ModRetro Chromatic The ModRetro Chromatic is the ultimate Game Boy, with an enhanced but authentic screen and exquisite build quality. If you can stomach the price tag, it's the best way to play original GB and GBC carts.
The Game Boy was my very first gaming device, and it has always held a special place in my heart. My parents actually bought two classic DMG Game Boys (one for me and one for my older sister), but they both ended up in my collection once she developed a social life and I retreated deeper into my digital shell. I’d continue the trend of picking up two of every Game Boy before moving on to the Nintendo DS.
But since then, I’ve moved halfway across the world, and my Game Boy collection sits idly at my childhood home. Thankfully, emulation makes it easy to relive that era of my youth, but emulation can only get so close.
So when the ModRetro Chromatic landed on my desk after being sold out for the better part of a year, I couldn’t wait to dive in. After a few weeks with the device, there’s no doubt in my mind that this is the ultimate Game Boy experience. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to afford two for my collection, but it’s the first time in years I’ve felt the exact same spark of joy that started my gaming journey back in the early 90s.
And even better, it will be permanently back in stock starting today with a few extra goodies.
Editor's note: ModRetro was created by Palmer Luckey, a controversial billionaire with ties to weaponized drones and other military tech. ModRetro and the Chromatic aren't otherwise tied to those industries, but it does cast a shadow over an otherwise innocuous device.
The ultimate Game Boy
Nick Fernandez / Android Authority
The most important thing to understand about the Chromatic is that it only plays Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. In other words, it’s an FPGA device that replicates the original hardware as closely as possible. It’s actually more cycle accurate than its competitors, most notably the Analogue Pocket, although you probably won’t notice the difference.
That made this review slightly complicated, since all of my original carts are thousands of miles away at my mother’s house. Thankfully, the device comes with an updated version of Tetris in the box, and I was able to borrow a few carts from some nerdy neighbors.
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