VBA Link Emulators [Plays a GBA Game on your PC]
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VBA Link Emulators [Plays a GBA Game on your PC]
by Hazuki on Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:06 am
Info
VBA Link by denopqrihg is a modified version of GBA Emulator VisualBoy Advance. VBALink now supports GBA/SP multiplayer link cable emulation and linking of up to 4 gameboy emulators with gba roms. At this time linking is possible only under Windows OS. New! There is LAN support so no longer all the emulation has to be done on the same PC - connect up to 4 PC on the net.
How to use VBALink
Download VBALink
- Binaries if you just want to play
(Download source files for modification. If you downloaded the source, you must know how to compile it yourself )
UnZIP all to a folder like c:\emu\vbalink
Start two (three, four) VisualBoy Advance emulators at once and open gba roms.
In VisualBoy Advance Link -- Options/Emulator, uncheck Pause when inactive window
You don't have to turn off the sound like in TGB Dual - only the active VBA produces sound
In VBALink options setup all the things, like controls, save paths & so on
If you want a log of the transfer, check Log in Options/Link
New! When playing Zelda: Four Swords, you have to set Timeout in Options/Link to above 10000 or below 200 (these values worked for me) - anything in between might make the game not link.
If you want to use VBA save files in VBALink, you must rename them - the save file extension for VBA #1 is .sa1
(e.g. Pokemon Emerald.sa1), for #2 .sa2 etc. (the same is true for savestates - #1 has .sg1 etc.) - another solution is to import them, that works too. - Enjoy!
Download VBALink Emulator
Download VBALink 1.72 LAN edition!
Download VBALink 1.8 LAN / WiFi edition!
Get this if you want to play multiplayer gba roms and / or emulate gameboy advance link cable on LAN.
1-2-3 instructions for setting up the VBA Link
If you have a question that hasn't been answered here go to support forum. Comments about this website can be sent to vbalink website stuff using mail form on our contacts page.
VBA Link LAN Multiplayer setup:
Download one of the compatible multiplayer gba roms. (No point in emulation if you don't have the games)
Download VBA Link emulator. LAN Version binaries if you just want to play.
(Download source files for modification. If you downloaded the source, you must compile it yourself)
Unzip all to a folder like c:\emu\vbalink
How to use the singlecomp version?
Start two (three, four) VBALink windows at once.
In Options > Emulator, uncheck Pause when inactive window
If you have changed thesis before Inside VBALink go to Options > Link > Settings. and select "Single Computer"
Setup all the things, like controls, save paths & so on
If you want to use save files, you must rename them - the save file extension for VBA #1 is .sa1 (e.g. Pokemon Ruby.sa1), for #2 .sa2 etc. (the same is true for savestates - #1 has .sg1 etc.) - another solution is to import them, that works too.
How to use the LAN version?
Unzip it to a folder like c:\games\vbalink
Setup all the things, like controls, save paths & so on
Each player opens VBALink and goes to Options > Link > Settings.
(Open VBALink and push [Ctrl] + [M] on your keyboard to get there without going through the menus.
Check "Network"
If you want better speed at the cost of slightly less stability, select 'Faster' on the slidebar (recommended for wireless Pokemon)
One of you must select Server and click Start
The others choose "Client", enter the IP address or name of the server and click Connect
When all players are connected, a message box with the text "Connected" will appear.
Load GBA game rom and play!
(When someone closes the emulator, the others will become disconnected.)
Instructions for VBALink 1.72 (version 1.8 has a little different interface)
In VBA Link Options > Emulator, uncheck Pause when inactive window.
(Don't forget to do this for all 4 emulators you have started. )
In options setup all the things, like controls, save paths & so on.
(Go to Options > Joypad > Configure Joypad > 1 and set up the keys you want to use.)
Get a friend and repeat the same step on their PC.
One of you must start vbaserver.exe and when asked enter type in how many players there are (in this case 2) so type 2, and it will give you a IP that has to be entered on the other PC.
Go to Options > Link and press on LAN
Turn VBA off and wait for 3 seconds.
Go to Options > Link and use the IP you just got in the box, and press CONNECT
Now do the same for all your friends who will play.
NOTE: When starting vba server if WinXP FireWall is turned on you will see a warning. Unblock it!
Load the same gba rom / game you are gone play in all emulators.
Go to link or VS mode and choose Multi Pack (I'm using Advance Wars II in this case)
NOW you should be playing against each other
How to open ZIP files / Compressed archives
In windows XP you can open zip files as if they are directories. If you don't have XP - Download WinZIP
Need something better than WinZIP? Can't Open RAR or ARJ files? Download PowerArchiver that has support for ZIP, 7-Zip, CAB, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2, RAR, ACE and many more formats
Default keys (can be edited in the Options menu)
Arrow keys - direction
Z - Button A
X - Button B
A - Button L
S - Button R
Enter - Start
Backspace - Select
Speedup - Space
Capture - F12
You can change the configuration above to use a joystick. Go to
Options ->Joypad ->Configure. menu.
The 1 through 4 joy pads allow you to have different settings which can be
easily switched.
Modified VBAServer - Faster LAN play but 2P only
=A=RGOS has created a 2 player VBA server version that is faster than the original 4P version.
=A=RGOS note: Latency problem appear on the VBA Server causing a slower game in LAN. I download the source code and modify this for optimizing the VBAServer for playing with my little friends. But the new source accepting only two clients connections.
