The first bank, 00, would be always mounted at 0x0000-0x3FFF in the Gameboy’s memory map. ROM data on a cartridge would be split into 16KB “banks” that could be swapped out at will by the game. This allowed for very simple PCB layouts, as the single ROM chip would be directly connected to the cartridge pins.īy placing an MBC between the console and the cartridge ROM/RAM, it could translate special reads and writes to facilitate the bank switching. Mario were 32KB or less in size, so didn’t require a MBC to operate. In practice the maximum ROM size of a game without an MBC was 32KB. The MBCs were most commonly paired with larger ROM and additional RAM, but different MBCs also allowed the use of real time clocks, rumble, and even a light sensor.Ī normal cartridge had 16 address lines, allowing the Gameboy to address a maximum of 64KB of ROM on the cartridge without an MBC. It allowed the cartridge to not only address larger amounts of RAM and ROM, but to also have additional hardware that the Gameboy could utilize. Memory Bank Controller were a part of many cartridge games developed for the Gameboy and Gameboy color.
Next we’ll look at how the Gameboy determined the cartridge type by examining the game ROM header.įinally, we’ll take a look at some real examples from my own game collection and see how the MBC was applied in practice. We’ll also analyze some usage statistics about how common they were in cartridges, and what types were used the most.
To start, we will define what exactly a Memory Bank Controller is, and the different types that were available.
In this article, we will examine the Memory Bank Controllers (MBC) contained inside the cartridge, and how they enabled the worlds of Pokemon, Zelda, and countless other to become a reality in the hands of children and adults everywhere. How did a Gameboy cartridges store such a wide variety of games, while also enabling things like save files, rumble, and even infrared communication? Once slotted in, the bits and bytes contained within a cartridge created countless worlds and memories. Without a game cartridge, a Gameboy is just displays “Gameboy” and freezes. Exploring the Gameboy Memory Bank Controller |
0 kommentar(er)
