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We’ve seen plenty of gaming handhelds that are meant to be the new portable vessel through which you play your Game Boy cartridges, but none have attempted to replicate the look and feel of the Game Boy as much as ModRetro’s Chromatic.
This device is squarely aimed at those nostalgic for Nintendo’s iconic 1990s gaming handhelds, which helped define mobile gaming for the entire industry.
The Game Boy Advance was my first handheld, but I always enjoyed using it to play games for the original Game Boy or Game Boy Color, such as the first two generations of Pokémon and Paperboy. The Game Boy app is the Nintendo Switch Online bonus I use the most; I find myself particularly drawn to the more arcade-centric puzzle games like Tetris or Alleyway. Looking back, the Game Boy might have the greatest game catalog of any handheld system, so there’s reason to still want to play those games today.
While Nintendo Switch Online is handy for that, its catalog of games is at Nintendo’s whim. Nintendo is also cracking down on players who emulate its games, which creates a market for handhelds like the Chromatic that can play original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges.
Just like Game Boy
The Chromatic is built to replicate a classic Game Boy’s look and form factor. It sports a durable magnesium alloy brick shell that juts out in the back to provide space for batteries.
It feels like a Game Boy in my hands and pocket, but it isn’t so weighty that it puts a strain on me. It takes AA batteries, but doesn’t guzzle them up, lasting over 8 hours at its default brightness.
ModRetro didn’t add additional buttons to the front of Chromatic; it just has the A, B, Start, and Select buttons and D-pad that Nintendo’s old handhelds have. Its PBT buttons feel durable, which sets the Chromatic apart from some other Game Boy-inspired handhelds with comparatively low-quality buttons.
Tomas Franzese / Digital Trends
When it comes to what’s improved, the Chromatic supports USB-C video out to PC, sports a 3.5mm headphone jack, and features a backlit screen.
Specs
| Chromatic | |
| Display | 160×144 pixel 2.56″ IPS backlit LCD, Sapphire display front crystal |
| Console | 5.2”x3”x1.2” magnesium alloy thixomolded shell, 6.2 oz, PBT buttons, 3.5mm headphone output, USB-C lagless video out, FPGA-based architecture |
| Compatibility | Game Boy and Game Boy Color game cartridges, Chromatic game cartridges, backward compatible link cable port and IR link |
Playing games on Chromatic
Chromatic’s field-programmable gate array architecture allows it to play three different kinds of game cartridges: Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Chromatic.
Tomas Franzese / Digital Trends
The first wave of Chromatics are packaged with a unique version of Tetris made specifically for Chromatic.
At any time, I could hit that Menu button to adjust brightness, enable frame blending for Game Boy Color games with transparency effects, and more, although I rarely found that I needed to.
Only for Game Boy
The Chromatic delivers precisely what it intends to, but is less ambitious than similar handhelds like the Analogue Pocket.
At release, it retails for $200, which is pricey for the limited scope of what it offers. For just $20 more, the Analogue Pocket offers easy access to playing GBA games, more advanced display mode options, PocketOS features, and the option to purchase a dock or cartridge adapters for Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket Color, TurboGrafx-16, and Atari Lynx cartridges to enhance the handheld’s functionality further.
Tomas Franzese / Digital Trends
That prevents it from becoming the ultimate retro handheld gaming machine like the Analogue Pocket.
Unless you have a backlog of Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, plan on buying some, or are interested in upcoming Chromatic games like Chantey, ModRetro’s handheld probably won’t appeal to you.
Still, I can appreciate a piece of technology with a specific, narrow focus that executes that without getting bogged down by other things.
If you’re looking for a new way to play your favorite Game Boy classics on a similarly built handheld with a backlit screen, then the Chromatic is a high-quality, well-built option.
Digital Trends tested the Chromatic with a unit provided by ModRetro.
FAQs
Q: Does the Chromatic have the same games as the Nintendo Switch Online app?
A: No, the Chromatic does not have the same games as the Nintendo Switch Online app. It plays Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, as well as Chromatic-exclusive games.
Q: Can I play original Game Boy games on the Chromatic?
A: Yes, the Chromatic can play original Game Boy games using Game Boy cartridges.
Q: Is the Chromatic a good option for retro gamers?
A: Yes, the Chromatic is a good option for retro gamers who have a collection of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games and want to play them on a handheld device.
Q: Is the Chromatic compatible with other devices?
A: No, the Chromatic is only compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, as well as Chromatic-exclusive games.
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