A developer has created a new cartridge for the Game Boy, 35 years after its release in Japan. This cartridge transforms the portable console into an FM radio. And it offers many advanced options for listening and interfacing. This cartridge is only a prototype, but it proves that this old console still has something to surprise us.
Nintendo’s Game Boy is released in Japan in 1989. And yet, 35 years later, enthusiasts still manage to expand the experience of this portable console. Games continue to be released, combining retro graphics and modern gameplay mechanics. We want it as proof Cel Storm or Infinity, two releases planned this year. But also modules that extend the possibilities of the console.
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We mentioned in our columns this very special cartridge which allows you to stream movies. We also published an article about a developer who created a plugin for allow the Game Boy to mine bitcoins. However, these two somewhat crazy projects are not really adapted to the real capabilities of the console. On the other hand, another developer, known under the nickname Orangeglo, has created a much more interesting module.
This cartridge turns the Game Boy into an FM radio
This experimental cartridge is called “ Orange FM “. And as its name suggests, it transforms Nintendo’s portable console into an FM radio. It seems simple like that. But it’s not quite, because the developer went much further than that. First, he explains that the module captures different frequency bands to cover the majority of countries. In France, the stations are positioned between 87.5 MHz and 108 MHz. But other countries use other frequencies. The cartridge takes this particularity into account.
Then the cartridge is RDS compatible. This means you can scan the FM band to create a list of available stations and you can track a station when it changes frequency from one region to another. RDS compatibility also allows you to receive information in real time (if the radio broadcasts it). In addition, searching for a station is more precise than on a standard radio. Orangeglo has also included a full menu to adapt the interface to your needs.
Finally, the developer integrated a radio antenna into the cartridge. But he explains in the presentation video (which you find at the end of this article) that it is possible improve signal reception by plugging wired headphones into the 3.5mm jack port. So there are a lot of interesting elements in this cartridge. Of course, this is a prototype that will almost certainly never be produced. But the initiative is very interesting.