A Nice Gameboy Color ALT to the Pocket

[Tanooki | 4,939]

I've known of this for a bit, but finally some videos crept out and now the product itself, and largely I'm impressed, more so impressed by the price point for what you get out of this.

Welcome, the FPGBC KIT aka the FPGA Gameboy Color Kit.  If you don't want to read more, go here: https://funnyplaying.com/products/fpgbc-kit?variant=40858870284349

 

If you want the highlights.  $80 kit (sale for $70 for now) and it comes with everything you need but the shell, that's an added $10 with color choices.

The board itself, a solid high quality modern LCD, a 2w speaker, a 1800mah battery (no AAs) charges over usb-C, the housing again is the only added expense.

 

Is it 100% perfect?  Not yet, neither is analogue either.  Does it do anything but GB and GBC?  NO... no cores, no ROMs injected into it, no adapters, zilch... DMG and CGB only.

 

The thing has a nice options menu with variable tweaks you can do, the screen is high quality in line with the pocket, quality speaker, battery, etc.  The +10 for the shell has a glass lens as well.

 

I've been waiting on this to drop, then see some buyers feelings about it once they're breaking it in but it looks very promising.  It needs a few tweaks, but it's open to that over USB or likely a flash kit.  It works fine with flash kits, bootleg carts too, nothing seems to be a problem unless you just have a really crap quality flash kit then it's hit and miss.  Pocket has its place, its $250 place, but if you just want an 8bit color gameboy with some modern bells and whistles that doesn't over-reach, coming in at $80-90 is a sweet deal.  If this plays out well I'll restore my atomic purple back to factory, return that to its box once more, and grab this instead. 

[cartman | 195]

To me FPGA technology serves the function to play original-behaving games on a HDMI TV, with an original controller and the optional conveniance to run ROMs.

With a handheld that doesn't require a TV the functionality remains the same always. There's no need to FPGA anything. The games themselves aren't inconvenienced by a flashcart, hell it doesn't even potrude from the console.

If you're into red/blue shining screens, backlit, sound improvements, pimped out casings etc. i guess it can fill a niche. Me i'd rather see the monochrome green GB improved to not have ghosting or the ability to use the GB/GBC as a controller when playing on TV (like the Game Bly Player offered with GBA).

Edited November 17, 2023 by cartman

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,013]

Here's a good review

https://youtu.be/Cesh5OAL4uk?si=7Z6J4jBZg3E79OIr

[Tanooki | 4,939]

I saw that, I'm wondering if it's the same firmware revision because they're clearly seemingly working on it while selling it.  I want it, but I want to see how the updates roll out too.  The flash kit piece has been fairly debunked as a problem, those who have it already said the cheapo low rent ezflash jr and the ed knockoff they either work or they don't, seems to just be picky but that pickiness goes to real hardware too.  I think in the end right now the one damning problem is the off-speed issue.

[Ankos | 444]

Gameboy clones from Taiwan (and later on Mainland China) ran too fast from what I remember. It's probably just a coincidence, but it'd be funny if an old issue from clones back in the early 90s survived all the way until today

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,013]

14 hours ago, Tanooki said:

I saw that, I'm wondering if it's the same firmware revision because they're clearly seemingly working on it while selling it.  I want it, but I want to see how the updates roll out too.  The flash kit piece has been fairly debunked as a problem, those who have it already said the cheapo low rent ezflash jr and the ed knockoff they either work or they don't, seems to just be picky but that pickiness goes to real hardware too.  I think in the end right now the one damning problem is the off-speed issue.

$70 for the whole kit seems insanely cheap either way. It's hard to say no to if you're in the market for a GBC.