TINY COSMO
A tiny universe for a tiny game console.
A Game Boy-exclusive title with 10 pixel-art illustrations and 10 original tracks.
About
作品の特徴“TINY COSMO” is an illustration and music viewer made exclusively for the Game Boy. I created it with the concept “a tiny universe for a tiny game console.”
10 Pixel-Art Illustrations
Includes 10 pixel-art pieces drawn within the Game Boy's limits of 160×144 pixels and 4 colors.
10 Original Tracks
Includes 10 original songs made using only the Game Boy's 4-channel sound. In contrast to technical chiptunes, I aimed for a simple, retro feel.
On Real Hardware or in an Emulator
Delivered as a .gb ROM. Enjoy it on a real Game Boy (with a flash cartridge) or in an emulator.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Contents | 10 pixel-art illustrations + 10 original tracks |
| Supported Devices | Game Boy / Game Boy Color / Game Boy Advance (real hardware or emulator) |
| File Format | .gb (Game Boy ROM, approx. 32KB) |
| Price | ¥1,000 |
Gallery
サンプル
* Part of the actual work is shown here as a preview.
Stack
制作に使った道具CLIP STUDIO PAINT
Used for the pixel-art rough drafts. This is where I settle the composition and guidelines.
Aseprite
The final pixel art. I refined it dot by dot to fit the Game Boy's 4-color palette.
GB Studio
Building the ROM. The illustrations and songs are bundled into a single .gb file.
Ableton Live
Making the MIDI for each song. This is where I build the skeleton of the music first.
OpenMPT
Rebuilding the songs with the Game Boy's 4-channel sound, fitting them into a form that plays on real hardware.
Column
コラムHello, this is Nishino Ryuhei of Ryuheidou.
TINY COSMO is a Game Boy-exclusive viewer made with the concept “a tiny universe for a tiny game console.”
Instead of making an illustration book on paper, I thought, “Wouldn't it be fun to release it as a Game Boy game?” and gave it a try.
The big challenge was how to express myself within the Game Boy's limited 160×144-pixel screen and 4-color restriction, but in the end I had a lot of fun drawing the illustrations.
As for the software, I sketched the pixel art in CLIP STUDIO PAINT, did the final drawing in Aseprite, and implemented it with GB Studio.
Since the music also uses the Game Boy's 4-channel sound, I made the MIDI in Ableton Live and rebuilt it in OpenMPT.
It was incredibly hard work, but I think it turned out as a retro-flavored piece that stays true to simplicity, in contrast to technical chiptunes.
I hope you can enjoy both the thrill of running it on real hardware and the ease of playing it in an emulator.
I'd love for people who like retro games, pixel art, or Game Boy sound to pick this one up.
A Real Cartridge Someday
I dream of someday releasing it as a packaged, real cartridge.
Buy
ご購入Before You Buy
This is a download sale of the ROM version (.gb format). To play on real hardware, you will separately need a flash cartridge or similar writing setup.
Terms of Use
Redistribution, sale, resale, lending, and trademark registration of the ROM data, image data, and music data are prohibited.