Chromatic by ModRetro: FPGA GBC, Cartridges & More!

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ม.ค. 2025

ความคิดเห็น • 159

  • @DaveFallows
    @DaveFallows 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    Glad you got one in the end. Scouring YT for Chromatic videos is what brought me to your channel. :)

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well I've had it for about a week and now I can publish my video. Let me know if you have any questions. Overall I really like it

  • @MN12BIRD
    @MN12BIRD 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Excellent review. This thing is really nice. I don't know if I'll bite but if I see one in a Game Stop I might not stop myself.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I'm always worried about my reviews either not going into enough detail or being too long. Well, I believe they are taking pre-orders right now and the gray is a GameStop exclusive color. They're also going to be carrying all the games there published by ModRetro.

  • @ParisJean-v7r
    @ParisJean-v7r หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    This review deserves more views and likes. Thanks for the good work

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thank you very much. I appreciate the kind words. In order to record the screens in total darkness, I had to sit in my bathroom recording it with the door shut

  • @evilelf19
    @evilelf19 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Just ordered one after this review. Super excited about getting one!

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      It really made me feel excited to play my Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. It feels pretty good in your hands.

  • @Michael-vm4bb
    @Michael-vm4bb 24 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Hello, that was by far, the best in depth review i've found! Thank you.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  24 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Thank you very much. You should check out my side-by-side fpga Game Boy Color showdown video
      th-cam.com/video/rL3nHawcAgA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=TXl0YOLAFTWk5HCe

  • @Evercade_Effect
    @Evercade_Effect 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Thanks for your honest review. I might be getting the Game Stop version for Christmas. 😉

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thanks. I mean it's really tough because I like all three of these systems. They all have a different feel and design. Ethos and they're all pretty darn good.
      Fun fact, if you listen to the review and you hear these little metal clicking sounds, that's the dangling chimes against the body of the unit.

    • @Evercade_Effect
      @Evercade_Effect 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @8bitjoystick 😀

  • @MrDapperton
    @MrDapperton หลายเดือนก่อน

    This video is very well produced, subscribed.
    Your cat is adorable

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thank you. He CONSTANTLY demands to be the center of attention when I am writing, filming, and Editing a video so it is no suprise when he ends up in them. Plus his face has a higher click through rate than my face

  • @aarondavis9208
    @aarondavis9208 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Thanks for covering the Analogue vs Chromatic difference. It seems straightforward on paper but in reality it’s more nuanced and the value of a focused device will really resonate with certain people!

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Well longer i've been doing this TH-cam channel the more I believe that the experience of playing games is intrinsically tied to the hardware.
      It's not really necessary for the chromatic to have a higher resolution to draw a game that was created at a set number of pixels. It instead has a screen that does a better job of displaying those pixels since resolution is set and everything is nice and crispy.
      But it's all highly subjective, they're all quite good, and everyone's subjective opinion is valid.

  • @Booboomuffins
    @Booboomuffins หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Probably the best review of this product

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thanks. I had a lot of fun making it. I mainly make videos about retro games and my Hardware reviews are a blast to do.

  • @dwightdixon8508
    @dwightdixon8508 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

    I appreciate the use of standard AA batteries. IMO the use of AAs simply allows for more options including hot swapping for fresh AAs available almost everywhere and the use of economical rechargeable AAs. Even my original GameBoy still fires up with fresh AAs to this day. I preordered the Midnight & Logan Paul Chromatic and looking forward to them. Again, love options but pretty confident the Analogue Pocket will remain my got to for “retro” games.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Yeah on my previous video. I'm sort of surprised at just how divisive. The choice to go with AA batteries was. Honestly I could see myself getting the battery pack as soon as it's available. But as you can see in my video I use rechargeable batteries will my Game Boy handhelds.
      I'm actually enjoying the dangly cell phone charms more than I expected. I didn't even realize that the Game Boy Color had a dangly charm connector on it

    • @nuclearbeeberman
      @nuclearbeeberman 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      but they could have a least added rechargable AAs for that price...

    • @philfriethegamingguy7759
      @philfriethegamingguy7759 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      I had no idea there was a Logan Paul Chromatic until this post. Is it only in black?

