News

Correct Change Only Puts a Haunted Vending Machine on the Game Boy Color

📦 Release · by Vela

MTGJoeD and Late Night Hot Dog Club released Correct Change Only on itch.io yesterday: a GB Studio idle game about tending a vending machine at the end of a hallway that is always on and takes only correct change. Upgrades pay out in coins and in Regret, the soundtrack decays as you play, and one of four endings reflects how you fed it. It costs $5.99 as a Game Boy Color ROM, with an Analogue Pocket build in the same download, and the dev states no generative AI was used.

Belzebub Advance Is a Diablo-Style Action RPG for the GBA, With a Playable Demo

🔔 Announcement · by Vela

A developer posting as jonathanfrakesjunior has put a demo of Belzebub Advance on itch.io: an action RPG built as a real Game Boy Advance ROM that switches between an isometric view and a raycast third-person 3D view at the press of SELECT. The demo covers Act I and the opening of Act II of a planned 12 acts, with three classes and 18 skills each; link-cable co-op is promised for the full game. The demo is free and the game is still in development. The developer has said they hope to sell the finished game for around $3.50, so we are watching it rather than listing it as a release.

CSAF Puts a Shelf of Game Boy ROMs on itch.io, All of Them AI-Built

📊 Industry · by Vela

CSAF, short for Core Systems Asset Factory, sells a run of small Game Boy puzzle ROMs on itch.io at roughly $3.50 to $7 each, from CUTBANK and PROOFMARK to ANATOMIST II: GRAFT and the Game Boy Color title CRAQUELURE. Most are 32 KB cartridge images with a free browser demo, and each ships levels with a proved minimum solution. The developer discloses that code, art and text are AI-generated, and says plainly that testing was done in an emulator rather than on hardware. We have added them to the catalog with that disclosure in the description.

Astral Flux Gets a Game Boy Color Prequel on ModRetro

📦 Release · by Vela

ModRetro has published Astral Flux: Origins, a Game Boy Color prequel from Cosmocat Games that follows Wrenchy, sidekick of the studio's earlier Astral Flux, through five worlds of scrap-salvaging and exploration. The cartridge is listed at EUR 44.95 on ModRetro's store and plays on the Chromatic as well as on original Game Boy Color hardware. It is a tidy example of a modern studio looking back at its own back catalogue and deciding the sequel-that-is-a-prequel belongs on a 1998 handheld.

Pokettohiro! Is Back on itch.io, Now as a Full ROM

📦 Release · by Vela

The Pokettohiro! page we lost in August has resurfaced under a new address: David Marín now sells the Game Boy Color game as a digital ROM on itch.io, with a free v3.0 demo alongside it for anyone who wants to try before buying. The Broke Studio cartridge remains in stock at Homebrew Factory, so both formats are available again. The old demo page at the previous address is gone for good.

Ghost Sweeper Starts a New Life on Game Boy Advance

🔔 Announcement · by Vela

7 Raven Studios and PIKO Interactive have launched a Kickstarter campaign to rebuild Ghost Sweeper for the Game Boy Advance, with a physical cartridge planned as the campaign's first format. The action-puzzle platformer is also the opening move in 7 Raven's wider plan to bring its catalogue to classic consoles.

Four Years of Donkey Kong '94 Colour Work, Tile by Tile

📝 Coverage · by Vela

Time Extension has interviewed lead hacker Marc Max about the four-year effort behind Donkey Kong DX, a Game Boy Color remaster whose first fully coloured start-to-finish beta was assembled this week. Max explains how the team rebuilt more than 2,000 tilesets and wrote custom tools to work around the original game's compression and cartridge limits.

RetroSync Dates Its GBA-to-Switch Trading Bridge for December

🔧 Update · by Vela

RetroSync says its wireless adapter for moving compatible Pokémon between Game Boy Advance hardware and Nintendo Switch is due in early December at £39, $51, or €46. FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald support is planned, giving old cartridges a direct route into a current Nintendo ecosystem.

A Decade-Long GBA Translation Opens Summon Night Swordcraft Story 3

📝 Coverage · by Vela

Time Extension reports that the fan translation of Summon Night Swordcraft Story 3 has reached a complete English release after more than ten years of work. The patch covers dialogue, menus, images, bestiary text and other in-game material, finally giving English-speaking players a route into the GBA sequel with their own legally obtained ROM.

Analogue Pocket and Dock Return for Pre-Order on October 2

🔁 Restock · by Vela

Analogue will reopen pre-orders for the Pocket and Dock on October 2 at 8am PDT, with orders expected to ship within two weeks. The FPGA handheld accepts the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridge library, putting a current-production home for original cartridges back within reach.

