After all, pure nostalgia is a powerful marketing force. Devices like the Analog Pockets have already taken a high-tech approach to playing old-school Game Boy cartridges. Chromatic does something similar and turns out it’s pretty cool. It launched late last year, then quickly sold out. In July, ModRetro began selling units again, this time with some upgrades like a snap-in battery pack and streaming support. Now it’s finally back in stock, so it’s much easier to buy than it was the first time.
The handheld comes in a number of fun colors and can play any old Game Boy cartridge, assuming you take the time to blow the dust out of the connector slot. ModRetro also sells about a dozen original games in its cartridges. Some are official recreations of older classics, such as O mind And Toki ToriPrices range from $30 to $100 depending on the game,
blast from the past
Courtesy of Moderatro
I’ve spent most of my time on Chromatic, diving into the rabbit hole that is Modretro’s recreation of Tetris. And yes, the game is still on. Especially with the primo way of playing it. The Chromatic is lightweight, about 6.2 ounces. The outer shell is made of “cold-touch magnesium build” that keeps your palms from sweating too much while playing. The 160×144 pixel screen is made of Corning’s Gorilla Glass, but for a $100 upgrade, you can have it made of sapphire crystal, the same thing Rolex puts on its watches.