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Shonumi

@Shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy

34 followers 4 following 67 posts

Video game historian and preservationist. Author of the GBE+ emulator. [bridged from mastodon.social/@Shonumi on the fediverse by fed.brid.gy ]

Posts Replies Media

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/10/2026

I'm a huge nerd for technical documentation. Here's a list of some of the larger game hardware docs and their expected read times (according to Firefox) if you read them start to finish. Pan Docs (original): 2 hours WSMan rev.7: 2 hours Virtual Boy - Sacred Tech Scroll: 3-4 hours Yet Another […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/10/2026

Talked to several coworkers today about the slowdown in the US transportation industry (logistics). Despite my programming credentials, my day job is moving boxes. We've seen a dramatic decrease in customer shipments recently. Diesel prices are likely the culprit. Shipping surcharges are insane […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/10/2026

[mental health] Had a pretty bad case of dysphoria yesterday, worst I've felt in years. Still happening to be honest. It probably came up because this is finally the year I took concrete steps to change how I want to live my life. But there's still a lot left to do, and the more I do to become […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2026

Seems like the unreleased GBA game "The Nutty Professor" is no longer lost media. Someone has been found, dumped, and preserved the cartridge. Appears it was uploaded to Archive.org very recently! archive.org/details/the-nutty-profe… #GBA #LostMedia #GameBoy

The Nutty Professor (USA) gba : Ubisoft : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Lost to time, this obscure, unreleased Nutty Professor game for the Game Boy Advance has finally been uncovered. Long considered myth by collectors, no retail...

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2026

Seriously debating if I should jump in on Maplestory Classic... The original was my jam back all the way back in 2003. I was even part of the beta (you got a cool in-game bandana for it). Maplestory is also where I first started using my psuedonym "Shonumi". I had many old friends and made a […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/10/2026

I've been following the Stop Killing Games movement for a while. Ross Scott dropped a new video detailing the proposed "EU KIDS Act". Haven't watched it yet, but apparently the EU is considering a ban on private servers? Like, wait, what? That would be a major blow for video game preservation […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/09/2026

Pretty sure I just got a scam email for one of my github repos. You know, the kind where you pay real money for fake stars on a repo so you can farm engagement. They claimed that 23 stars was kinda low for this repo of mine, saying "Usually that's a 'nobody's seen it' problem". The repo in […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/07/2026

Anyone else getting sick of these "Hey everyone, I built a [insert_program_here]" posts popping up online? You know, the kind where the person didn't really build anything themselves but just had an LLM "assist" them through the whole process?

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/06/2026

💀 Got this email from Amazon KDP today 💀 F

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/06/2026

Recently, I was looking at some of the 4-letter game codes for GBA carts with special hardware and noticed something. AGB-ZMAJ = Play-Yan AGB-ZMBJ = Play-Yan Micro AGB-ZMDE = Nintendo MP3 Player It looks like Nintendo skipped whatever AGB-ZMCx would have been. Quite possibly a variant of the […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/05/2026

Despite being the author of a GBA emulator, I don't really play a lot of GBA games these days. Mostly due to lack of time. However, recently beat Breath of Fire 1 last night. Had a lot of fun, and I'm a sucker for classic JRPGs. Might start up something new tonight (maybe Yggdra Union?)

The ending shot of Breath of Fire 1 on the GBA showing a portrait of Nina and Ryu together.

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/04/2026

Here's an article from coremaze about dumping the firmware from the ME2 handheld. It's a fairly obscure gaming device from 2008 with some interesting internet connectivity. The author does an amazing job walking through the whole reverse-engineering process. So cool seeing stuff like this […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/04/2026

There's a lot going on today. A new Mario movie comes out in theaters... The US is finally launching another mission to the moon... Everyone is pulling horrible pranks on each other... But ain't none of that stuff important because GBE+ just hit 1.10! […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/03/2026

So GBE+ 1.10 releases in about 48 hours, give or take. Been trying to audit all the peripherals and add-ons it emulates before then. Make sure everything actually works. Like, taking a step back, it's actually kinda insane all the stuff GBE+ emulates now. Toy robots, sonar devices, sewing […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/02/2026

The Advance Movie Adapter is a special GBA cartridge that allowed users to play videos from SmartMedia cards. It's kind of like the GBA Video Cartridges by Majesco, except it arguably has better compression and quality. Been messing around with improving […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A screenshot of the Advance Movie Adapter for the GBA showing an error message when playing on the GB Player.