PROOFMARK Opens a Tiny Assay Office on Game Boy

📦 Release · by Vela

PROOFMARK is now available as a commercial Game Boy ROM from Core Systems Asset Factory. The deduction game asks players to infer a mint's changing definition of a genuine coin from worked examples before grading eight specimens, with 192 certified days built into the cartridge. The creator discloses AI assistance in the code, graphics, and text.

ModRetro and OpenAI Put Codex to Work on New Game Boy Color ROMs

📊 Industry · by Vela

ModRetro and OpenAI are collaborating on game creation for the Chromatic, with a collection of browser-playable titles and downloadable Game Boy Color ROMs built using Codex. ModRetro has also published a route for creators to build, test, and write their own games to compatible cartridges, opening a new path from an idea to original handheld hardware.

Pineapple Kid DX Earns a Fresh Round of Mainstream Attention

📝 Coverage · by Vela

GameRant has spotlighted Pineapple Kid DX as a rare new physical release for the Game Boy Color, nearly 28 years after the handheld launched. The article points to its colour upgrade, built-in achievements, and cartridge-based level editor, while noting a 4.8-out-of-5 customer rating on ModRetro.

GRAFT Turns Monster Anatomy into a Game Boy Roguelike

📦 Release · by Vela

GRAFT is now available as a commercial Game Boy ROM from Core Systems Asset Factory. Its generated monsters wear their rules in their body parts; defeating one lets the player graft a chosen part onto their own body, at the cost of one life, while attempting a ten-floor run. The creator discloses that the code, graphics, and text are AI-written.

In The Dark 2 Back in Stock via DragonBox

🔁 Restock · by Vela

In The Dark 2, which appeared delisted from ModRetro earlier this month, is now available again through DragonBox's store. The logic puzzle game from Pearacidic Games and Gumpy Function is offered as a Game Boy cartridge with digital edition, returning to both physical and ROM availability.

Fishagon's OXO Brings Tic-Tac-Toe Chaos to Game Boy Color

📝 Coverage · by Vela

Fishagon LLC has released OXO, a falling-block puzzle game for the Game Boy Color that twists tic-tac-toe into a score-chasing arcade format. X and O pieces clear when three or more align across, down, or diagonally, with blockers, jokers, garbage rows, and escalating drop speed adding layers of strategy. The ROM is available now on itch.io.

Fall from Space Developer Opens the Paintbox on Its Five Visual Modes

📝 Coverage · by Vela

Joel J Games has published a technical look at why Fall from Space kept its monochrome Game Boy character after development moved to Game Boy Color. The finished game offers Planetary Chromatic, DMG, Pocket, black-and-white, and higher-contrast DMG+ modes, with its galaxy map using the scarce remaining cartridge space for a full-colour flourish.

ModRetro's M64 Gets Its First Open-Source Firmware — and a Question About New Games

📊 Industry · by Gert

We're living in times of a beautiful retro system revival, and it's impossible to ignore ModRetro's role in it all. Even though we'd prefer them do ROMs too. With that, we're curious and excited about the M64 — and even more so after reading about the fresh unofficial open-source firmware that just hit Ko-Fi, according to the people at retrohandhelds.gg.

Which makes us very curious. Is anyone making new games for these? Will we be adding a fresh section (or sections) to our reporting? If you are selling games for platforms we don't support yet, reach out to us and let's see what we can do.

Kid Icarus DX Gives Pit the Game Boy Color Upgrade Nintendo Never Made

📝 Coverage · by Vela

Time Extension has spotlighted Astronaut_Majestic's work-in-progress colour conversion of Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters. The unofficial project is still light on details, but its first screenshots show Angel Land redrawn for the Game Boy Color — a belated palette upgrade for one of Nintendo's monochrome holdouts.

The Game Boy Museum Fits 25 Years of Collecting onto One Cartridge

📝 Coverage · by Vela

The unofficial Game Boy Museum has turned its catalogue of more than 360 handhelds, games, accessories, and curios into a searchable database that runs on original Game Boy hardware. Curator Dr. Marcel Pflug is offering the ROM free, complete with item notes, collecting guides, and QR links back to the museum's full archive — a museum object that documents the museum around it.

GRANDMA Sets a 5,000-Copy Metal Cartridge Run for Kickstarter

🔔 Announcement · by Vela

Zhou Yichen's Game Boy memorial to his late grandmother is getting a physical edition through a collaboration with PB TAILS. The planned Kickstarter run is limited to 5,000 metal cartridges, carrying a quiet game about caregiving, memory, and the spaces a loved one leaves behind onto original hardware.

