emulator: "nSide (SFC Balanced)"
type: libretro
core_classification: enhanced_fork
source: "https://github.com/libretro/nSide"
upstream: "https://gitlab.com/higan/higan"
profiled_date: "2026-09-17"
source_commit: "5b2b5da3a9654d88b2e51fb7a1637808ac601a18"
upstream_commit: "3353efd3a1087f4d16d9b9fd2a8e465087ab8ec0"
core_version: "106.25"
display_name: "Nintendo - SNES / SFC (nSide Balanced)"
cores:
  - nside_sfc_balanced
  - higan_sfc_balanced
systems:
  - nintendo-snes
  - nintendo-sgb

exclusion_note: >
  The .info declares SGB1.sfc/sgb1.boot.rom and SGB2.sfc/sgb2.boot.rom. The
  core opens the boot ROM under the name the manifest derives from the
  architecture, lr35902.boot.rom, in the selected SGB folder
  (nSide/gb/system/system.cpp:60-61, nSide/emulator/game.hpp:101-104). A
  sgb1.boot.rom or sgb2.boot.rom is only looked up, at the system directory
  root, when the Super Game Boy cartridge is itself imported as an SFC game
  (icarus/core/super-famicom.cpp:49-54), a load that ends on the Game Boy
  cartridge manifest the libretro target cannot provide
  (nSide/target-libretro/libretro.cpp:284-287).

notes: |
  Fork of higan by hex_usr (nSide v009r16, README.txt:1-4), synchronised with
  higan v106r25: Emulator::Version is "106.25" (nSide/emulator/emulator.hpp:16)
  and retro_get_system_info announces it as library_version under the name
  "higan (Super Famicom Balanced)" (nSide/target-libretro/libretro.cpp:87-93,
  nSide/target-libretro/libretro-sfc.cpp:486). The balanced profile keeps a
  scanline-based PPU, and the accuracy profile is refused at build time
  (nSide/target-libretro/GNUmakefile:1-2, nSide/target-libretro/libretro.cpp:38-39).
  The library is named nside_$(corename)_libretro with corename sfc_balanced
  (nSide/target-libretro/GNUmakefile:4-13, nSide/target-libretro/GNUmakefile:18-23),
  which the GitLab CI publishes as nside_sfc_balanced (.gitlab-ci.yml:15,
  .gitlab-ci.yml:53-54). The core options keep the higan_sfc_ prefix so the
  settings are shared with higan's core (nSide/target-libretro/libretro-sfc.cpp:321-329).

  System files manifest.bml, boards.bml and ipl.rom are compiled into the
  binary and served from memory (nSide/target-libretro/libretro-sfc.cpp:335-341,
  nSide/target-libretro/resource/sfc.bml:1-4, nSide/sfc-balanced/smp/smp.cpp:25-33).

  Coprocessor firmware. A ROM is imported through icarus, whose manifest names
  each firmware memory by architecture and identifier
  (icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:90-115). When the image does not carry
  the firmware appended (icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:406-414), the
  importer reports {identifier}.{content}.rom as missing
  (icarus/core/super-famicom.cpp:46-57) and the libretro target reads that
  name through locate_libretro, appends it to the image and imports again
  (nSide/target-libretro/icarus.cpp:111-142). locate_libretro tries the system
  directory, then higan/ and nSide/ under the user's config and data
  directories (nSide/target-libretro/libretro.cpp:3-31). Identifiers come from
  the cartridge label: DSP1 for PILOTWINGS, DSP2 for DUNGEON MASTER, DSP3 for
  SD Gundam GX, DSP4 for TOP GEAR 3000 and PLANETS CHAMP TG3000, DSP1B
  otherwise. ST011 is used for 2DAN MORITA SHOUGI, ST010 otherwise, and ST018
  and Cx4 have a single revision (icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:512-541).
  No hash is checked, and a file shorter than the size the manifest declares leaves the
  second import short and the load fails. The sizes below are those declared
  by the heuristics.