    • @dwightdixon8508
      @dwightdixon8508 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@philfriethegamingguy7759it’s darker than the Midnight color, charcoal colored and retains those color line graphics one of them is yellow

    • @dwightdixon8508
      @dwightdixon8508 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@nuclearbeebermanI kind of agree with you on that point

  • @irariossr.8959
    @irariossr.8959 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    It is great seeing you able to review a pre-release product. Great review!

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I was quite excited they put me on the review unit list. This is actually the 2nd time I got an early review. My first was "Year 2031" and it was a Game Boy game actually! th-cam.com/video/LAwX3kOOuNk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=XQBkneWQzJjPFqqR

    • @irariossr.8959
      @irariossr.8959 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @8bitjoystick I did see that video. Another good one. 😀

  • @jedimaster12100
    @jedimaster12100 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    This is the best review I've seen yet. I like how you compared three devices. I'm seriously considering getting this. So, with the usbc cable, will the image will display on a monitor?

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      So The chromatic will display as a web camera or an external image source to a computer. I believe it's a different kind of communication method than having a monitor via USBC. But I have a portable monitor. I'll test it out and get back to you.
      Yeah I wanted to have all three of them. Head-to-head.

  • @charlesphelps8191
    @charlesphelps8191 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    great review, really hope the everdrive compatibility gets sorted out soon

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      It probably will get sorted. The Analogue Pocket didn't work with the everdrive when it first came out. They should send a unit to Krikzz. He actually updated the software on the GBX7 to fix an issue on the Analogue Pocket. I saw that John Hancock tried the Ez Flash and could not get it working. The weird thing is they said some everdrives work and some do not.

  • @flower5185
    @flower5185 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    I'm definitely intrigued by the Chromatic! The screen especially. I like that they offer so many color variants but I'm not that big on the graphics they printed on the shell. I prefer it clean and simple

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Honestly, I sort of thought that having the the black bezel around the screen sort of caused me to only focus on the screen and other decorative flourishes painted on the case were nice, but not terribly distracting. It's colorful without being tacky.

  • @erik19borgnia
    @erik19borgnia หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I can't confirm, but I think that they used 3 AA instead of 2 or 4 because of voltage input. The original GBC expected a 3v input, and that's achieved with 2 alcaline AA, since those have 1.5v output each. Though it can support less voltage input (as batteries voltage lowers when they discharge). However, rechargeable batteries usually have an output of 1.2v, and 2.4v with 2 of them, so it could be that ModRetro replicated the 3v input, and with 3.6v input it's more stable and lasts longer.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Well that makes sense. I bet the screen draws more juice than the FPGA chips.

  • @CheSquared
    @CheSquared 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Thanks for the comprehensive review

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks, my hardware videos always seem to be popular. I mostly started this channel to talk about games but end up talking about game hardware.. I can live with that.

  • @MikeTheGamingRoadWarrior
    @MikeTheGamingRoadWarrior 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    That green one was the one I was gonna pick up. That's really nice. I ended up pre-ordering the gray one from gamestop, though.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Apparently they called this color leaf which is probably a reference to Pokémon but it's also not quite mountain dew color or lime. Lime would work. I'm just glad that they're actually colorful because I have too much electronics that's either white or black, so I appreciate some actual color

    • @360MM-11
      @360MM-11 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I went through GameStop too. Can't wait

  • @ced214
    @ced214 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    You can set the pocket to boot automatically to the cartridge, the option is in the settings

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Yeah, I found out about that after I published my video. I'm going to make a follow-up video with a timed comparing the boot up time between the three game systems also I'm going to zoom in on the screen and have them side by side.

  • @amariofan64
    @amariofan64 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Looks nice, might have to see if ol' Santa can get me one of those. Also, cute cat!

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well I hope Santa has connections at ModRetro and they can make enough. ha ha. My cat is annoyingly cute and annoyingly loud. I sort of embrace putting him in the videos because I can't really keep him out of the videos. He's pretty much right there during the writing process, the filming process and the editing process but then again he lives here.

  • @1423big
    @1423big 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I own an analogue pocket and reserved one of the gamestop grey ones.
    I have passed my pocket to non-gamers so they could play tetris with me and the extra buttons throw them for a loop. I like how this device has the exact buttons required so other people can play with me.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Well, there's something to be said about the simplicity of a dedicated device. You turn on. It works. That's it, easy peasy. You can also put it in your shirt pocket without ripping your shirt.

