ModRetro, creator of the ultimate Game Boy-inspired handheld, the Chromatic, is bringing Rayman back in handheld form to celebrate the game’s 30th anniversary—officially launching today.
Originally released by Ubisoft in 1995, Rayman became known for its imaginative worlds, quirky characters, and innovative gameplay. The game later came to handheld with a Game Boy Color version in 2000, and now, for the 30th anniversary, it returns in enhanced form on Chromatic—giving fans a chance to rediscover the classic adventure.
The Rayman 30th Anniversary handheld re-release will feature over 30 levels filled with enemies, hidden secrets, and Toon chaos. It has signature moves, including jumping, swinging, and Rayman’s punch attack.
And it has a brand new soundtrack immerses you deeper into the action. I played a demo of the game yesterday on the Chromatic and it’s a cute rendition of Rayman. You can jump and capture items in a side-scrolling way, but you have to avoid obstacles like bees. The scenery has a 3D effect, even though it’s a 2D game. The foreground has deeper and richer colors, while the background is washed out, creating that 3D effect.
For a refresher on the Chromatic, it’s a labor of love from Palmer Luckey — yep, the creator of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and now founder of defense contractor Anduril.
ModRetro’s name itself is a nod to Luckey’s early years, when at the age of 12 he created a forum for technology enthusiasts, ModRetro.com. It was the virtual place where, among other things, Luckey learned all about VR.
One of the things Luckey admired was the Game Boy Color, and Chromatic is an homage to that machine with pixel-accurate colors. Torin Herndon, CEO of ModRetro, said in an earlier interview with GamesBeat that retro purists will see that accuracy in the gameplay. Herndon, who worked as an engineer alongside Luckey’s team, made Luckey’s dream of the Chromatic come to life.
The Chromatic debuted at the end of 2024 and it sold out. This summer, it came back with a larger supply, new games, a new colorway and more tweaks.
Chromatic is now available at modretro.com in seven colorways, including the new ‘Cloud’ colorway, and two display options: Gorilla Glass ($200) for scratch resistance and excellent drop protection, or Sapphire Glass ($300) for near diamond hardness, typically reserved for ultra high-end time pieces.