nanode
Offline
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ el ass dee j

Hey all!

So, I've been using LSDj for 4 some odd years now, and I've used TONS of different systems to run it on, all of which have major drawbacks:

DMG has the worst processor
GBC has no bass or backlight
GBA is just an odd form factor
GBA SP has no headphone jack

In recent months, I've been thinking of development with arduino and raspberry pi and how it's becoming easier to make stuff with it. What I've been thinking of doing is creating an entirely new gameboy model that would fix all the aforementioned issues to make the perfect system.

Battery power and basic portability is fairy simple, and making it slim and compact is fairly easy with the RPi zero, but I'm more concerned with the software end.

So here's my questions regarding this:

1) Is it feasibly possible to run a RPi like a gameboy without having to install some really janky or complex emulator? IE running it like a stock DMG or GBA.
2) Would it be possible to use gameboy carts and a reader to be used just like a normal gameboy with both GBA and GB roms
3) If not the RPi, is there another option of using a small but powerful board ie Arduino or something along those lines.

Thanks!
-Sam

catskull
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NUMBSKULL

1) No, not really. If it's not real hardware, you're emulating it.
2) Not really. Because of 1 the carts would have to be dumped to a rom before use. That's basically what the retron5 does.
3) Sure, why not.

I mean, people use a gameboy because it's a gameboy. Sounds like you just need to grap LGPT and any of the many handhelds that run it.

nanode
Offline
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ el ass dee j
catskull wrote:

I mean, people use a gameboy because it's a gameboy. Sounds like you just need to grap LGPT and any of the many handhelds that run it.

But I don't want to use LGPT, and I want to run LSDj on a system that won't hinder my ability to record or perform live while still being able to bring it with me.

garvalf
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France

why don't you just use an android phone with a gameboy emulator? It works quite perfect this way.

Last edited by garvalf (Jul 22, 2016 8:20 pm)

nanode
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(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ el ass dee j
garvalf wrote:

why don't you use an android phone with a gameboy emulator? It works quite perfect this way.

That's defeating the purpose that I addressed in the thread hmm

garvalf
Offline
France

you were talking about a raspberry pi with an emulator (or one booting straight to DMG emulator), that's why I thought android + emulator would be a cool choice (and it has backlight).

For arduino, you can't implement a GB with an arduino, but you could have a device producing different sounds than lsdj / gb.

I didn't know the gba sp hadn't headphone socket but it should be possible to build one.

An alternative would be to use the nintendo DS but it will still be emulation.

nanode
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(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ el ass dee j
garvalf wrote:

An alternative would be to use the nintendo DS but it will still be emulation.

I mean yeah, although it would still be the same layout as the GBA which I don't like

Ledfyr
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Sweden

The Gameboy Zero sounds pretty close to what you want:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/game-boy-zero/

chunter
Offline
Brunswick, GA USA

If you want to desolder all of the components of a game boy to resolder it into the form factor you prefer, more power to you.

barbeque
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detroit

lmao just quit writing chip music

nanode
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(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ el ass dee j
Ledfyr wrote:

The Gameboy Zero sounds pretty close to what you want:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/game-boy-zero/

But then I can't use the carts that I already have...

nanode
Offline
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ el ass dee j
chunter wrote:

If you want to desolder all of the components of a game boy to resolder it into the form factor you prefer, more power to you.

Probably what I'll end up doing

barbeque wrote:

lmao just quit writing chip music

Probably what I'll end up doing

XyNo
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Joliette, QC, Canada

You can add the Supergameboy CPU in a good old DMG ! I think it is the best solution for what you need !
You can do it because this guy did it and some other modders did it too !!!

MaxDolensky
Offline
Alabama

I think the best option would be something based around the Super Gameboy with parts like what Benn Venn has released. That would mean VGA output to a color screen, room for a companion PCB with charging circuits for a rechargable lipo battery, button breakout, built in Teensy 3.1 clone (as per the specs of the most recent Arduinoboy code) meaning USB and DIN MIDI, and the extra screen real estate means room for different Arduinoboy mode display. Combine that with, say, a nice small low-noise amp, multiple audio outs, and a dedicated flashcart or just reusing the cart slot and you have the IDEAL DMG-like handheld. No color screen like the GBC, but it would do more than just get the job done. The big issues with this would be a) effort b) form factor c) whether or not people would cast their still-working DMGs, etc to the side in favor of something more future-proof. tongue

Last edited by MaxDolensky (Jul 23, 2016 7:16 am)

nanode
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(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ el ass dee j
XyNo wrote:

You can add the Supergameboy CPU in a good old DMG ! I think it is the best solution for what you need !
You can do it because this guy did it and some other modders did it too !!!

Any idea how to approach this?

e.s.c.
Offline
IL, US
XyNo wrote:

You can add the Supergameboy CPU in a good old DMG ! I think it is the best solution for what you need !
You can do it because this guy did it and some other modders did it too !!!

+8,000,000 points for whoever made the video using a piece of 8cylinder's software in the video (despite the fact that pounder doesn't need a faster cpu from what i remember)