Compatibility
Cart64 runs most Game Boy Color and original Game Boy games on the N64: cartridges with no chip, MBC1, MBC2, MBC3 (including its real-time clock) and MBC5, up to 8 MB, with battery saves. Cartridges with special hardware, like a tilt sensor or a camera, are not supported yet, and Cart64 tells you before it builds anything.
Cartridge chips
A Game Boy cartridge's chip (its memory bank controller, or MBC) decides how the game reaches its data and saves. Cart64 reads it from the game's header and shows it on the game card as "Type".
| Cartridge type | Supported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| No chip (32 KB) | Yes | Small early games |
| MBC1 | Yes | With or without a battery save |
| MBC2 | Yes | With or without a battery save |
| MBC3 | Yes | Including the real-time clock |
| MBC5 | Yes | Including rumble carts (the rumble is ignored for now) |
| MBC7 | Not yet | Tilt sensor games |
| Game Boy Camera | Not yet | |
| HuC1, HuC3 | Not yet | |
| TAMA5 | Not yet | |
| MMM01 | Not yet |
Unsupported cartridge types are refused on cart64.com before anything is built, with the message "This game uses special cartridge hardware Cart64 does not support yet."
Game size
From 32 KB up to 8 MB, which covers every standard Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridge size. Games over about 2.5 MB load in pieces while you play; an Expansion Pak helps with that but is not required.
Game Boy Color and original Game Boy
Both work. Game Boy Color games play in their own colors. Original Game Boy games play with a fixed color palette.
Saves
Battery saves go to the flash cart's save memory: SRAM for saves up to 32 KB, FlashRAM for larger ones. Cart64 picks the type from the cartridge header and shows it on the game card as "Saves". Saves survive turning the console off. More in flash cart setup.
Clock games
MBC3 games with a real-time clock work, and the clock runs while you play. Time does not pass while the console is off yet. A version that uses the flash cart's own clock is coming.
Consoles and flash carts
- Consoles: original Nintendo 64 hardware and the M64.
- Flash carts: any that run homebrew .z64 files, such as SummerCart64, EverDrive 64 and 64drive.
- Expansion Pak: optional.
Games we have tested
These commercial games were tested as Cart64 cartridges. We name them so you know what to expect; Cart64 does not provide them, and you need your own copy. Speed work is ongoing, so this list improves over time.
Full speed
- Super Mario Land DX
- Tetris DX
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
- Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
- Pokemon Gold
- Pokemon Silver
Near full speed, with brief slowdowns in busy scenes
- Pokemon Crystal
- Pokemon Yellow
- Pokemon Pinball
Currently runs slower
- Shantae
- Perfect Dark (the Game Boy Color game)
Our own free games, Shiny Monsters Color, Shiny Crosser and Spark Garden, are on the home page as ready cartridges.
What Cart64 is not
Cart64 is not a ROM site. It packages a file you bring, on your device, and never uploads it. It does not host, list or link to games it does not own.