Game Boy games run faster than ever
The Super Game Boy is now over-clocked to true turbo mode, meaning you can play Game Boy games on the beloved retro handheld at a faster speed. Following on from last year’s Game Boy Color overclock, this latest hack serves as a reminder of just how active and creative the Game Boy modding community remains, even almost 35 years after the original Game Boy first hit the shelves.
On its own, the Super Game Boy serves as a bridge between the Game Boy and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), enabling the SNES to play Game Boy cartridges. What you might not know, however, is that the Super Game Boy utilizes the exact same hardware as the Game Boy to emulate its games on the SNES.
Therefore, any changes to the clock speed of the Super Game Boy will also affect the speed at which Game Boy games run on the SNES. Previously, the Game Boy clock speed sat at 4.19 MHz, but the Super Game Boy ran at a slightly higher clock speed of 4.295 MHz. This meant Game Boy games on the SNES ran at a 2.4% faster pace than on the handheld. This may not seem like much, but as you’ll see in the video below, it’s certainly noticeable.
Not only does this faster pace affect the gameplay, it also impacts the audio – which is sped up too. This has the potential to change how you experience beloved classics, giving them a fresh perspective whether you’re new to the Game Boy or a nostalgic player.
Interestingly, the Super Game Boy lacks a link port, as the difference in clock speed would cause synchronization issues with a regular Game Boy. To get around this, Nintendo released the Super Game Boy 2 in Japan, which featured a custom crystal oscillator to match the Game Boy’s clock speed and a link port for two-player gameplay.
A recent ROM hack by user nensondubois has pushed the Super Game Boy even further, enabling a turbo mode to run at an impressive 5.35 MHz. The video below, courtesy of Nicole Express, showcases the overclocked device, complete with audio samples and a video.
There is, however, a drawback to the turbo mode – graphical glitches due to hardware limitations. The code for the turbo mode is not accessible through the Super Game Boy BIOS on the Game Boy side but can only be accessed through the Super NES end.
The ongoing passion and creativity of the Game Boy modding community continues to serve as a testament to the enduring popularity of the handheld console. With the Game Boy 30th anniversary just around the corner, there’s no doubt that there will be plenty of new mods and hacks to explore.
Check out our guides to the best Game Boy games and the best Game Boy Advance games for some timeless classics to tide you over until the release of the Game Boy Advance X.
