GBA Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow - Color Improvement GBA ROM

[RageBurner]

A great color improvement hack by Piggy Chan, getting rid of the normally ugly and washed out colors in Aria of Sorrow.

Author(s): Piggy Chan!
Version: 1.1
Date: 31st of August, 2025
Status: Playable, actively supported.
Source: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/9121/

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• Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow - Color Improvement GBA ROM
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[keefoid]

I feel like most people think the GBA's colors are simply brighter to compensate for the lack of backlight, but it's more than that. Some colors have a slightly altered hue so they can be displayed correctly on the original screen.

This is even worse with the GBC, where the screen has a yellowish tint. Donkey Kong Country on it looks extremely reddish in the emulator, but on the original console, it's very faithful to the SNES palette.

Unless I'm using a colour hack I'll use colour correction in the emulator to address this sort of thing.

 

[M.G]

I feel like most people think the GBA's colors are simply brighter to compensate for the lack of backlight, but it's more than that. Some colors have a slightly altered hue so they can be displayed correctly on the original screen.

This is even worse with the GBC, where the screen has a yellowish tint. Donkey Kong Country on it looks extremely reddish in the emulator, but on the original console, it's very faithful to the SNES palette.

 

[RageBurner]

Seems to be compatible with other hacks, as long as those don't alter palettes.

 

[CureMofurun]

The classic GBA problem... the lack of a backlight having to be overcompensed in the game's color palette.

This seems like a good way to play in an emulator

 

[RageBurner]

Which is the best color mod?

There's another one on here by jonataguitar which has two versions, then this version too.

Try both if you can, one might fit your particular tastes more than the other.

 

[keefoid]

Which is the best color mod?

There's another one on here by jonataguitar which has two versions, then this version too.

 

[RageBurner]

Like on the title screens of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance & Sonic Advance 3, is there an option to switch between the two color palettes?

Not really. It would help massively if every GBA game had this, though.

 

[StopTheCatastrophe]

In emulation, people should also try the emulator option for Color Correction (it's an option in mGBA), or a shader for GBA color correction (which in RetroArch for example you can then easily combine with a different shader, like an LCD grid line shader). They look excellent. I assume the game-mod version is only ideal for replica or weak hardware.

 

[FillerBunnyNinjashark]

looks dope! while i like aria of sorrow, i never really enjoyed the color palette. i get it was probably made that way so it could be visible on screens without a backlight, but it makes it kinda ugly when viewed on an emulator

I dunno, I still like the original more

 

[MemeAlert]

Like on the title screens of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance & Sonic Advance 3, is there an option to switch between the two color palettes?

 

[Nelson2001 Nelson2001]

That selection of colors looks quite beautiful like this and it looks less light because it gives it that atmospheric touch that characterizes it for the game and making it look a little better in the Color palette section as well.

 

[SrCapibara]

Aria of Sorrow no milk color palette.

 

[Obama21]

good

Very dobre indeed

 

[Noah]

good

 

[RageBurner]

It should work. Just make sure the save file has the same name, and don't load states after an update (load a normal save, first).

 

[gyrenrockz]

oh boy.. hope my save file wont have a prolem.. i keep updating the version of this game..

 

[RageBurner]

looks dope! while i like aria of sorrow, i never really enjoyed the color palette. i get it was probably made that way so it could be visible on screens without a backlight, but it makes it kinda ugly when viewed on an emulator

Happened with a lot of GBA titles, and yes, that was the reason. Games with overbright palette compensation also looked washed out on backlit GBA screens, as well as emulators.

 

[depes]

looks dope! while i like aria of sorrow, i never really enjoyed the color palette. i get it was probably made that way so it could be visible on screens without a backlight, but it makes it kinda ugly when viewed on an emulator