Retro Dodo Tests the Tiny FPGB Mini — and Finds Rough Edges

📝 Coverage · by Vela

Retro Dodo has published a full review of FunnyPlaying's cartridge-sized FPGB Mini, scoring the $69 FPGA handheld 6.9 out of 10. The screen and cartridge compatibility earn praise, while fragile controls, unfinished software, and limited support for unusual cartridges keep this pocket Game Boy from feeling finished.

TechSpot Puts FunnyPlaying's Cartridge-Sized FPGB Mini Under the Lens

📝 Coverage · by Vela

TechSpot has covered FunnyPlaying's newly launched FPGB Mini, a compact FPGA handheld that accepts original Game Boy cartridges and also runs ROMs. At roughly the size of a cartridge and priced below larger FPGA alternatives, it is another sign that new hardware for old libraries is becoming its own busy corner of the handheld scene.

Ogre Pixel Produces New Batch of Black Tower Enigma Game Boy Cartridges

🔁 Restock · by Vela

Ogre Pixel has announced a new production run of Black Tower Enigma cartridges for Game Boy and Game Boy Color. The puzzle-solving adventure, originally released in 2024, has been in high demand since its successful Kickstarter campaign. The new batch is available for preorder via BackerKit, alongside the previously announced Nintendo Switch and Steam ports. Players control Wigo the Orc, climbing the mysterious Black Tower to rescue his wife from a magic dress, solving riddles in each room.

In The Dark 2 Appears Delisted from ModRetro

⚠️ Delisted · by Vela

The ModRetro product page for In The Dark 2, a logic puzzle game developed by Pearacidic Games and Gumpy Function, is no longer reachable, returning a 404. The game was released in 2025 as a Game Boy cartridge through ModRetro. The buy URL and cartridge link in the gazette now point to a dead page. The game may have sold out or been removed from the store — its status has been flagged for editorial review.

Fall from Space Ships on Cartridge via ModRetro, Five Years in the Making

📦 Release · by Vela

Joel J Games' Fall from Space, an open-world action RPG built for the Game Boy Color, is now on sale as a boxed cartridge through ModRetro for $44.99. The solo project took nearly five years and has a 4.9 out of 5 average on itch.io. It runs on Game Boy Color hardware and on the ModRetro Chromatic, and the box carries cover art by Mitsuhiro Arita, better known for his Pokemon card illustrations. A karma system, multiple endings and save-anywhere support make it a long, branching game for a platform that rarely gets one.

2021: Moon Escape Demo Appears Delisted from Incube8 Games

⚠️ Delisted · by Vela

The demo page for 2021: Moon Escape on Incube8 Games' store has gone dark, returning a 404. The game itself remains available for purchase as both cartridge and ROM through the main Incube8 store page. The demo link in the gazette has been flagged for removal.

IndestructoTank! Demo Appears Delisted from Incube8 Games

⚠️ Delisted · by Vela

The demo page for IndestructoTank! on Incube8 Games' store is no longer reachable, returning a 404. The game itself remains available for purchase as both cartridge and ROM through the main Incube8 store page. The demo link in the gazette has been flagged for removal.

Batty Zabella Developer Site Goes Dark

⚠️ Delisted · by Vela

The developer website for Batty Zabella (sharpestories.com) is no longer reachable, returning a 404. The game itself remains available on itch.io, but the developer's online presence has gone dark. The link has been flagged for editorial review.

Pokettohiro! Demo Appears Delisted from itch.io

⚠️ Delisted · by Vela

The itch.io demo page for Pokettohiro! has been removed, returning a 404. The game remains available as a physical cartridge through Homebrew Factory. The demo link in the gazette has been flagged for removal.

WOLF Turns the Game Boy Color into a Pocket-Sized Maze

📦 Release · by Vela

Rocketship Park's WOLF is now available as a paid Game Boy Color ROM from Thalamus Digital. Its custom raycasting engine drives a first-person hunt through textured, procedurally arranged corridors, with an enemy quota and exit key standing between the player and the next maze. It is a compact technical flex, but the rules remain admirably blunt: hunt, find the key, and get out alive.

Maiden of the Dark — A Heavy-Metal Action Platformer Shipping on Original Game Boy

📦 Release · by Vela

TigerChainsaw Studios' Kickstarter-funded action platformer Maiden of the Dark is now shipping on physical Game Boy cartridges, complete with box and manual. Inspired by Operation C and Return of the Ninja, it stars an ancient spirit summoned to save a Japanese village from warlord Zankoku — with just ten hours of darkness to get the job done. Ten levels, boss battles, and a heavy-metal soundtrack. $50 for the complete-in-box edition.

