Jayro's GAMEBOY™ Test Cartridge

This is the world's first test cartridge for the Gameboy Color!

Nintendo made an official test cartridge for the original Gameboy, but let's face it... It sucks. The tests work, but they aren't geared to test Gameboy Color specific hardware.

My test cartridge has set out to fully replace Nintendo's official one.  I created this ROM using GB Studio v4!

Mario is a registered trademark of Nintendo Co., Ltd. This test cartridge is not officially licensed, sponsored, nor supported by Nintendo Co., Ltd.

This project is public domain, and may be freely distributed.

PHYSICAL COPIES ARE AVAILABLE HERE:

https://JayrosModShop.etsy.com

FEATURES:

• Gameboy hardware detection between Classic Gameboy, Super Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance.
• Includes an easy to navigate menu system for the user to choose the type of tests they want to perform.
• The cartridge can intelligently detect the proper tests for the screen and buttons for the hardware it's being run on, seamlessly and transparent to the user.
• Endless button testing lets you test the buttons as long as you'd like!
• Link port testing with an appropriate Gameboy/Pocket/Color game link cable. (GBA cables will not work.)
• Extensive sound testing and a 8-key piano. (C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C)
• Test the left and right stereo channels together, or independently of each other.
• Includes tests for modern IPS screens, such as testing for dead pixels, ghosting, screen tearing, image retention, and even attempts to safely repair stubborn or stuck pixels.
• TV test patterns for calibrating your Super Gameboy or Gameboy Player.
• SRAM save testing. See if your SRAM (or FRAM) can hold a save file.
• A printable GB Printer patterned test page, to make sure things print correctly.
• Comes with a screen lens alignment tool, to aid Gameboy modders in properly aligning their LCD kits and screen lenses. (Not needed for laminated screen kits) Also useful to fix overscan and aspect ratio issues in emulators.
• Comes with link port and link cable pinout documentation. Pinout is colorized on color Gameboy systems. Gameboy+Color, Gameboy Advance, and Gameboy Micro ports are covered.
• Additional documentation for power pinouts is also integrated, for all Gameboy models supporting power input.
• Now supports testing of Rumble motors!
• Designed specifically for Gameboy Color hardware, yet is fully backwards compatible with original Gameboy hardware too!
• Works on Gameboy Advance systems using the GBC ROM, or the Goomba Color emulator. Additionally, it also works with the GB Boy Colour (a Chinese hardware clone) and the Analogue Pocket (An FPGA-based Gameboy device). It has not been tested on the Funnyplaying FPGA Gameboy Color clone, to my knowledge.

EPILEPSY WARNING:

Colorful test patterns and flickering graphics may cause seizures in people with epilepsy. Use with caution at your discretion.

IF YOU LIKE MY WORK, YOU CAN ALWAYS LEAVE A TIP:

https://ko-fi.com/jayrojones

Changelog for v2.1.0 Stable:

• Project has been imported and compiled into GB Studio v4.1.3-stable.
• When you press Start at the title screen, you get a nice "power-up" sound effect.
• Color pallets have been remade for the DVD screensaver, for better readability and a more consistent look.
• The power pole sprites in the Parallax Test have been redesigned to use far fewer sprite tiles than before, saving on resources. Their previous design was very wasteful with tiles.
• Added a 70KM/h sign to the end of the Parallax Test.
• Sound effects have been added to the Super Tradesman 2 mini-game, along with an exit bell. In GBC mode, you'll hear thunder and see the sky flash when using warp pipes. In classic GB mode, you'll hear normal-ish pipe warping sounds. (I am no sound engineer by any stretch)
• Simpler instructions have been written in the Super Tradesman 2 mini-game, and the text box moved to the top of the screen. It's now activated with the (A) button, and you may read them as many times as you need. You can no longer stand on the branch of the "Exit" sign anymore.
  
• Fixed some mis-aligned rain tiles in the Super Tradesman 2 mini-game, and removed some unneeded ones that were off-screen. 
• Dialogue boxes have a custom border now.
• I wrote a simpler exit message in the SRAM Test when you leave.
• The Dpad Test Maze pathways are now black for GBC mode. The color stripes are now also thinner so I can fit more and repeat them. The rainbow color flashing in the beginning and end has been removed.
• Better success and fail messages in the link port test, with proper emojis and fanfares.
• Adjusted the "shadow" darkness on the Main Menu to be a tad brighter.
• Adjusted the purple color pallet on the Main Menu to be more saturated and vibrant.
• The "Wilhelm scream" has been replaced with a cat meow, to save internal ROM space.
• Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience.

Known Issues:

• If used with Goomba Color, pushing L and R at the same time during the Button Test will bring up the Goomba Color menu (still confirming that L and R are working for you). The screen size won't change like it would if it was running from a Gameboy Color cartridge in a GBA, despite the text telling you it would if the "GBA Detect" option was enabled.

To-do list in the near-future:

• Add music to the menu system.