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Game Boy Coding Adventure

Learn Assembly and Master the Original 8-Bit Handheld

Author Maximilien Dagois

Paperback

$49.99 US

No Starch | No Starch Press

7.06"W x 9.19"H x 1"D | 30 oz | 14 per carton

On sale Oct 28, 2025 | 456 Pages | 9781718503908

FOC Sep 29, 2025 | Catalog August 2025

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Games > Video Games

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.

Maximilien Dagois has over 15 years of experience building graphics as a professional game developer. His credits include Final Fantasy XIV, Dragon Quest Builders, and Pokémon Ranger. Now an engineer at Google, he brings his passion for retro hardware and systems programming to a new generation of coders. He lives in Tokyo.

Maximilien Dagois View titles by Maximilien Dagois

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• Curacao

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• Czech Republic

• Dem. Rep. Congo

• Denmark

• Djibouti

• Dominica

• Dominican Rep.

• Ecuador

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• El Salvador

• Equatorial Gui.

• Eritrea

• Estonia

• Ethiopia

• Falkland Islnds

• Faroe Islands

• Fiji

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• Fren.Polynesia

• French Guinea

• Gabon

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• Georgia

• Germany

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• Greenland

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• Guinea Republic

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• Guyana

• Haiti

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• Honduras

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• Indonesia

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• Isle of Man

• Israel

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• Jamaica

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• Lebanon

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• Liberia

• Libya

• Liechtenstein

• Lithuania

• Luxembourg

• Macau

• Macedonia

• Madagascar

• Malawi

• Malaysia

• Maldives

• Mali

• Malta

• Marshall island

• Martinique

• Mauritania

• Mauritius

• Mayotte

• Mexico

• Micronesia

• Minor Outl.Ins.

• Moldavia

• Monaco

• Mongolia

• Montenegro

• Montserrat

• Morocco

• Mozambique

• Myanmar

• Namibia

• Nauru

• Nepal

• Netherlands

• New Caledonia

• New Zealand

• Nicaragua

• Niger

• Nigeria

• Niue

• Norfolk Island

• North Korea

• North Mariana

• Norway

• Oman

• Pakistan

• Palau

• Palestinian Ter

• Panama

• PapuaNewGuinea

• Paraguay

• Peru

• Philippines

• Pitcairn Islnds

• Poland

• Portugal

• Puerto Rico

• Qatar

• Reunion Island

• Romania

• Russian Fed.

• Rwanda

• S. Sandwich Ins

• Saint Martin

• Samoa,American

• San Marino

• SaoTome Princip

• Saudi Arabia

• Senegal

• Serbia

• Seychelles

• Sierra Leone

• Singapore

• Sint Maarten

• Slovakia

• Slovenia

• Solomon Islands

• Somalia

• South Africa

• South Korea

• South Sudan

• Spain

• Sri Lanka

• St Barthelemy

• St. Helena

• St. Lucia

• St. Vincent

• St.Chr.,Nevis

• St.Pier,Miquel.

• Sth Terr. Franc

• Sudan

• Suriname

• Svalbard

• Swaziland

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• Syria

• Tadschikistan

• Taiwan

• Tanzania

• Thailand

• Timor-Leste

• Togo

• Tokelau Islands

• Tonga

• Trinidad,Tobago

• Tunisia

• Turkey

• Turkmenistan

• Turks&Caicos Is

• Tuvalu

• US Virgin Is.

• USA

• Uganda

• Ukraine

• Unit.Arab Emir.

• United Kingdom

• Uruguay

• Uzbekistan

• Vanuatu

• Vatican City

• Venezuela

• Vietnam

• Wallis,Futuna

• West Saharan

• Western Samoa

• Yemen

• Zambia

• Zimbabwe

Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Part I: Getting Started
Chapter 1: Game Boy Fundamentals
Chapter 2: Assembly Language Basics
Chapter 3: The Game Boy Toolchain
Chapter 4: The Sample Assembly Code Template

Part II: Essential DMG Programming
Chapter 5: Graphics Overview
Chapter 6: Graphics Asset Management
Chapter 7: High-Level Features
Chapter 8: The Joypad
Chapter 9: Audio

Part III: Advanced Game Boy Programming
Chapter 10: The Counter and Timer
Chapter 11: Serial Communication
Chapter 12: Advanced Graphics
Chapter 13: Memory Bank Controllers
Chapter 14: Interrupts
Chapter 15: Programming and Debugging Tricks

Part IV: Beyond the Game Boy
Chapter 16: Game Boy Color
Chapter 17: Game Boy Printer
Chapter 18: Super Game Boy
Chapter 19: Going Further

Appendix A: Instructions
Appendix B: Opcodes
Index

About

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

Creators

Maximilien Dagois View titles by Maximilien Dagois

Available for sale exclusive:

• Afghanistan

• Aland Islands

• Albania

• Algeria

• Andorra

• Angola

• Anguilla

• Antarctica

• Antigua/Barbuda

• Argentina

• Armenia

• Aruba

• Australia

• Austria

• Azerbaijan

• Bahamas

• Bahrain

• Bangladesh

• Barbados

• Belarus

• Belgium

• Belize

• Benin

• Bermuda

• Bhutan

• Bolivia

• Bonaire, Saba

• Bosnia Herzeg.

