Gooday Gaming Guests - GameBoy and Color Cartridge Boot Process with a Splash of Z80 CPU

Episode Date: January 31, 2025

I dumped my Buddy Zippy for Seek. This Chip was on many early systems.

Alright, so today I'm starting out by, I decided I have two subscriptions, ChatGPT, and I also have Gemini. So I decided to cancel ChatGPT and then I signed up for DeepSync. So we're on DeepSync now. I don't need three of them. I'm keeping Gemini because it gives me that two terabyte storage also. And so we'll try DeepSync. Hi, I am DeepSync. boy cartridge cartridge game boot process see what we get out of this and see what kind of how it does it compared to how my other ones were doing it let's see proof of all several steps so it's like basically comes up the same thing gate boys powered by CPU so it looks exactly i'm getting basically the same sort of scrolling information as i would if i would do a chat gpt my buddy zippy but uh i'm abandoning my buddy for now i'm just going to use my little seek here call him seek so i got flash, Zippy, and Zeek Zeek ok

so let's get some ideas of what's going on here so look at Gameboy so when the Gameboy powers on the CPU is a custom sharp LR35902 based on the Z80 architecture so Z80 was big way back then on many of those consoles.

Game Boy Boot ROM, a small internal ROM, is mapped to the address and contains the initial boot sequence. I would assume the boot ROM is on the cartridge itself. It says boot ROM, does a hardware check Nintendo logo scroll it's part of the signature and then the cartridge header check reads the cartridge header located at 0x0 100 in the ROM the header includes metadata such as game title cartridge type ROM checksum the calcul It calculates the check sum for the boot. It hands over to the cartridge ROM. Once the boot

cartridge is taken over, it jumps to address 0x0100. The boot ROM is disabled and the cartridge takes over control. So, it's basically, again, this is just cartridge driven. The game code in the cartridge

uh executes the game initializes if the cartridge includes additional hardware memory bank backup battery real time game execution does the game loop uh the game boys hardware this gpu sound processor and import register is used to create game experience. Keep components involved. Boot ROM, cartridge ROM, the cartridge header and memory bank controller, an MBC used for those. Anti-piracy. Looks for any anti-piracy. Alright, so let's see if I can get a Game Boy game. Let's ask differently this time. How many Game Boy games were made before Color. So I'll ask about before Color. We'll get an idea of what's going on with the Game Boys

before. Let's see what it gives me. The original Nintendo Game Boy was released in 1989. It had over I think it said let's see the original Game Boy was released in 1989 and it had

then the original Game Boy Color came out in 1998 about 10 years later wow, or 9 years later during this 9 year period, a thousand games were developed just for the Game Boy. Game Boy, Library, Tetris, Pokemon, Zelda.

Game Boy and Color Enhancements. When the Game Boy Color was released, some original Game Boy games were re-released with Color Enhancements. But in general, except for $1,000. $1,000 backwards compatible alright so how many

color games games only only alright let's see what we got here so again 1998 came out. So Color Boy exclusive games. It was 576.

Wow. These are labeled with a C in the cartridge code. They will play the other games though. The other thousand games of the regular titles. Game Boy Color exclusivelusive 676. Zelda. Oracles of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. Pokemon Wary Land 3.

Harry and the Potter. Okay, labeled. Hybrid games. Some games are designed to work both original and color. These are labeled as a B in the cartridge code. These could be played, displayed, color, or original. Alright, so let's look for a rare Game Boy

games not color. Not color. Not color. I like to find rare games. Yeah, yeah, Bob, Stole Duke and Poopsling. Poopsling for PS4. It's my favorite one yet. $10,000 for Poopsling. They only made 84 for the PS4.

84. Why would you want to make 84 games? It's so weird. So, yeah, if you type in Poop, P-O-O-P, Sling, PS4 Poop Sling, you'll see how expensive they are. That's why. I don't know what the game is about. Are you throwing poop around?

I have no idea. So the original Game Boy 1989 to 1998 had a vast library. So non-color games is saying that Nintendo World Championship 1990, extremely rare, valued over $20,000. Let's get some eBay action here. Let's cross ref here. Let's see what we got here. This is the funnest part.

I started doing this. So I got rid of chat GPT. And I'm going to deep sync. Why not? I can't afford to have three of them running. Deep syncing I'll have to pay for so far. And I'm getting the same information. So therefore.

At some point now. It's going to be where you're not going to be able to pay for any far. And I'm getting the same information, so therefore. At some point now, it's going to be where you're not going to be able to pay for any of these. The competition. And for ChatGPT, my buddy Zippy, if I want to go pro, it's $200 a month. Alright, so I'm seeing $189 game. But no, that's on

that's not on Game But no, that's on... That's not on Game Boy, though. That's on Super Nintendo. I mean, regular Nintendo. Yeah, it's a Game Boy. Game Boy. Game Boy. There it is.

