Game Boy Flash Cartridges with FRAM

These flash cartridges are part of my Game Boy hardware work. The idea is to have programmable cartridges that are useful for homebrew, testing, development, and general retro hardware tinkering without depending on old battery-backed save circuits.

The cartridges use flash memory for the ROM and FRAM for saves. I like FRAM for this kind of project because it keeps the save data without needing the usual battery-backed SRAM approach. It makes the cartridge feel more robust and less annoying to maintain over time.

A lot of the interesting work is hidden in the details: memory layout, mapper behavior, board routing, shell fit, programmer compatibility, and making sure the cartridge behaves properly on real Game Boy hardware. It is one of those projects where the outside looks simple, but the inside is full of small decisions.

This project also ties directly into my Cart Flasher and MBC5 mapper work. I enjoy that kind of ecosystem: one project creates the need for another, and little by little you end up with a complete set of tools around a very specific technical niche.