Over the years of multiple house moves and life events, I’ve somehow managed to keep hold of my original Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX cartridge on Game Boy. My actual Game Boy handhelds and various other Pokémon games have all, disappointingly, been lost to time — but that one cart has stuck around. For the last two weeks, I’ve finally had something to play it on.
I’m talking about the latest ModRetro Chromatic Transparent: an updated version of its homage to the original Game Boy that’s capable of playing all original Game Boy and Game Boy Color game cartridges, as well as ModRetro’s own re-releases.
What’s even more interesting is that this new version of the Chromatic doesn’t just come in several transparent colorways, but also sports a much lower starting price of $149.99 / £139.99 — that’s $50 / £45 cheaper than the original version. Plus, a copy of Tetris is still included with all purchases.
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I’ve been bouncing between that classic block-based puzzler and probably one of my favorite Zelda adventures over the last couple of weeks to test out the Chromatic — and I’m super-impressed with the swish little handheld.
As much as I love the idea of playing retro games on original hardware, there’s no denying the impact of some of the huge improvements the Chromatic makes over the classic Game Boy.
The design is one thing, which is made up of a see-through plastic shell that weighs just 6.2 oz (176g), making it slightly lighter and more comfortable for longer gaming sessions.
But the real highlight is the screen. It maintains the same dimensions and resolution as the original Game Boy, but upgrades it to an IPS backlit LCD with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass. That means you get a sharp and clear image in all conditions, so long gone are the days of waiting for the next streetlight to pass to see the screen on nighttime journeys.
Overall, it just works incredibly well as a modern refinement to an iconic handheld that I grew up spending many hours on during long journeys and holidays. It makes me wish I’d taken better care of my old library of Game Boy games so that I could try them all out again now.
Maybe, though, like the Chromatic M64 before it, this will inspire me to start building another collection of retro games.
If you’re interested in picking one up, the new ModRetro Chromatic Transparent is available to buy now for $149.99 / £139.99.
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