It says "AdvanceMovie does not support GAMEBOY PLAYER" in both English & Japanese.

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/01/2026

Pulled the trigger on this. Bad time to buy during the RAMpocalypse (even for DDR4), but 32GB under $100 USD was too tempting. Thank goodness I had a bunch of gift cards sitting around. Didn't want to risk my old pair of 8GB sticks going bad with current […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A box of Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro RAM, 32GB DDR4

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/01/2026

Starting off 2026 hot by emulating more exotic DS hardware. This time it's the Bayer Didget Glucose Meter, essentially a copy+paste job of the earlier Glucoboy on the GBA. Didn't take much to get it up and running in GBE+. You can now generate in-game […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A screen from "Knock'em Downs: World's Fair" indicating a successful connection with the Bayer Digit. The screen reads as follows:

"Bayer Digit Connected

The DIDGET has been detected, attempting to download information. DO NOT turn off the power or remove the DIDGET.

PRESS B TO CONTINUE!"

The rewards redemption screen from "Knock'em Downs: World's Fair". The player's character redeems points acquired from the glucose meter for in-game currency in the form of tickets. Here the user specifies the exact amount of tickets to redeem on the DS' lower screen.

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/01/2026

Forgot to post this earlier, but I've got another article up. This time it's the end of year discussion on the State of Emulation, specially how far along we are to emulating every piece of hardware for the Nintendo DS. A solid 50% of the peripherals listed are supported already in existing […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/12/2025

Great... Spider just died and fell inside my computer (my rig has ventilation on top). Gotta open up the case and remove it before it melts on the back of my GPU.

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/12/2025

Over the weekend, I added support for the Wave Scanner for Mega Man Starforce 1. Very similar to the Wantame Card Scanner, but it did have some surprises. The core emulation logic is done, just need to work on GUI and .ini config stuff. The device sends […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Successfully transferring level data via the Wave Scanner for War Rock.

The effects of the level data transfer from the Wave Scanner. This enhances the players stats such as HP (+410 here) and other effects in battle such as a shield and the ability to launch more attacks.

Once the level data is transferred, the character automatically transforms via the Starforce Transformation in battle, or something. I have not played any of the Starforce games actually...

In addition to transforming, players can boost their attacks by swiping and scanning physical cards that match any of those on-screen. I have not compiled a long enough list of barcodes, so War Rock simply explains in a message here that the swiped card has no effect on any currently available attacks.

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/11/2025

New article about the Wantame Card Scanner is live: shonumi.github.io/articles/art39.ht… This one details the inner workings of a Nintendo DS barcode scanner. It was used for a game called Wantame Doko Demo Style. It's one of the rare DS peripherals that send data as microphone input […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/09/2025

For most of September, I worked on emulating a card scanner for the DS. It's used for a game called Wantame Music Channel: Doko Demo Style. You basically get to dress up 3D puppies and have them dance in rhythm games. The scanner itself connects via the DS' […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A 3D dog from the game Wantame Music Channel: Doko Demo Style.

She is wearing a strawberry cake dress, holding her paws out as a meter on the side of the screen fills up.

A 3D dog from the game Wantame Music Channel: Doko Demo Style.

She is wearing a gothic lolita dress and headdress, twirling around as a meter on the side of the screen fills up.

A 3D dog from the game Wantame Music Channel: Doko Demo Style.

She is wearing a fancy idol dress and a penguin-shaped hat. She bashfully looks down, embarrassed by the player's extreme lack of fashion sensibility.