  • @yesdeleon
    @yesdeleon หลายเดือนก่อน

    I have an EverDrive X7 (purchased from Stone Age Gamer in September) that has FPGA ver 07 and it works fine in my limited use so far. I got my Chromatic two days ago.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  หลายเดือนก่อน

      Excellent. I think it's probably an issue with the pre-release firmware that I have. I look forward to them updating the system

    • @zg-it
      @zg-it หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@8bitjoystick I'm having the blank screen issue. Tried a lot, put the new firmware on the chromatic. I tried every firmware on my Everdrive, a half dozen sd cards from 1GB to 32GB. Some Everdrive firmwares would bring up a garbled screen, others blank. Pretty frustrating.

  • @thrillhausen8858
    @thrillhausen8858 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Would be great if we could pick these up in the UK.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well I know they're going to be sold on gamestop. They're doing pre-orders right now so go to their website and see if you can get one shipped to the UK. If not you'll have to get one off Amazon. But it's not like you have to worry about PAL vs NTSC with this.

  • @ThatRetroGamer1
    @ThatRetroGamer1 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I just picked one up from GameStop today and it's great! I'm not sure if maybe they updated it since your review or not, but my Everdrive X5 works. It just gets wonky if I push the soft reset button. I'm on firmware v0.11.2

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I have the same but my FPGA version is "Debug 13.4" That could be it.

  • @PongbyAtari
    @PongbyAtari 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I'm torn I have a Analogue Pocket & Dock which I love with updates the GB & GBC games look great in LCD and LCD+ mode. The Chromatic is designed to play GB & GBC which it does quite well from everything I have seen. The fact that the Everdrive GB X7 doesn't work at least with the pre release Chromatic I hope that gets fixed in the retail version I think it's going to be the final decision maker for me 15:31 buying the Chromatic. I appreciate your video if you have any Chromatic updates we.need to know about please let us know 😊

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well the thing is Metal Jesus and Immortal. John Hancock had the everdrive working on their systems so it looks like it's just me.
      Besides, I let the company know about it and they're working on it.

    • @leatherhidegaming
      @leatherhidegaming 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I ended up sticking with my Pocket. If it was just for GB and GBC games, the Pocket would still be a great option thanks to the filters but the Chromatic would win easily. Since I also sometimes use a regular GBC, it doesn't make much sense to me to get the Chromatic (would love to have one though). I also use the Pocket docked to play other cores, even got some extra controllers and adapters, and I love that standard Trinitron filter.

  • @mauricioalcala4074
    @mauricioalcala4074 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    so the reason im not gonna get the analgoue pocket is for the dpad and buttons that people said it aint feel right i want to askyou that the chromatic dpad feels just right like the original gameboy and i think im gonna get the pink one

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      The start select and the A&B buttons were just perfect. Also, this can be opened up with a Game Boy screwdriver so when I was talking to the engineers at Portland Retro Gaming Expo, they hope that modders will make replacement buttons and parts for it. I would love to find a d-pad with the circular indentation and the arrows, but they probably don't want to infringe on Nintendo's patents.
      I thought it was interesting that their website had the option to have the button text in Japanese. Considering Japanese consoles have their button text in English, but it's retro. It's fun and that's what matters.
      By the way, did you see that they're bringing back cute dangly cell phone charms? Hell now I want that on my actual smartphone

    • @mauricioalcala4074
      @mauricioalcala4074 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@8bitjoystick thanks dude that only think that matters to me is the response of the dpad and great video review

    • @TimRoot-dotcom
      @TimRoot-dotcom 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I don’t own the Chromatic (yet), but I do have the Analogue Pocket, the Funnyplaying Game Boy, and the original DMG Game Boy. Out of the three, the Analogue Pocket’s D-pad and buttons feel the best to me. It’s much easier to hit diagonals in Contra and pull off precise button combos in rhythm games with the Analogue. The Funnyplaying has been hit-or-miss for me-I bought 12 as Christmas gifts, and 3 of them had buttons that felt off.
      The Analogue Pocket also has a massive, high-resolution screen and supports save states, which is a huge deal. That said, I imagine the Chromatic might feel better for quick play sessions, so I’m still considering getting one. If the Chromatic supported save states and offered a forced DMG mode (to keep original Game Boy games in black-and-white), it could easily take the crown as the best option.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@TimRoot-dotcom There are a greyscale and two different green OG GameBoy modes in the Chromatic but access them by holding down buttons during boot up. Not from a menu like the FPGBC. Apparently there is enough internal memory on the Chromatic to do save states but it is not supported in the current firmware.
      Personally I am glad I waited a year to get a Analogue Pocket since it had significant software updates after launch. The Chromatic may get some more features after launch but I would make your choices based on the systems as it is.
      Choosing the Chromatic is a bit tough if you already have the FPGBC. I sort of see them going after folks that have neither than trying to get "Converts"

