emulator: "GBA.emu"
type: standalone
core_classification: community_fork
source: "https://github.com/Rakashazi/emu-ex-plus-alpha"
upstream: "https://github.com/visualboyadvance-m/visualboyadvance-m"
profiled_date: "2026-08-11"
source_commit: "1c12fac5ce49badaadff2e2f210dcc30b89f4943"
upstream_commit: "fbd043dea0920a2356c44e1458a160455403c640"
core_version: "1.5.85"
display_name: "Nintendo - Game Boy Advance (GBA.emu)"
mode: standalone
cores:
  - "gba-emu"
  - "GBA.emu"
  - "GBA-EMU"
systems:
  - nintendo-gba

notes: |
  Android and Linux member of the EX Emulator series by Robert Broglia,
  published as com.explusalpha.GbaEmu (GBA.emu/metadata/conf.mk:2,6,7) and
  reached by ES-DE through its GBA-EMU find rule. VBA-M components are vendored
  under GBA.emu/src/core (GBA.emu/metadata/conf.mk:8,
  GBA.emu/src/main/AppMeta.cc:26) and driven by the app's own GBASys, video,
  sound and IO layers. The build defines C_CORE, FINAL_VERSION, NO_PNG, NO_LINK
  and NO_DEBUGGER (GBA.emu/CMakeLists.txt:14). Content is read from .gba and .mb
  files, a .mb name sending the image to work RAM instead of the ROM area
  (GBA.emu/metadata/conf.mk:5, GBA.emu/src/main/AppMeta.cc:31,
  GBA.emu/src/main/Main.cc:182-183, GBA.emu/src/main/VbamApi.cc:211-246).

  The BIOS is the one file the user supplies and it carries no name of its own.
  The picker takes any .bin or .rom and stores the chosen URI in biosPath
  (GBA.emu/src/main/EmuMenuViews.cc:485-510, GBA.emu/src/main/system.ccm:88,
  GBA.emu/src/main/options.cc:50,79). loadContent reads the file whole and
  throws unless it is exactly 16384 bytes (GBA.emu/src/main/Main.cc:190-197),
  the length CPUInit tests again before copying it and setting useBios
  (GBA.emu/src/core/gba/gba.cpp:3758-3778). Nothing else about the file is
  examined: CPUIsGBABios, the extension test upstream passes to utilLoad, has no
  caller here (GBA.emu/src/core/gba/gba.cpp:1655-1675; upstream
  src/core/gba/gba.cpp:4975-4986).

  Without a file the app runs on the built-in myROM stub copied into the BIOS
  area (GBA.emu/src/core/gba/gba.cpp:131-305,3776-3778) and on the service call
  implementations of gbaBios.cpp; useBios decides only whether an SWI enters
  BIOS code or the HLE routine, and which register reset a boot performs
  (GBA.emu/src/core/gba/gba.cpp:2525-2545,4104-4112). Two settings gate the
  read: the per-content Use BIOS tristate defaults to Auto, which follows the
  global Default Use BIOS switch, itself off until the user turns it on
  (GBA.emu/src/main/system.ccm:107-108,165-174,
  GBA.emu/src/main/EmuMenuViews.cc:387-395).

  The 473 entry override table is byte-identical to VBA-M's
  src/libretro/gba-over.inc, and its bios column is dropped on arrival:
  setGameSpecificSettings takes save type, save size, RTC and mirroring and
  nothing more (GBA.emu/src/main/gba-over.inc:1,
  GBA.emu/src/main/Main.cc:283-319), so BIOS use never follows from the game.

  Per content the app writes and reads files named after the ROM: .sav backup
  memory created full of 0xFF (GBA.emu/src/main/Main.cc:98-108), .gqs states
  (GBA.emu/src/main/system.ccm:128), and a .clt cheat list it saves itself under
  the cheats path (GBA.emu/src/main/Cheats.cc:210-235,
  GBA.emu/src/core/gba/gbaCheats.cpp:2738,2755). Under the patches path it
  applies the first of .ips, .ups or .ppf that opens
  (GBA.emu/src/main/Main.cc:147-178). ui.png, gpOverlay.png and the shader
  sources are drawn by the framework from the application bundle
  (EmuFramework/include/emuframework/AssetManager.hh:61-66,
  EmuFramework/src/AssetManager.cc:58-73,
  EmuFramework/src/VideoImageEffect.cc:164-172).

  VBA-M's own file entry points reach nothing in this build. CPULoadRom, the
  battery, state, GSA snapshot and eeprom import functions and the EmulatedSystem
  table sit inside #if 0 blocks (GBA.emu/src/core/gba/gba.cpp:1301-1614,
  1885-2134,4803-4869); CPUExportEepromFile and cheatsImportGSACodeFile keep no
  caller (GBA.emu/src/core/gba/gba.cpp:1276,
  GBA.emu/src/core/gba/gbaCheats.cpp:2081); and utilOpenFile, the call all of
  them open files with, is implemented by no source in the build
  (GBA.emu/src/CMakeLists.txt:6-36, GBA.emu/src/main/VbamApi.cc:279-321). The
  e-Reader reads no dotcode either, the tree carrying its header alone and the
  three entry points being stubbed (GBA.emu/src/core/gba/internal/gbaEreader.h,
  GBA.emu/src/main/VbamApi.cc:109-113).

files:
  - name: gba_bios.bin
    system: nintendo-gba
    required: false
    hle_fallback: true
    has_builtin: true
    agnostic: true
    size: 16384
    validation: [size]
    description: "Game Boy Advance BIOS"
    note: >-
      Picked by the user from any path, under any name ending in .bin or .rom.
      The only test is the length, and a file of another length aborts the load
      rather than falling back.
    source_ref: "GBA.emu/src/main/Main.cc:190-197 (read and size check), GBA.emu/src/core/gba/gba.cpp:3758-3778 (second check, copy, useBios), GBA.emu/src/main/EmuMenuViews.cc:485-510 (picker and extension filter)"

  - name: "Motocross Challenge.7z"
    aliases: ["MotocrossChallenge.7z"]
    system: nintendo-gba
    required: false
    bundled: true
    category: game_data
    description: "Bundled homebrew game, listed under Bundled Content"
    note: >-
      Opened from the application bundle by the name the build gives it, the
      Linux build dropping the space.
    source_ref: "GBA.emu/src/main/AppMeta.cc:32-33 (names), EmuFramework/src/gui/BundledGamesView.cc:41,47 (open and load)"