PicoBoy Essentials V4.1

New Games!

The PicoBoy V3 has begun prototyping. If you have anything you would like to see, let me know in the Discord Server!

Work is being done to begin outreach with schools and maker spaces to teach programming, soldering, and electronics utilizing the PicoBoy Education Edition! If you have any maker spaces or schools that you think would be good candidates, reach out!

Hardware Updates:

• PicoBoy Education Edition has begun development and testing

PicoBoy Communication Software Updates:

• Fixed critical issue with MacOS compatibility where the program would freeze in MacOS Sequoia
• Improved algorithm speed for detecting PicoBoy consoles

Library Updates:

• New pathfinder library (Beta)

Game Updates:

New Beta Game: Puzzle Slide

• You can use the built in puzzles, or use your own stored in Paint!
• You have to slide all of the puzzle pieces into the proper orientation
• Still in development. If you have any ideas for the game, you can pitch them in the server!

New Beta Game: Pathfinder

• A pathfinder (using the new PLibrary system) solves a maze you make yourself.
• Not as developed, so still more open ended and ready for ideas.

Pac Man is being remastered with the PicoBoy SDK!

• Improved mechanics
• Vastly improved pathfinding
• More efficient memory usage
• Improved stability and compatibility

You can install and test out all three of these games, but they are UNSTABLE. Be careful, as they may cause issues on your PicoBoy.

PicoBoy Essentials V4.0

The PicoBoy V2 Build Video is out on YouTube, check it out here: https://youtu.be/rOZQTFoS0ME

Notice: Do not use the Pi Pico 2 when assembling your PicoBoy V2 kit! I have yet to test it and write in compatibility into PBOS!

Notice: MacOS Sequoia does not support this version of PicoBoy Communication Software. Please use the prerelease version below.

Documentation Updates:

• Clarified certain details on steps that were vague
• Added new section to guide through reconnecting to the console after the first time setup
• Published video documenting the building process of a PicoBoy V2
• Documented PLibraries in the PicoBoySDK Docs
• Documented PLibraries in the User Guide

PBOS Updates:

• Added functionality to import custom PLibraries
• External libraries can be used to:
• Add new features to games
• Mod games
• Customize your programming experience
• Added new statistics section that shows:
  • OS Version
  • MicroPython Version
  • Free Space
  • Games Installed
  • Battery
  • Libraries Installed

PicoBoySDK Updates:

• Added new feature that lets you import and utilize objects initialized in custom libraries
• Now raises TypeErrors when an exception occurs

PicoBoy Communication Software Updates:

• You can now choose between restoring from a backup and formatting when you have an unformatted PicoBoy
• Fixed issue with refresh ports where it wouldn't detect the PicoBoy upon clicking the refresh ports button
• Implemented the ability to add, delete, and manage supplemental libraries

You can find the PBOS update here: https://github.com/HalloSpaceBoy5/PicoBoy-OS/releases/tag/PBOS-V3.2

PicoBoy Prerelease Update V4.0.1

PicoBoy Communication Software:

• Bugfix in MacOS that fixes issues in Sequoia that cause PicoBoy Communication Software to freeze up due to a driver issue.
• Improved console detection speeds in MacOS

PicoBoy Essentials V3.9

I will be taking a month long break to work on the buisness side of things with the PicoBoy.

There may be some minor updates, but there won't be anything signifigant.

Console Backups now possible with PicoBoy Communication Software

Starship has been remastered with the PicoBoySDK

PicoBoy Communication Software Updates:

• New data transfer protocol
• Signifigantly improved data transfer speeds
• Signifigantly improved data integrity from data transfer
• All filetypes now supported for data transfer
• Fixed bug where volume and brightness were reported as 0 when they were not 0
• Now supports backing up and restoring PBOS to a PicoBoy
• The back up and restore feature saves:
• Games
• Scores
• Settings
• Operating System version

Documentation Updates:

• Updated User and Build guides with Backing Up and Restoring the PicoBoy

PicoBoySDK Updates:

• Fixed issue in Line, Hline, and Vline where an error would occur when entering the color
• Reflected fixed issue in docs

PBOS Updates:

• PicoBoySDK Updates
• Fixed critical issue where OS would crash when a background was applied

Game Updates:

• Completely remastered Starship with the PicoBoySDK
• New Starship Features:
• New scoring system
• Newly optimisations allowing for smoother gameplay
• Smaller sprites resulting in a larger play area
• Decreased storage usage
• All new title, win, and game over screen
• New effect where the screen shakes when damage is taken
• All new enemy and level difficulty generation

Manual Updates:

• Updated Starship manual to reflect updates

Check out the OS update here: https://github.com/HalloSpaceBoy5/PicoBoy-OS/releases/tag/PBOS-V3.1

PicoBoy Essentials V3.8

The PicoBoy V2 is up for sale!

There is now a PicoBoy website! Check it out at PicoBoy.co

The PicoBoy V2 3D-printed parts are now available!

PBOS now supports multiple languages!

Hardware Updates:

• PicoBoy V2 is now up for sale! You can buy it prebuilt or as a kit!
• PicoBoy V2 3D-printed parts are available for download

Website Updates:

• PicoBoy.co is now up!

PicoBoy Communication Software Updates:

• The program can now only connect to Micropython devices
• Windows now shows the PicoBoy name in its device list
• Added stability and integrity protection in connection to the PicoBoy
• Improved efficiency in formatting the console
• New "Selective Updating" looks for console flags and updates necessary files

PBOS Updates:

• With the release of the PicoBoyV2 comes PBOS 3.0!
• Enhanced performance and efficiency, reducing resource usage by 30%
• Added new Data Upload Mode screen
• Added new "No Games" screen
• Fixed issue where the brightness would be incorrectly reported as negative
• New layout in the settings menu with a scroll bar
• PBOS now supports 4 more languages:
• Spanish
• French
• Italian
• German
• New first time setup when formatted, it has sections for:
• Testing Hardware
• Configuring the OS

Game Updates:

• You can now press up in Tetris to drop a block

Manual Updates:

• Tetris manual changed to reflect updates

Documentation Updates:

• Updated User and Build guides to reflect the changes made in PicoBoy Communication Software
• Updated User and Build guides to document the first time setup
• Improved the visual appearance of all guides
• Added table of contents to the User Guide

You can find PBOS 3.0 here: https://github.com/HalloSpaceBoy5/PicoBoy-OS/releases/tag/PBOS-V3.0
You can find the website here: https://picoboy.co
You can find the PicoBoy V2 for sale here: https://www.tindie.com/products/hallospaceboy/picoboy-v2-the-ultimate-diy-console/

PicoBoy Essentials V3.7

The PicoBoy V2 has been finished! I am currently working on getting it set up for sale on Tindie.

New Micropython version specifically for the PicoBoy!

PicoBoy V2 Features:

• 3D Printed case has an option to be included!
• There is a prebuilt option!
• Now uses 2 piezo speakers instead of a single speaker
• New single-board form, everything is on the PicoBoyV2 PCB
• Smaller, more pocketable, Gameboy Advance-esk form factor
• Easy to access BOOTSEL button for easy C++ development
• Only requires two batteries instead of three
• Reverse power protection, no need to switch off when plugged into a computer
• More simplistic build guide and easier to build
• Easier to print case
• Significantly cheaper price tag, approximately 30% cheaper.
• Hopefully I will be able to release it soon!

