ModRetro Chromatic Review: The Perfect Modernised Game Boy

Many companies and passionate modders have wanted to build the ultimate Game Boy over the last 10 or so years, and I have reviewed most of them since founding Retro Dodo. I can remember the first mass-produced modifications for Game Boys and Game Boy Colors, and to this day they are getting easier and more affordable, making noobs like me feel like they can fluidly reincarnate their dusty handhelds with neat upgrades and little risk of breaking it.

But modifications can only get you so far, and the more you want to add to your devices, the trickier it gets, especially for newcomers to the modding scene with no experience.

Some companies understand that there’s a market for this; the likes of ANBERNIC are creating new handheld emulators every few weeks (this isn’t a joke, they release a lot of them), and Analogue have released the Pocket which offers a premium gaming experience with a bigger body, a bigger screen, and the options for emulation.

Unfortunately, most of these reincarnations have missed many of the features that made the original hardware so magical – the thickness, the display, and the use of batteries, for example. Modernisation of these new devices has resulted in a loss of nostalgic magic, and I’ll admit I have been a little obvious to it, likely because there’s an overwhelming amount of handhelds that I review every year.

This was made very clear when the ModRetro Chromatic landed in my hands, a device I have been excited to test ever since it was announced. I even had the privilege of talking with the CEO of Mod Retro, Palmer Luckey about this device and what the future of ModRetro looks like.

I want to share with you why this device is so magical, the team behind it, and why I believe this could be the last handheld you ever buy that plays Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges.

For full transparency we were given a pre-production unit to review for two weeks, and then a fully finished, customer-ready unit to review for one week before this review, creating a total review time of three weeks testing this device. ModRetro has not paid us to review this device.

The Crazy Minds Behind ModRetro

I want to start this review by sharing my experience with the ModRetro team, because unfortunately, this industry lacks any personality or support when it comes to post-purchase contact. The Chinese handheld scene has close to ZERO customer support, and even the likes of Analogue, the multi-million dollar company, lack any community respect – it’s something I have complained about in the past.

But ModRetro is different. They are a bunch of friends who are genuinely passionate about what they are building and are supporting the community by assisting with the development and production of their independent games.

I was lucky enough to meet some of the ModRetro team at EGX in London a few weeks ago to chat with them about the device, put names to faces, and shake hands with the minds behind this device. I even met the lovely developer behind Dragonhym who was at the ModRetro booth, one of the many games that ModRetro is getting behind and launching before Christmas.

Palmer Luckey made it very clear in our interview that his goal is to make the perfect modern Game Boy, even if it means he loses money on it. Thankfully for him he founded Oculus and sold it to Facebook many years ago, so he’s one of the only few who has the opportunity to chuck money at a project like this and develop things for it that other competitors literally cannot do because it doesn’t make financial sense.

Palmer’s history with video games is crazy too – ModRetro actually started as a forum for gaming modders, hence his passion for creating the Chromatic. If you listen to the podcast you’ll be glad to know they’re working on a potential Chromatic Advance in the future too.

It’s very clear that this team genuinely cares about their customers and the retro gaming community; you will have no issues finding support before or after purchase, and they’ll do everything they can to make your experience as fun as possible. There are real people and real gamers behind this product and its doing wonders for the Game Boy dev community too.

The Box & Bits

ModRetro have designed the box to look like a chaotic mess, but I dig it, with 90’s illustrations and designs scattered around the box and a small window to showcase which colour combination you have purchased.

The colour combinations are certainly unique, and you’ll have no issues finding a color-way that you’ll like. US readers will be happy to know that GameStop have a limited edition variant too for those of you that want something a little more limited and collectible.

Inside the box, you will be greeted with the device, 3x AA batteries, some charms that can be attached to your Chromatic, and a new version of Tetris, just like how the original Game Boy DMG was partnered with the iconic game in 1989. This new version of Tetris partners incredibly well with the device and gives users something to play on straight out of the box, just like it was Christmas Day or a birthday back in the 90’s.

I could write a whole article on this new Tetris, but I want you to experience it for the first time yourselves without spoiling anything.

How Does The ModRetro Chromatic Feel?

Short answer – like Optimus Prime’s butt cheeks. The first thing that came to my head when I held the Chromatic was just how similar it felt to the original Game Boy Color. It’s as if their design team crafted it to feel near-identical to its older, damaged brother. It’s why I mentioned that this device feels incredibly nostalgic. ModRetro has designed every curve, every screen, and every pixel with retro intent.