  • @skippyb.coyote895
    @skippyb.coyote895 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    The Chromatic would be exactly what I'm looking for if it worked with the EverDrive GB X7 I already own. If they do get EverDrive support working with a firmware update though I'll absolutely buy one!

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The thing is that it works for some other reviewers but not me. here is a video from Game Junction and they got it working!
      th-cam.com/video/Dy5ysuasLSE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=lqhdxhELWPKK8v_x&t=412

    • @PongbyAtari
      @PongbyAtari 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      You and me both I only have a couple gbc carts and maybe 8 gb carts so it has to be compatible with my ED HB X7 to really make it worthwhile for me 😊

    • @NatsumenoKage
      @NatsumenoKage หลายเดือนก่อน

      My x5 works.

  • @tricycloplots21
    @tricycloplots21 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Oh my gosh I had no idea about the Tetris cart - that's SO COOL!
    PS: It was so nice meeting you outside Hawthorne Game Exchange yesterday! Did you find any gems shopping?

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Yeah I should actually do a video just on the new version of Tetris. I'll try and do it later on this week
      Hey it was super cool meeting you yesterday again. Thanks for talking to me even though the weather was being a little insane. We should have went inside. I didn't find anything this time but got some really great stuff there last week including some out-of-print anime. I love Hawthorne Game Exchange and I think that we are spoiled by having awesome shops like it. They are good people.

    • @tricycloplots21
      @tricycloplots21 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @8bitjoystick excited to see more of your content and hopefully I run into you again! I super enjoyed our conversation

  • @braillynn
    @braillynn หลายเดือนก่อน

    I should mention that the display on the Chromatic is actually bigger than the official GBC display. The GBC display is 2.3 inches and the Chromatic is 2.56 inches.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I will have to look. They are really damn close.

  • @y-stylzz
    @y-stylzz 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    6:29 So this feature works the same as on the original Game Boy Color? If so, then great!
    6:37 My suggestion: An option in the menu to choose a default palette.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      There is optional color pallets that you can trigger by holding down buttons when powering on the unit. Go to the manual and check out the Hot Key section. I agree I want these available from the on screen and saved.
      modretro.com/pages/chromatic-manual

  • @PrismaticRevolution
    @PrismaticRevolution 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The new tech Game Boys being created is re igniting the game boy market. Everyone wanting to get a good library for their Game Boy Color we dreamed of as a kid

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Agreed. I'm actually more excited about Game Boy and Game Boy Color now than I have been in years

  • @360MM-11
    @360MM-11 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    As a heads-up, Chromatic has a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip built in. Mod Retro said they’ll activate it later.
    Can’t wait for mine

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      UPDATE! YOU ARE RIGHT! Wow. I didn't know about that. I would freaking love bluetooth support.

  • @classicnut6655
    @classicnut6655 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    AP has option to load stream into game in startup

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Oh shoot! I just realized that after I finished my video. It still has a faster boot up process.

  • @capcomfan11
    @capcomfan11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I got the gamestop one, reminds me of portland trail blazers team color

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well it is the closest to the Original GameBoy DMG color scheme. However, despite living in Portland Oregon I am more of Rose City Roller fan. That is the FIVE TIME AND CURRENT WORLD CHAMPIONS.. Rose City Rollers.

