Back in the ‘90s, I was a Game Boy kid — I even loved those late night drives back from vacation where you had to wait for passing street lights to see what was on the (non-backlit) screen! But the real beauty of it was the games were purposely built for on-the-go play to instantly hook you.
That’s something I believe has gone missing in 2025. We’re surrounded by vastly more powerful systems like the Steam Deck OLED and ROG Xbox Ally, which do allow for incredible-looking games that tell infinitely better stories with vast amounts of gameplay depth. But with all that complexity, they can take a while to get to the good part, whereas Game Boy games ditched all of that unnecessary guff and just got to the point.
But with any sort of old tech fondness, am I looking at it through rose-tinted glasses? I do miss my Commodore 64 (even got a keyboard in honor of it), but when I went back to it, you realize that it just didn’t age well. Is that the same with Nintendo’s handheld?
Well, after daily-driving the ModRetro Chromatic for a few weeks, I can safely say that’s not the case. Game Boy games still slap, and the Chromatic is the best way to play them. Let me tell you about it.
Premium Boy
There’s a lot of things I miss about the original Game Boy, but if there are two things I definitely don’t long for, those would be the cheap plastic and the display without a backlight. The Chromatic addresses both of these head-on, and feels all the more premium for it!
First, you’re getting a 2.6-inch 160x144-pixel IPS display with great color and backlighting, so those play sessions don’t have to end when the sun goes down. The subpixel structure has also been worked on to be as authentic to the original Game Boy as possible, and it really shows whether you're in or outdoors thanks to that bright backlight. Also shout-out to the ultra-loud speaker in here too — great clarity and prime for blasting out those 8-bit soundtracks.
And second, there’s a rock solid magnesium alloy body here, which feels great to hold and gives you a real confidence in its durability. Pair that with either Gorilla Glass atop the screen for scratch resistance, or you could pay an extra $100 and get Sapphire, and my two biggest bugbears about the original handheld have been resolved.
Emulation, but done right
So if you’re like me, chances are you’ve gone back to the family home and found a shoebox full of old games that you’re keen to play. A lot of the cheaper retro systems you can buy on Amazon pack a software-level emulator. It does the job, but can bring with it pesky bugs and issues of lag between you pushing buttons and the character moving on-screen.
The ModRetro does this differently with a Field-Programmable Gate Array architecture (FGPA). Basically, rather than throwing the Game Boy game through a software emulation layer, the Chromatic replicates the hardware — the game is actually played without any of that software trickery needed.
That guarantees a lag-free gaming experience across all the Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges I threw at this handheld, and the authenticity is backed up by all the small-but-critical decisions made too.
The sub-pixel structure and color balance are tuned to match Nintendo’s hardware, the PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) buttons have been tested to replicate that same tactile feel. You could even play multiplayer just like in the past with an optional Link Cable.
All of this comes together to give you the best look back at your childhood, and not only that, but ModRetro is taking some notes from modern day to enrich the gaming possibilities too.
Physical game cartridges, but better
ModRetro is producing its own game cartridges too. Each Chromatic comes bundled with a copy of Tetris, but there are other addictive titles like Dragonyhm and Toki Tori — Ultimate Edition to be had too.
But this is where the modern inspiration comes in, because using a feature called Cart Clinic, developers can actually push updates to their games. Just plug it in via USB-C to your PC or Mac, fire up the software and apply the patch.
Most recently, this has opened up the insanely addictive Battle Mode in Tetris: the best multiplayer mode from the original title on Game Boy.
Basically, as you wipe out lines, those lines are then added to the competing player’s screen. It’s crazy good fun, and a real showcase example of how you can continue to support these games even after they’ve been pushed on silicon!
Outlook
Retro fondness in gaming is something we all have, but can be quickly disappointed by when actually going back to said games. To really make it hit right, you need hardware that stays true to the original formula, while embracing modern day tech to enrich the experience.
The ModRetro Chromatic does that 100%. With its premium build quality and attention to detail, it’s a spectacular Game Boy revival that even comes with charm…literally…each game comes with a charm you can attach to the handheld.
Whether it’s a quick blast on commutes to work or a round of Tetris between sets at the gym, the Chromatic has never left my side, as every time I pick it up, all the memories come flooding back.
Tactility, personality and addictive games. What more could you want from a portable?
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
More from Tom's Guide
- I tested Nvidia GeForce Now’s RTX 5080 upgrade — it made my $750 PS5 Pro feel old
- I raced for 100 hours with the Nacon Revosim RS Pure sim racing rig — it feels like Fanatec for a fraction of the price
- RTX 5060 laptops vs RTX 4060 — is it actually worth buying one of the latest gaming laptops?
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
