How can I play the games on your site?
There are 2 ways:
The second way is ok for a test, but the best way is on a real GBA using a flash
cartridge. For details on flash cartridges, see
GBAEmu.com FAQs.
Can you send me a cartridge with the games on it?
No. There are 2 factors here: the legality and the cost.
As the games on here are remakes, I don't own the copyright to the
'content' - the ship data in Elite, the puzzles and layout in Castle
Master, the graphics in Chaos, etc etc. The authors of most games on
here have been quoted as saying 'I don't mind remakes as long as people
aren't trying to profit from them'. So most publishers/developers seem
to turn a blind eye due to the freeness and small scale of the thing -
I have never recieved an email from any of the original authors of any
of the games on this site. I'm pretty sure that would change if I were to
start selling their games.
Besides, I couldn't do it for the price of a normal GBA game
because the special re-writeable cartridges used cost about twice that.
Alternatively, if I were to somehow contract a manufacturer to make me
a batch of 'regular' carts that could be sold for ~30 euros, it would
cost me several thousand euros with no guarantee that anyone would buy
the things afterwards, or that I would even have the chance to flog
them before getting a letter from the original authors' lawyers.
The best way to play the games on a real GBA therefore is to
purchase a flash cartridge of your own. You can then not only use games
from my site, but all sorts of homebrew from all over the web.
Most are even compatible with the DS, Nintendo's next generation GBA
replacement.
Can I have the source code for the games?
Yes and no. I haven't put Castle Master up yet and you wouldn't want to see
Cyclone's source ;) but the others are available on
Downloads.
How do I compile this stuff?
With Devkit Advance. I haven't tested the new sourceforged Devkit release 5
though, I use an older version (gcc 3.0.2). Download the library too, a collection
of usefull headers and snippets. Set your path to the Devkit install and stuff
in in gbalib/master.mk and use make.
Since Devkit Advance is no longer supported, I have started to use
DevkitArm. I am
starting to use autoconf as well to sort out the header and path
problems associated with cross compiling.
How do I dock on Elite?
The manual for the original BBC version has the info. It's available
online from
Ian Bell's website. A bug in a version of my port
of Elite TNK meant docking was impossibly difficult without using the
following approach:
- Fly to the usualy spot in front of the station and line up to the entrance
- Fly towards the entrance at medium speed
- Time your approach so that the entrance will be horizontal when you hit it
- During the final approach do not slow down and do not roll left or right
I've found a bug in one of your remakes. Do you care?
Yes! Tell me and I'll see if I can fix it. At the very least I'll send an email saying thanks :)
What are you remaking next?
It's bad luck to tell anyone before I finish it (or, in other words, nothing yet.)