A Gameboy ROM is essentially a digital copy of a Gameboy game's software, stored in a file. "ROM" stands for Read Only Memory.
Understanding Gameboy ROMs
Here's a breakdown of what you need to know:
- Digital Copy: A ROM file contains all the data from a physical Gameboy game cartridge. This includes the game's code, graphics, and sound.
- Read-Only Memory: The original game data on a cartridge is stored on a chip called Read-Only Memory. This means the data cannot be easily modified or overwritten. The ROM file mimics this.
- Emulation: ROM files are typically used with emulators. An emulator is a program that allows you to run software designed for one system (like the Gameboy) on another system (like a computer or smartphone).
- Legality Concerns: According to the reference, downloading copyrighted games as ROMs is technically considered piracy and is illegal.
Key Aspects of Gameboy ROMs
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| File Type | The file extension for Gameboy ROMs is typically .gb or .gbc (for Gameboy Color). |
| Usage | Played on emulators on various devices. |
| Source | Downloaded from the internet (often a legal grey area). |
| Legality | Downloading copyrighted ROMs is illegal. |
| Read-Only | Emulates the "Read-Only" nature of original Gameboy cartridges. |
