The Official Nintendo Gamecube Thread

[Tanooki]

Oh it's a fake eh?  What a waste of money then.  I was hoping someone had made a working master that would run on the actual hardware.  Basically another pointless collectors box with a digital download code or whatever.

[Madwindoman]

2 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Oh it's a fake eh?  What a waste of money then.  I was hoping someone had made a working master that would run on the actual hardware.  Basically another pointless collectors box with a digital download code or whatever.

No the disc works but the GameCube would need a modchip or custom firmware like Swiss or something. They explained it all in the post

[Tanooki]

2 hours ago, Madwindoman said:

No the disc works but the GameCube would need a modchip or custom firmware like Swiss or something. They explained it all in the post

So basically for most, it's still just a non-working drink coaster unless you hack the console by some means which is still unfortunate.  I mean I get it, but it's pretty odd with all the stolen and reverse engineered info out there a real disc couldn't get mastered somewhere, somehow.

[Austin]

On 4/3/2023 at 7:10 PM, Tanooki said:

So basically for most, it's still just a non-working drink coaster unless you hack the console by some means which is still unfortunate.  I mean I get it, but it's pretty odd with all the stolen and reverse engineered info out there a real disc couldn't get mastered somewhere, somehow.

No, you just use a region bypass device like the Action Replay. It's no different than, say, playing a Japanese Saturn game on an American console with the same kind of device. It's nothing new.

 

It's nice that they released the ISO. One could load that onto a modded Wii, or use it on a GC with an ODE.

[Tanooki]

I have the free loader people love. Got it to play English Doshin such a great title then added more later. 

[SlidellMan]

Nintendo Puzzle Collection's Panel de Pon has an English translation:

Granted, it isn't finished, but at least someone heeded the call.

[Tanooki]

But what would it take to run the translation outside of Dolphin?  I can't burn the discs or even I think source the things.  I own the actual game, so find a weird way to throw a patch onto a memory card or something?  It could be an interesting exercise in translation for an optical media system.

[Punisher5.0]

3 hours ago, Tanooki said:

But what would it take to run the translation outside of Dolphin?  I can't burn the discs or even I think source the things.  I own the actual game, so find a weird way to throw a patch onto a memory card or something?  It could be an interesting exercise in translation for an optical media system.

Probably with Swiss or GC loader.

 

On a side note....anyone else see the M.2 adapter for the GC? Talk about a crazy gap in hardware tech.

[Tanooki]

I know someone who was going to get one or was interested so I read up a little on it.  Seems like a nice novelty bypass that's for sure, and covert where it is put as well.

[jetset]

Assistance please!

So I have 2 Gamecube units. Both working apart from reading CDs. I followed and watched a good dozen vids. The laser moves, the disc spins, UNTIL it tries to read the game. SO almost all the videos demonstrate there is a small "pot" to test resistance, which, depending on the video(s)they say to adjust it as low as 100 and as high as 250. Now, on the multimiter set at 2k, I get a reading of .254 which ios course *distinctly* different from 254. - Not a one video or site mentions that .254 and 254. are different or how to convert to a whole number. Can't imagine there are that many people with knowledge of a technical issue but not the common sense to explain the numbers.

THAT said, I want to have them repaired, or at least one. I'm NOT taking them to one of these ifixit places. I work with a guy w/a small classic game store but it's a good hours' drive from here.

Can ANYONE assist? I'd be willing to ship to you and pay for return shipping plus your cost. Yes I could ship it to the store an hour away but figured one of the aa members would be good with this kind of repair?

[Punisher5.0]

28 minutes ago, jetset said:

Assistance please!

So I have 2 Gamecube units. Both working apart from reading CDs. I followed and watched a good dozen vids. The laser moves, the disc spins, UNTIL it tries to read the game. SO almost all the videos demonstrate there is a small "pot" to test resistance, which, depending on the video(s)they say to adjust it as low as 100 and as high as 250. Now, on the multimiter set at 2k, I get a reading of .254 which ios course *distinctly* different from 254. - Not a one video or site mentions that .254 and 254. are different or how to convert to a whole number. Can't imagine there are that many people with knowledge of a technical issue but not the common sense to explain the numbers.

