Relive the Game Boy’s Best with the RetroN Sq HD Gaming Console

There is absolutely no reason to leave your collection of Game Boy games in storage, when Hyperkin’s RetroN Sq does a phenomenal job of presenting all of your old favorites with sharp HD visuals and the timeless sound you remember from yesteryear. Whether you’re the type who still enjoys buying ancient Nintendo games, wants to relive the oldies, or are looking for a fairly priced, kid-friendly, and internet-free alternative video game console, there are plenty of reasons to bring home the RetroN Sq.

RetroN Sq HD Gaming Console

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Core Design at a Glance

The RetroN Sq is easily the tiniest gaming console I own, standing at just over seven inches tall, and available in two slick color schemes: the very 90’s themed transparent blue with bold pink buttons, and the elegant transparent black with gold details. Right off the bat, Hyperkin gives the RetroN Sq value for your dollar by including everything you need to jump into your Game Boy collection right out of the box, with a controller, HDMI cable, AC adapter, USB-C cable, and 512Mb memory card. Its compact size and cool retro-futuristic style makes it a charming little device to display on my office shelf between gaming sessions, unlike its many bulky and less pretty console counterparts.

Fun Meets Functionality

The RetroN Sq features a top-loading cartridge slot and an emulator that is compatible with original Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games. Although the GB and GBC titles take mere seconds to load, GBA titles average a minute of installation time, but even then, subsequent bootups will be far faster because the game data is already saved to your RetroN Sq.

The controller is modeled after the Super Nintendo Entertainment System’s, and it works perfectly with every game I’ve tested. It’s comfy to hold for hours on end, and the only tiny nitpicks I could note are that its shoulder-mounted L and R buttons are somewhat “squishy,” and that it’s a little funny that it includes X and Y buttons because there has never been a Game Boy with those bonus buttons. Setup is a snap, and the controller’s ten-foot-long cable gives me plenty of room to kick back and relax on the other end of my office while playing.

One of its neat features is how it also emulates your old saves from when you played on your original Game Boy console, so you can continue playing on the RetroN Sq. Note that any further saved gameplay will be registered to the RetroN Sq, NOT the original cartridge. Also, please keep in mind that the RetroN Sq requires you to plug in your cartridge when you want to play, so don’t plan on downloading a bunch of borrowed games to this mini-console! (Nice try, though.)

Just Like the Good Old Days

I’m thrilled to announce that the RetroN Sq emulates your favorite Game Boy and Game Boy Color games with excellent HD (720p) fidelity right out of the box. These older games look crisp and well-defined, without a moment of blur, lag, or screen tearing, and it’s a blast to relive classics like Killer Instinct, Battletoads, and Donkey Kong Land on my gigantic LG OLED TV. The timeless bleepy-bloopy 8-bit sound of these Game Boy titles sounds pitch-perfect as well. It was a fun surprise to see classic Game Boy games colored as though I was using my old Super Game Boy (the 90s add-on that let users play GB games on their SNES console,) because I’m used to seeing them in a near-monochrome green tone.

There is a small aspect ratio switch on the console’s rear, allowing you to swap between 4:3 and 16:9 screen sizes at any time. While your tastes may vary, I always prefer the 4:3 ratio as it matches the original visuals of the square-ish Game Boy screen more closely. Its 16:9 counterpart may look fine with some titles, but this setting gives most games an awkward “stretched out” feel.

If you were researching Hyperkin’s RetroN Sq and noticed the “Beta” label on the box, that’s because this console launched with its Game Boy Advance compatibility in a somewhat unfinished state. GBA games are certainly playable, but the choppy frame rate and the fact that some titles have a difficult time starting is an unpleasant experience — or rather, it would be, but Hyperkin has since released an update that’s simple to install that fixes this issue and makes GBA games a treat to play on your TV.

I tested a range of games from my collection, and post-update, everything worked perfectly. The RetroN Sq also plays games from other regions: I was a little concerned about my Japanese copy of Pokémon Puzzle League, but despite still being unable to read kanji, it was just as fun as ever.

RetroN Sq HD Gaming Console

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Who is the RetroN Sq for?

At about $75, the RetroN Sq is perfectly priced for what it does, and it’s a must-own for anyone with a moderate to sizable collection of Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games. Parents who want an internet-free game console that will actually keep kids entertained for a long time should also consider this model — there are a few outliers, but there are scores of affordable and extremely fun GB, GBC, and GBA games out there. Finally, if you’ve been caught up in the wave of retro-revival video game gadgets on the market, Hyperkin’s itty-bitty Game Boy emulator console is a thrifty way to dip your toe into the otherwise pricey world of retro game collecting. Have fun!