If Lockheed Martin made a Game Boy, would you buy it?

In the 1990s, like many children, I was fascinated by military aircraft. At the time, Top Gun and Tom Cruise had already transformed the F-14 Tomcat and the aviator glasses into a fantasy for young people. But I preferred the Lockheed F-117A, the angular "Stealth Fighter" capable of evading enemy radar, and the legendary Lockheed SR-71 which flew so fast it could lose missiles.

At that point, I probably would have bought a Black Game Boy I unhesitatingly branded Lockheed. But now, looking back, I know that behind those impressive designs lies a darker reality. Lockheed makes weapons, and I have no control over who buys them or how they're used. Nor can I decide whether those technologies should exist.

This is what I was thinking when I tested a much simpler gadget: the ModRetro ChromaticThis is a high-end version of Nintendo's Game Boy, perhaps the best ever made. But this product is associated with a Lockheed-like company: Anduril, a defense contractor specializing in armed drones and military surveillance systems.

A Game Boy signed by a military drone manufacturer

Anduril and ModRetro have a common founder: Palmer Luckey, creator of the virtual reality headset Oculus RiftLuckey is an almost unreal figure: passionate about anime and video games, he keeps his vast collection in a disused nuclear silo. He also owns helicopters and a Navy SEALs boat. He made the cover of Time Magazine as a "visionary" floating barefoot with an Oculus headset, before being ousted by Facebook. (Luckey is an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump and has held fundraisers for him.)

Many technology companies collaborate with the military sector. Google and Amazon, for example, signed a contract with Israel to the Nimbus project, despite human rights concerns. Microsoft is equipping soldiers with a militarized version of its HoloLens headsetEven Meta allows defense contractors to use its Llama AI model. But while these giants may justify their involvement as "purely commercial," Luckey's product reflects a personal vision: for him, tech companies must cooperate with the military.

This is where the discomfort lies. If the ModRetro Chromatic is an excellent product, its connection to the creator makes it difficult for some to purchase. Luckey makes it clear: for him, video games and weapons are personal passions. This paradox is becoming difficult to ignore.

A retro console that reinvents the Game Boy

The ModRetro Chromatic is an ambitious attempt to recreate the Game Boy from the 1980s and 1990s while improving its weak points. Unlike theAnalogue Pocket, which modernizes the experience with features like save states or compatibility with other portable consoles, the Chromatic remains faithful to the original experience.

Everything is designed to recall the classic Game Boy, with high-end materials:

1. Metal case : More robust than the original plastic, it gives a premium feel.
2. Bright IPS display : Same size and resolution as the original, but much more visible, even in bright sunlight.
3. Improved buttons : The Start and Select buttons are now made of hard plastic, providing better precision.
4. Cartridge compatibility : No emulator here. The Chromatic uses an FPGA chip to faithfully recreate the feel of a real Game Boy or Game Boy Color.

The design mixes the 1989 and 1998 models. The console takes up the rounded corners and the power slider of the Original Game Boy, while adopting the compactness of the Game Boy Color. But it also adds modern touches, like a USB-rechargeable battery and improved connectivity.

Uncompromising nostalgia

The lack of modern features like instant saves may seem like a disadvantage. But when playing Pokémon Pinball On the Chromatic, I felt an excitement that no emulator could offer. The stakes are real, and the gameplay is restored to its original purity. This design choice won't appeal to everyone, but it perfectly illustrates ModRetro's philosophy: to recreate an authentic experience.

A console that appeals

Despite its qualities, the Chromatic asks a question: can a product be separated from its creator's vision? This "perfect" Game Boy is the work of a man whose ideas on weapons and politics are divisive.

For some, this connection is an insurmountable obstacle. For others, it's simply a collectible meant to rekindle their nostalgia. But for me, this mixture of pleasure and discomfort perfectly reflects our times: even retro gadgets can carry a symbolic weight.

So, if Lockheed Martin had made a Game Boy, would you have bought it?

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