Epilogue GB Operator Review: Preserving Memories

POSITIVES

✓ So Easy To Use

Just plug and play

✓ Saves Old Data

Preserves old adventures

✓ Legal

A legal way to build up a rom library

Negatives

x Counterfeit Detection

Gets fooled by fakes

x Software Bugs

Crashes on beta software version

Purchase Price: $49.99

My first ever gaming device that I could remember personally bonding with was the original GameBoy. I received it as a birthday gift packaged with Tetris from my Aunt and while it wasn’t the first machine that could play games in my household (that would be the Commodore 64), there was something special about the GameBoy. Maybe it was because of the form factor and portability of the console, but it felt like it was mine. Technology has evolved so rapidly over the years and one thing I’ve always regretted was losing not only my adventures, but my roster of Pokemon from my childhood. While I still had my original GameBoy and GameBoy Color cartridges, the notorious batteries inside Pokemon Yellow, Gold/Silver, and Crystal have long since wiped out my save files.

I’ve been wanting to find an easy way to preserve my original 151 Pokemon from Blue and Red just in case a house fire breaks out or a maniac robs my prized possessions. That’s how I came across the GB Operator from a company called Epilogue. While this product is mainly used as a cartridge reader that plugs into your computer to be able to play GameBoy games on the app, there are some nifty software features that are immensely useful for a collector like me.

Bringing GAmeBoy to the present

The basics of the GB Operator is quite simple. Like the name suggests, it literally is a GB Operator for personal computers. You plug the translucent cartridge reader through the USB-C port to a computer and download the Epilogue software. That’s really all that needs to be done. Plug a GameBoy, GameBoy Color, or GameBoy Advance cartridge into the reader and the software will automatically recognize the game. I love the simplicity of the Epilogue app as there’s just three tabs of operation: Play, Data, and Photos. 

Epilogue uses mGBA as the emulator that is integrated within the app. While reading the cartridge, the interface displays an image from the database of the cover art with the title and description of the game. Databases for interfaces aren’t uncommon to the retro gaming market, but it’s kind of cool to see this visualized with physical copies of games that I’ve had for more than 20 years. The games play exactly as smoothly as they should from the cartridge, but I did notice that it did load up a little slower than if you popped into an Analogue Pocket or on an authentic GameBoy. However, the benefits of the Epilogue outweigh the slightly slower loading screens in my opinion.

The GB Operator recognizes Japanese titles.

So what exactly are the extra benefits this $50 product has? The first thing is also the feature that drew me most to buying this and that was the cartridge counterfeit detection. As a collector and enthusiast, I think I know a few tips and tricks to recognizing a fake. Even so, I will admit that counterfeits are getting really hard to distinguish quickly nowadays. By popping the cartridge into the Epilogue GB Operator, the software will let you know whether it’s an official cartridge or a knock-off. I used to travel to Asia quite frequently in the 90’s and 2000’s and I know I’ve acquired a few knock-off games. It’s disappointing for me to see that Epilogue reads it as an official cartridge. No, I’m not just being oblivious and not recognizing cartridges from different parts of the world. These handful of games I own are without a doubt not officially printed. They’re easy to see from various flaws in the reproduction. I downloaded v0.9.1 beta from the Epilogue website so I believe this is the correct up to date software. I can’t endorse this feature until I see it recognizing fake cartridges correctly. Hopefully it’s as simple as a software update that can give the Operator the resources to recognize the correct pins.  

The other features that the cartridge reader has is the ability to essentially rip the game legally. You can digitize a replica of your official game to be used with whatever emulating profile you want. That’s a pretty nifty way to legally add your games onto your computer while building up your library of classic games. 

Preserving Adventures

As I mentioned earlier, you can also download or upload the cartridge’s save files to digitize and essentially immortalize that play through history. I have cherished memories of RPGs on the GBA that I’m quite attached to the first playthrough experience. Reliving the story is one thing, but the stats and character builds of the first experience is just a special memory for me. That’s the same feeling I have for preserving my Pokemon. In this category, the GB Operator works just as intended. It’s so simple to do that it really is just a click and you’re done.

I occasionally come across connection issues that require a full computer restart to get back into the software. It constantly tells me that I have multiple clients of the software open even though that isn’t the case. Once again, I hope future updates of the software, especially once it is out of beta will fix the experience here.  

Should You Buy it?

From my experience with the GB Operator, it’s quite an up and down experience. I love the simplicity that it functions with. I also love the ability to preserve my actual cartridges and to be able to bring that digital copy over to a retro handheld like the Miyoo Mini or Razer Edge. This is such an easy way to go about it that anyone, even with limited tech knowledge can accomplish. Unfortunately, I can’t trust Epilogue as a curator for counterfeits. I also can’t guarantee that the software will launch every time it’s plugged in. Those are huge detractors to an otherwise terrific accessory for GameBoy collectors. 

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