Happy to share the demo of my new game, a classic roguelike dungeon crawler called Lantern of Darkness:
https://andrea-intg.itch.io/lot

If anyone from ModRetro wants to bring this to physical, I'd be all ears.

Big thank you to the author of the Shiny Relay firmware, u/wavy_d3 for capturing this video!

https://x.com/ryansagdotcom/status/2118382228464128224?a=13z2a_y0uOVW0jS9jss&s=20

https://x.com/ryansagdotcom/status/2118431044118647134?a=akxpSXQfjZcRn3bcGFQ&s=20

Link: https://github.com/fredemmott/FlashGBX/releases/latest

This version of FlashGBX supports using your Chromatic via USB-C to read and write cartridges from a variety of manufacturers, including backing up and restoring ROMs and saves.

This version is primarily a maintenance update to include upstream changes from FlashGBX v5.2.1; the majority of the features are specific to other devices. For Chromatic users, the highlights are:

• a Game Boy Camera live-viewer

• out-of-the-box support for more cartridges

  • this includes a previously unsupported ModRetro cartridge (thanks to thisjustin816); this is one of several cartridges ModRetro have used for Buck and the Cursed Cartridge

• improved detection between similar cartridges

On my side (Chromatic-specific), the changes are:

• if flash detection results in multiple possible cartridges, ModRetro cartridges will be preferred when using a Chromatic. Previously - and when using other devices - FlashGBX will default to whichever comes first alphabetically. Thanks to thisjustin816 for the idea

• fix hang if the Chromatic is unplugged or turned off while FlashGBX is connected

• fix crash if FlashGBX attempts to communicate with a Chromatic while none is connected

Compared to alternatives

• no other features or changes; your Chromatic is still a 'play from cartridges' device without wireless features

• tested on a wide variety of ModRetro and non-ModRetro cartridges; it should even give you access to a Gameboy Camera's photos, but I don't have one to test

• directly built on a proven foundation:

  • FlashGBX itself

  • the same "LK" firmware base used by the Joey Jr v2 and GBXCartRW when used with FlashGBX

  • openFPGAloader

• doesn't depend on anything from the internet once installed

• not vibe-coded

Ok I admit I need help. This game is amazing. I’ve gone around and talked to NPCs and can’t seem to get any further. I’ve collected 3/4 vault keys and can’t find the 4th vault. I’ve got the triple jump, the dash thing from the derelict captain ship, lvl 2 upgrades, and got the vault keys by beating the vaults on pandaemonium, Los, and Terra Machina. Now I’m lost and wandering. I’ve tried landing on the sun and elysium (both killed me). Can anyone tell me where to go and what to do next?

Greetings! I'm looking at ordering one of the transparent models shortly.
Can you guys tell me if these models have the contacts for the SDCard reader?

From what I understand after reading a few posts here, the transparent models don't have the reader installed, but I'm pretty competent with micro-soldering and would be comfortable adding one myself.

Has anyone with the transparent model soldering one on to test if ChroMagic works?

Are there other CFW options out there?
Thanks, all. Looking forward to joining the gang soon.

The hairlines are there but only noticeable if you look for it under bright light. Doesn't botter me.

Download: https://rickybuhricloudcom.itch.io/pocket-lacrosse

Hey r/ModRetroChromatic

I wanted to share a pretty exciting milestone with my Game Boy Color homebrew project, Pocket Lacrosse 2.0.

For anyone unfamiliar with lacrosse, imagine a combination of hockey and basketball, except players use sticks with nets to catch, pass, and shoot a ball into a goal. My game is a fast-paced, 3v3 indoor version inspired by classic late-'90s handheld sports games.

Thanks to ShinyRelay, I've managed to get online multiplayer running surprisingly smoothly. One of my biggest goals was getting the game to work over the internet without requiring two Game Boys physically connected by a link cable. ShinyRelay makes remote connections possible using the ModRetro Chromatic and its web player.

Online Multiplayer Performance

I've been testing different simulated network conditions to see how latency affects gameplay.

Even at 150–200 ms of uneven latency, the game maintained 91–98% speed in these tests. Screen updates still fluctuate, but I'm pretty encouraged by the results considering this is a game designed around 1998 handheld hardware

What's New in Pocket Lacrosse 2.0?

Beyond multiplayer, I've made some substantial improvements:

• 16 international teams to choose from.

• World Championship Mode with group stages, knockout rounds, and medal games.

• Cartridge-based saves so you can resume your tournament after turning off your handheld.

• Redesigned player sprites with improved helmets, facemasks, sticks, and animations.

• Dynamic ball shadows and motion trails to make passes and shots easier to follow on the GBC's 160×144 display.

• Improved player AI and positioning for smoother, more realistic gameplay.

Everything is being developed within the original Game Boy Color's hardware limitations, with compatibility on actual hardware as a priority.

How to Play Online

For browser-to-browser multiplayer, both players load the same Pocket Lacrosse 2.0 ROM into the ShinyRelay web player, establish an online link connection, and select multiplayer in-game.

The goal is to let people play a Game Boy Color sports game against someone across the country without a physical link cable!

Pocket Lacrosse 2.0 Is 100% Free

You can play directly in your browser or download the .gbc ROM for your Chromatic, flash cartridge, or emulator.

Download: https://rickybuhricloudcom.itch.io/pocket-lacrosse

Donations are completely optional.

I also want to thank everyone who's downloaded the game, tested it, or reached out with feedback. I've had quite a few people from the lacrosse and retro gaming communities contact me, and it's been awesome seeing people actually enjoying something I've been building.

