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.