It’s fascinating to think that the Gameboy and GBC Pokemon games came out almost 30 years ago. The good thing is that emulation exists, and with your phones, you can play those games with ease.
You can play standard Pokemon and GBC ROM hacks with Nostalgia.GBC for Android devices.
Android emulation of GBC games isn’t anything new. We’ll help you with some questions about how to play GBC ROM hacks with Nostalgia.GBC.
It’ll be easy and convenient since we’ll solely focus on Nostalgia.GBC, which is one of the best Android GBC emulators.
Other Related Topics:
- How to Play Pokemon FireRed on Android
- How to Play Pokemon Uranium on Android and PC
- How to Play Pokemon Infinite Fusion on PC & Android
- Nostalgia.GBA Review for Playing Pokemon Games on Android
Table of Contents
What You Need to Know About GBC Emulation on Android?
It is pretty much the same as emulation on a computer. It is convenient on Android devices because you can the emulator directly.
It’s basically an app that you can look for at the Play Store and easily.
GBC emulators can be free or paid. There are advantages with the paid ones, but the free emulators aren’t so bad.
Notalgia.GBC is just one of those that has a free version and one that you paid for at an affordable price.
A GBC ROM Hack File
When you have an emulator, you need the ROM. The ROM is the game that you will play, and these are a bit trickier to find. We won’t even tell you where to find them because Nintendo is a bit strict on that end.
Any ROM file with the GBC games like Gold, Silver, Crystal, and even the GB ones such as Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow can run on the GBC emulator for Android.
When it comes to ROM hacks, aside from the base ROM or the actual game file, you need to the ROM hack patch. These are the files that you will use to update or modify the base ROM.
Finding ROM hack files is easier since they are official. In fact, we have a ton of them on this site for GBC games.
How to Patch a ROM Hack File
You can’t play the ROM hack file as it is. You need to convert it to become the GBC or GB file. In order to do this, you need to do either of the steps below:
Using UniPatcher
UniPatcher is an app that can update or patch the ROM hack that you want directly on your Android device. You just need the base ROM and hack file to make it happen.
For a more detailed guideline on how to do it, take a look at this UniPatcher guide to better understand.
Patch It on a Computer
If you don’t want to and use UniPatcher, then you can patch it on a computer. Using the base ROM and hack file, choose from different patchers to update the file.
This tutorial about how to patch IPS and UPS files will help you update those ROM hacks.
Once the patching is done, copy the updated ROM hack to your Android device and start playing.
Find a Patched File
This one is trickier because there might be sites where the ROM hack is ready to play. That is also a bit risky, since it is harder to find a safe site where you can get a working copy.
Even on this site, there are no patched ROM hack files, as they come in their raw and unplayable form.
Getting and Using Nostalgia.GBC
There are a lot of Gameboy Color emulators out there, and Nostalgia.GBC is one of the best. For starters, you can get one for free or pay for the Pro Version.
The only difference between the two is that the paid version has no ads. Every feature in the emulator you can get even if you play the free version.
Simply search for Nostalgia.GBC in the Google Play Store, and you’ll find the free and paid versions.
Features:
- Can play GBC and GB Games and Hacks
- Use Cheats
- Save States
- Has a Turbo Button (Must be Turned On for the Free version)
- Take Screenshots
How to Play GBC ROM Hacks With Nostalgia.GBC
Step 1: Nostalgia.GBC
Step 2: Have the Patched ROM Hack Ready
Step 3: Launch Nostalgia.GBC
Step 4: Select the ROM Hack You Want to Play
Step 5: Adjust the Controls and Settings if You Want
Step 6: Start Playing
4 GBC ROM Hacks You Might Want to Check Out
1. Pokemon Polished Crystal
Polished Crystal is a hack of Crystal with the same story but has a lot of features. New abilities, items, and the Generation of Pokemon go beyond 2.
2. Pokemon Prism
A hack with an original story and interesting features such as 2D platforming and crafting.
3. Pokemon Crystal Clear
The hook for this game is that it has open-world elements. A wide roster of Pokemon to play with and a difficulty setting that is good to get into.
4. Pokemon Gold and Silver 97: Reforged
A hack of Gold and Silver where they contain elements from the 97 beta version of these games.
FAQs and Potential Problems
Why does the emulation not work on my Android device?
There are a number of potential reasons why that is. The first one is that your Android device may not be able to run Nostalgia.GBC.
Another reason is that the ROM hack is the issue. The hack itself could be corrupted or not compatible.
Is it better to get the free or paid version of Nostalgia.GBC?
The free version is good enough, and the ads aren’t that annoying. All features are available for both versions.
The paid version of Nostalgia.GB isn’t that expensive anyway, so you could buy it as it becomes permanently attached to your even if you uninstall it.
Do the save states function like in-game saves?
The answer is yes, and even better than the regular save. Save states allow you to save anytime and load it again. Even when you’re in battle, save the game and load it again in case you mess up.
Save states are safe and will stay with the ROM hack until you remove it.
Do cheats work in Nostalgia.GBC?
They work as long as the cheats are compatible with the ROM. We have a list of those cheats working for specific ROM hacks, so feel free to check them all out.
Is emulation illegal?
There are no issues when you want to emulate these games on your Android devices using Nostalgia or any other emulator.
Never pay for ROMs as they are free, and that’s usually where the illegal aspect can come in. Selling ROMs is a big no, so don’t buy them, but you can use them.
In Closing
Now you know how to play GBC ROM hacks with Nostalgia.GBC. It isn’t a complicated process as long as you are able to the right emulator.
The tricky and hard part is usually finding the ROM, particularly the base ROM, since people are being cautious.
Anyway, you will be able to relive those early years through this. Playing on your phone is like playing on a Gameboy Color. This time, it’s better since you can save anytime and you don’t have to worry about changing batteries.
