Gearboy MCP Server

July 16, 2026 · View on GitHub

A Model Context Protocol server for the Gearboy emulator, enabling AI-assisted debugging and development of Nintendo Game Boy / Game Boy Color games.

This server provides tools for game development, rom hacking, reverse engineering, and debugging through standardized MCP protocols compatible with AI agents like GitHub Copilot, Claude, Codex and others.

Downloads

Platform	Architecture	Download Link
Windows	x64	Gearboy-3.8.9-mcpb-windows-x64.mcpb
Windows	ARM64	Gearboy-3.8.9-mcpb-windows-arm64.mcpb
macOS	x64	Gearboy-3.8.9-mcpb-macos-x64.mcpb
macOS	ARM64	Gearboy-3.8.9-mcpb-macos-arm64.mcpb
Linux	x64	Gearboy-3.8.9-mcpb-linux-x64.mcpb
Linux	ARM64	Gearboy-3.8.9-mcpb-linux-arm64.mcpb

Features

Full Debugger Access: CPU registers, memory inspection, breakpoints, and execution control
Multiple Memory Areas: Access ROM banks, VRAM, WRAM, OAM, IO registers, HIRAM, and SGB-specific areas (border tiles, tilemap, palettes, attribute files)
Disassembly: View disassembled SM83 code around PC or any address
Hardware Inspection: SM83 CPU, LCD controller, APU audio channels
Sprite Viewer: List and inspect all 40 OAM sprites with images
Symbol Support: Add, remove, and list debug symbols
Bookmarks: Memory and disassembler bookmarks for navigation
Call Stack: View function call hierarchy
Trace Logger: CPU instruction trace with interleaved hardware events (LCD, APU, I/O, bank switching)
Rewind: Time-travel debugging with snapshot status and seek tools
Screenshot Capture: Get current frame as PNG image
GUI Integration: MCP server runs alongside the emulator GUI, sharing the same state

Transport Modes

The Gearboy MCP server supports two transport modes:

STDIO Transport (Recommended)

The default mode uses standard input/output for communication. The emulator is launched by the AI client and communicates through stdin/stdout pipes.

HTTP Transport

The HTTP transport mode runs the emulator with an embedded web server on 127.0.0.1:7777/mcp by default. The emulator stays running independently while the AI client connects via HTTP. Each request's Host and browser Origin must match the address on which its connection reached the server. Loopback mode can run without authentication; wildcard and other non-loopback bind addresses require GEARBOY_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN, and the server refuses to start without it.

Headless Mode

Add --headless to run without a GUI window. This is useful for servers, CLI agents, or any machine without a display. All MCP tools work identically in headless mode. Requires --mcp-stdio or --mcp-http.

MCP Tool Router

By default, Gearboy exposes a compact set of high-frequency tools directly and routes advanced debugger tools through lightweight discovery tools. This keeps MCP context small while preserving access to the full debugger surface.

Direct tools: load_media, get_media_info, debug_pause, debug_continue, debug_step_into, get_cpu_status, read_memory, write_memory, get_disassembly, set_breakpoint, get_screenshot, and controller_button.

Router tools:

list_tool_categories lists routed tool categories with descriptions and tool counts.
get_category_tools lists routed tools in a category with compact descriptions.
search_tools searches direct and routed tools and returns compact category/tool/description matches.
get_tool_info returns one tool's real input schema and metadata.
execute_tool executes a routed tool by name with arguments. Use get_tool_info after discovery when you need the exact input schema.

Example routed call:

{
  "name": "get_lcd_status",
  "arguments": {}
}

Add --mcp-no-router to expose every MCP tool directly.