  • @eduardomancia4958
    @eduardomancia4958 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I can hardly wait to have the grey color one soon. I will probably get another color but can’t decide which one. Gamestop website says it will be available december 1st

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well they are currently manufacturing them right now. The company is quite focused on making that deadline and that's why I didn't want to bug them too much with my questions during my review.
      Well, if you're already getting a gray one, I would pick a bright far out there color to contrast it

  • @leonbabic7185
    @leonbabic7185 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Great review, but I don't think you've mentioned the battery life of the Chromatic. In fact, I've yet to see a single review that talks about how long the device lasts on typical AA batteries, wich seems baffling to me as that's pretty important to know for a handheld system.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Well it came with three batteries and it lasted about a week. I switched it to some rechargeable batteries. Apparently it gets between 6 to 8 hours depending on screen brightness and use. I thought the battery life was decent

    • @leonbabic7185
      @leonbabic7185 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @8bitjoystick Thanks for the reply! 6 to 8 hours seems fine to me, though of course it doesn't beat the DMGs ridiculous 30+ hour battery life. I did end up ordering a Chromatic, and I'm looking forward to testing how long it lasts with different battery cell types (a bit of a bummer that the rechargable battery pack isn't offered yet). Here's hoping it gets to me before the end of the year..

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@leonbabic7185 is my understanding that FPGA systems are relatively power efficient when handling the system like the game boy. Most of the power draw is on the screen and the brightness of it. I didn't do any comprehensive battery tests. But perhaps I should in a new video.
      They're all pretty good and I've never had any of these suck down power to the point that I couldn't play all the games that I wanted to on it. Battery life is actually gotten so good these days not an issue which is great because I had a SEGA Game Gear back in the day and it sucked down batteries. I would have to give it some thought as to how I would even do a battery test. Like charge everything up. Put Tetris on it and then come back to it and record video at various times and talk about the time and see you when each system ran out of juice.
      The chromatic isn't even out yet, but it's expected to launch in December 2024, which is almost here and then the company is planning on unveiling the battery pack and accessory like the headphones and such.

  • @aleckermit
    @aleckermit 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Double a batteries isn't as big of a deal as I originally thought. For example I was at Costco just the other day and they sell a pack of four AA and four AAA rechargeable batteries that have usb-c ports on each indovidual battery for $20. It's an additional cost but once you have those it's arguably preferable to having a lithium pack. I really love my funny playing Game Boy Color, the only real downside being that the d-pad is pretty small and starts to cut into your thumb after longer play sessions.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The AA batteries that I'm using in my original Game Boy systems are Amazon basic rechargeables and it is $12 for a rechargeable pack of eight batteries. Personally, I have both a USB charger and a regular wall charger and the wall charger does a great job and actually has a display That shows the status of the battery.
      I should have mentioned the battery life in my review, but apparently it has about 6 hours of gameplay to a charge so that's good.

  • @mauricioalcala4074
    @mauricioalcala4074 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    and like you said the tetris its a bundle like back in the days

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Except for Japan. In Japan they never bundled games with systems and Tetris was sold separately. But still almost everyone who got a Game Boy purchased it in Japan and it's an incredibly common cartridge.
      I should have had a reference to the Tetris movie and the fact that the idea of pairing the Game Boy with Tetris was such a bright idea that they actually made entire movie about it

  • @fearlesswee5036
    @fearlesswee5036 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Personally, I find the Analogue Pocket is a better pick for somebody who just wants to start collecting and playing GameBoy titles and isn't too concerned with authenticity, but the Chromatic is bar none, the most authentic, premium replication of a GameBoy Color on the market if that is what you want. And this is even reflected in it's nostalgic "sketchbook" themed packaging, which is a breath of fresh air in an age of the Apple-esk "minimalism" packaging/branding. So for me... I think I'm going team Chromatic. (And here's hoping ModRetro makes an equally authentic GameBoy Advance SP. The clamshell design made it sooo nice to just slip into a pocket.)
    Only one question about the authenticity... can you turn the backlight on the Chromatic completely off? Not that I'd actually ever want to play that way, but just knowing it can go basically 100% authentic would really tickle my fancy...
    By the way, super underrated channel. You have a great voice and I love how genuinely happy you seem. Like + sub. :)

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  7 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Well I'm really glad that you like this channel, I put a lot of hard work into it and I'm trying to make that I see I'm glad to see other people like them. The analogue pocket is just a little generic, I mean don't get me wrong love it and I use it but I have a hard time getting over the buttons. The chromatic just feels more like a game boy. By the way on both the pocket and the chromatic if you turn the screen all the way down it doesn't actually go to completely dark. Backlighting can't be turned off because it's a part of the display but it does look pretty good and doesn't melt your eyes. Ironically even with the screen turned way down it's still easier to see than an original game boy color

