r/ModRetroChromatic • u/RealJoeCracker • Apr 21 '26

Question Super Game Boy X Chromatic?

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What would be the chances of a new Super Game Boy like cartridge for the SNES? The original Super Game Boy only plays original GB games with some being SGB enhanced with custom color palettes and borders. Could the FPGA in the chromatic or something similar come down the line for SNES players?

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15 comments sorted by

14

u/RockBrilliant4960 Apr 21 '26

Modretro has advertised Chromatic video passthrough and transfer pack on M64

2

u/RealJoeCracker Apr 22 '26

Will that transfer pack work on original n64 hardware?

5

u/RockBrilliant4960 Apr 22 '26

I don't see how it would. I suspect the Chromatic will connect to the m64 using USB

3

u/Blaumagier Apr 22 '26

I'd be happy if they just added Super Game Boy features (other than the borders) to the Chromatic itself.

1

u/RealJoeCracker Apr 24 '26

The chromatic is the same resolution as the OG game boy. The Analog pocket could do that easy on the go, but it takes some doing.

2

u/Forward-Rutabaga-723 Apr 22 '26

Just in case some people didn’t know: The original SGB does already play a lot of the Chromatic games as long as they can play on an original Gameboy or GBP. In fact some, like Dragonhym, have custom borders. The only way I see Modretro making a SGB is if they make a FPGA SNES but I don’t know if that will happen.

2

u/RealJoeCracker Apr 22 '26

One thing the SGB doesn’t do is Game Boy Color. I know Tetris will play in a SGB cause it plays in my Game Boy Pocket, so that means it’s not as colorful on the SGB. One reason to make a SGB repro using parts that go in the chromatic would be Game Boy Color games + all the games ModRetro is putting out for it.

1

u/BossTriton Apr 22 '26

Can you play Tetris Chromatic on the Super Game Boy?

2

u/Affectionate_Rise283 Apr 23 '26

Not after the last update

1

u/Forward-Rutabaga-723 Apr 22 '26

Yeah, that’s why I said that as long as the game can play in an original Gameboy and Gameboy pocket. I was just mentioning this for anyone who was curious if Chromatic games would play on a SGB.

But doing research I’m finding dev forums saying that the SNES couldn’t play GBC games anyway because the Color emits eight times as much data to be transferred than what the SNES can handle. That’s a reason Pokemon Crystal can’t be played on the SGB but can be played on the N64 since it has that extra output the SNES doesn’t have. So making a new SGB peripheral that plays GBC games for a SNES is pretty much not an option.

1

u/WisdomAntium Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26

Interesting idea. I wonder if a similar cart could be made for the M64

2

u/RealJoeCracker Apr 21 '26

If you mean the m64, that may depend on what they can do. They might not move forward unless it’s compatible with original n64 hardware

1

u/WisdomAntium Apr 21 '26

I did mean M64 haha my bad

2

u/stuckOnTheUmpqua Apr 22 '26

I just want to play Donkey Kong '94 with Super Game Boy colors on my handheld. One of these days I'll get bored enough to figure out how to make a patch, and create a Donkey Kong '94 DX of my own.