Quick Start

STDIO Mode with VS Code

Install GitHub Copilot extension in VS Code
Configure VS Code settings:

Add to your workspace folder a file named .vscode/mcp.json with:
```
{
  "servers": {
    "gearboy": {
      "command": "/path/to/gearboy",
      "args": ["--mcp-stdio"]
    }
  }
}
```
Important: Update the command path to match your build location:
- macOS: /path/to/gearboy
- Linux: /path/to/gearboy
- Windows: C:/path/to/gearboy.exe
Restart VS Code may be necessary for settings to take effect
Open GitHub Copilot Chat and start debugging:
- The emulator will auto-start with MCP server enabled
- Load a game ROM
- Start chatting with Copilot about the game state

STDIO Mode with Claude Desktop

Option 1: Desktop Extension (Recommended)

The easiest way to install Gearboy MCP server on Claude Desktop is using the MCPB package:

Download the latest MCPB package for your platform from the releases page.
Install the extension:
- Open Claude Desktop
- Navigate to Settings > Extensions
- Click Advanced settings
- In the Extension Developer section, click Install Extension…
- Select the downloaded .mcpb file
Start debugging: The extension is now available in your conversations. The emulator will automatically launch when the tool is enabled.

Option 2: Manual Configuration

If you prefer to build from source or configure manually:

Edit Claude Desktop config file:

Follow these instructions to access Claude's config file, then edit it to include:
```
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gearboy": {
      "command": "/path/to/gearboy/platforms/macos/gearboy",
      "args": ["--mcp-stdio"]
    }
  }
}
```
Config file locations:
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
- Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
- Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Important: Update the command path to match your build location.
Restart Claude Desktop

STDIO Mode with Claude Code

Add the Gearboy MCP server using the CLI:
```
claude mcp add --transport stdio gearboy -- /path/to/gearboy --mcp-stdio
```
Important: Update the path to match your build location.
Verify the server was added:
```
claude mcp list
```
Start debugging: Open Claude Code and start chatting about the game state. The emulator will auto-start when tools are invoked.

HTTP Mode

Start the emulator manually with HTTP transport:
```
./gearboy --mcp-http
```


The default endpoint is `http://127.0.0.1:7777/mcp`.

