While modern gaming systems deliver ever more realistic experiences, there’s still something to be said for the consoles and handhelds of the 80s and 90s. For many, the appeal is nostalgic. Others are attracted to the “lo-fi” graphical and sound design of these games, necessitated by the limited hardware of the time.
That said nobody would claim those old systems were perfect. Which is why a hybrid approach like [Peter Khouly] has been working on with the Pico Pal might be the ultimate solution. This replacement motherboard for the Game Boy Color (GBC) is powered by the RP2350, meaning the external hardware will have the same look and feel as it did back in 1998, but you’ll still be able to reap the benefits of modern emulation.
While the origins of the project go a bit farther, [Peter] has been working on this particular variation of the Pico Pal GBC since August, and has kept a fascinating log of his progress. Just getting the RP2350 to emulate Pokémon isn’t really that big of a deal, but getting all the ancillary hardware implemented and fitted inside the case of the GBC is a different story. Especially since [Peter] intends to pack plenty of features into the final product, such as rechargable batteries, Bluetooth audio, real-time clock support, and digital video out.
The most recent status update is from just last week, where [Peter] goes over some of the new features he’s been working on. A major one is the soft power solution, where the physical power switch doesn’t just pull the plug like it did back in the 1990s. Instead, the switch triggers the board to save the game and enter into a low-power mode so that it can come right back on to where you left off. This does impact battery life, but so far, it looks like the Pico Pal GBC will be able to run for at least five hours on a charge, and more than twice that if you don’t mind turning off the audio.
It sounds like there’s still several gremlins to track down in the design, but even in its current state, the Pico Pal GBC looks very interesting. We’re immediately reminded of the phenomenal work [Bucket Mouse] has put in on a similar refit for the original DMG-1 Game Boy.
“While modern gaming systems deliver ever more realistic experiences, there’s still something to be said for the consoles and handhelds of the 80s and 90s. For many, the appeal is nostalgic. Others are attracted to the “lo-fi” graphical and sound design of these games, necessitated by the limited hardware of the time.”
I don’t think it’s nostalgia or a liking for the ‘lo-fi’ sound and graphics for me.
I kinda feel something (gameplay?) got lost along the way as we achieve ever more realistic, immersive gaming experiences they became too real and I find it’s more difficult to suspend reality and lose myself in the gameplay.
It’s probably me being an old fart but I really enjoy playing the older games, PSX/PS2 era and older which are playable for sheer fun (Commander Keen or Bubble Bobble anyone?), I could lose hours on PS/2 GTA just messing about, jumping bikes, cars, playin the side games but that fun seems to be missing with later games where the physics, photo realism, accurate sound effects, movie quality cut scenes etc make it more ‘sim’ like, that just leaves me cold and feeling overwhelmed with the burden of reality…
You’re right, your opinion isn’t from being “old” but because its actually observable.
Realism has a place in videogames but it will always be below the main point of games, being fun to play.
Case in point, I recently tried out Cyberpunk 2077. I’m a fan of the whole aesthetic (any blade runner/synthwave fans here?) and I’m into tech so it was supposed to be the ultimate experience on paper. In reality, the game was very complicated to play, so many different points, upgrades, weapons, cluttered UI etc etc. I couldn’t keep track of anything. I stopped playing 2 hours in.
Its also why JRPGs and simulation games (banished, city builders in general) always manage to bring me back. They’re simple to pick up, but by no means not complicated but still very fun
I think perhaps a part of the problem is that the basic genres of video games are done to death and the only way to stand out is ever more lavish and expensive graphics, sound and complexity which don’t really add anything to the gameplay itself…
Totally agree. I think that, the more limited things were, the more creative we needed to be. It’s no surprise that the best game programmers and designers came from those times. Those games oozed personality and atmosphere because they had to compensate for the lack of realism.
Lo-fi sound doesn’t quite nails it, I think.
The sampling rate of these chips were pretty high, in general.
Despite some chips providing rather basic wave forms, admittingly.
Musicians run lsdj program (Little Sound Dj) on GBs and record output with highest sampling rate on their PC.
The OPL3 FM soundchip found on Sound Blaster compatibles had a sampling rate higher than 48 KHz (49716 Hz). That’s beyond CD quality.
Anyway, some people use the misleading “8-bit sound” term.
Misleading insofar, because 8-bit consoles were pretty diverse.
There’s the NES, sure, but also Sega Master System w/ FM option.
And the ancient Atari VCS had a sound of its own that doesn’t fit into the picture.
Then there are the SID and POKEY chip which sound quite different to an AY-3-8910.
“Game Boy audio is sometimes called “8-bit”.
This does not refer to the bit depth of the sound generated, but rather that it has sound capabilities typical of 8-bit consoles.
Like much of its contemporary hardware, the Game Boy produces sound generated by simple digital circuits.”
https://gbdev.io/pandocs/Audio.html
Btw, the term chiptune(s) is more generic and less judging than “8-bit music”, I think.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiptune
It could double as a stealth hacking tool (flipper). Lets hope it has IR too. ;) For compatibility.
There was a 2000s film with such a scene. A hacker mom used a GBC to write a virus.
The film was “Terminal Error”, maybe?
Doom?
Thanks Tom I really appreciate the post!
I was talking about this with my kids the other day. But with a game boy advance SP. For some odd reason it left a feeling in me when I used to use it and I enjoyed it s size. But having all those features packed into it whether game would cover it or the sp it’s just nice to know someone is doing it. I have played the newer switch and though the gameplay can be nice I don’t really like the size of it or the continuous attachment to the internet for various things. And being able to return to the older model games with a more sustainable and redone game boy would be nice. I have my preferred system but I would still get this Game Boy color if they ever started selling it.
I can just take my dmg and replace the cpu with an esp32 and fpga combo, fpga allows it to still have a native dmg cpu, with the esp32 as another processor and io device
Well that’s what the cartridge port is for
I can just take my dmg and replace the cpu with an esp32 and fpga combo, fpga allows it to still have a native dmg cpu, with the esp32 as another processor and io device
Well that’s what the cartridge port is for