes audio because it's running through VBA-Next (which has fixed audio)
 
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Kupie

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"Goomba" is a GBA homebrew for GB/GBC emulation, and builds the GB/GBC rom into the .gba file. As such it has emulator-type features, and works pretty great in my experience
 
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Ty_

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Gave it a quick try, this is all on 5.0.2

First off GBA games on the updated emulator are much better, sound works perfectly now. Tested with half a dozen games like Super Mario Advanced 2 & 3, Sonic Advance, F-Zero etc and all were fine.

Gameboy games worked great too using this. Little annoying having to change the palette for each game, but at least it saves them (per game). Goomba method worked as stated, and can confirm that the Gameboy Color games I tried had the error message.

Great work my friend
 

KuraudoSutoraifu

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I found another version of Goomba that let's you convert and actually play GBC games (and doesn't give the "This GamePak can only be used on a Game Boy Color system" error). It's called EZGoomba Frontend and you simply switch to the GBC tab, load your GBC ROM, select an output name and compile.
 
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GalaxyYT

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I found another version of Goomba that let's you convert and actually play GBC games (and doesn't give the "This GamePak can only be used on a Game Boy Color system" error). It's called EZGoomba Frontend and you simply switch to the GBC tab, load your GBC ROM, select an output name and compile.
Wow, thanks! I'm gonna edit the main post and add this.
 

Trunks2304

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This worked for all my games except Oracle of Ages and Seasons..arguably the most important two :(

Anyone know how to get those 2 games working? On Vba next they both freeze on boot after converting to .gba
 

slovenhjelm

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Tried using ezgoomba with pokemon crystal and the game launched and is playable, however every time dialogue is triggered the games graphics is massively distorted. Is this something i just have to accept or have i done something wrong?

Also, i really want to play the spacewold demo versions of pokemon gold/silver on my switch. Their file extensions are .sgb. i tried changing it to .gb and then running it through goomba but when i try to launch the result in VBA-next the emulator just freezes ^^. It was a long shot but i thought it was worth a try. Anyone else know how to do it?
 
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pinbi7

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Nice work, i remember goomba by flubba
Back when gbatemp was first created.
Have you tried pocketnes by loopy and flubba?
I remember it being quite good at emulating the nes on gba(similar to goomba)
 

hippy dave

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Nice work, i remember goomba by flubba
Back when gbatemp was first created.
Have you tried pocketnes by loopy and flubba?
I remember it being quite good at emulating the nes on gba(similar to goomba)
Fun idea but probably not very necessary, there's at least one retroarch nes core working well now (check the development thread for retroarch libnx).
 

The3rdknuckles

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I think this is just what I’ve bern looking for because khedgb hasn’t been able to open for me and only gives me an error when opening it.
 

Trunks2304

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Tried using ezgoomba with pokemon crystal and the game launched and is playable, however every time dialogue is triggered the games graphics is massively distorted. Is this something i just have to accept or have i done something wrong?

Also, i really want to play the spacewold demo versions of pokemon gold/silver on my switch. Their file extensions are .sgb. i tried changing it to .gb and then running it through goomba but when i try to launch the result in VBA-next the emulator just freezes ^^. It was a long shot but i thought it was worth a try. Anyone else know how to do it?
pokemon crystal does the same thing for me..oracle of seasons & ages wont even boot :cry:
 

ruyor

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Tried using ezgoomba with pokemon crystal and the game launched and is playable, however every time dialogue is triggered the games graphics is massively distorted. Is this something i just have to accept or have i done something wrong?

Also, i really want to play the spacewold demo versions of pokemon gold/silver on my switch. Their file extensions are .sgb. i tried changing it to .gb and then running it through goomba but when i try to launch the result in VBA-next the emulator just freezes ^^. It was a long shot but i thought it was worth a try. Anyone else know how to do it?
Treat them as GBC games and change the .sgb to .gbc
 

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