To use a custom port:

```bash
 ./gearboy --mcp-http --mcp-http-port 3000

To bind to a custom address, set a bearer token first:

GEARBOY_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN="change-this-token" ./gearboy --mcp-http --mcp-http-address 0.0.0.0 --mcp-http-port 3000

Clients must connect using the server's actual interface address, such as http://192.168.1.50:3000/mcp, not 0.0.0.0 or a spoofed loopback address.

You can also start the server using the "MCP" menu in the GUI.

Configure bearer-token authentication:

Set GEARBOY_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN before starting HTTP mode. Authentication is optional for loopback binds and required for wildcard or other non-loopback binds.

macOS and Linux:

GEARBOY_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN="change-this-token" ./gearboy --mcp-http

Windows PowerShell:

$env:GEARBOY_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN = "change-this-token"
.\gearboy.exe --mcp-http

Windows Command Prompt:

set GEARBOY_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN=change-this-token
gearboy.exe --mcp-http

Configure VS Code .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "gearboy": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:7777/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer change-this-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Or configure Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gearboy": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:7777/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer change-this-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Or configure Claude Code:

claude mcp add --transport http gearboy http://127.0.0.1:7777/mcp


6. **Restart your AI client** and start debugging

> **Note:** The MCP HTTP Server must be running standalone before connecting the AI client.
> **Security:** Without `GEARBOY_MCP_HTTP_TOKEN`, HTTP mode starts only on a loopback address. Wildcard and other non-loopback binds are refused. `Host` and browser `Origin` values are matched to the connection's actual destination address to prevent DNS rebinding and address spoofing.

## Usage Examples

Once configured, you can ask your AI assistant:

### Basic Commands

- "What game is currently loaded?"
- "Load the ROM at /path/to/game.gb"
- "Show me the current CPU registers"
- "Read 16 bytes from WRAM starting at offset 0x0000"
- "Set a breakpoint at address 0x0150"
- "Pause execution and show me all sprites"
- "Step through the next 5 instructions"
- "Capture a screenshot of the current frame"
- "Tap the A button on the controller"

### Advanced Debugging Workflows

- "Find the VBlank interrupt handler, analyze what it does, and add symbols for all the subroutines it calls"
- "Locate the sprite update routine. Study how this game manages its OAM sprite system, explain the algorithm, and add bookmarks to key sections. Also add watches for any sprite-related variables you find"
- "There's a data decompression routine around address 0x4000. Step through it instruction by instruction, reverse engineer the compression algorithm, and explain how it works with examples"
- "Find where the game stores its level data in ROM. Analyze the data structure format, create a memory map showing each section, and add symbols for the data tables"
- "The game is rendering corrupted graphics. Examine the LCD registers, check the VRAM contents, inspect the OAM sprite table, and diagnose what's causing the corruption. Set up watches on relevant memory addresses"

## Available MCP Tools

This is the full tool catalog. By default, advanced tools are discoverable through `list_tool_categories`, `get_category_tools`, and `search_tools`, then invoked with `execute_tool`.

The server exposes tools organized in the following categories:

### Execution Control
- `debug_pause` - Pause emulation
- `debug_continue` - Resume emulation
- `debug_step_into` - Step one SM83 instruction
- `debug_step_over` - Step over subroutine calls
- `debug_step_out` - Step out of current subroutine
- `debug_step_frame` - Step one or more frames
- `debug_run_to_cursor` - Continue execution until reaching specified address
- `debug_reset` - Reset emulation
- `debug_get_status` - Get debug status (paused, at_breakpoint, pc address)

### CPU & Registers
- `write_cpu_register` - Set register value (AF, BC, DE, HL, SP, PC, A, F, B, C, D, E, H, L)
- `get_cpu_status` - Get complete SM83 CPU status (registers, flags Z/N/H/C, IME, halt, CGB double speed)

### Memory Operations
- `list_memory_areas` - List all available memory areas (ROM0, ROM1, VRAM, RAM, WRAM0, WRAM1, WRAM, OAM, IO, HIRAM, and SGB areas when active: SGB_TILES, SGB_MAP, SGB_BPAL, SGB_SPAL, SGB_ATF, SGB_AMAP, SGB_EPAL)
- `read_memory` - Read from specific memory area
- `write_memory` - Write to specific memory area
- `get_memory_selection` - Get current memory selection range
- `select_memory_range` - Select a range of memory addresses
- `set_memory_selection_value` - Set all bytes in selection to specified value
- `add_memory_bookmark` - Add bookmark in memory area
- `remove_memory_bookmark` - Remove memory bookmark
