Hand-held video game platform emulation
A software emulator for emulating a handheld video game platform such as GAME BOY®, GAME BOY COLOR® and/or GAME BOY ADVANCE® on a low-capability target platform (e.g., a seat-back display for airline or train use, a personal digital assistant, a cell phone) uses a number of features and optimizations to provide high quality graphics and sound that nearly duplicates the game playing experience on the native platform. Some exemplary features include use of bit BLITing, graphics character reformatting, modeling of a native platform liquid crystal display controller using a sequential state machine, and selective skipping of frame display updates if the game play falls behind what would occur on the native platform.
1. A method of emulating a handheld video game platform, the method comprising:
loading and executing an emulator program on a processor of a target platform, the target platform being different from the handheld video game platform;
parsing and interpreting, with the processor of the target platform executing the emulator program, a binary image capable of being executed on the handheld video game platform; and
generating an audio visual real time interactive presentation on the target platform in response to the interpreted binary image,
wherein the emulator program includes a virtual liquid crystal display controller that models the handheld video game platform with a sequential state machine.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the step of generating the audio visual real time interactive presentation on the target platform in response to the interpreted binary image, audio and video presentations are generated to be synchronized with each other as they would be synchronized on the handheld video game platform.
3. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the virtual liquid crystal display controller models pacing of audio and video presentations of the handheld video game platform hardware through the sequential state machine, and
wherein the method further comprises:
tracking states of the sequential state machine; and
synchronizing operations of the emulator program to the states of the sequential state machine.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the step of generating the audio visual real time interactive presentation on the target platform in response to the interpreted binary image, the audio visual real time interactive presentation is generated to be synchronized with states of the sequential state machine so as to maintain a game timing on the target platform as the game timing would be maintained on the handheld video game platform.
5. A system that emulates in software, at least a portion of handheld video game platform hardware, the system comprising:
a target platform different from the handheld video game platform, the target platform including a processor that loads and executes an emulation software, parses and interprets a binary image capable of being executed on the handheld video game platform, and generates an audio-visual real time interactive presentation in response to the interpreted binary image,
wherein the target platform under control of the emulation software includes a virtual liquid crystal display controller that models the handheld video game platform with a sequential state machine.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the target platform generates, using the emulation software, audio and video presentations to be synchronized with each other as they would be synchronized on the handheld video game platform hardware.
7. The system of claim 5 ,
wherein the virtual liquid crystal display controller models pacing of audio and video presentations of the handheld video game platform hardware through the sequential state machine, and
wherein the target platform tracks, using the emulation software, states of the sequential state machine, and synchronizes its operations to the states of the sequential state machine.
8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the target platform generates, using the emulation software, the audio visual real time interactive presentation to be synchronized to states of the sequential state machine so as to maintain a game timing on the target platform as the game timing would be maintained on the handheld video game platform.
9. A method of emulating a video game platform, the method comprising:
loading and executing an emulator program on a processor of a target platform, the target platform being different from the video game platform;
parsing and interpreting, with the processor of the target platform executing the emulator program, a binary image capable of being executed on the video game platform;
generating audio and video presentation on the target platform in response to the interpreted binary image, the audio and video presentation being generated to be synchronized with each other as they would be synchronized on the video game platform,
modeling states and pacing of the video game platform using a sequential state machine; and
synchronizing operations of the emulator program to the states of the sequential state machine.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein in the step of synchronizing the operations of the emulator program to the states of the sequential state machine, the operations of the emulator program are synchronized to the states of the sequential state machine so as to maintain a game timing on the target platform as the game timing would be maintained on the handheld video game platform.
11. A system that emulates in software, at least a portion of a video game platform, the system comprising:
a target platform different from the video game platform, the target platform including a processor that loads and executes an emulation software, parses and interprets a binary image capable of being executed on the video game platform using the emulation software, and generates audio and video presentation in response to the interpreted binary image using the emulation software,
wherein the target platform generates, using the emulation software, the audio and video presentation to be synchronized with each other as they would be synchronized on the video game platform, and
wherein the target platform models states and pacing of the video game platform using a sequential state machine, and synchronizes operations of the emulation software to the states of the sequential state machine.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the target platform synchronizes the operations of the emulation software to the states of the sequential state machine so as to maintain a game timing on the target platform as the game timing would be maintained on the handheld video game platform.
13. A method of emulating a video game platform, the method comprising:
loading and executing an emulator program on a processor of a target platform, the target platform being different from the video game platform;
parsing and interpreting, with the processor of the target platform executing the emulator program, a binary image capable of being executed on the video game platform; and
generating audio and video presentation on the target platform in response to the interpreted binary image, the audio and video presentation being generated to be synchronized with each other as they would be synchronized on the video game platform,
wherein the emulator program includes a sequential state machine that models states related to drawing of frames on a display of the video game platform, and
wherein in the step of generating the audio and visual presentation on the target platform in response to the interpreted binary image, the presentation is generated to be synchronized with the states of the sequential state machine so as to maintain a game timing on the target platform as the game timing would be maintained on the handheld video game platform.
14. A system that emulates in software, at least a portion of a video game platform, the system comprising:
a target platform different from the video game platform, the target platform including a processor that loads and executes an emulation software, parses and interprets a binary image capable of being executed on the video game platform using the emulation software, and generates audio and video presentation in response to the interpreted binary image using the emulation software,
wherein the target platform generates, using the emulation software, the audio and video presentation to be synchronized with each other as they would be synchronized on the video game platform,
wherein the emulation software includes a sequential state machine that models states related to drawing of frames on a display of the video game platform, and
wherein the target platform generates, using the emulation software, the audio and video presentation to be synchronized to the states of the sequential state machine so as to maintain a game timing on the target platform as the game timing would be maintained on the handheld video game platform.