Game Boy Color Emulator for iPhone & iPad | Retropa

Prepare a .gbc file

Game Boy Color titles carry the .gbc extension. Retropa includes no games and no BIOS files, so gather the file yourself, stash a separate backup, and import only what you are entitled to use.

• A .gbc file is a Game Boy Color game.
• Original Game Boy games use .gb and play on Retropa too.
• Do not rename a .gb file to .gbc to force color.

Core choice for Game Boy Color

SameBoy is the core built for GB and GBC, though mGBA and SkyEmu also run Game Boy Color titles. Wrong colors or odd timing usually mean it is worth trying a different core, since each one models the hardware a little differently.

• SameBoy is a sensible first stop for GBC titles.
• mGBA handles GB, GBC and GBA in a single core.
• The app stores your core selection per game.

Import and first launch

Download the game to local storage first, or Files will keep handing you a placeholder. Then choose it from the import entry in the Retropa library. Check color, sound and the default touch layout before adding skins or filters, so a later problem is easy to trace back.

• Test a scene that leans on color, not just a title screen.
• Listen to the audio as carefully as you watch the picture.
• Leave the original file untouched while you diagnose.

Picture and layout for a color handheld

That little screen was reflective, and it was never very bright. An LCD Grid preset adds a subpixel structure that suits it; a DMG preset instead brings back the older monochrome panel. Retropa's advanced filters measure the real output area rather than a fixed integer multiple, so proportions stay put on every device size.

• Judge each preset next to the original picture.
• Advanced filters need Retropa Plus.
• Make sure the skin does not cover the game view.

Controls and orientation

The layout you need is simple: a directional pad, A and B, Start and Select. Portrait works for quick sessions; landscape spreads the buttons out and often feels better on a big iPhone. Check every input in the orientation you actually use.

When a Game Boy Color game will not start

The error text is the place to start, then confirm the extension and the system you picked. If the region or palette looks off, compare cores before you fiddle with settings. Saves written by one core may not load in another, so back up before you switch.

• Write down the app version, system, core and the error message.
• Never send commercial ROM or BIOS files to support.
• Go back to the default skin and a plain filter to isolate a problem.