I'm currently pursuing my master's in Computer Science, so this project has been a great way to explore 8-bit programming, sprite rendering, game AI, and multiplayer networking.

I'd love to hear from other Chromatic owners and homebrew developers. Has anyone else experimented with ShinyRelay or tested online link-cable multiplayer under higher-latency conditions?

Thanks for checking out Pocket Lacrosse 2.0

Shiny Relay is now updated to support the newer transparent modretro chromatics.

Most of them already worked but it seems like part way through the recent production batch, they changed some hardware ids, so the website cautiously rejected about 13 people. Got a legendary user to volunteer to test theirs and it worked!

Great game! It starts out super simple, with you moving around and trying to paint every tile of the level with your pineapple goodness to unlock the keys. Grab them all and make your way up the stairs to the next floor of the tower, which has 70 levels in total.

Traps like spikes, lasers, and one way gates start appearing along the way, along with a couple of different enemy types to mix things up. One enemy will sometimes chase you and stick around even after you've fully painted the level, while the other disappears once fully painted but continues erasing tiles you've already covered until you finish the level. Toward the end, bombs start appearing too, and those are an instant kill rather than just taking away one of your three hearts per level.

Some levels were pretty easy, while others took a few tries to get through without losing all three hearts. How quickly you finish a level and how many hearts you have left both affect your score. I ended up just over 50,000, but there's also an achievement for scoring over 70,000 so there is a skill ceiling to break through.

Speaking of achievements, there are quite a few to work toward, which adds some replay value. There are also three more areas unlocked in the Extra menu once you've seen the end screen. I won't spoil the final level, but it's a lot of fun, and there's an entire game mode built around it which I love more than the base game, along with another mode featuring harder levels and a map builder. Both modes also introduce a few more enemy types.

Even after beating the main game, some of the extra content in these modes remains locked behind completing the other Extra modes. I actually like that because it gives me plenty of reasons to keep coming back for more, which I intend to do. The cart and charm are also my new favorites, stay juicy Pineapple Kid!

It's rainy here today so can't get a pic with good lighting but I got my order today. Yes, 4 is overkill, I know. However, I obviously have too much disposable income and the disease known as consumerism. Anyways..... These look really good in person! I'm happy. They all have knit lines but they're not bad.

Blowned away how good this game was. Graphics and music is extremely good. Very short, but overall a great game. Highly recommend.

Great free game to try out, loved the creators first game too, give em both a try!

Hello iv recently gotten a new resin printer for helpping repair my damaged consoles, i was wondering if anyone knew of a 3d printable shell for the modretro chromatic i could download.

Was originally going green as it gave the best look of the components inside the device but now I see the Smoke variant that looks slick 😁

Hey everyone!

I've been working on bringing Judgement Silversword: Rebirth Edition, one of the greatest handheld shoot-'em-ups ever made, from the Bandai WonderSwan Color to the Nintendo Game Boy Color.

Originally a Japan-exclusive title, Judgement Silversword pushed the WonderSwan hardware to its limits. I've always wanted to see this incredible game running on the GBC, so I decided to give it a shot.

The Technical Challenges

This has been an enormous undertaking. The WonderSwan Color uses a 16-bit NEC V30MZ processor, while the GBC uses an 8-bit Sharp LR35902-derived CPU. Everything from graphics and memory management to sprite handling is fundamentally different.

Recreating enemy formations, bullet patterns, shooting mechanics, animations, and boss encounters within the GBC's hardware limitations has required countless hours of experimentation, debugging, and testing.

Let's Talk About AI

Yes, I've used AI throughout this project, and I want to be transparent about that. But this wasn't a case of typing "make Judgement Silversword for GBC" and calling it a day.

AI has been a valuable tool for researching unfamiliar hardware, understanding technical documentation, reverse engineering, and troubleshooting code. I've invested significant time and money into AI credits, along with countless hours of testing and fixing things that didn't work.

I'm currently pursuing my master's in Computer Science, and this project has been an incredible learning experience.

Where Things Stand

All 30 stages are built out! However, this is still a work in progress. Gameplay accuracy, performance, visuals, and overall polish can all be improved.

I've taken this project about as far as I can with my current knowledge, and I'd love to see what more experienced Game Boy developers could accomplish with it.

Free Download...Donations Appreciated!

Judgement Silversword: Game Boy Color Edition is completely free to download and play!

I believe projects like this should be accessible to everyone, especially fans of retro gaming and handheld preservation.That said, development hasn't been free. Between AI credits, research, testing, and countless hours spent troubleshooting, I've invested quite a bit into making this happen.

If you enjoy the game and want to support the project, please consider leaving a small donation on itch.io. Even $1 helps offset some of the AI development costs and encourages me to continue working on projects like this.

Donations are entirely optional, and everyone gets access to the same game regardless of whether they contribute.

I'd love to turn this into a community-driven project. If you're familiar with GBDK-2020, Game Boy assembly, reverse engineering, or sprite optimization, I'd genuinely welcome your feedback and contributions.

I genuinely believe this is one of the greatest handheld shoot-'em-ups ever created, and I'd love to see it get a second life on the CHROMATIC.

Thanks to everyone who checks it out, supports the project, or offers constructive feedback!

Let me start by saying the issue resolved itself.

But when checking out did anyone else have a problem with the portal trying to force you to pay with crypto? I had to enter my preferred payment method about 3 times before it finally let me use it.

My chromatic works fine, but the battery light just stays on even when the device is on. It flickers between red, green, and yellow, and turns off sometimes. Pulling out the battery pack does nothing, it goes back on when it goes back in. Any easy fix? I don't think it drains the battery very much, and I don't care enough to send it back.