- `list_memory_bookmarks` - List all bookmarks in memory area
- `add_memory_watch` - Add watch (tracked memory location)
- `remove_memory_watch` - Remove memory watch
- `list_memory_watches` - List all watches in memory area
- `memory_search_capture` - Capture memory snapshot for search comparison
- `memory_search` - Search memory with operators (<, >, ==, !=, <=, >=), compare types (previous, value, address), and data types (hex, signed, unsigned)
- `memory_find_bytes` - Find byte sequences in memory

### Disassembly & Debugging
- `get_disassembly` - Get SM83 disassembly for specified address range
- `add_symbol` - Add symbol (label) at specified address
- `remove_symbol` - Remove symbol
- `list_symbols` - List all defined symbols
- `add_disassembler_bookmark` - Add bookmark in disassembler
- `remove_disassembler_bookmark` - Remove disassembler bookmark
- `list_disassembler_bookmarks` - List all disassembler bookmarks
- `get_call_stack` - View function call hierarchy
- `get_trace_log` - Read trace logger entries (CPU + hardware events). Start the trace logger from the debugger window first

### Breakpoints
- `set_breakpoint` - Set execution, read, or write breakpoint (supports 3 memory areas: rom_ram, vram, io)
- `set_breakpoint_range` - Set breakpoint for an address range (supports 3 memory areas)
- `remove_breakpoint` - Remove breakpoint
- `list_breakpoints` - List all breakpoints
- `toggle_irq_breakpoints` - Enable or disable breaking on IRQs (VBlank, LCD STAT, Timer, Serial, Joypad)

### Hardware Status
- `get_lcd_registers` - Get all LCD registers (LCDC, STAT, SCY, SCX, LY, LYC, DMA, BGP, OBP0, OBP1, WY, WX) with decoded bit fields. Also CGB registers (KEY1, VBK, HDMA, BCPS, BCPD, OCPS, OCPD, SVBK)
- `get_lcd_status` - Get LCD status (mode 0-3, screen enabled, LY, LYC match, CGB info)
- `get_apu_status` - Get Game Boy APU status for all 4 channels (Square 1 with sweep, Square 2, Wave, Noise): volume, frequency, envelope, duty, wave RAM, panning, master volume
- `get_sgb_status` - Get Super Game Boy status: SGB active, mask mode, multiplayer state, last command, transfer state, border animation, effective palettes, and attribute map

### Sprites
- `list_sprites` - List all 40 OAM sprites with position, tile, attributes (priority, flip, palette, CGB bank)
- `get_sprite_image` - Get sprite image as base64 PNG

### Screen Capture
- `get_screenshot` - Capture current screen frame as base64 PNG

### Media & State Management
- `get_media_info` - Get loaded ROM info (file path, name, MBC type, ROM/RAM size, CGB/SGB flags, battery)
- `list_recent_media` - List the 10 most recent ROM files opened by Gearboy
- `load_media` - Load ROM file (.gb, .dmg, .gbc, .cgb, .sgb, .zip). Automatically loads .sym symbol file if present
- `load_symbols` - Load debug symbols from file (.sym format with 'BANK:ADDRESS LABEL' entries)
- `list_save_state_slots` - List all 5 save state slots with information (rom name, timestamp, validity)
- `select_save_state_slot` - Select active save state slot (1-5) for save/load operations
- `save_state` - Save emulator state to currently selected slot
- `load_state` - Load emulator state from currently selected slot
- `set_fast_forward_speed` - Set fast forward speed multiplier (0: 1.5x, 1: 2x, 2: 2.5x, 3: 3x, 4: Unlimited)
- `toggle_fast_forward` - Toggle fast forward mode on/off
- `get_rewind_status` - Get rewind buffer status (enabled, snapshots, capacity, buffered seconds)
- `rewind_seek` - Seek to a specific rewind snapshot while paused

### Controller Input
- `controller_button` - Control a button on the Game Boy. Use action 'press' to hold the button, 'release' to let it go, or 'press_and_release' to simulate a quick tap. Buttons: up, down, left, right, a, b, start, select
- `controller_macro` - Run an ordered input macro. Top-level `player` defaults to 1, and each command may override it. Supported commands are `tap`, `press`, `release`, and `wait`; timing is explicit through `wait` frame counts

## How MCP Works in Gearboy

- The MCP server runs **alongside** the GUI in a background thread
- The emulator GUI remains fully functional (you can play/debug normally while using MCP)
- Commands from the AI are queued and executed on the GUI thread
- Both GUI and MCP share the same emulator state
- Changes made through MCP are instantly reflected in the GUI and vice versa

## Architecture

### STDIO Transport

┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ │ VS Code / │ stdio │ Gearboy │ │ Claude Desktop │◄──────────────────►│ MCP Server │ │ (AI Client) │ pipes │ (background) │ └─────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ │ │ └───► Launches ►────────────────────────┘ │ │ Shared State ▼ ┌──────────────────┐ │ Emulator Core │ │ + GUI Window │ └──────────────────┘


### HTTP Transport

┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ │ VS Code / │ HTTP (port 7777) │ Gearboy │ │ Claude Desktop │◄──────────────────►│ MCP HTTP Server │ │ (AI Client) │ │ (listener) │ └─────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ │ │ Shared State ▼ ┌──────────────────┐ │ Emulator Core │ │ + GUI Window │ └──────────────────┘