  • @woprdroid
    @woprdroid 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I ordered one. I'm not sure why the Chromatic is so controversial. I never pulled the trigger on the Analogue Pocket. I know it's great, but I prefer a more focused playing experience. It's like playing a Gensis game with a SNES controller. You can do it, but it's not the same. Thanks for the heads up on the Everdrive. I still have my GB/GBC library so I'll be fine, I just hope it works. I've seen others that used theirs with no problem. Thanks for the video.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@woprdroid I think that all these different systems have their own unique advantages.
      If your priority Is to play game boy and game boy color games on cartridges with a deluxe experience Then the Chromatic is an excellent pick.
      If you wanna put together your own system and ypu prioratize efficency then the FPGBC is a good pick.
      If you want the biggest possible screen and want to play the most systems then I would go with the Analog Pocket.
      They're all really excellent options.
      I bet the Everdrive will get fixed with updates to either the drive or the Chromatic

  • @OkieOrganix
    @OkieOrganix 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Burned into your eyeballs! 👀 🔥 but in a good way 😃

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      A little hyperbole never hurt anyone. My butt has been hurt by my love of spicy Korean food.... But in a good way.
      It is really really tough to go back to original Game Boy once you get used to the modern IPS display systems. These modern systems look as good as you wish the Game Boy Color did back in the day.

  • @321mydestiny
    @321mydestiny 11 วันที่ผ่านมา

    You get the GB X7 working?
    I’m still waiting for someone to fix it

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  11 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Sadly no. There are some EverDrive GB X7s that have the "FPGA: v6" and they do not work. Older and newer versions of the GB Everdrive work but not my particular combination. It didn't work after the firmware updated on both. Oh well.

    • @321mydestiny
      @321mydestiny 11 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @ I hope they fix it one day, if not I’ll order a new X7 from Stone Age Gamer when they become available.
      Sucks the X7 I have has never been used too.

  • @vsteelers99
    @vsteelers99 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    How does the screen compare with the Analogue Pocket if you turn on the GBC+ display mode? Is it noticeably better? I thought the 10x scaling would make that display mode nearly identical to the Mod Retro screen, but it would be nice to hear a firsthand comparison.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      So both look pretty darn good. Rather than trying to go into the details I made a video to answer your question in the comments.
      th-cam.com/video/eZgEJP4I-ZY/w-d-xo.html
      So the analog pocket seemed really saturated and the the chromatic really felt natural but it's all super subjective.
      But here's a video of my phone on a tripod and I have both systems under the same lighting and zooming into the same game

  • @sherekhangamedev
    @sherekhangamedev 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Thanks, great review, one if not the best.
    I tried to order one ASAP but my country is not listed on the shipping list although Chile is listed and we are right next to the border between each other.
    I sent an email to support to see if they will add Argentina at some point.
    I can't decide between the Orange Inferno or the Yellow Volt. Initially I wanted the Volt because the yellow reminds me of the Play it Loud or the yellow GB Color, but when I see it on camera it still doesn't convince me, I don't know if it's a color really similar to those two Nintendo consoles or if it's something different.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well hopefully they will be able to ship them to more countries. If not hopefully they will sell them on Amazon and you could buy one from Amazon us. I have purchased several video game systems from Amazon Japan that way. I think this would be a great system to sell all over the world since the Game Boy itself was region free. I am tempted to buy some GameBoy games from Japan right now
      I got to see more colors at the gaming expo. The colors are definitely Pokémon inspired.
      th-cam.com/video/-WamJS0I-L0/w-d-xo.html

  • @aleckermit
    @aleckermit 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    On the FPGBC you can set the core to Gameboy mode and play original GB games in black and white. Can you do this on the Chromatic?

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Yes. If you hold both the buttons down and plus left and right on the d-pad when you Power on the unit. It will load a color palette including ones that represents the original Game Boy and the Game Boy pocket.
      There's also like a dozen other color palette choices and personally I wish that these were accessible in real time and you can set them and save them from the menu. But they really wanted to have it be just like the Game Boy Color with the button combinations when you turn it on.

  • @keithjordan8728
    @keithjordan8728 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Is yours the final version? I notice it doesn't have the "saphire" branding on the screen. I find that additional branding a bit distracting.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Nope, mine is not the final version, But one of the latest prototypes. I don't have any Sapphire branding on the screen. Also, the IR blast port doesn't work yet.

