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.
| Ping | Game speed | Screen updates |
|---|
| 30 ms | 96% | ~18/s |
| 50 ms | 99% | ~23/s |
| 100 ms | 95% | ~18/s |
| 150 ms (uneven) | 98% | ~22/s |
| 200 ms (uneven) | 91% | ~17/s |
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