A blast from the past with a few of modern upgrades
In a market of pretenders the ModRetro Chromatic really does feel like the GameBoy I dreamt of as a kid. It does everything it takes a swing at wonderfully with a beautiful design and materials. It really is the best GameBoy I’ve ever played. It’s also the most expensive.
| Pros | Cons |
Exceptional build quality Vibrant and accurate display High-quality sound Nostalgic design | Expensive Non-Rechargeable battery |
First Impressions
Packaging shouldn’t matter, but the Chromatic arrives in some wonderfully designed packaging reminiscent of my secondary school notepad, covered in scribbles and doodles. Out of the box, the device feels solid and well put together; the display looks great, and it comes with branded AA batteries included. That’s right, the ModRetro Chromatic runs on three double AA’s and is packaged with a slick black Tetris cart. Slotting the batteries in and feeling the click of the cart was a throwback punctuated by the click of the on/off power switch. Just like that, I’m 9 years old again.
The ModRetro Chromatic is not a run-of-the-mill retro gaming device; it’s a nostalgic journey back to my golden age of portable gaming. Crafted with excellent materials and a modern flair, this handheld offers a welcome throwback. The Chromatic is solidly built, with a sturdy feel in the hand that speaks to real care and quality. Every edge is meticulously finished, and the choice of materials makes it not only aesthetically pleasing but also durable. I’ve seen videos of this device being driven over by a car, and while I don’t plan on going quite that far myself, everything about the Chromatic tells me it’ll take a beating if/when it comes to that.
Display
The display on the ModRetro Chromatic faithfully recreates the classic Game Boy 160×144 pixel ratio while adding some modern pleasantries. Bright and vibrant, the screen ensures that each pixel is crisp, making your favourite games more immersive than ever but with a blindingly bright backlight that I had to turn way down to enjoy comfortably. It’s clear that a lot of attention to detail has gone into making the display as authentic as possible, but if you ever played a Game Boy back in the day, you’ll appreciate just how great it is not having to play Tetris by torchlight. The display is protected by sapphire crystal, which, much like the magnesium alloy body, feels super strong and protective. Pair this display with a wildly loud speaker system, and the Audio/Visual experience of the Mod Retro Chromatic is fantastic. If you’re feeling older everyday, as I am like, you can have the brightness and audio settings all the way down to protect your aching eyes and ears.
Hardware and Performance
Under the hood, the Chromatic is equipped with FPGA-based architecture, which accurately recreates the Game Boy experience and will play all your favourite Game Boy cartridges seamlessly. Unlike a lot of similar hardware, there’s no software emulation here. I had a great time running Pokémon Yellow, Super Mario World II, and ModRetros bundled Tetris game but did run into a bit of a problem when trying to use a flash cartridge. When I tried this on a similar FPGA device I had the same issue so I wouldn’t say this has anything to do with the Chromatic. What I know for sure is that it taught me a lesson. The Mod Retro Chromatic should be played old school. Switch the carts.
When it comes to connectivity, the ModRetro has a 3.5mm headphone jack for headphones (ModRetro is selling some very nice colour-matched KOSS Porta Pro headsets), a USB-C that promises to charge custom lithium-ion battery packs (not currently available but ModRetro say they’re coming) as well as video out and even backwards compatible Link cable ports and IR blasters. This means that the Chromatics can connect with each other and older Game Boys just like you remember!
Conclusion
Retro gaming is huge, and in 2024, the market exploded. There are literally dozens of devices that offer opportunities to play all your old favourites, but the Mod Retro Chromatic focuses on premium design, high-end materials, and as authentic of an experience as possible. I hesitate to point to a better way to experience Game Boy today, and it makes the Chromatic worth every penny.
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