Their design compass was not to change features of the original handhelds, but to enhance them. Starting on the back, for example, the device is powered is by using AA batteries, just like the good ol’ days. Inserting them relit the dopamine I had when I inserted my batteries into my Game Boy Color that I received for Christmas as a kid. ModRetro also offer a rechargeable battery pack upon launch too should you want to modernise your set-up even further, but I didn’t have this to review.

The battery cover itself is also metal, just like the entirety of the shell. Typically, many companies would overlook the design of a simple battery cover, but not ModRetro. It features a modern metal latch that clips in with satisfying reliability, and the inside features rubber pads that stop the batteries themselves rattling around when gaming. The more you look at the device with intent, the more you’ll realise this is an incredibly well-made product, and that no inch has been skipped.

This battery compartment adds a larger booty to the bottom device, making it almost the same thickness as the original Game Boy DMG. In the modern age, many would see this as being a “thick” device, and I would probably agree that when it comes to the bottom half of the handheld. Still, it’s a necessity for the 3x AA’s to give you around 6-8 hours of battery life and the fact that it keeps to its nostalgic roots.

The cartridge slot itself works and will greet you with the plastic scrape when sliding it in, alongside a lightly forced “clock” when it hits the pins. The ON/OFF switch is super sturdy too and takes inspiration from the Game Boy DMG, so again you’ll hear the loud “CLICK” from the plastic slider that cracks to the side when used, letting everyone in your radius know that you’re no longer interested in their conversations about the stock market and instead are more interested in the important things in life… like which starter Pokémon to choose.

Around the sides of the Chromatic you’ll find your ports. As mentioned, it has a sturdy on/off switch, however like the Game Boy Color it doesn’t feature the locking mechanism that keeps the cartridge from being pulled out by kids when playing a game. This is because it can play GB and GBC cartridges, so it wouldn’t even be possible, but a part of me believes that ModRetro could have somehow come up with a unique way of making it an option when playing GB cartridges. Nothing scares me more than losing hours upon hours of gameplay because my 10-month-old has pulled out my cartridge mid-game and corrupted my saves (this almost happened as pictured below).

On the right, you will find a volume wheel that sticks out far enough to not have to turn the device around to find the wheel; it’s very obvious on the fingers. Below that is your MENU button which brings up ModRetro’s custom menus. This offers the user the option to change the brightness, turn on/off silent mode, change display settings such as Frame Blend (which makes certain aspects transparent in certain GBC games) and Color Correction (which makes streaming look better when plugged into a PC). This menu is super simple and opens up some minor customisations; it’s likely this will get more upgrades as the months/years go by through updates.

At the bottom, you will find a headphone jack, an LED indicator that won’t blind you at night because it’s not front-facing, a USB-C port for charging and streaming, and then a speaker grill. Upon testing the speaker, I was surprised to see that when I opened up the device the speaker inside is slightly angled towards the user. So although the speaker is technically facing down, it’s angled up towards the user to enhance the experience. This speaker is incredibly loud too; I never used it at 100% volume it’s that loud!

Finally, there’s a trading cable port that works as it should. I tested this by trading Pokémon and I came across no issues at all. There are also two lanyard holes on each corner of the console too for you to customise the device as you please.

A Face Designed With Retro Intent

Now, to the face. The shape of the face again takes inspiration from the original Game Boy with three sharp corners and a curved corner at the bottom right. Half of the device is taken up by the absolutely stunning display that is protected by a panel of sapphire crystal glass that protects it from scratches.

This sapphire glass is incredible and somehow makes the screen feel impenetrable. ModRetro has kept the large bezels to keep the screen to the original size of its predecessors. After speaking with the CEO, Palmer described the display as being as close to the real thing as possible yet modern enough to make it look like nothing on the market, and he’s right.

The 2.56 inch, 160 x 144 display is custom-made by ModRetro and is one you won’t ever find on any other handheld. It was developed in-house by their team and is technically the world’s only pixel-accurate Game Boy display. It makes the games look identical to the original’s pixel structure yet vibrant and sharp enough to look new. It’s a unique display that blows my mind every time I turn it on and is easily visible in direct sunlight even if my pictures show otherwise.

“The original Game Boy Color display was actually very in-accurate because it was cheap technology at the time. If you look at Lapras on the Pokemon Gold/Silver loading screen it’s actually a nice skin-tone colour to its belly, and if you put that on a modern system it’s a bright garish yellow. The only way we are going to do this correctly, is purposely make a custom display and custom color filters that mimic the “poor” colors of the original Game Boy Color to give you the “right” color”.

