ROM
In one sentence
A Game Boy ROM is the whole game in one file, usually ending in .gb. The console runs that file and nothing else. Retroable's job is to hand you that file.
The detail
ROM means read-only memory. On a 1989 cartridge the program sat in a chip that could not be rewritten in the machine. The file you download is a copy of what that chip would have held.
Retroable compiles your game with GBDK and the result is that .gb file. You play the same bytes in the browser, in a desktop emulator, or from a cartridge. How a sentence becomes a ROM walks through the path from the words you typed to the file.
A picture of the game, a GIF, and the box art are not the ROM. They are pictures made afterwards. If the file does not open in an emulator, it is not a finished game yet.
Worth keeping
- The thing you own at the end is a .gb file, not a screenshot
- The browser, a desktop emulator, and a cartridge can all run that same file
- Cover art and the GIF are separate from the program
Questions
What does the file end in?
A Game Boy ROM from Retroable ends in .gb.
Is the cover image part of the ROM?
No. The cover, the sticker, and the GIF are pictures. The ROM is the program.
Can I move the file to another emulator?
Yes. Any emulator that plays original Game Boy ROMs can open the same file.
Related
Game Boy is a trademark of Nintendo. Retroable is independent and is not affiliated with Nintendo.