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Game Boy Coding Adventure: Learn Assembly and Master the Original 8-Bit Handheld Paperback - 2025

by Maximilien Dagois

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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 here: 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 to:

  • Write and debug assembly using RGBDS, the standard development toolchain
  • Work with tiles, sprites, backgrounds, windows, and color palettes
  • Control sound channels, interrupts, timers, frame pacing, and the joypad
  • Leverage memory banking, DMA, and serial communication for more complex game features
  • Experiment 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.

Details

  • Title Game Boy Coding Adventure: Learn Assembly and Master the Original 8-Bit Handheld
  • Author Maximilien Dagois
  • Binding Paperback
  • Pages 456
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher No Starch Press
  • Publication date 2025-10-28
  • Features Bibliography, Illustrated, Index
  • ISBN 9781718503908 / 1718503903
  • Weight 1.9 lbs (0.86 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.1 x 7.1 x 1.2 in (23.11 x 18.03 x 3.05 cm)
  • Category Computers - Games
  • Library of Congress subjects Assembly languages (Electronic computers), Game Boy video games - Programming
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2025016589

About the author

Maximilien Dagois has over 15 years of experience building graphics as a professional game developer. His credits include Final Fantasy XIV, Dragon Quest Builders, and Pokmon Ranger. Now an engineer at Google, he brings his passion for retro hardware and systems programming to a new generation of coders. He lives in Tokyo.

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Game Boy Coding Adventure

Game Boy Coding Adventure

by Maximilien Dagois

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  • Paperback
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Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781718503908 / 1718503903
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Paperback / softback. New. This book is a comprehensive tutorial on programming the iconic Game Boy, covering every single feature of the hardware and providing code samples in assembly language.The Game Boy is an iconic handheld console and a remarkable piece of gaming history. Programming the Game Boy is rewarding but can be challenging especially to newcomers. Game Boy Coding Adventure gives readers an organized, hands-on explanation of the hardware, covering everything from the very basics to advanced topics. This book doesn't assume any prior knowledge of assembly language or the Game Boy hardware. Whether you want to create games or applications, are interested in ROM hacking, or are looking for a fun way to level up your engineering skills, this book will give you a strong understanding of the hardware and the programming techniques to leverage it properly.
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Game Boy Coding Adventure

Game Boy Coding Adventure

by Maximilien Dagois

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Paperback / softback. New. New Book; Fast Shipping from UK; Not signed; Not First Edition; The Game Boy is an iconic handheld console and a remarkable piece of gaming history. Programming the Game Boy is rewarding but can be challenging especially to newcomers. Game Boy Coding Adventure gives readers an organized, hands-on ex
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Game Boy Coding Adventure: Learn Assembly and Master the Original 8-Bit Handheld

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Game Boy Coding Adventure: Learn Assembly and Master the Original 8-Bit Handheld

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Game Boy Coding Adventure: Learn Assembly and Master the Original 8-Bit Handheld

by Dagois, Maximilien

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