GB Corp

GB Corp.
General
Author	Dr. Ludos
Type	Other Games
Version	2.0
License	MIT License
System	CGB
Last Updated	2023/03/23
Links
Demo Download
Website
Source
Support Author

A Game Boy game that rewards you for playing it on several console models.

Originally developed for the Game Boy Competition 2021, the game was extended to a full commercial release. It is now available in both physical cartridge and as a digital ROM.

Installation

The demo is available to try for free and the full digital version can be purchase on itch.io.

You can also compile it from source.

Cartridge available at Yastuna Games.

User guide

GB Corp. is an incremental / idle game for the Game Boy, that rewards you for playing it on several console models.

The gameplay involves hiring Game Boy consoles for a "push-button" company, earning money to hire, upgrade employees, and manage power levels.

While the concept is quite simple, this game also has a unique feature: the consoles you hire are effectively working only when you run the game on the same console model! So, to put your GBC employees to work, you need to play the game on an actual Game Boy Color (or set your emulator to "GBC mode"). If you want to make your GBP employees active instead, you'll have to unplug the cartridge and put it into a Game Boy Pocket from your collection (or change your emulator settings). The game uses a SRAM save, so the game progress is kept while switching consoles.

The "Console change" mechanic is a core feature, not just a gimmick. Changing batteries is manageable with fewer employees; costs increase with more. However, when you switch from one console model to another (say, you switch the cart from a GBC to an original GB), all the active employees get a new set of batteries for free!

The game also supports to 2 players mode over link cable, so you can link two different Game Boy console types to have two kind of employees working at the same time on screen, earning you more money.

How to play

Each time you upgrade the level of an employee, or hire / fire someone, the cost of these actions increase. However, the more experienced your employees are, the more money they bring! For more precise numbers, each active employee will generate twice its recharge cost (the $number in bracket after the current power level) per second.

The game also feature a set of 10 goals (or achievements) that you can try to reach if you are looking for some extra challenge.

Controls

D-Pad - Select employees

A - Recharge batteries

B - Upgrade employee / hire a new employee (if the cubicle is empty)

Select - Fire an employee (warning, it costs money too)

Start - Pause menu (check goals, reset save, etc.)

Screenshots

Compatibility

The game is best played on a flashcart with multiple Game Boy models; switching consoles automatically saves progress.

But if you don't have a Game Boy at home, you can also enjoy the game ROM on an emulator. BGB emulator is recommended for easy console model changes.

In the emulator settings (Right Click > Options), on the "System" panel, you can configure which type of GB model must be active. Each time you modify the setting, you'll have to hit the "Apply" button, and then to reset the emulator (press * on your keyboard). That way, you can easily change from one console model to another.

The game relies on MBC5 mapper for compatibility, but only needs 8kb SRAM to run. It was tested on Everdrive-GB, should work on various flashcarts.

GBA-only flashcarts will crash the standard ROM due to link cable feature incompatibility. There is a special "gbcorp_nolink.gb" version available for GBA-only flashcarts.

External links

• itch.io - https://drludos.itch.io/gb-corp
• GitHub - https://github.com/drludos/GBcorp
• gbdev.io - https://gbdev.io/gbcompo21.html
• GitHub - https://github.com/gbdev/gbcompo21