  • @cheeto5899
    @cheeto5899 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Game Boy Light beat it to backlit original game boy games. Still really want this for that brighter, yet still accurate display though.
    Emulating and my modded GBC just don't feel quite right.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The Game Boy Light really was not bright compared to modern displays. It was nifty. I got to see one at Portland Retro Gaming Expo 2024.
      Well I think there is something to having a grid pattern to your pixels that makes it feel extra "Game Boy"

    • @cheeto5899
      @cheeto5899 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @8bitjoystick That's true. It's more meant to be used in dark environments or at night wear it becomes readable enough combined when paired with the contrast wheel. Definitely not as good as modern backlights, but has a charm of its own.
      I love the pixel grid but another reason I want Chromatic is that ik told its colors are very accurate unlike some other devices with over saturation

  • @msutherlandj
    @msutherlandj หลายเดือนก่อน

    Do you know if it's possible to put GBA games on a GBC flashcart to play them on Chromatic?

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      That will not work. The screen is designed to be 1 to 1 for the Game Boy Color and Game Boy. The FPGA system is designed for GBC and GB games. Hopefully they will make a GBA system in the future but it is not going to happen on this particular system.

    • @msutherlandj
      @msutherlandj หลายเดือนก่อน

      @ Dang! I was hoping against hope I could play Zelda A Link to the past on it :(

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@msutherlandj Nope but Link's Awakening, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages work like a champ. Hopefully they will make a FPGA GBA next and a cheaper GBC system.

  • @owomushi_vr
    @owomushi_vr 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The funnyplaying is great I love mine

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Yeah I really like the FPGBC. I hope they make a GBA next.

  • @ufcfan3940
    @ufcfan3940 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Waiting on my green one

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      All the colors looked pretty good. Since the screen has the big bevels like the original Game Boy Color and you don't really focus on the color of the case while you're playing the game, but the metal case feels pretty good in your hand.

  • @digitalgamer6444
    @digitalgamer6444 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Which revision is your EverDrive-GB X7? C or E?

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I have a Rev E with a Sandisk 32 GB Card.
      EverDrive--GB, Model 17, Rev E
      Cart:ED-GB-X7
      OS ver:1.86
      FPGA:06

  • @tylerfox5003
    @tylerfox5003 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    As someone who already owns an analogue pocket, im not sure if this product has any appeal for me.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@tylerfox5003 That is totally valid. I actually like both systems quite a lot.

  • @AlexanderShelestov
    @AlexanderShelestov 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Does it emulate "screen ghosting" effect?

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Yes. And you can toggle it on and off.

  • @ExhaustedHobbit
    @ExhaustedHobbit 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Yeah at $351.43 CAD after shipping, I think I'm gonna stick to my FPGBC unfortunately. Closer to the original hardware look and feel anyway.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well I also like my FPGBC. Quite a bit.
      Now that I have both systems, I'm tempted to take my fpgbc and leave it in my bag so that I will always have a Game Boy compatible system with me. th-cam.com/video/BS0IWx4CaJw/w-d-xo.html

  • @AIexanderthefake
    @AIexanderthefake 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    What's up.. AZAZEL! INK....

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well..I got a Chromatic. it is pretty cool

  • @AIexanderthefake
    @AIexanderthefake 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Chocolate all over my face

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Scrambled eggs all over my face. What is a boy to do. th-cam.com/video/yPj-pNBfOJQ/w-d-xo.html

  • @afterdinnercreations936
    @afterdinnercreations936 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Okay, now I know that the Everdrive... might not work on the Chromatic.
    Granted, that's just a firmware-update away.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      But that's the crazy thing. Apparently some everdrives do work on it. But granted my unit is running v0.11.2 with FPGA version 13.4 debug. So hopefully there'll be an update at launch and the team is aware of it and they're probably working on it.
      Also, when I was at Portland Retro Gaming Expo, put the engineers on the spot and ask them to make a Macintosh updater program and one of the guys says that they were going to do it because he was a Mac user.