Palmer Luckey, CEO of Mod Retro

Most modern displays over-modernise the pixels to make them look seamless and attached, whereas the ModRetro display keeps the square lines that make up the uniqueness of the Game Boy display, keeping the vintage obscurities that we all remember. It’s one of the main reasons I love playing on this device; it feels like what I thought I experienced as a child, and I am incredibly happy that they decided to keep the vintage look.

Underneath the display, you will find graphics baked onto the face. Those who order early will receive a “1st Edition” Chromatic, a slight nod to 1st Edition Pokemon Cards, because Palmer is a Poke’nerd like us and understands collectibles. There’s also unique coloured stripes on the bottom left of the device to give the handheld a unique look.

The buttons used are perfect crafted with high-end PBT crystalline polymer. I rarely use the word perfect because perfection rarely exists, but the buttons used are truly impressive. The DPAD is strong; it has very little movement to it yet enough direction to move diagonally with confidence, and each press will reflect a light, but attentive clicking noise.

The action buttons are high-gloss and bounce nicely with a plastic click to them, but not a cheap plastic; they’re high quality, reactive and sound just like the original’s buttons. It’s an iconic sound, one that many retro gamers can hear from 100ft away because their subconscious remembers it being pressed thousands of times as a child. The buttons are epic, there’s no denying it. Gone are the small, annoying, cheap silicone start and select buttons that require you to use your nails too, thank the lord.

ModRetro also entices customers to open up their devices, customise them as they please, change up the buttons, and start tinkering, but please be aware that this does void the warranty, so tinker wisely.

Comfortability?

The Chromatic is certainly comfortable, thanks to the curved erognomics and small-ish size of the device. It’s nearly identical to the Game Boy Color in size but weighs closer to the original DMG because of its metal shell and 3x AA batteries, giving it a good amount of weight when in your hand.

With weight comes worry though, and as much as it’s made of metal and very much resilient to bumps and scratches, dropping this thing is like dropping a small brick that makes an enormous noise as it hits the floor, sounding like a small meteor falling from the sky. I have only dropped it once, thankfully and there have been no issues with it all and only a tiny dent within the metal shell that it brushed off with laughter as if saying “is that all you got”… something I discovered once I had wiped away my tears and picked it up.

It’s a compact handheld and just about pocket-friendly, but make sure you’re wearing a belt as it might show the world your crown jewels because of the weight swinging around in your pocket. I must mention that the large booty and the curved battery pack at the back allow you to wrap your hands around it comfortably for long periods of time. The GBC is an underrated handheld when it comes to comfortability and the Chromatic has followed its footsteps nicely.

How Well Does It Play Game Boy Games?

As you might imagine, flawlessly. The technology and board inside replicates the cartridges with confidence, primarily thanks to the gorgeous display, high-quality speaker, decent battery life, and nostalgic feel of the shell.

It doesn’t change the Game Boy experience, instead, it pays tribute to it with respect and no strings attached. The process is as easy as inserting the cartidge and snapping the switch to ‘On’. In a second you’ll be greeted with the display and pulled into the array of Game Boy games that you have in your collection.

It’s likely after your first few hours that you’ll be searching for new Game Boy games to play, or exploring your favourite retro games shop to find some new gems to add to your collection in the hope that you can experience your childhood in a modern, refreshing take. ModRetro has made it as simple as it was back in the 90’s without over-complicating things like the Analogue Pocket does in a way.

I tested an array of cartridges including rumble-pak games that worked as they should, with no issues to the quality of the rumble, and the same goes for the Game Boy Camera too, it all works. I expected no issues here, but had to test, just in case.

When your battery starts to die, you will see an on-screen symbol in the top right. It shows roughly 30-60 minutes before your batteries are fully out. The small LED indicator at the bottom will also show red, and then flash red at its last moments.

Instead of the device just turning off, I did notice that it takes about 15 – 20 seconds to “die’, showcasing weird glitching of the screen, dimming, flashing on and off, and featuring weird lines on the screen as if someone has hacked your phone.

This doesn’t change the experience at all, but it did catch me by surprise and I had a weird feeling in my head that it could have damaged a save state. But, after checking numerous times, that’s not how it works. I can’t imagine there’s a way to change this, but I’ll let you experience this for yourself. It’s almost a sad goodbye to your batteries as if it’s struggling to breathe in its last moments.

Finding Some Hidden Gems

After tinkering with the device and taking a look at its insides, I was excited to see a couple of things that have not yet been spoken about openly, and that’s a Bluetooth Module and WiFi.