I'm still not seeing it. I'm sure not seeing it. I'm sure it's out there somewhere. Game Boy. No. Let's see. I see one here that's World. No, that's $9. That's certainly not it.

You can get 151 games in a cartridge for $149. All right, so let's go back to the second one they said was Nintendo World Championship. The gold cartridge. So one's gray, one's gold. $50,000. Depending on the condition. Spuds Adventure.

Spuds Adventure. Let's see what that one is. Spuds Adventure I use copy and paste for everything so I can quickly 9,000 bucks for Spuds Adventure almost looks like poop too it's a potato I think it is

Spuds Adventure looks like a potato I believe that's what that is a poster for 14 bucks I think it is. Spuds Adventure. It looks like a potato. I believe that's what that is. A hundred and... A poster for $14. Spuds Adventure. Yeah, so around $1,000. Spuds. From Japan, you get one

for $15. Spuds Adventure with a manual. $1,400. Then Japan is significantly cheaper, but still in the hundreds. Alright, what else we got? Let's go check out... Alright. So, Trip World. Very rare. Platform by Sunsoft.

Trip World. Let's trip that one up. We're just going to stick with the Game Boy for today, I think. We'll do Trip World. So far, Spuds Adventures will be my thing I'll put on my image today. Trip World. $74. Not too bad. $100 some dollars. Trip World. $74. Not too bad. $100 some dollars. Trip World. Yeah.

Somewhere around there. Because that was mostly an international Japan game. Kid. Kid Dracula. Spinoff of Castlevania series. Oh, that'd be cool. Kid Dracula, huh? Complete in a box set.

Kid Dracula. Not a big handheld person person I've played some I had switches lots of switches but I just can't sit and just play on a handheld although I really like the PS5 Portal

big fan I had one for like one day and I traded it away but I'd like to get another one someday I can afford it again and now you can do

cloud gaming so you don't have to have your system running and the portal on so that's cool that makes it better about 400 bucks for a kid Dracula Bubble Ghost

Shantae Snow Brothers Jr Pocket Monsters we're always going to remember Pocket Monsters we're always going to remember Pocket Monsters in Japan means Pokemon Pokemon is the abbreviation for Pocket Monsters green version

Bunks Revenge Castlevania The Adventure while not as rare as the others the original Castlevania The Adventure is still sought after of course it will always be a big Castlevania. Spent thousands of hours as a kid. Even as a teenager and a young adult.

Even an older adult playing Castlevania. Simon's Quest I like that one the best. That's the one I believe I played the most over the years. $149. Castlevania. Pretty cool. Mega Man 5. Another one Mega Man.

I've played thousands of hours of Mega Man. It's more jumpy though. Fortified Zone. Survival Kids. Bubble Bobble. Part 2. Why are these games rare? This has all the same deep seek. It's exactly the same output as my buddy Zippy that I've left behind for now. It may be for good for now.

I'm not too sure yet. All right. So now we're going to say it says Rare Color Game Boy Games. Let's see. So the Game Boy Color from 1998 to 2001. Shantae. Very rare. Pokemon Crystal.

Not for sale. Demo version. There was a Magic Chase. Lucifer. Survival Kids. Still pumping them out for me here. That gives me the top 10. Oh, it's giving me more than top 10.

I'm getting like 20 of them. Oh, Metal Gear Solid. I know there's a Metal Gear Solid on Harry Potter. I had a demo version. Hmm. So I used to do games that either had a short version. Hmm. So I usually use games that either had a short run or were right at the end.

The best one. So let's try Shantae. Let's check that one on eBay. Okay. Shantae. So it would be Game Boy Color. $85. Game Boy Color.

Limited run. It had a limited run. Therefore it makes it a little bit more. It's nothing crazy. Not in the thousands. Oh no, there's one. If you get one that has that sealed thing

with the 8.5A grade and all that nonsense on it, it's $4,499. I don't understand why that makes that so much more expensive. He's got a cartridge for $750. So yeah, there's some ones that are sealed, $160. Cool.

All right, so that's Shantae. Let's see what else we got here. All right, Pokemon Crystal. I have some Pokemans that are... One's fake. I didn't realize it. And one... I'm not sure if it's real or not.

All right, let's try Lofer loofah I can't say l u f i a loofah 110 dollars looks cool something I would play 69 dollars 89 dollars so not too bad that would be well within my 34 dollars oh no that's just a manual I should know better than that all right let's so then we'll go on to I'll read the other ones dragon warrior monster to survival survival kids bionic commando Wendy every which way that sounds cute Mega Man extreme to Zook something from Japan. Something from Japan. Another one from Japan. I can't say. Metal Gear Solid.