• Botswana

• Bouvet Island

• Brazil

• Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter

• Brit.Virgin Is.

• Brunei

• Bulgaria

• Burkina Faso

• Burundi

• Cambodia

• Cameroon

• Canada

• Cape Verde

• Cayman Islands

• Centr.Afr.Rep.

• Chad

• Chile

• China

• Christmas Islnd

• Cocos Islands

• Colombia

• Comoro Is.

• Congo

• Cook Islands

• Costa Rica

• Croatia

• Cuba

• Curacao

• Cyprus

• Czech Republic

• Dem. Rep. Congo

• Denmark

• Djibouti

• Dominica

• Dominican Rep.

• Ecuador

• Egypt

• El Salvador

• Equatorial Gui.

• Eritrea

• Estonia

• Ethiopia

• Falkland Islnds

• Faroe Islands

• Fiji

• Finland

• France

• Fren.Polynesia

• French Guinea

• Gabon

• Gambia

• Georgia

• Germany

• Ghana

• Gibraltar

• Greece

• Greenland

• Grenada

• Guadeloupe

• Guam

• Guatemala

• Guernsey

• Guinea Republic

• Guinea-Bissau

• Guyana

• Haiti

• Heard/McDon.Isl

• Honduras

• Hong Kong

• Hungary

• Iceland

• India

• Indonesia

• Iran

• Iraq

• Ireland

• Isle of Man

• Israel

• Italy

• Ivory Coast

• Jamaica

• Japan

• Jersey

• Jordan

• Kazakhstan

• Kenya

• Kiribati

• Kuwait

• Kyrgyzstan

• Laos

• Latvia

• Lebanon

• Lesotho

• Liberia

• Libya

• Liechtenstein

• Lithuania

• Luxembourg

• Macau

• Macedonia

• Madagascar

• Malawi

• Malaysia

• Maldives

• Mali

• Malta

• Marshall island

• Martinique

• Mauritania

• Mauritius

• Mayotte

• Mexico

• Micronesia

• Minor Outl.Ins.

• Moldavia

• Monaco

• Mongolia

• Montenegro

• Montserrat

• Morocco

• Mozambique

• Myanmar

• Namibia

• Nauru

• Nepal

• Netherlands

• New Caledonia

• New Zealand

• Nicaragua

• Niger

• Nigeria

• Niue

• Norfolk Island

• North Korea

• North Mariana

• Norway

• Oman

• Pakistan

• Palau

• Palestinian Ter

• Panama

• PapuaNewGuinea

• Paraguay

• Peru

• Philippines

• Pitcairn Islnds

• Poland

• Portugal

• Puerto Rico

• Qatar

• Reunion Island

• Romania

• Russian Fed.

• Rwanda

• S. Sandwich Ins

• Saint Martin

• Samoa,American

• San Marino

• SaoTome Princip

• Saudi Arabia

• Senegal

• Serbia

• Seychelles

• Sierra Leone

• Singapore

• Sint Maarten

• Slovakia

• Slovenia

• Solomon Islands

• Somalia

• South Africa

• South Korea

• South Sudan

• Spain

• Sri Lanka

• St Barthelemy

• St. Helena

• St. Lucia

• St. Vincent

• St.Chr.,Nevis

• St.Pier,Miquel.

• Sth Terr. Franc

• Sudan

• Suriname

• Svalbard

• Swaziland

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• Syria

• Tadschikistan

• Taiwan

• Tanzania

• Thailand

• Timor-Leste

• Togo

• Tokelau Islands

• Tonga

• Trinidad,Tobago

• Tunisia

• Turkey

• Turkmenistan

• Turks&Caicos Is

• Tuvalu

• US Virgin Is.

• USA

• Uganda

• Ukraine

• Unit.Arab Emir.

• United Kingdom

• Uruguay

• Uzbekistan

• Vanuatu

• Vatican City

• Venezuela

• Vietnam

• Wallis,Futuna

• West Saharan

• Western Samoa

• Yemen

• Zambia

• Zimbabwe

Game Boy Coding Adventure

Learn Assembly and Master the Original 8-Bit Handheld

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Game Boy Coding Adventure

Learn Assembly and Master the Original 8-Bit Handheld

About

Creators

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Table of Contents

Photos

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About Comics Retail

RETAILER CUSTOMER SERVICE CONTACTS