The value can be from 0-255 and each number refers to a color in the palette.
Instead of just putting the color into the array you put an index in the array. This means that you store the 256 16bit colors that your background is going to use in palette memory and then access the screen as an array. Mode 4 is like mode 3 except the pixels are 8 bit indexes into a 16-bit palette. If you have ever programmed for dos in mode 13h then you will find this mode very familiar. This is probably the next easiest mode to use and the best for accessing the screen as a big bitmap. Some great looking still graphics can be achieved by this mode but it is not much use for animation as the GBA processor is not quite fast enough to redraw a complex scene in 16 bit color every frame (although I am sure someone will do it). This means that you can define an array that starts at the beginning of Video Memory and just by placing a 16-bit value in the array you can put a pixel on the screen. Mode 3 is just a linear buffer of 16bit pixels. I like to start with this mode because it is the easiest to understand and use. A brief description of each mode follows but a much more detailed description will come when we talk about actually programming those modes. The GBA can operate in 6 different screen modes at a maximum resolution of 240x160 pixels. External ram and ROM can only be accessed 16 bits at a time. The CPU is 32bit and can access both video memory and internal ram 32bits at a time. It has 96KB of video memory, 32KB of fast internal ram and 256KB of external ram. In all the GBA is about equal in power to the snes maybe even a little better. This is not to say that the GBA is not capable of 3D effects (I will be very surprised if a Wolfenstein or doom port is not made within the year).
It is a 16.78mhz system that has a graphics processor that accelerates many of the 2D tasks that free up the CPU to do some fairly impressive 2D stuff. As far as we have been able to determine the processor is identical to the standard ARM7TDMI. You can get all the documentation for the processor at. The GBA has a 32bit ARM7TDMI processor that runs on the RISC architecture. Well were to begin.? I guess it would be best to start with the capabilities of the system and just what all the fuss is about. Screen rotation, support for skins and archives, pause, reset, and much more. Popular GBA names include Pokemon, Zelda and Final Fantasy.įor opening GBA and DS files I suggest No$gba Emulator with the utility myZoom V1.8.30 which allows you to freely play with windows - switch to full-screen mode, select 1 or 2-window mode, and use graphic filters.
Files can be played on Android devices, Mac or PC using the GameBoy emulator. It is stored in the format that a GBA emulator program can play. GBA file is a clone image of a ROM memory from Nintendo Game Boy Advance (GBA) video game cartridge. gba files - Use No$GBA.exeįile type: Game Boy Advance ROM containing game cartridge backup.
To open this format, download one of the suggested Gameboy Advance emulator programs such as No Ca$h GBA and VBA Link. The GBA file is opened by special emulator programs.