Pokemon Puzzle. Harry Potter. And the Sorcerer's Stone. Cannon Fodder. So let me ask a question here. How many systems used z80 as a CPU so we're kind of going off track but not really z80 should give me all around it's early architecture i don't know

i'm gonna see if i so it's called the z log z80 was introduced in 1976 so sinclair zx spectrum i have one of them uh armstrad i have one of them trs80 has in it commodore 128Pro 2, Arsborne 1, the Mega Master System. There's lots of arcade games have them in it. All the main arcade games. Handhelds, which is Sega Game Gear. Calculators,

industrial, telecommunications, modems, fax, military and aerospace, uses the Z80. The Z80 was relatively unexpected compared to other CPUs at the time. The Z80 was backwards compatible with the Intel 8080, making it easier to adopt for existing systems. For its time, the Z80 offered excellent performance and rich instruction sets

z80 legacy so yeah sega game gear and of course we do we're talking about game boy so that's why and that's the z80 processor and then if we look over here oh the s1000, which is a Sega system from Europe. I had one of those. There's a Mark III. ColecoVision Z80. Sega Game Gear. We said that. Sega Master Z80.

Then for computers, they're talking TRS-80, which I grew up on that. Commodore 128. I had that. Predacessor 264, K-Pro. Arsborne 1. The MSX series. Amstrad, which I had CPC. And I have the 128.

I actually still have those. Those are fun. All right. they still have those those are fun all right so when when was the z to uses it as a GPU only I Should said in what I should have said in what? It was primarily CPU. It was not time to Funko GP over So Sega massive systems the role of GPU graphics game gear primary with CPU I would sit somewhere that this was used as a secondary CPU arcade machines why it wasn't used as a GPU says he was never used as a standalone GPU I could have swore I read that somewhere

all right so let me ask one more question how does a z80 work in detail let's see what it says we're just kind of really going off track, but we're still going to try to learn about CPUs and 8-bit processor. So it's the Z80 architecture we're going to talk about for a few minutes. Yeah, oh, it's giving me some pretty good details, though. I still haven't quite got the concept of a CPU and how it works.

Because everything is just a manipulation of electricity. So I can't get that of how it's zeros and ones I know now are just basically on and off. And then how you get a bridge that opens and closes and somewhere along the way you can program stuff. Wow, it's going to be pretty good. So, big fan of my DeepSync here. Seek, we'll call him Seek. There's lots of stuff going on here. Z80 operates 2.5 hertz. Oh, it even gives me a little bit of programming. Cool. Assembly programming.

Oh, that's cool. Application of Z80. Home computers. Architects. You always have to start with the earliest stuff first. Before you can build on the other ones. There's the Motorola. That's a big one going forward. But yeah, it just gave me all kinds. So doing it

here on Seek was no different than chat TBT at all. If not, I got more information. Sorry, my little buddy zippy uh z80 is a von neumann architect architecture v-o-n-n-e-u-m-a-n-n architecture uh means it uses a single bus for both data and instructions its key components It has a rich set of registers. See, this is where I get lost. There's 8-bit registers, A, B, C, D, E, H, and L.

And then there's a 16-bit register pair, B, C, D, E, and H, L. Special purpose registers. Program counter holds the address stack pointer points to the top of stack index register interpret vector register memory refresh register and a flag register, all that just is gibberish to me. But it has an ALU, an Automatic Logic Unit. There's your AND, OR, X, OR operations. Operates on 8-bit data.

Job manages the execution. 16-bit address bus can address up to 64 kilobytes, 8 transfer CPU to the cell. math, control flow, stack operations, bit manipulation, I&O operations. The Z80 executes in a series of steps called fetch, code, execute cycle. Execute, so fetch. I've heard that word a lot. Fetch. CPU reads instructions from memory. Address point.

PC is to point to the next instruction. Decode. Patronian decodes instructions. Executes. And then it has addresses. Addressing modes. Immediate register. Director. Indirect.

Index. And then there's interprets. I am zero. addressing modes, immediate register, director, indirect, index. And then there's interprets. I am zero, I am one, or I am two. Refresh, memory refresh. Operates based on a clock signal.

Typically ranging from 2.5 to 8 megahertz. Each cycle ranging from 4 to 23 cycles depending on the instructions and it gives me some code here here's an example of the CD assembly program that's two numbers installs the results start program load a a plus B stop the results memory is the stop execution cool applications again visual of a C80 chip. Let's see if it can show me something.

I probably just don't need text. Unfortunately, I cannot directly display images or visuals. It's typically a 40-pin dual in-package pin addresses. So again, it's at a 40 pin dual in package pin addresses so again it's at 4 megahertz control signals

so you're pretty good at that search and align for Z80 DIP pretty cool alright so that's my little thing this morning concentrating on Gameboy Gameboy Color and we're going to track a

little bit on the z80 chip way back then and i got and we're using seek here now as my alternative all right so you guys have a good afternoon and i'll see you in the morning all right bye