Sonic Advance — Recompilation Project

A native, high-performance C/C++ port of Sonic Advance (Game Boy Advance) for modern platforms, created via static recompilation using GBARecomp.

This project translates the original GBA machine code into clean, platform-agnostic C/C++, running natively without CPU emulation overhead, input lag, or reliance on legacy J2ME adaptations.

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Features

• 100% Native Execution: Zero CPU emulation. Direct compilation to x86_64 and ARM64 architectures.
• Ultra-Low Latency: Instantaneous input response powered by an SDL2 backend.
• CRT & Display Shaders: Crisp subpixel/CRT panel simulation matching the original GBA screen.
• Enhanced Audio: Per-channel sinc interpolation, soft-clipping, and shadow HLE audio processing.
• Cross-Platform: Out-of-the-box support for Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and embedded retro handhelds.

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Prerequisites

• C++ Compiler: clang (version 18+ recommended) or gcc
• Build System: cmake and ninja-build
• Development Libraries: libsdl2-dev
• Game Assets:
• Original Sonic Advance GBA ROM (SonicAdvance.gba)
• Official GBA BIOS image (gba_bios.bin)

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Quick Start (Linux)

1. Install Dependencies

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y build-essential cmake ninja-build clang libsdl2-dev

2. Configure pack.toml

Verify your ROM and BIOS SHA-256 checksums using sha256sum:

sha256sum SonicAdvance.gba
sha256sum gba_bios.bin

Update your pack.toml with the generated hashes:

[package]
name = "SonicAdvance"
version = "0.1.0"
platforms = ["linux", "windows", "macos", "android"]

[image]
rom-sha256  = "YOUR_ROM_SHA256_HASH_HERE"
bios-sha256 = "YOUR_BIOS_SHA256_HASH_HERE"

[runtime]
menu = true
enhanced-audio = true
screen-sim = true
engine-hle = "auto"
interpreter = true

[build]
compiler = "clang"

[output]
binary = true
c-source = true

3. Build

Execute the recompilation pipeline:

gba-pack pack.toml

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Cross-Platform Targets

Android (ARM64)

1. Set c-source = true in pack.toml to emit the recompiled C codebase.
2. Import the C source tree into an Android Studio C++/NDK project.
3. Link against libSDL2.so using the SDLActivity wrapper for touch overlay controls.
4. Build the final standalone .apk.

Windows & macOS

• Windows: Cross-compile using mingw-w64 or build natively via MSVC/Clang.
• macOS: Compile directly using Apple Clang or run via GitHub Actions (macos-latest).

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Disclaimer

This repository contains no copyrighted assets, ROMs, or proprietary BIOS code. You must provide your own legally obtained copy of Sonic Advance and a GBA BIOS file to compile and run the project. All Sonic the Hedgehog trademarks belong to SEGA.