THAT said, I want to have them repaired, or at least one. I'm NOT taking them to one of these ifixit places. I work with a guy w/a small classic game store but it's a good hours' drive from here.

Can ANYONE assist? I'd be willing to ship to you and pay for return shipping plus your cost. Yes I could ship it to the store an hour away but figured one of the aa members would be good with this kind of repair?

Since you were on the kilo ohm scale that would 254 ohms.

[jetset]

18 minutes ago, Punisher5.0 said:

Since you were on the kilo ohm scale that would 254 ohms.

Gotcha! TY!!!

 

[Tanooki]

Well hopefully it's that easy that over time it just slid over the maximum people think should work of 250.  Maybe find a happy median value in the 100s or just keep clicking down a few at a time until it reads, then try a double density disc like Smash used which put more wear onto the system reading that, and see if that chokes.  If that does, crawl lower yet until it's happy.

[+atari2600land]

I finally found my GameCube controller, the final piece of me seeing if it works. So I go to plug it in and I found a tiny bit of sparks coming out when I go to plug it in. I don't know if it's the AC adapter I'm using, so I plugged it in a different hole in my power strip and it works fine. It's been a very long time since I played it. I had to set the clock again. I unplug and plug in various consoles at various times to suit what I'm playing at the moment. All my saves are still on the save card though, so that's good. My Game Boy Player disc works jsut fine. I played a couple rounds of Mario Kart Double Dash and, how are you supposed to stay on the track on Rainbow Road without a rail on the edges? I kept falling off the track and ultimately finished 6th, and tied for first in the final standings, though it gave me first place and the computer second.

[Wayler]

43 minutes ago, atari2600land said:

I finally found my GameCube controller, the final piece of me seeing if it works. So I go to plug it in and I found a tiny bit of sparks coming out when I go to plug it in.

I had to read that a couple of times to understand the situation because I thought this was happening:

Luckily sparks from a power strip is a completely different and normal phenomenon. 

 

 

My Gamecube now loses all settings when power is off. Through some reading, it is because the internal battery is dead. It doesn't affect gameplay though (don't have Animal Crossing) so I probably won't go through the hassle of opening the damn thing and replacing the battery, as it doesn't appear to be a simple snap/click job. 

 

[+atari2600land]

I unplugged my Game Cube and plugged it back in and it didn't lose any settings. Which is weird because I bought it at launch day. I was so underwhelmed by the Gamecube then because I didn't especially like Luigi's Mansion. Super Mario Sunshine was too hard. I never did beat level 5-1 so I got rid of it. But (aside from Mario Kart) what I like about the Gamecube are the DK Bongos controller. I am wondering if there is a way to make homebrew Gamecube games that use the DK Bongos. They were cool, but underutilized.

[Tanooki]

22 hours ago, Wayler said:

 

My Gamecube now loses all settings when power is off. Through some reading, it is because the internal battery is dead. It doesn't affect gameplay though (don't have Animal Crossing) so I probably won't go through the hassle of opening the damn thing and replacing the battery, as it doesn't appear to be a simple snap/click job. 

 

It's barely more complex than unscrewing a NES cart to get the job done.  Take off four screws to remove the top, then slide a ribbon cable out of a contact point on a board attached near the controller ports.  From there you can pop out the part you need, and at that rate it's just a standard tabbed NES/SNES style 2032 battery.

[Wayler]

On 4/15/2023 at 7:51 AM, Tanooki said:

It's barely more complex than unscrewing a NES cart to get the job done.  Take off four screws to remove the top, then slide a ribbon cable out of a contact point on a board attached near the controller ports.  From there you can pop out the part you need, and at that rate it's just a standard tabbed NES/SNES style 2032 battery.

