# Gearboy MCP Server

Connects an AI coding client to the Gearboy emulator for Game Boy and Game Boy Color debugging through execution control, memory inspection, and rewind.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed · ★ 1219
- Author: drhelius
- License: GPL-3.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/drhelius/Gearboy
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/gearboy-mcp-server

## What it does

Gearboy is a C++ emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Super Game Boy. Its embedded MCP server lets Claude Code, Codex, and similar clients assist with debugging. Exposed tools cover execution control, memory inspection, hardware status, rewind, and related emulator tasks.

The emulator includes a debugger with a just-in-time disassembler, CPU and memory-access breakpoints, code navigation, a memory editor, trace logging, an IO inspector, and VRAM views for tiles, sprites, backgrounds, and palettes. An MCPB package is available for all platforms. Linux may need `libsdl3`; Windows may need the Visual C++ Redistributable and OpenGL Compatibility Pack.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Install**
- The MCP registry has no launch command for it: see the repository README

## When to use it
- control emulator execution from an AI client
- inspect memory while a ROM is running
- check Game Boy hardware state during debugging
- rewind execution to examine a failure
- trace ROM behavior with breakpoints and logs

## Example prompts
- Connect Gearboy MCP Server and inspect memory while this ROM is running.
- Use Gearboy to debug this ROM, set a breakpoint, and explain the CPU state.
- Rewind the emulator and check what changed in memory and hardware state.

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