Blargg's GB test ROMS

[mudlord]

Hi,
won't normally ask this but ran into some issues locating some CPU test ROMs (AamirM knows why).

I'm asking has anyone got copies of the following ROMs from Blargg's site (which has now expired due to bandwidth usage):

http://h1.ripway.com/blargg/temp/gb_cpu_test.zip
http://blargg.fileave.com/temp/cpu_instrs.zip
http://blargg.fileave.com/temp/instr_timing.zip
http://blargg.fileave.com/temp/mem_timing.zip

Anyone able to assist with a mirror to these downloads would be appreciated.

[mudlord]

nvm: issue now resolved

http://blargg.parodius.com/gb-tests/

[Gobo]

If an emulator passes all the tests with a perfect score, something only Gambatte is able to achieve at the moment, how much does that speak for it's accuracy? would more accuracy actually imply better compatibility in this case?

Thanks

[mudlord]

The tests are indeed intended to test accuracy. Also to see if you are doing your implementation okay. If it passes no tests, then indeed, theres major issues.

If it passes every single test...well, its a pretty accurate emulator then. Gambatte is exceptionally so since it passes not only these tests, but loads others. VBA on the other hand is like ZSNES in accuracy, so it fails some instruction tests, like the DAA opcode, etc...Haven't tried other emulators yet to find a decent reference for mine, to gauge how things should be, etc.

There's also the other way in that people can make hacks for "compatibility" etc...Its just really a design decision. If a emulator uses hacks, who are we to judge? For all we know, the emulator might have a different target audience or something.

[Gobo]

Thanks for the hints. I'm not judging any emulator here, but I tend to favor those with an accuracy approach; they give me a magical feeling of reliability Still, as you can see in my latest post on the Gambatte thread, thing are not always that black and white.

[mudlord]

Yeah, thats true, but I personally just use what works. Thats my philosophy.

About BGB's supposed accuracy: It fails some tests.

[Gobo]

BGB was actually quite good, a proportionate combination of stability, speed, accuracy and flexibility, that means, it did it all, but without excelling. You could even alter the speed in a way you wouldn't get slowdowns when too many sprites were on screen, at the expense of instability for certain titles.

Personally I'm trying to make the switch to Gambatte, I like the idea of having one accuracy-focused emulator suffice all my GameBoy needs, but what's really holding me back is the lack of mixed frames ala VBA-M which breaks some effects that rely on it while giving the screen an unnatural look when compared to a real GameBoy's; love the ghosting

[mudlord]

Mixed frames is just motion blur. Sinamas can easily do a software filter for that for Gambatte, though.

[Gobo]

Yep, it would be absolutely great if it happened.