Chris Hackman had a dream growing up in the late 1990s that was shared by countless other gamers: a Game Boy Color that could be worn like a watch. He never imagined it would happen, yet here we are, and it is called the Time Frog Color, his latest project.
The Time Frog Color runs all of the same games as the original Game Boy Color, but without the need for emulation. Chris Hackman has previous experience with these types of projects, having worked on FrogBoy in 2023, which effectively rebuilt the entire Game Boy Color hardware from scratch. So it all starts with the original Sharp system-on-chip, which drives the Game Boy Color and features a Z80 CPU core. Where things got really tough was with the display output; basically, the processor sends out parallel RGB signals that don’t match up with the panels we’ve all grown accustomed to these days.
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Chris created a system that included an RP2040 microprocessor, which is essentially a compact but powerful Raspberry Pi board in a tiny box. He manipulates the signal in real time using the programmable input/output pins. Think of it as a little translator that allows the video to play seamlessly on the new screen. So, once he got the display figured out, the Time Frog Colour is incredibly slim, measuring only 38 millimeters wide and 15 millimeters thick, thin enough to wear while yet allowing for the controls and gaming slot.
The case is machined from 7075 + 6061 aluminum and anodized in a deep purple that resembles previous Nintendo colorways. The buttons are on the sides rather than the front, with four action buttons on one edge and a small directional pad on the other. Each one has a realistic tactile switch hidden inside a 3D printed cap or a machined bit with a silicone cover to give it a real feel.
Chris had to get imaginative because Game Boy cartridges are simply too large to fit into something so compact. He created custom PCBs that appear like Game Boy cartridges but connect to a unique M.2 connector inside the Time Frog Color. These ones, however, only do one thing: read the flash memory that has been loaded with the appropriate ROM files. One of the most popular games even features an MBC3 flash cartridge design. The entire device is powered by a battery disguised beneath the watch strap, and the strap itself is a flexible circuit board that connects the strap to the main body, with a USB-C connection on the side for charging.
The complete power system must be capable of switching between voltages ranging from 1.1 to 5 volts. Space was quite limited here, so we had to make a few compromises. The components ate up all of the extra space, leaving no capacity for a speaker, therefore this version of the watch has no audio gobbled all. As a result, the battery life will be drastically reduced when compared to a conventional smartwatch, as the old original hardware consumes power far faster than newer electronics. Even with a shorter battery life, the watch will continue to tick and preserve accurate time when turned off.
The gameplay feels precisely like it did in the good old days since the silicon inside is still functioning exactly as Nintendo intended. That’s not surprising given that the majority of the original code is still present, humming along just as it did in the 8-bit period. Hackmann has stated that he will eventually post all of the designs on GitHub, but he will keep them all under the LeggoMyFroggo moniker.
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