Retro-Bit announces Super Retro Boy, a modern Game Boy

Gamers aching with nostalgia for Nintendo's Game Boy, Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Advance handhelds are in luck. At CES 2017, Retro-Bit showed off the Super Retro Boy, a handheld gaming console made to play physical Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance game cartridges.

With the explosion in popularity for retro-themed consoles like Nintendo’s own NES Classic Edition, it’s no wonder that other companies are jumping on the trend. Retro-Bit has been in the retro console game for a while now and has found success with retro-themed gaming controllers and products like the Super Retro Trio (which can play game carts from the NES, Sega Genesis, and Super Nintendo).

Retro-Bit has styled the console to look like a Game Boy from 1989, even mimicking the original’s white, black and red color scheme. Gamers can load physical cartridges from any of the three handhelds in the back of the machine just like Game Boys of old. Button placement is even similar with a directional pad on the left side, action buttons on the right, and start and select buttons in the middle. (Retro-Bit did say that this model was a prototype and that button layout may change in the final release.)

While the Super Retro Boy aims to recreate the classic gaming experiences of older consoles, it packs some new technology. Instead of using disposable AA batteries, the Super Retro Boy is powered by a rechargeable battery that Retro-Bit claims provides up to 10 hours of use. The battery can be recharged via microUSB. The screen is also backlit and sharp, but details on panel type and resolution aren’t yet known.

Retro gamers pining to relive the “glory days” of handheld gaming can look for the Super Retro Boy sometime this August for about $80 USD.

Source(s)