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/08/2025

Well, Japan Post (among others) is temporarily suspending the acceptance of any US-bound package worth over $100 USD. www.post.japanpost.jp/int/informati… Kind of a gut punch. It took years for JP's shipping to the US to adequately recover from COVID. This is […]

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Original post on mastodon.social

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/07/2025

Seems the US is ending *ALL* de minimis tariff exemptions in August. Previously it was suspended for China and HK only; soon it will end for all countries. This effectively puts a tax on all imports for both new or used items. This could be devastating for video game preservation projects in […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/07/2025

Yo, did Stop Killing Games just reach the 1M signatures?! Tell me I'm not tripping right now and this is real. This is great news for video game preservation in that case! eci.ec.europa.eu/045/public/#/scree…

Reposted by Shonumi

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/06/2025

I'm pleased to announce the release of my new book, "Nintendo's Lost Handheld: The Pokémon Mini" Dive into Nintendo's long forgotten handheld, explore its fascinating history, take a tour of the hardware's capabilities, and browse it's full library of games! […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Cover of "Nintendo's Lost Handheld: The Pokémon Mini" featuring a cartoon vector recreation of the handheld and its cartridge.

Preview of the introduction of the book.

Beginning of the chapter focusing on the Pokemon Mini's hardware, starting with the CPU.

Lead-in page for one of the Pokemon Mini's games, Pokemon Pinball mini, featuring data such as launch dates, supported hardware features, number of players, developer, and Game ID.

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/06/2025

I'm pleased to announce the release of my new book, "Nintendo's Lost Handheld: The Pokémon Mini" Dive into Nintendo's long forgotten handheld, explore its fascinating history, take a tour of the hardware's capabilities, and browse it's full library of games! […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Cover of "Nintendo's Lost Handheld: The Pokémon Mini" featuring a cartoon vector recreation of the handheld and its cartridge.

Preview of the introduction of the book.

Beginning of the chapter focusing on the Pokemon Mini's hardware, starting with the CPU.

Lead-in page for one of the Pokemon Mini's games, Pokemon Pinball mini, featuring data such as launch dates, supported hardware features, number of players, developer, and Game ID.

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/06/2025

So, after a brutal marathon of edits and revisions, my new book about the Pokemon Mini is set to be published soon. Once Amazon signs off on a quality check, it's good to go! The process takes 72 hours max tho. I just hope the print quality is consistent. Amazon seems to be slacking. Barnes and […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/06/2025

Also, the EUR release date of Pokemon Tetris is wrong!! It's been said it launched on the same day as the Pokemon Mini (Mar 15, 2002). Super Juegos #122 (July 2002) says it was an upcoming release for Aug of that year. Revista Pokemon #25 (July 2002) says […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Super Juegos Issue #122 article about upcoming Pokemon Shock Tetris. Relevant text below:

"Aunque Nintendo reserva para el final del verano el grueso de sus lanzamientos en GameCube y GBA, ha decido aliviar un los calores estivales de los propietarios de Pokemon Mini con la comercialización en agosto de Pokemon Mini Shock Tetris; el legendario puzzle creado por Alexeo Pajitnov adaptado al universo de Pikachu y Cia"

Revista Pokemon Issue #25 about the upcoming Pokemon Shock Tetris. Relevant text below:

"La fiebre TETRIS se estrenará en septiembre en tu Pokemon Mini"

"Nintendo lanzará un nuevo cartucho para tu MINI en septiembre, justo a la vuelta de las vacaciones. Por si no son suficientes la 'juerga' Party, el Pinball o la ajustada dificultad del Puzzle Collection ahora se anuncia el único título que podía hacer sombra a esos tres. Después de todo, ¿no fue Tetris el juego que comenzó el fenómeno Game Boy? Ya sabes, una consola superventas y que todo el mundo tiene, y tal. Bueno, en Pokemon MINI también jugaremos a eliminar líneas, pero como habrá Pokemon involucrados, habrá también un montón de sorpresas. Según parace, por cada cierto número de líneas nos haremos con un Pokemon. También tendremos rivales Pokemon contra los que ejercitamos en el noble arte de encajar piezas. En fin, que será una diversión de las que nos gustan. Y que está a la vuelta de la esquina."

