With crackdowns on emulators and rom sites by Nintendo and other major publishers, retro gamers have been lacking in ways to play these classic games on their PCs. Now, thanks to Epilogue, a new device is soon going to hit the market that does just that. The GB Operator is an adapter for your PC that allows you to insert your physical Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and GBA cartridges and play from them directly.
The application that comes with the adaptor can be used on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Now everyone can utilize the new tool for those who crave some retro gaming. It utilizes mGBA as its main emulator, so while some emulation is involved, you’re still playing off physical copies of games you already own.
Other neat features included with The GB operator include, controller and cheat support, save files that constantly update, and the ability to write games to blank Game Boy cartridges. According to Nintendo Life and Epliogue’s site, it will retail for $49.99 and can be ordered right now. The adapter is expected to begin shipping in August. It also states it can detect bootleg copies of most titles – another win for die-hard retro collectors.
Emulation is as popular as ever, and developers are continuing to push the boundaries of the tech. One app developer, Riley Testut, recently showed that the new Apple TV 4K can actually emulate Game Cube games. Nintendo may have given us Game Builder Garage, but it is still lacking when it comes to a proper virtual console collection such as what we had on the Wii and Wii U.
Nintendo fans can also look forward to new versions of Skyward Sword and Mario Party Superstars, although retro fans will have to settle for innovators like Epilogue and other app developers to satisfy our classic gaming needs – all while hoping Nintendo doesn’t crack down on them, too.