  • @ZachStandig
    @ZachStandig 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    No everdrive support is a shame

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well apparently some other reviewers had their everdrives work just fine. Hopefully it will get fixed in a update to either the system or the everdrive

  • @AIexanderthefake
    @AIexanderthefake 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Can you believe that shit hahaha a mfing light in your house

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well there's the sun coming in from outside and I try to use a fill light because that's some cinematography

  • @AIexanderthefake
    @AIexanderthefake 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Did you know how many mfing decibels are in LCD... Hahaha

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well it's pretty bright. It's totally possible to use it in sun. Usually screens are rated in nits and I don't know how bright it is

  • @AIexanderthefake
    @AIexanderthefake 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Sorry maybe it's Ukraine lol been uttering a projection lamp and there's an insane amount

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ok....My Everdrive is from Ukraine. my lights are not

  • @ericochoa4034
    @ericochoa4034 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I've heard some people say the screen is not as good as they say! Plus I don't see the appeal in copying the one thing that made the original so bad and that was the screen! In my opinion the analouge pockets screen is as close to perfection as you can get other than it not being oled it is the best screen out there! Who wants a small crappy resolution screen that copy's all the originals flaws. They should of made a custom 3.0 inch oled screen with some awesome filters like the pocket. It's funny the one thing everyone does with the original is upgrade the screen and now they are trying to copy the originals crappy screen. I understand it's good for purists but we are spoiled nowadays with good high rez screens why not make something with a more modern beautiful high res screen instead. I think some people are probably not going to like this screen.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Nah. They copied what was good about the The Game Boy screen and improved it a thousand times by making it incredibly bright. They kept what is good and upgraded what needed to be updated.
      You want an original resolution to play classic Game Boy games.
      It actually felt like original Hardware and not playing on a cell phone. A lot of the emulators just come across as cell phone games.
      Besides, if you have nice crisp pixels, you don't need higher resolution when you can play them at the original resolution.

    • @ericochoa4034
      @ericochoa4034 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      All i can say is an oled with good filters would still look awesome with wayyyy better contrast and if done well would look glorious! Plus the screen as well as the original is too small! The original besides the lack of backlighting wasn't that great in my opinion too much ghosting and the screen technology back then just sucked! I understand the pixel perfect and being authentic to the original but I'm just too used to all the really nice modern displays we have now.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@ericochoa4034 well I do respect that the analog pocket has the correct aspect ratio as the original Game Boy. It is at 10:1 integer scale. I also love that it has a ridiculously good ability to play systems like the NeoGeo and TurboGrafx-16 as well as a ton of awesome arcade games.
      The Analogue pocket is quite good at general retro games.
      I made a 26 minute video about the analogue pocket.
      th-cam.com/video/Y-GrbPphDHs/w-d-xo.html
      And a 19-minute video about the adapters for it
      th-cam.com/video/w_k-9yjiVtM/w-d-xo.html
      I also made a 20-minute video about the fpgbc
      th-cam.com/video/BS0IWx4CaJw/w-d-xo.html
      And a 13-minute video about putting them together
      th-cam.com/video/Qm-N9lJvu-k/w-d-xo.html

    • @ericochoa4034
      @ericochoa4034 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      The reason I mention oled is look at what some scalers like the retrotink4k have done at making old consoles look really good with excellent looking crt filters. All I'm saying is an oled while not being able to mimic that sub pixel grid completley would would still come close plus you would still get all the benefits of oled like excellent contrast. Imagine an analogue pocket with its screen resolution in oled that would be even more glorious.

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @ericochoa4034 well this is where I respectfully disagree. I currently own four CRT TVs and once I went back to playing retro video games on a CRT you just can't beat the brilliance of pixel artwork being drawn by a CRT gun on a vacuum tube.
      But I'm glad that there is a discussion about accuracy and respecting the original graphics intent of the artist who made the games in the '80s and '90s. I remember when some retro game collections were almost ashamed of pixels and they blurred and smeared them almost apologetically.
      I guess it's one thing that I can thank the indie retro game industry is a there is a new respect for pixel artwork.

  • @TarikA
    @TarikA 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Dump that Tetris and share it. 😂

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Well the system should hopefully ship next month.

  • @Iwilltravelforfood
    @Iwilltravelforfood หลายเดือนก่อน

    It’s not worth anywhere near $200. I would love to have one but I will wait until they inevitably drop to around $100

    • @8bitjoystick
      @8bitjoystick  หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I don't think that's likely to happen. If you want a cheaper alternative, there's the FPGBC.

    • @Iwilltravelforfood
      @Iwilltravelforfood หลายเดือนก่อน

      @ already have 2 😁

    • @servantbyday
      @servantbyday หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@IwilltravelforfoodOutside of the GameStop exclusive they’re sold out

  • @AIexanderthefake
    @AIexanderthefake 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Ewwew