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The Game Boy Color was my first handheld and it’s a console that I’m very fond of. Through the years, I’ve always wanted to buy a new one to mod it with a brand new backlit screen and experience my favorite childhood games as I remembered them.
However, a Game Boy Color is expensive, and a modded one is even more so. Additionally, I’d be buying a 25+-year-old hardware that is certain to come with a problem or two. So, in my opinion, the risk wasn’t worth the money. But now, there’s a new option on the market that’s more affordable and comes with brand-new hardware: Funnyplaying’s FPGBC.
It runs everything natively without relying on emulation, promising an authentic experience. With this said, join me in this FPGBC review, and let’s find out if this budget-friendly Game Boy Color Clone is worth your time and money.
Note: This review contains affiliate links
Purchasing and Assembly Tips
The first thing you need to know is that you can’t buy the FPGBC assembled, and you’ll need to get their Kit and some parts:
- FPGBC KIT (1 x FPGBC PCB, 1 x Panel (Including adapter ribbon), 1 x 2w speaker, 1x 1800mAH battery)
- TYPEC housing
- GBC buttons
- GBC membranes
After you get the parts, the assembly is straightforward and doesn’t require any soldering! However, here are some tips if you’re a newbie:
- You should test the screen to see if it works first. Make sure you don’t touch the back of the panel against the pin of the card slot when testing as they say on their website.
- The screen’s ribbon cable is sensitive, so handle it with care.
- To insert the ribbon cable, don’t forget to lift the clip; otherwise, it won’t fit!
- When inserting the speaker, it doesn’t matter which side.
- I struggled with the battery; a stylus helped me place it correctly.
Features
After assembling everything, you’ll end up with an awesome Game Boy Color with the following features:
- FPGA Chip
- Cartridge Slot
- Link Cable Port
- Volume/Menu Wheel
- Headphone Jack
- USB Type-C port
- A beautiful backlit IPS Screen
The FPGA chip simulates the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color chip quite accurately. By pressing the Volume Wheel, you can access the Menu and change between them at any time.
From my experience, almost everything runs properly on the GBC chip, but when playing from a flashcart, some games like Pokémon Blue would not display the colors correctly, even after messing with the settings.
It’s also in the settings where you’ll want to change the resolution of your screen to Full for that big pixel-perfect display (I didn’t know about this for a week…)
Here you can also control its brightness, the palette for GB games (which I couldn’t get working when using the GBC Chip), and Frame Mix and GB_ClearFix that you’ll have to mess around with depending on the game to make sure it displays correctly. And finally, a Clock Speed Feature means you can play games a bit faster or slower if you want to.
While talking about clock speeds, comparing the same game side by side on different hardware, it’s possible to notice that the FPGC runs a bit faster. It’s not something that you can notice immediately though and it won’t affect your gameplay.
One thing that I absolutely love is the fact that it comes with a Link port and it works! I’ve made some tests even with a flashcart and a fake cable I got from Aliexpress, and I managed to complete a trade with no issues:
YOu can check other videos I have where you can hear the sound of speakers is loud and clear. However, I wish it had more volume options. The lowest setting is too high to play at night! I always have to plug in my headphones to not disturb my girlfriend…
As for the battery life, it’ll vary depending on the brightness level, volume, etc., but usually, I get around 9 hours of playtime before it depletes. Usually, it just turns off abruptly since there is no LED to check the battery’s health.
Missing Feature and other Pet Peeves
All these features are nice and greatly enhanced from the original Game Boy Color, but there is one thing that is missing: the IR transceiver! It might not be a deal-breaker, but I’d love to use this feature with my Pokémon Crystal one day again.
Also, one other thing that I don’t love is how stiff the Power Button is. At first, I thought that I had screwed the case too much, but it wasn’t the case. By nature, it’s stiff, and I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it; it always feels like it’s going to break at some point.
The D-pad is also stiff, and the problem most likely lies in the quality of the membrane. This is the only part that I’d recommend maybe purchasing aside or replacing with an original one.
Supports FlashCarts?
As mentioned before, I’ve used a Flashcart extensively with the FPGBC, and it works almost flawlessly. I’ve mainly used a cheap Everdrive Clone and to get the most out of it with no weird visual glitches, I always run Game Boy games with the GB Chip and Game Boy Color Games with the GBC chip.
Doing something as simple as changing the palette at the start of Pokémon Blue breaks the game, and I have to restart it.
You can get it on Amazon too but it’s pricier:
Is the FPGBC worth it?
After all this is said, I can safely say that the FPGBC is worth it. For the price, you get an amazing console with a big, crisp, pixel-perfect display running games natively, almost as faithfully as the original hardware.
Of course, some things could be improved on such as adding an IR transceiver, more volume options, and a less stiff D-Pad. Also, depending on the game, you might need to mess with the settings a bit, but it won’t take you much time.
In my opinion, all the good this console does overshadow the bad easily, and it’s something that a Game Boy lover should have in their collection.
With this said, I hope this FPGBC review has helped you in some way!
Pros:
- Affordable Option: Funnyplaying’s FPGBC offers a more affordable option compared to purchasing an original Game Boy Color and modding it.
- Brand New Hardware: Unlike buying a vintage Game Boy Color, the FPGBC provides brand-new hardware components.
- Straightforward Assembly: Assembly of the FPGBC kit is straightforward and does not require soldering, making it accessible even for beginners.
- Authentic Experience: The FPGBC runs games natively without relying on emulation, promising an authentic gaming experience.
- Backlit IPS Screen: The console comes with a beautiful backlit IPS screen with pixel-perfect graphics.
- Link Cable Support: The FPGBC includes a functioning Link port, allowing for multiplayer gaming experiences.
- Decent Battery Life: Offers around 9 hours of playtime on average before needing a recharge.
Cons:
- Limited Volume Options: The console has limited volume options, with even the lowest setting being too loud for some situations, necessitating the use of headphones.
- Stiff Power Button and D-pad: The power button and D-pad may feel stiff, potentially affecting user experience and comfort during gameplay.
- Missing Features: Lacks an IR transceiver, which may disappoint users who wish to utilize features like trading Pokémon via infrared.
- Setting Adjustments Required: Depending on the game being played, users may need to adjust settings such as resolution, palette, and clock speed for optimal gameplay, which could be time-consuming.
- Compatibility Issues with Flashcarts: Some compatibility issues with flashcarts have been reported, requiring users to adjust settings or limit certain functionalities to ensure smooth gameplay.
1 Comment
Simon D.
Nice review 😊 I share most of the cons but no deal breakers for me.
Anything to add (almost exactly) 1 year later ?
I do notice small “lags” in some animations, like when entering a battle/encounter which I do not see when using the cartridge in original hardware. I am using MidnightTrace V2 on FPGBC rev 1.1 fw 1.14 (but same one fw 1.08 which is known to be a bit more stable).
But great value for the price.
Nice blog as well !