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Game Boy Coding Adventure: Learn Assembly and Master the Original 8-Bit Handheld
Talk to the Machine
Game Boy Coding Adventure is a hands-on guide to programming one of the most iconic consoles ever built. And there is magic By leveraging the simplified assembly language of this retro machine, you’ll learn how to control every aspect of the Game Boy’s 8-bit hardware.
As you build tile-based graphics, sprite animations, sound effects, input handling, timers, and more, you’ll discover how hardware behaves—and how software components work together to run interactive programs. Along the way, you’ll gain a strong foundation in systems programming, mastering concepts like memory management, registers, interrupts, and I/O.
You’ll learn how
Write and debug assembly using RGBDS, the standard development toolchainWork with tiles, sprites, backgrounds, windows, and color palettesControl sound channels, interrupts, timers, frame pacing, and the joypadLeverage memory banking, DMA, and serial communication for more complex game featuresExperiment with the Super Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and the Game Boy Printer
Written by a veteran game developer with over 15 years of experience building graphics engines and shipping titles across PC, mobile, and consoles, this book teaches more than just syntax. It takes you back to a simpler platform with a reduced instruction set that’s perfect for learning. You’ll write assembly code that runs directly on real hardware, see the results immediately, and learn how to debug, optimize, and control every cycle. You’ll also build game-ready components and develop a clear understanding of how software and hardware interact.
Why stop now? Slot in the cartridge, flip the switch, and start coding.
Game Boy Coding Adventure is a hands-on guide to programming one of the most iconic consoles ever built. And there is magic By leveraging the simplified assembly language of this retro machine, you’ll learn how to control every aspect of the Game Boy’s 8-bit hardware.
As you build tile-based graphics, sprite animations, sound effects, input handling, timers, and more, you’ll discover how hardware behaves—and how software components work together to run interactive programs. Along the way, you’ll gain a strong foundation in systems programming, mastering concepts like memory management, registers, interrupts, and I/O.
You’ll learn how
Write and debug assembly using RGBDS, the standard development toolchainWork with tiles, sprites, backgrounds, windows, and color palettesControl sound channels, interrupts, timers, frame pacing, and the joypadLeverage memory banking, DMA, and serial communication for more complex game featuresExperiment with the Super Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and the Game Boy Printer
Written by a veteran game developer with over 15 years of experience building graphics engines and shipping titles across PC, mobile, and consoles, this book teaches more than just syntax. It takes you back to a simpler platform with a reduced instruction set that’s perfect for learning. You’ll write assembly code that runs directly on real hardware, see the results immediately, and learn how to debug, optimize, and control every cycle. You’ll also build game-ready components and develop a clear understanding of how software and hardware interact.
Why stop now? Slot in the cartridge, flip the switch, and start coding.
- GenresProgramming
458 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2025
10 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 13, 2024
I've purchased a digital copy of this book from the author website - before it was picked by a publisher to be printed on paper - and as soon as I started reading it I was absolutely impressed by the author's passion for the topic and his ability to explain complex ideas in a simple and engaging way.
The book covers all aspects of the topic: it starts with the Game Boy HW and moves to the instruction set. It then expians how to handle user input, generate sounds and finally paint sprites and backgrounds on the screen. Every chapter is focused on a specific topic and covers it with an hands-on approach, asking the reader to follow the author as he codes his way to building that capter's example program.
One of the highlight of this Game Boy book, which sets it apart from other similar books, is the huge collection of wonderful illustrations and tables - which makes the reading a pure joy for the eye.
I just couldn't recommend this book more. Anyone interested in the topic should read and re-read it.
The book covers all aspects of the topic: it starts with the Game Boy HW and moves to the instruction set. It then expians how to handle user input, generate sounds and finally paint sprites and backgrounds on the screen. Every chapter is focused on a specific topic and covers it with an hands-on approach, asking the reader to follow the author as he codes his way to building that capter's example program.
One of the highlight of this Game Boy book, which sets it apart from other similar books, is the huge collection of wonderful illustrations and tables - which makes the reading a pure joy for the eye.
I just couldn't recommend this book more. Anyone interested in the topic should read and re-read it.
Displaying 1 of 1 review