Between the respect for classic games like Baby T-Rex and new releases, the ModRetro Chromatic is becoming one of my favorite possessions. Getting a chance to dive back into some of my childhood favorites alongside passion projects being developed by passionate fans is a dream come true. It seems like the Retro revival is in full swing, especially seeing how players are even making new games for the Genesis. This time around, ModRetro is bringing the heat. Hermano and Chantey are the newest additions to the lineup. And they may be some of the best that they’ve had yet.

‘Hermano’ Is Bad to the Bone and My Favorite Modretro / Homebrew Platformer to Date

There’s something magical about spooky games with adorable graphics. The second I saw Hermano for the first time, I was immediately in love with the aesthetic. It’s adorable in every sense of the word, in the same way that the Konami classic Kid Dracula was. And much like Kid Dracula, underneath the cutesy aesthetic is a game that’s harder than you may have expected. This could be the killer app that ModRetro needs, to be completely honest.

Hermano controls like a dream and offers plenty of content for fans of retro platformers. It also has some of the most impressive music that I’ve heard come out of the Game Boy-styled speakers that I’ve grown so accustomed to. There’s really only one other game that I’ve played so far that has it beat on that front (more on that later). But Hermano is ready to give even the most beloved of Nintendo classics a run for their money.

Pair this with a fun story, bonus stages that had me hopping for spicy peppers, and a fantastic sense of scale, and Hermano is easily my favorite platformer available on the ModRetro up to this point. It has a run time of roughly two hours, but it’s an adventure that I know I’ll be coming back to time and time again. While I do wish that I could save, I just imagine that each new Hermano that I’m playing as is a different skeleton, heading out on a new adventure.

Verdict: Strongly Recommended

‘Chantey’ Is an Epic Seafaring Musical RPG That Rocked My Socks Off, Challenging ‘Dragonyhm’ for the ModRetro CRown

Beyond having some of the sickest box art I’ve ever seen in a video game to date, Chantey also has one of the most unique premises in a game, both modern and retro. I stepped into the life of a pirate, and I figured I was going to be swashbuckling rather than rock-battling. But, as it turned out, I got to do a bit of both. After washing up onshore, I was taken under the wing of a Pirate Captain, and the adventure that followed was one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced.

Rather than fighting in either Action combat or typical RPG style? Every battle in Chantey is done via Guitar Hero-esque rhythm showdowns. The more notes that I hit, the higher the HYPE meter would go. And as long as I kept it above this bar? I was going to emerge victorious. The music here, as mentioned above, is worth the price of admission alone. It’s some of the most infectious music I’ve heard in the 8-bit era, and sea shanties are always worth a listen. Especially when they’ve been given a loving “heavy metal” makeover like they have here.

Chantey may be a little confusing at first, but once it starts moving? I didn’t want to put it down. It’s roughly around 10 hours, and it’s one of the most engaging games I’ve played on the ModRetro yet. The music and graphical presentation alone are phenomenal. But pair it with great 8-direction movement, and I’m ready to set sail. Oh, plus the dialogue? Hilarious.

Verdict: Strongly Recommended

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Seeing Homebrew and GB Studio games like this get a chance at life on a physical cartridge brings me joy beyond words. Especially when they’re as good as these offerings are. Some of the games in the ModRetro library haven’t been my cup of tea. But platforming fans and RPG fans have some great choices to pick from here. As the lineup continues to grow, I’m very eager to see what is next in line for the retro-revitalization treatment.