This makes me believe that there could be new updates to the device that would allow customers to enable this, opening up the opportunity to sync up Bluetooth headphones and Bluetooth controllers. This would make sense when syncing it up to displays for gaming on the big screen.

The WiFi module opens up opportunities too, not only because ModRetro entices their customers to modify the devices as they please, but this could feature OTA updates or as Torin Herndon explained: “What I really want to see the wifi module do is LAN stuff”.

From what I am aware after speaking with the team for a while now is that ModRetro wants to focus on the launch first and foremost and then put some serious time into creating some big updates for its users, so only time will tell what the team are planning on doing, but the modules are a sign that they’re planning something serious.

Is It Truly “Indestructible”?

While I was visiting the ModRetro booth at this year’s EGX/Comic Con in London I was talking to their team about the product when I overheard one of their staff mentioning that they “have even run over it with a vehicle”. This quote caught my attention amongst the noise and I wondered whether or not it was tested, because let’s face it, this would be an incredible feat, and one I would have likely seen on their social channels if it was tested on camera.

Because if it indeed ‘can be run over’, I’d want to see it… and so would you, our readers. Initially, I forgot about this when I got home, but inside one of the leaflets that I took from their booth was an advertisement showcasing the Chromatic under a tyre with the words “INDESTRUCTIBLE” next to it.

The reviewer in me had to test it. Wondering if this is the case, and more importantly showcasing this to our community and putting their marketing advertisements to the test. So, I ran over the prototype that was given to me. I was told this prototype was pretty much the finished product with some early paint work that was tested alongside old firmware, so structurally it’s identical.

Disclaimer: I do want to mention that this was not fairly tested. It was a prototype, I left a cartridge and batteries in the device when it was run over, and the vehicle I used was a Tesla Model Y which is a heavy vehicle coming in at 2,000KG. So perhaps the results would have been different with a lighter vehicle or the final product.

The result was what I expected. The Chromatic was destroyed, the liquid crystal display smashed, the power button bent, and deep scratches around the metal shell which resulted in the device not turning on anymore.

Although it is indeed broken, I was impressed with how the shell and front-facing buttons stood up to the sheer weight of the vehicle. The scratches are minimal, the front-facing buttons work fine and the cartridge still works, the only real destruction was the display which makes me believe that geeks could resurrect it if they had the option of buying the display separately.

So, although you may see this as a negative, I believe no other handheld of this size or price could withstand a vehicle of this weight as well as the Chromatic did, and it’s proof that it’s built like a brick, even if the display can’t withstand that kind of pressure.

The Future Of ModRetro

It’s crazy to think that this is ModRetro’s first mass-produced product. It’s truly close to flawless and it excites me to see a new brand make waves in the Game Boy community with a truly high-end device with cool people behind it that actually care.

ModRetro isn’t just about the Chromatic though. In fact in the future it will play a small part of their business. ModRetro is also about bringing new “retro” games to life and supporting unique developers.

We will also see new devices come to fruition; Palmer gave Retro Dodo readers an exclusive by saying in our interview that “We will certainly be doing a Game Boy Advance focused handheld some day”. Palmer also showcased his love for the NeoGeo and SEGA Game Gear, so who knows what they’ll be working on next. These launches could ignite not only new hardware, but new games, enticing developers to craft new games for this hardware, and that truly excites me.

Overall Opinion

The ModRetro Chromatic is the best way to play Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, and it’s likely to stay that way for a very long time. The team have crafted a remarkable device that ignites the inner child in me and sticks to the retro layouts and visuals in a way that’s nostalgic yet refreshing.

I struggle to believe that anyone can make anything better than this. It’s the perfect tribute to the Game Boy and will remain one of my favourite handhelds for a long time. Some may be put off by the $199 price tag, but I strongly believe that if you buy one, you’ll never need to buy another Game Boy or handheld emulator that emulates GB/GBC ever again.

I am finding it really hard to find things to complain about here, as you can probably tell from reading my review. I guess I would have liked to see the modules go live upon launch and perhaps have the ability to buy a Wireless Charging upgrade in the future, but I was informed that it’s impossible “due to the device’s architecture”.

I would also like to see a feature that allows me to lock my device, perhaps this could come in a minor update, a way for me to lock the device with a PIN so that my son can’t turn it on and lose my save states or free Pokémon that I’ve caught for example?

These are incredibly minor tweaks and take nothing away from the incredible experience; the team have thought of everything and have solid reasons why things are done the way that they are. This is hands down one of the best handhelds of the year – I love it!

The ModRetro Chromatic is available for $199 on ModRetro’s official website.