Source for v1.72 LAN version
Download VisualBoy Advance original version from sourcorge.com
Visualboy Advance is one of the best if not THE best GBA emulator for windows. Featuring great speed, excellent compatibility, sound support, savestates, cheat functions, skin support and multiple languages, you really can't go wrong.Download VBALink Emulator Link Cable Multiplayer GBA ROMs. Supports Multiplayer mode with 2-4 players
VBA Link by denopqrihg is a modified version of GBA Emulator VisualBoy Advance. VBALink now supports GBA/SP multiplayer link cable emulation and linking of up to 4 gameboy emulators with gba roms. At this time linking is possible only under Windows OS. New! There is LAN support so no longer all the emulation has to be done on the same PC - connect up to 4 PC on the net.
How to use VBALink
Download VBALink
- Binaries if you just want to play
(Download source files for modification. If you downloaded the source, you must know how to compile it yourself )
UnZIP all to a folder like c:\emu\vbalink
Start two (three, four) VisualBoy Advance emulators at once and open gba roms.
In VisualBoy Advance Link -- Options/Emulator, uncheck Pause when inactive window
You don't have to turn off the sound like in TGB Dual - only the active VBA produces sound
In VBALink options setup all the things, like controls, save paths & so on
If you want a log of the transfer, check Log in Options/Link
New! When playing Zelda: Four Swords, you have to set Timeout in Options/Link to above 10000 or below 200 (these values worked for me) - anything in between might make the game not link.
If you want to use VBA save files in VBALink, you must rename them - the save file extension for VBA #1 is .sa1
(e.g. Pokemon Emerald.sa1), for #2 .sa2 etc. (the same is true for savestates - #1 has .sg1 etc.) - another solution is to import them, that works too. - Enjoy!
Download VBALink Emulator
Download VBALink 1.72 LAN edition!
Download VBALink 1.8 LAN / WiFi edition!
Get this if you want to play multiplayer gba roms and / or emulate gameboy advance link cable on LAN.
1-2-3 instructions for setting up the VBA Link
If you have a question that hasn't been answered here go to support forum. Comments about this website can be sent to vbalink website stuff using mail form on our contacts page.
VBA Link LAN Multiplayer setup:
Download one of the compatible multiplayer gba roms. (No point in emulation if you don't have the games)
Download VBA Link emulator. LAN Version binaries if you just want to play.
(Download source files for modification. If you downloaded the source, you must compile it yourself)
Unzip all to a folder like c:\emu\vbalink
How to use the singlecomp version?
Start two (three, four) VBALink windows at once.
In Options > Emulator, uncheck Pause when inactive window
If you have changed thesis before Inside VBALink go to Options > Link > Settings. and select "Single Computer"
Setup all the things, like controls, save paths & so on
If you want to use save files, you must rename them - the save file extension for VBA #1 is .sa1 (e.g. Pokemon Ruby.sa1), for #2 .sa2 etc. (the same is true for savestates - #1 has .sg1 etc.) - another solution is to import them, that works too.
How to use the LAN version?
Unzip it to a folder like c:\games\vbalink
Setup all the things, like controls, save paths & so on
Each player opens VBALink and goes to Options > Link > Settings.
(Open VBALink and push [Ctrl] + [M] on your keyboard to get there without going through the menus.
Check "Network"
If you want better speed at the cost of slightly less stability, select 'Faster' on the slidebar (recommended for wireless Pokemon)
One of you must select Server and click Start
The others choose "Client", enter the IP address or name of the server and click Connect
When all players are connected, a message box with the text "Connected" will appear.
Load GBA game rom and play!
(When someone closes the emulator, the others will become disconnected.)
Instructions for VBALink 1.72 (version 1.8 has a little different interface)
In VBA Link Options > Emulator, uncheck Pause when inactive window.
(Don't forget to do this for all 4 emulators you have started. )
In options setup all the things, like controls, save paths & so on.
(Go to Options > Joypad > Configure Joypad > 1 and set up the keys you want to use.)
Get a friend and repeat the same step on their PC.
One of you must start vbaserver.exe and when asked enter type in how many players there are (in this case 2) so type 2, and it will give you a IP that has to be entered on the other PC.
Go to Options > Link and press on LAN
Turn VBA off and wait for 3 seconds.
Go to Options > Link and use the IP you just got in the box, and press CONNECT
Now do the same for all your friends who will play.
NOTE: When starting vba server if WinXP FireWall is turned on you will see a warning. Unblock it!
Load the same gba rom / game you are gone play in all emulators.
Go to link or VS mode and choose Multi Pack (I'm using Advance Wars II in this case)
NOW you should be playing against each other
How to open ZIP files / Compressed archives
In windows XP you can open zip files as if they are directories. If you don't have XP - Download WinZIP
Need something better than WinZIP? Can't Open RAR or ARJ files? Download PowerArchiver that has support for ZIP, 7-Zip, CAB, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2, RAR, ACE and many more formats
Default keys (can be edited in the Options menu)
Arrow keys - direction
Z - Button A
X - Button B
A - Button L
S - Button R
Enter - Start
Backspace - Select
Speedup - Space
Capture - F12
You can change the configuration above to use a joystick. Go to
Options ->Joypad ->Configure. menu.
The 1 through 4 joy pads allow you to have different settings which can be
easily switched.
Modified VBAServer - Faster LAN play but 2P only
=A=RGOS has created a 2 player VBA server version that is faster than the original 4P version.
=A=RGOS note: Latency problem appear on the VBA Server causing a slower game in LAN. I download the source code and modify this for optimizing the VBAServer for playing with my little friends. But the new source accepting only two clients connections.
Source for v1.72 LAN version
Download VisualBoy Advance original version from sourcorge.com
Visualboy Advance is one of the best if not THE best GBA emulator for windows. Featuring great speed, excellent compatibility, sound support, savestates, cheat functions, skin support and multiple languages, you really can't go wrong.Download VBALink Emulator Link Cable Multiplayer GBA ROMs. Supports Multiplayer mode with 2-4 players