  Super Game Boy. Loading a .gb or .gbc file selects the folder named by the
  higan_sfc_sgb_bios option, SGB1.sfc/ by default or SGB2.sfc/
  (nSide/target-libretro/libretro-sfc.cpp:142-145,
  nSide/target-libretro/libretro-sfc.cpp:326). program.rom is looked up in
  that folder, then in SGB.sfc/ and Super GameBoy.sfc/, and the folder's
  manifest is generated from its program.rom and *.boot.rom files
  (nSide/target-libretro/libretro-sfc.cpp:179-215,
  icarus/core/super-famicom.cpp:1-11). The Game Boy system then opens the boot
  ROM the manifest names, lr35902.boot.rom, from the folder first and from the
  system directory root as a fallback (nSide/gb/system/system.cpp:54-65,
  nSide/target-libretro/program.cpp:19-81). Once a Game Boy image is loaded
  both files are mandatory: a missing one sets the failure flag and
  retro_load_game returns false
  (nSide/target-libretro/program.cpp:75-78, nSide/target-libretro/libretro.cpp:286).
  The SHA-1 values on the boot ROMs and on cx4.data.rom are those of the copies
  the source tree ships in icarus/firmware/.

files:
  # NEC uPD7725 (DSP1, DSP1B, DSP2, DSP3, DSP4): 2048 x 24-bit program words,
  # 1024 x 16-bit data words
  - name: "dsp1.data.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 2048
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:457-501, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:115, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:534"

  - name: "dsp1.program.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 6144
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:457-501, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:114, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:534"

  - name: "dsp1b.data.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 2048
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:457-501, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:115, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:539"

  - name: "dsp1b.program.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 6144
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:457-501, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:114, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:539"

  - name: "dsp2.data.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 2048
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:457-501, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:115, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:535"

  - name: "dsp2.program.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 6144
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:457-501, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:114, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:535"

  - name: "dsp3.data.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 2048
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:457-501, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:115, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:536"

  - name: "dsp3.program.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 6144
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:457-501, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:114, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:536"

  - name: "dsp4.data.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 2048
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:457-501, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:115, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:537-538"

  - name: "dsp4.program.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 6144
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:457-501, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:114, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:537-538"

  # Hitachi HG51BS169 (Cx4): 1024 x 24-bit data words
  - name: "cx4.data.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 3072
    sha1: "a002f4efba42775a31185d443f3ed1790b0e949a"
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:405-454, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:110, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:529-531"

  # NEC uPD96050 (ST010, ST011): 16384 x 24-bit program words,
  # 2048 x 16-bit data words
  - name: "st010.data.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 4096
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:504-548, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:99, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:516-521"

  - name: "st010.program.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 49152
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:504-548, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:98, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:516-521"

  - name: "st011.data.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 4096
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:504-548, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:99, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:519"

  - name: "st011.program.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 49152
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:504-548, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:98, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:519"

  # SETA ARM6 (ST018): 128 KiB program, 32 KiB data
  - name: "st018.data.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 32768
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:362-402, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:92, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:512-514"

  - name: "st018.program.rom"
    system: nintendo-snes
    size: 131072
    required: false
    source_ref: "nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:362-402, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:91, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:512-514"

  # Super Game Boy: cartridge ROM and boot ROM per folder
  - name: "program.rom"
    path: "SGB1.sfc/program.rom"
    system: nintendo-sgb
    required: false
    note: "Also looked up as SGB.sfc/program.rom and Super GameBoy.sfc/program.rom."
    source_ref: "nSide/target-libretro/libretro-sfc.cpp:179-215, nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:159-162"

  - name: "lr35902.boot.rom"
    path: "SGB1.sfc/lr35902.boot.rom"
    system: nintendo-sgb
    size: 256
    sha1: "aa2f50a77dfb4823da96ba99309085a3c6278515"
    required: false
    note: "Falls back to lr35902.boot.rom at the system directory root."
    source_ref: "nSide/gb/system/system.cpp:54-65, nSide/emulator/game.hpp:101-104, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:103, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:523-527"

  - name: "program.rom"
    path: "SGB2.sfc/program.rom"
    system: nintendo-sgb
    required: false
    note: "Selected by the higan_sfc_sgb_bios option."
    source_ref: "nSide/target-libretro/libretro-sfc.cpp:179-215, nSide/sfc-balanced/cartridge/load.cpp:159-162"

  - name: "lr35902.boot.rom"
    path: "SGB2.sfc/lr35902.boot.rom"
    system: nintendo-sgb
    size: 256
    sha1: "93407ea10d2f30ab96a314d8eca44fe160aea734"
    required: false
    note: "Falls back to lr35902.boot.rom at the system directory root."
    source_ref: "nSide/gb/system/system.cpp:54-65, nSide/emulator/game.hpp:101-104, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:103, icarus/heuristics/super-famicom.cpp:523-527"