I dunno, sounds like that would require effort and actual work. I don't know if I'm willing to put myself through that. The "settings lost"-prompt has not yet driven me insane, so I'll first wait that to happen.

 

 

By the by, has anyone upgraded their Gamecube with an HDMI adapter? I'm thinking of getting a Retro-Bit Prism for it's easier update feature. Just don't know if the 70-80 EUR price tag is worth it. You see, right now I'm using a PAL console with SCART. And it is my understandment that to get more out of the HDMI setup, I would have to get swiss software working to force all PAL games to support 480p, or something.

 

But if I'm only going to stick to HDMI adapter vs PAL SCART, is there a noticeable difference in quality?

 

[Tanooki]

Yeah it's a very light bit of work.  It's basically about the same amount of screws to un-do a N64 cart and then the weird metal frame the PCB has inside to get to the battery.  Same process to pop and replace another tabbed battery, that's it.  The most fiddly is that little flat ribbon that threads around the front plate interior for the controller port part.  Honestly maybe 15minutes of work start to end given you let the iron heat while undoing the console.

 

It got on my nerves I had ignored it initially.  Shared this starting at disassembly, it's done in around 7 minutes.

 

[Wayler]

Been playing Rogue Squadron II on and off for a few weeks now. Not at all a huge Star Wars fan but still enjoying this one quite a bit. I remember playing the original X-Wing on our PC with a flight stick back in the day and this feels the same.

 

Just yesterday managed to beat the second to last mission that was a crazy space dogfight with hundreds of ships. Definately the highlight of the game. 

 

I also have Rogue Squadron III but I hear that one is a weaker affair with clunky on-foot missions. 

 

Edit: forgot to mention that some missions have alternating content depending of the time of day that you are playing them. All the more reason to change that damn battery... 

Edited May 27, 2023 by Wayler

[roots.genoa]

1 hour ago, Wayler said:

I also have Rogue Squadron III but I hear that one is a weaker affair with clunky on-foot missions.

The on-foot missions are clearly a bit dull, but the space shooting is still as good and I find the game easier. I beat Rebel Strike while I've never beaten Rogue Squadron.

[Tanooki]

@Wayler I bought RS2 and 3 back in the day and I only have 2 at this point.  Weaker and clunky is definitely generous.   It would take reading some interviews or whatever from then or after, but I do remember it coming up.  The problem with the both on foot and also on rail land speeder style stages are that they straight up re-used the flight engine modeling for the ship and camera movement, and it doesn't work well outside of a space ship.  The ship based stages are as nice as the ones in RS2 there is no doubt there.  But when you have a speeder style stage the camera tends to have this delayed bob around effect against your on rails fast movement and it causes you to ram into a lot of insta-kill trees/rocks/stuff as everying has a drunken lag feeling to it.   The on foot stuff similarly so, but not bad since you control your pacing.  The problem with on foot is that enemies can come in from all sides, and well, you can't turn the camera or even really pivot it, so you get a lot of stupid blaster fire and attacks from behind you from off screen leading to a lot of cheap damage and deaths as you'll have to back pedal to move the entire space reversed towards your chair basically to get Mr suckershot back in sight to pop the dude.  Also in the yoda part with jedi training, the drunken/laggy bit kind of hits trying to nail down precise jumps and movements not to splash into the swamps/depths and the camera/control aren't made for platforming so it's a bit on the aggravating side too.

 

RS3 is a good game, but keep that in mind and try and adjust to it if you can.

[SlidellMan]

I was never able to beat Rogue Squardron II despite owning it. The on-foot segments in RSIII were the closest thing that the GameCube had to something like Devil May Cry.

[SlidellMan]

I'll just leave this here.

[SlidellMan]

To tell you guys the truth, I wanted to get into GameCube homebrew development. Hell, I even bought a set of the mini-DVDs the system used. It would be nice if Bitmap Bureau found a way to have XenoCrisis run on a stock GC...