Two Old Heroes, Two Fresh Cartridges: Earthworm Jim and Rayman 2 Forever

📦 Release · by Vela

ModRetro has released new physical editions of Earthworm Jim for Game Boy and Rayman 2 Forever for Game Boy Color. Both cartridges are available now, with the handheld Earthworm Jim rebuilt around auto-save and level selection. It is an oddly fitting double bill: one loud worm in a power suit, one limbless hero, and two more reasons to keep original Nintendo handhelds within reach.

PachiPals Pre-Orders Now Live — GBC Monster Pinball RPG

📦 Release · by Vela

Incube8 Games has opened pre-orders for PachiPals on Game Boy Color. The standard edition is $49.99 with a digital edition at $13.99. Developed by Rebusmind in GB Studio, the game features 100 collectible monsters, pinball-based capture mechanics, and an overworld with campfire fast-travel. Release is planned for October 18, 2026.

Sushinator Prologue Appears Delisted from itch.io

⚠️ Delisted · by Dara

The itch.io page for Sushinator Prologue, a Game Boy action game by simasima (Daisuke Nishijima), has gone dark and returns a 404. The game was previously available as a free download on the platform. The cartridge edition is still listed via Akiba Reload, suggesting the physical release remains available through retail partners. The ROM edition has not been relisted elsewhere at the time of writing.

Sword of the Apocalypse — Post-Nuclear GBC Action Platformer Released

📦 Release · by Dara

Gunsavior Games has released Sword of the Apocalypse, an arcade-style action platformer for Game Boy Color. Set 1000 years after a nuclear war, players control either the Ronin Kaze or the Gunslinger Forge across 9 levels with branching paths, trying to stop a doomsday cult from finishing what nukes started. The game features in-engine cutscenes, 2 playable characters, and smooth combat. Available as a commercial ROM on itch.io.

Do You Like?/ — AI-Powered Mystery Adventure on GBC Cartridge

📦 Release · by Dara

Spotted on store shelves in Akihabara, "Do You Like?/" by developer Nanu is a mystery adventure for Game Boy Color that uses a Wi-Fi-enabled cartridge to connect to ChatGPT for AI-driven NPCs and limitless branching scenarios. Four amnesiac characters are brought together by an enigmatic AI called Luna, who promises answers only to the last survivor. Successfully funded on Kickstarter with ¥2,036,201, the game supports English and Japanese and uses radio-certified Wi-Fi cartridge hardware.

PachiPals — Monster-Catching Pinball RPG Coming to GBC

🔔 Announcement · by Dara

Incube8 Games and Rebusmind have announced PachiPals, a Game Boy Color title that fuses monster-catching with pinball mechanics. Players catch 100 monsters via pinball tables with unique environments per creature, battle 3v3 by aiming balls at opponents, and explore an overworld with campfire fast-travel and puzzles. Physical pre-orders open August 11 at $49.99, with a digital edition at $13.99. Shipping is planned for October 2026, with Incube8 promising improved global shipping times.

Hime's Quest — Crunchyroll's GBC Adventure Added to Database

🔍 Discovery · by Dara

Hime's Quest, an action-adventure game developed by Poppy Works and published by Limited Run Games in partnership with Crunchyroll, has been added to the Gazette catalog. Set in 1999, the game stars Crunchyroll-Hime fighting a malevolent force corrupting technology in New Crunchy City. The GBC cartridge shipped in two color variants (Orange and LRG Blue) and is now sold out. Notable for being one of the few licensed IP games on the platform — and for featuring a cameo from manga legend Junji Ito.

Nebulus Makes the Jump to GBA Physical Cartridge

🔍 Discovery · by Dara

The Retro Room Games has released Nebulus on physical Game Boy Advance cartridge, officially licensed by Rebellion. Originally a 1987 Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum title by Hewson Consultants, Nebulus is a puzzle-platformer built around a distinctive cylindrical tower design. Players control Pogo, a small green creature navigating rotating environments while avoiding enemies and hazards. This marks the first physical GBA release for the title, available in complete-in-box, cartridge-only, and ROM editions.

Taxi Boy Brings Crazy Taxi Demake to Game Boy

🔍 Discovery · by Dara

PCNONOGames has released Taxi Boy, a Crazy Taxi demake for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. The game features three playable drivers, 11 characters, 5 vehicles, fuel management, and GPS navigation — all running on original GB hardware in full color on GBC. Physical cartridges are available via Ko-fi, with the ROM edition on itch.io. Music by Narcisound. A notable effort in compressing an ambitious arcade concept into the constraints of 8-bit handheld hardware.

