It's been over a year since the last major update but I hope it's been worth the wait!
GB Studio 4.2.0 includes over 180 changes, improvements, new features, and bug fixes, making it the biggest release so far.
Available today at: chrismaltby.itch.io/gb-studio
Latest betas of GB Studio allow scene types to specify what custom collision tiles though for this purpose (in engine.json file) so I could probably remove this “spare” ones now as they don’t actually do anything on their own.
They were originally intended so that people could extend their game engine (either with plugins or ejecting engine) to define game specific logic for when you collide with them (think lava or water maybe)
I think a better long term solution is flipping the workflow around in @gbstudio.dev, allowing starting with a tileset and draw scenes with a level editor built into the app. Something I'd like to get to eventually :-)
Which is still useful as common tilesets were originally introduced to allow seamless scene transitions by guaranteeing the order of shared tiles was the same between two scenes.
If a scene includes more tiles than are in the common tileset it will still work but creates new merged tilesets and unfortunately you lose this benefit.
So rather than:
[SceneA]+[SceneB]+[Common Tiles]
You'll get:
[SceneA]+[CommonTiles+UniqueTilesA]+[SceneB]+[CommonTiles+UniqueTilesB]
In latest dev builds of GBS if scenes share a common tileset that include all their combined tiles (like the files this tool generates) then the tile data is only stored in ROM once. So you can set all your rooms in a dungeon to share one lot of tile data. Great for big projects!
As part of some work I've been doing to help optimise a @gbstudio.dev project I've put together this tool that other people might find useful codepen.io/roastb/pen/X... it lets you drop in background pngs and it merges similar tiles + creates a common tileset image
Been testing out GodotBoy this morning, a project for @godotengine.org that lets you drop in your @gbstudio.dev game and export a native exe for Windows/Mac/Linux. Seems like this could a good way for anyone looking to distribute in the different app stores greenf0x.itch.io/godotboy-tem...
Ooh it's possible, at first I had quite a few hardcoded workarounds for handling things from gbvm but managed to remove most of those by the end of it. Not tried but it might actually work on any gbdk/zgb/crosszgb game 🤞
Working on some tools to help diagnose slowdown in @gbstudio.dev games. Can scrub through recordings and see what was running each frame. Already found a few easy wins for optimisation coming to the next release! Code up at github.com/chrismaltby/... if anyone might find it useful (plugin devs?)
Amazing! You giving @gbstudio.dev a go Temmie? If so, honoured!! ♥️ Working away on the next big update
@totter87.bsky.social's latest book is out!
We want to help get the word out about their awesome book, so let's do a giveaway.
Repost this post to be entered into a draw for a copy. Contest ends on February 21st, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.
www.routledge.com/World-Design...
Also worth noting that @gbstudio.dev gives a display of how large your ROM is currently each time you build you game and how far you are off your ROM increasing in size. ROM sizes will be either 128KB, 256KB, 512KB, 1MB, 2MB or 4MB based on how large your game is.
Always love seeing a physical release @drgd-retro.bsky.social @horatiu.bsky.social @golosogames.bsky.social (I can't find Pokettohiro on Bluesky but check out pokettohiro.com)
Spent the afternoon playing through a collection of @gbstudio.dev games graciously provided by @brokestudio.bsky.social!
Thanks! 🙏
Lets welcome some more newly active #GameBoy dev people & accounts
@gbstudio.dev
@chrismaltby.com
@antthedood.bsky.social
@retroporuntubo.bsky.social
@blacksteelcavalry.bsky.social
@depressingblack.bsky.social
@jeltron.bsky.social
@2ndlawgames.bsky.social
@jaiware.itch.io
Made a #GameBoy "Blue Sky Starter Pack" with devs, artists, reviews, and related accounts
Easy way to find Game Boy people to follow
And a feed tab with posts from all profiles in list
Find at url below or in "Starter Packs" tab of @gameboyscene.bsky.social profile
go.bsky.app/3QV2ZFS
This is great thanks, any chance me and @gbstudio.dev could get added? :-)
perfect, thanks!
The 16th #PirateJam starts soon!
You don't need to finish a game to compete and you don't need to know anything to start. If you learn anything during the jam then you've more than won.
Go Make Games
#Sponsored by @gamemaker.io 💜💛
itch.io/jam/pirate
New to Bluesky, any indie dev recommendations for me to follow? @gbstudio.dev and others :-)
Back in the UK now! Returned to find another excellent issue of @gbstudiocentral.com magazine all about @gbstudio.dev games
See you in 2025
