Nintendo's internal strategy of "lateral thinking with outdated technology" kept the original Game Boy hardware simpler than expected, and many of its secondary features appeared as accessories. For FM radio, solutions like the Boom Box Boy module existed for the Game Boy Color, but today we've come across a modern project, Orange FM, which moves all the necessary elements into a cartridge, expanding its compatibility.
I'll admit it: it's been years since I listened to traditional FM radio. I sometimes find a stream and leave it on for hours, but that's about it. My visits to AM radio are a bit more frequent, especially for sports news.
Now, its popularity may have declined, but radio is far from disappearing. We can still find smartphones and tablets that tune into FM without much trouble (at most, you need to plug in headphones). However, there was a very famous platform that omitted that support in the past, and I'm referring to the Game Boy console. 35 years later, we can now correct that situation thanks to the Orange FM cartridge.
Orange FM: FM for Your Game Boy, Without Adapters
Orange FM is under development, but one of its most notable aspects is compatibility. While the Boom Box Boy module was designed for the Game Boy Color and the Game Boy Pocket, Orange FM works with all consoles except the Game Boy Micro. The list also includes special adapters such as the Super Game Boy and the Game Boy Player, as well as modern options like the Analogue Pocket.
Depending on the console, Orange FM can use the built-in speaker (mono) or redirect audio to its 3.5mm stereo output. The cartridge has an internal antenna, but you can connect an external antenna (via headphones). The software supports RDS protocol and digital volume control, plus a 100 or 200 kHz adjustment across the entire FM band. The only exception would be Italy, which uses 50 kHz blocks for some stations.
The future plan is for Orange FM to reach the market as a ready-to-use product or as a DIY kit.
Official site: Click here