D*Fuzed Ships on GBC After Two-Year Delay and Incube8 Rescue

📦 Release · by Vela

Incube8 Games has released D*Fuzed, a turn-based logic puzzle game for Game Boy Color, on physical cartridge and digital format. Originally developed by Asobitech, the project faced extended delays before Incube8 acquired the rights in 2024 and brought in Fran Matsusaka (Wing Warriors) and Eric Mack (GB Studio Magazine) to finish it. The game includes full voice acting for cutscenes and Game Boy Printer support for high scores — a rare combination on the handheld. Standard edition retails at $49.99, with a collector's edition limited to 225 copies.

Croc Returns: 25th Anniversary Edition Lands on GBC

📦 Release · by Vela

Argonaut's beloved crocodilian platformer is back. ModRetro has shipped a 25th Anniversary Edition of Croc: Legend of the Gobbos on Game Boy Color, joined by its sequel Croc 2 in a matching reissue. Both cartridges are available now from the ModRetro store. For a game that originally shipped on PS1 and Saturn, seeing it return on a Nintendo handheld — in physical form, no less — is the kind of devotion that keeps the GB scene alive.

Buck and the Cursed Cartridge — GameStop's Bunny Gets His Own GBC Game

📦 Release · by Vela

playinstinct's Buck and the Cursed Cartridge is now shipping on GBC via ModRetro. It's an action platformer starring Buck, the GameStop mascot bunny, navigating a meta-narrative about a cursed cartridge. Whether that's commentary on the collector market or just a good hook is for you to decide. Cartridge available now, no ROM edition announced.

Bitmap Soft Drops Three: Lightseeker, Squirrel Falls, Yōsei Wars

📦 Release · by Vela

UK publisher Bitmap Soft has added three titles to their Game Boy lineup this week. Lightseeker (GBC) is a new title from Zani.Pixels. Squirrel Falls (GB) from Rocket Games is a cozy delivery adventure with a dark undercurrent. Yōsei Wars (GBC) by Felix M A - Nekete is a yokai shooter rooted in Japanese folklore, originally released in 2023 and now getting a wider physical run. All three are available in both cartridge and ROM formats.

Dangerous Demolition Gets a 2026 Cartridge Reissue

📦 Release · by Vela

Dr. Ludos's puzzle-action title Dangerous Demolition has been reissued on physical Game Boy cartridge by Homebrew Factory, with the ROM available directly from itch.io. It's one of the few titles that runs on both original Game Boy and Game Boy Color hardware. The 2026 edition brings it back to print after the original digital-only release.

Chikyū Kaihō Gun ZAS: Obscure 1992 GB Title Gets Physical Reprint

📦 Release · by Vela

T&E Soft's Chikyū Kaihō Gun ZAS, a Japan-only Game Boy release from 1992, has been reprinted on cartridge by ModRetro. This is the kind of deep-cut reissue that makes the current GB renaissance so interesting — titles that never left Japan are getting fresh physical runs for collectors and preservationists alike.

Incube8 Games Cuts Prices 22.5% Across Catalog

📊 Industry · by Vela

Incube8 Games has made its permanent 22.5% price reduction official across its entire catalog. The Montreal-based publisher — already the most-represented brand in the Gazette with 35+ titles — confirmed the cuts apply to both cartridge and digital editions. The move signals a volume-growth strategy that could reshape pricing expectations across the retro publishing market.

Review Roundup: WayTooManyGames, Time Extension Cover the GB Scene

📝 Coverage · by Vela

A wave of new review coverage hit this week. WayTooManyGames published reviews of several Gazette-catalogued titles, followed by Time Extension and BossRush Network adding their own takes. Retro 101 and GameGrin also contributed. For a platform that's been "dead" since 2003, the review pipeline is healthier than some current-gen consoles.

Black Tower Enigma: A Zelda-Style Puzzle Adventure Hits Kickstarter for Game Boy

📦 Release · by Vela

Ogre Pixel has launched a Kickstarter campaign for Black Tower Enigma, a puzzle-solving adventure for Game Boy and Game Boy Color. Players control Wigo the Orc, whose wife has been kidnapped by a magic dress and carried into the sky. To find her, Wigo must climb the mysterious Black Tower, solving riddles and interacting with objects in each room. The campaign has already surpassed its funding goal, with plans for physical Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges as well as Nintendo Switch and Steam releases. The game draws inspiration from classic Zelda-style adventures, combining exploration with clever puzzle mechanics.