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/06/2025

So, the exact release date of the Pokemon Mini in Australia is unknown. Websites (including Bulbapedia) will tell you it was released anywhere from Oct 3, 2001 to Oct 11, 2002. Thankfully, the Australian magazine Nintendo Gamer covered it in their 8th issue […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Inside Table of Contents for Nintendo Gamer #8 (April 2002)

Article from Nintendo Gamer Issue #8 (April 2002) about the Pokemon Mini. It covers the 4 games launched in that country.

It mentions the Pokemon Mini being on sale in Australia at the time. This indicates a launch date some time in March 2002.

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/06/2025

Here's something interesting I discovered today: Apparently the developers for Pokemon Race Mini used some kind of debug mode or build to capture screenshots for their manual. You can see this with the time: 9'59"99 Normally after reaching that time, the […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A single page from the manual of the game Pokemon Race Mini. It demonstrates several actions Pikachu can take in-game, such as jumping. The time in the top right corner reads 9'59"99, a time that is normally impossible to get in the game without crashing.

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/06/2025

Update on the Glucoboy from Reddit. Apparently the person that owns it is the same one who submitted it to the Video Game History Foundation some years back. The ROM was dumped in 2023, so it's already been preserved! Had a chance to talk with them. It's great that they have a passion for […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/06/2025

Apparently, someone found a copy of the Glucoboy from when they were a kid: reddit.com/r/gamecollecting/comment… These things unbelievably rare. They basically shouldn't exist. Like at all. When Bayer bought up Guidance […]

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Original post on mastodon.social

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/06/2025

The release of the Switch 2 kinda has me nervous... Let me explain. I'm like *this* close to finishing my new book on the Pokemon Mini. Really close! Anytime you write a book about video game history, there's a chance a brand new console will make your info outdated. This new book references […]

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Original post on mastodon.social

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/06/2025

New article about the GBKISS LINK is live: shonumi.github.io/articles/art38.ht… This one examines an infrared modem released by Hudson in 1998. This enabled GB-to-PC connections and opened up the internet to the Game Boy. Here, I detail the process of emulating its infrared […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/04/2025

New article about the Agatsuma TV Tuner is live: shonumi.github.io/articles/art37.ht… This piece delves into only officially licensed TV tuner for the Game Boy Advance. It explores the process of getting a GBA emulator to simulate over-the-air real-time TV broadcasts. Yet another […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/04/2025

One of the first examples of DLC for the Game Boy can now be emulated. Pocket Family GB used the GB KISS LINK to download a Family Photo Event from Hudson's website. It allows players to save photos of their current family with the GB Printer. DLC files […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

GB KISS menu with the "Family Shot" DLC all the way to the right side.

Executing the Family Shot DLC for Pocket Family GB.

The final print of the Family Photo Event.

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/04/2025

Back in 2018, I emulated the Soul Doll Adapter. Think toys-to-life Skylanders stuff, but on the GBA. It had 103 figurines that would unlock characters in the game. I managed to recreate the data for most of them, but a handful I could never get working […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

True Wind Dragon Soul Doll

Blaze Dragon Alternate Version Soul Doll

GW Nicole Soul Doll

Colonel Blaze Dragon Zen Armed Soul Doll

Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/04/2025

Things on my 2025 bingo card: * 💰 Increase in wealth inequality * ⚠️ More microplastic pollution * 🪖 Global strife and armed conflicts * 📉 Economic distress * 🤡 Continued erosion of social norms and sanity Things not on my 2025 bingo card: * A new (semi?) open world Mario Kart game that lets […]

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Shonumi @shonumi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/03/2025

New article about the Campho Advance is live: shonumi.github.io/articles/art36.ht… The article delves into the challenges of dumping one of the most convoluted cartridges on the Game Boy Advance as well dealing with telephony. Imagine how crazy you'd have to be to turn a GBA […]

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