PBOS Updates:

• Now checks for corrupted app title cards and doesn't render them
• Now has support for transparent sprites
• Now has support for small pbimgs

Firmware Updates:

• The PicoBoy Micropython Distro has been released!
• The PicoBoy now shows up as "PicoBoy" instead of "Board in FS mode"

PicoBoySDK Updates:

• PicoBoySDK Toolkit can now compile transparent sprites
• Fixes issue in PicoBoySDK Toolkit where RGB images would not compile correctly
• PicoBoySDK now has support for transparent sprites
• The PicoBoy can now render small .pbimg files that wouldn't ordinarily fit in memory

PicoBoy Communication Software Updates:

• Ports are now listed with their names, this makes it easier to discern which device is your PicoBoy
• Fixed issue where the storage remaining is reported in the negatives.
• Added check for duplicate backgrounds
• Added check for duplicate games
• Added ability to update games without losing scores and other data

Game Updates:

• Increased difficulty in Space Invaders with bullet cooldown
• Improved collision in Breakout
• Improved physics in Breakout
• Fixed bug in Breakout where the ball would get stuck in the paddle

Documentation Updates:

• User guide now support the PicoBoyV2
• PicoBoyV2 Build Guide released
• User guide now documents the game updating process
• PicoBoySDK Docs now document how transparent sprites work

You can find the PBOS Update here: https://github.com/HalloSpaceBoy5/PicoBoy-OS/releases/tag/PBOS-V2.6
You can find the Firmware here: https://github.com/HalloSpaceBoy5/PicoBoy-OS/releases/tag/PBFW-V1

(Here is a sneak peek of the V2)

PicoBoy Essentials V3.6

Volume controls have come to PBOS!

Battery measurement has come to PBOS!

The PicoBoy V2 is nearing the end of development! Expect to hear more about it soon!

PicoBoy Communication Software Updates:

• Fixed an issue where console data doesn't appear properly
• Added a menu in the customize section that allows you to modify console settings such as:
• Current background
• Screen Brightness
• Volume
• Animated game transition

PBOS Updates:

• Volume controls have been added to PBOS
• Added a volume slider to the settings menu
• There is now a battery indicator on the Home Screen
• The PicoBoy will automatically shut off when the battery is to low
• Added battery percentage to settings menu
• Brightness controls are now multiples of 5, making for more refined adjustment

Documentation Updates:

• Updated User Guide to include info about updates in PicoBoy Communication Software
• Updated User Guide to include info about updates in PBOS

PicoBoySDK Updates:

• Fixed an issue where the pause screen made the screen go blank
• Updated to include volume adjustment
• Modification is not necessary for those with already made PicoBoySDK games, the update will take affect without an update.
• PicoBoySDK games will automatically shut down when the PicoBoy battery is too low

PicoBoy Drawing Manager:

• Fixed issue where the app would not initialize in the center of scaled displays
• Fixed issue where some buttons would not render properly
• Fixed issue where downloading a nonexistent .pbd file would result in a corrupt image.
• Fixed an issue where the delete drawing button would refer to the drawing as a background

Game Updates:

• Fixed bug in Starship where the game would crash when you ran into multiple enemies
• Fixed issue in Minefield where pressing start on the win screen makes the screen go blank
• Minefield now has background music
• Fixed bug in Starship where the sound effects would glitch and go for too long
• Starship and Tetris require an update to use the updated versions

Link to OS Update: https://github.com/HalloSpaceBoy5/PicoBoy-OS/releases/tag/PBOS-V2.5

PicoBoy Essentials V3.5

PicoBoy Communication Software, Drawing Manager, and SDK Toolkit have all received UI revamps!

PicoBoy SDK Toolkit has come to Linux and Macos!

Custom backgrounds have now come to PBOS V2.4!

Make sure to update to Micropython version 1.22.2

PBOS Updates:

• Improved performance
• New background colors
• Fixed bug where animation would not disable correctly
• Fixed bug where you couldn't enter data upload mode when settings is selected
• Improved smoothness of animated transition between games
• Fixed bug where rounded corners on a game wouldn't round during animation
• You can now use Paint drawing files as backgrounds in PBOS
• Fixed critical bug where the console would crash if animations were enabled and there was no title image
• Enhanced game corruption protection

PicoBoy Communication Software Updates:

• New revamped user interface
• Fixed many bugs that would cause crashing with sudden disconnects
• Added ability to add/remove backgrounds
• New light/dark mode compatibility
• New "Clean Console" button that removes any junk files leftover in the operating system
• New system data view that allows you to view the OS version, Micropython version, the storage free, and the amount of games you have
• A new check has been introduced that prevents a console update if there isn't enough storage
• Game folders are now recusivley deleted to reduce reduce waste
• Overall bug fixes and improvements

PicoBoy Drawing Exporter Updates:

• New revamped user interface
• New ability to download a drawing in the .pbd (PicoBoy Drawing) format
• New ability to upload drawings
• New ability to delete drawings
• Now formatted as .app in MacOS and downloads to the current directory
• Now available in Debian Linux
• Renamed to PicoBoy Drawing Manager

PicoBoySDK Updates:

• PicoBoySDK Toolkit now available on MacOS
• PicoBoySDK Toolkit now available on Debian Linux
• There is now an option to save the current score when the home button is pressed.

Documentation:

• Build guide updated to use the latest version of PicoBoy Communication Software
• User guide updated to use the latest version of PicoBoy Communication Software
• User guide now has clean screenshots from the PicoBoy
• User guide now fully documents the settings menu
• User guide now has a section on updating the Micropython firmware

Game Updates:

• Updated Minefield to autosave the score
• Updated Space Invaders to autosave the score
• Paint now performs a storage capacity check when you save a drawing to prevent corruption.
• Paint now protects against corrupted drawing files
• Fixed issue in Paint where the numbers of drawings wouldn't list in numerical order

Check out the OS update here: https://github.com/HalloSpaceBoy5/PicoBoy-OS/releases/tag/PBOS-V2.4

PicoBoy Essentials V3.4

New UI in PBOS! Check it out in the new update!

Notice: Make sure to use the latest version of PicoBoy Communication Software when updating your console. It has critical bug fixes that allow it to install the update.

Notice: You must reformat your PicoBoy to use the new OS. You also need to use the most up to date game files

PBOS Updates:

• New UI with an app-based layout
• New custom backgrounds to personalize your PicoBoy
• New settings menu where you can change the brightness, change the background, and enter data upload mode
• New storage optimizations allowing for more games
• New animated transition between games
• PBOS can now detect corrupted games and prevent them from running and corrupting your operating system.

Documentation Updates:

• Updated section in the User Guide that details how to use the new UI
• Updated user guide with clearer instruction and better looking text in the diagrams
• Updated user guide with images of the new UI

PicoBoy Communication Software Updates:

• Fixed bug where certain parts of an update file would crash the program
• Fixed bug where formatting with a specific file type would crash the program
• Fixed bug where an error would be thrown if you canceled the add game process
• Fixed bug in MacOS where the score file would be unable to save
• MacOS now formatted to a .app extension instead of a script

Game Updates:

• Games updated for the new PBOS UI
• Manuals written for all games
• Optimized Starship to run smoother
• Increased Starship game speed
• Fixed an issue in the Demo Program where pressing all D-Pad buttons did not work

Get the OS update here:

https://github.com/HalloSpaceBoy5/PicoBoy-OS/releases/tag/PBOS-V2.3

PicoBoy Essentials V3.3

PicoBoy Communication Software now on Debian Linux! You can download it in the latest release on the GitHub.

Major progress with Picosystem/32Blit compatibility! You can find the examples/games at the link below.

PBOS V2.2 is compatible with the new version of Micropython, make sure to update!

PicoBoy Communication Software Updates:

• Debian Linux compatibility added
• PBOS V2.2 updated in format function in Windows and MacOS

Picosystem/32Blit Updates:

• 8 Fully functional programs/games have been completed
• 10+ Fully functional examples have been completed
• Picosystem SDK has full compatibility
• 32Blit SDK has full compatibility

Hardware Updates:

• The PicoBoy Mini has been finished. If more interest is shown in the PicoBoy, I will list it for sale.

Links:

• 32Blit/Picosystem Github: https://github.com/HalloSpaceBoy5/PicoBoy-32Blit-Picosystem-Compatibility
• Github releases: https://github.com/HalloSpaceBoy5/PicoBoy/releases