Do you ever wonder what to do with all those old GBA games from your drawer of bygone technology? Well, it might not be so bygone after all, with the Steam Deck now able to run classic cartridges thanks to a nifty device known as the Epilogue GB Operator. First made to play GB and GBA games on PC, Epilogue has adapted its hardware and software to run on Valve’s premier device.
So, Mario’s Steam Deck debut is here, seemingly whether Nintendo like it or not. I say debut, I mean this is the closest I’ve seen to something that isn’t quite clearly illegal emulation and won’t disappear courtesy of a cease and desist in a number of days. Still, it makes you think about what Nintendo is waiting around for to put their classic GBA titles onto Switch.
If you can’t remember far enough back to know what Mario games are now playable thanks to the GB Operator, providing you have an original copy yourself, we’re glad to remind you. In the GBA era alone, Nintendo gave us Mario Party Advance, Mario Kart Super Circuit, and one of the moustachioed plumber’s cult favourite adventures, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga. This isn’t counting all the classic ports, as well as the GB and GBC adventures of Mario and friends, so you can see there’s plenty to get your teeth into providing you can pick up the cartridges.
Even more exciting is the news Epilogue is working on a SNES emulator to make Nintendo’s even older, and even chunkier, cartridges fit for PC and Steam Deck. Personally, I’d like to see a GameCube device so I can play all the games Nintendo seems to be taking a lifetime to port to Switch, but for now, I’ll take a few classic handheld experiences to keep me going.
There you have it, all you need to know about Mario’s Steam Deck debut courtesy of Epilogue’s GB Operator. To get the most out of your mobile device, check out our guides on how to delete contacts on iPhone and how to delete apps on iPhone.