The HyperBoy, a rom cart for Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, originally developed by Kevin Mellot from RetroOnyx, is now available for purchase at Stone Age Gamer.
It’s priced at $165 and, at the moment, can be ordered in two different colors: red or black. For an additional $50, you get a box set containing: a quick start guide, a tray insert, a cart bag, and a box protective sleeve – giving the HyperBoy a complete-in-box feel of an original Virtual Boy game.
Buy the HyperBoy here: https://retrorgb.link/hyperboy
RetroOnyx’s HyperBoy is a cost-effective version of Kevin’s higher end cart for the Virtual Boy, the HyperFlash32. Think of it as a bare bones rom cart than can run the entire Virtual Boy game library, one game at a time, (including some modern homebrew releases like Hyper Fighting) but lacks all the bells and whistles that make the HyperFflash32 stand out and, understandably, more expensive.
Here is the HyperBoy‘s full list of features:
- 32 Mbit Flash memory
- 32k x 8 nvSRAM
- Aluminum anodized covers
- 3D printed carbon fiber frame
- Laser etched graphics
- Micro-USB port for game loading
To flash a rom on to the HyperBoy you’ll need to download and install the HyperBoyFlasher utility/app for Windows by Thunderstruck (Linux and OSX versions are available as CLI only). Then connect the cart to your PC via a micro-USB cable, and on the home screen of HyperBoyFlasher click on “Flash Game”, select the .vb file of your choice and click on “Flash”. The app also serves as a hub for updating the cart’s firmware and backing up save files.
So for those who are just looking to play games on their Virtual Boy and don’t need features such as an eInk screen, cap touch buttons, haptic feedback, and SD card access, the HyperBoy is a great solution and currently the best affordable alternative to the HyperFlash32.
If you want to hear more from the person behind the HyperBoy and HyperFlash32 carts, and watch Bob test a bunch of cool Virtual Boy accessories, check out the videos below.
