EDIT:
Folks kept asking "can you build me one?" and "are they for sale?," so I sold the clear one a while back, but now I've got a new project I'm working on, so I decided to list the orange one with a LOT of extras!  
Check it out here, if you are interested - - http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=6&...   )

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Greetings, Nintendarians!  (Is that even a word? )

I finally got around to modding the two GAMECUBEs this weekend that I had been meaning to work on for a while.

I thought these two projects might interest some of you - - there are LOTS of pictures below, with captions on some of them to explain what I was doing.


Here's the tl;dr (Too Long, Didn't Read!) version, though, with a few "vanity" shots immediately after:

• Crystal Clear QOOB-brand aftermarket case (takes FULL-SIZE DVDs!)
• Blaze Orange ICEDCUBE-brand aftermarket case (takes FULL-SIZE DVDs!)
• QOOB Pro Chip
• XENO Chip
• Custom BLACK Vinyl Dye Paint Job on Controller and Memory Card Ports
• Enable/Disable Switches for XENOGC Chip
• JPN/USA BIOS Switch, Because Why Not?
• "Sleeved" Wires on the QOOB Pro for Appearance
• INTEC 5.6" Portable Gaming Screen for "Bling"

If you want the FULL story ("modification log"), every case screw by case screw and soldered point by soldered point, then read on AFTER all these "vanity" shots!



























I really like the contrasting black and crystal clear look of the QOOB case, and so I have added the black INTEC 5.6" portable screen to this unit - -











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Still with me?  GREAT!

Here's the full mod log below, if you want ALL the details:



THE ORIGINAL GAMECUBES

I had two DOL-001 Gamecube units (the first models, with the component output on the back, "REV A" if you prefer)









Someone had applied what appeared to be automotive paint, in a sparkly purplish-blue hue, on this one - -





Actually, it wasn't too bad of a paint job, although it looked like they had applied a clear coat that was now coming off?

It had come to me through GOODWILL, and had been my main GAMECUBE for some time.  It's always been a rock-solid Koopa Troopa', so I never minded the appearance.

There was even a simple mod installed in it that it actually CAME with (I know, interesting for a GOODWILL score, right?), which was the JPN/USA BIOS switch mod - -



Interesting technique . . . no solder, just wrapped around the switch . . . !



Here's where it connects to the motherboard.  

I kept the mod on the final built, although I correctly re-soldered it to the board, and installed a REAL switch (keep reading, it's all down below)





THE CASES

I can't even BEGIN to tell you how difficult it is to find GAMECUBE aftermarket cases now.

I literally spent over a month tracking a few down, and finally they had to come from OUTSIDE of the U.S.

It was worth the hunt, though.

I wanted to try the two reputedly "best" cases out there, the ICEDCUBE case and the "official" QOOB case that was sometimes bundled with the QOOB chip (mine was not).


The ICEDCUBE, as delivered, with stickers and extras





And, the QOOB case, as delivered





TWO of these trippy Frensel-lens optical illusion top "jewels" came with the case - - I used one on the ICEDCUBE, since I acutally did put a QOOB chip in that one!





VINYL DYE

I started the projects by painting the controller and memory card panels with my old standby, VHT VINYL DYE

I did not like the stock grey look, and one of them had that classic NINTENDO plastic yellowing that happens sometimes.





"Vinyl dye," you say?  It's amazing stuff.  It literally alters the chemistry of the plastic so that an industrial dye can penetrate the plastic and permanently stain it.  This is NOT spray paint (although it is aerosol delivered!), and it will NOT flake off, scrape off, chip, and it does't add "bulk" the plastic and fill in details.



Wear your respirator.  It's serious.

I love the stuff.  Here's a shot of a SUPER NINTENDO unit I used vinyl dye on last year - -







ANYways!  Back to the GAMECUBEs!  


Here's the next day, after the vinyl dye has completely dried - -





It's like they came out of the factory that way . . . vinyl dye is great stuff.



THE XENO CHIP

What a chip!  It has no features of the more advanced chips like the QOOB and the VIPER, but it is amazingly effective at handling all media types, and it all installs in one easy place on the motherboard.

It is also smaller than a postage stamp, and a fiddly little thing to install!



This is the installation spot on the motherboard



I chose to use 30 AMG Kynar wire to install the XENO, rather than the typical "direct to motherboard" install.  You can actully just solder it RIGHT to the motherboard, that's why the holes on the chip are large, and have solder pads around them.



I wanted an ENABLE / DISABLE switch on this mod, though, so I didn't do the direct solder method.  

It is ALWAYS nice to be able to "turn off" your mod chip - - not all homebrew programs like "seeing" the chip, and apparently (although I have not encountered it), some backups don't like it either.

I wanted ALL the options on this puppy, so I put a SPST switch on the "VCC" (voltage) line, and that would act as the "ON / OFF" !

The switch installation is down below, at the end of the case assembly section.




QOOB CASE ASSEMBLY

Here's the QOOB case going together, with a view of the vinyl dye memory cart slots and controller ports first - -







Here's the installation of the JPN/USA BIOS switch and ON / OFF switch for the XENO chip installation.  

I went with some CLASSIC metal toggle switches from RADIO SHACK, which I think look stylish - -



Soldering them up - -



And, the end result, with some labels I made, because, well . . . LABELS! (I like my labeler)






Yes, ladies and gentlemen, a full-sized DVD will fit in there!  It's glorious . . . 



Last finishing touches - - transferring the original label and serial number from the old case








THE QOOB PRO CHIP



(Frensel lens is from the QOOB case, it didn't come with the chip)


I wanted to try the QOOB Pro chip, since it is more advanced and can hold applications on board in its memory, like emulators, or even an alternate BIOS that you can boot to.

I had to order the thing from Australia!  Again, it was a long hunt to get it.  It's getting strangely HARD to find this GAMECUBE stuff!



It comes with the chip, the "wiring harness", and the cable for the USB adapter.

I didn't like the loose wires of the harness, so I decided to "sleeve" the cables for a cleaner look.

For those that don't know, "sleeving" is a computer case modder trick that puts wires inside a fibre sheath, and seals the ends with heat-shrink tubing.

Here's the un-sleeved wiring harness in the middle, with some sleeving coiled around it, and then a long length of heat-shink tubing around it all - - 



Detail of the sleeving material - - 



And, what it looks like (the far right wires are not sleeved yet) - - 







(I sleeved the other wires, too, but you don't see that until down below, where I am connecting the QOOB Pro to the motherboard)


Taking the GAMECUBE apart to access the motherboard - -



Heatsink removed, time to solder!




And, all soldered up (it took a lot longer to do than that simple phrase . . . ).

I am VERY zoomed in here - - these solder points are ridicuously small.





Re-assembled, and the starting to put it all back into the ICEDCUBE case - -



Here we are almost assembled, with the sleeving nicely shown and the QOOB Pro chip in place.  I think the sleeving makes it cleaner, and you can't see the multi-colored wires through the clear case.



Showing off the vinyl dye memory card ports







All buttoned up!



Good to see that it boots, of course - -



Finishing touches - - moving the serial number and model stickers from the old case - -





And that's it!



Not shown in here is adjusting the POTENTIOMETER for the laser, which is crucial to getting a chipped GAMECUBE to read media.

I set the lasers to 200 Ohms, which was read using a digital multi-meter, and that laser level has worked well. 

The XENO has been a rock-star, and played all the DVD-R media that I have thrown at it, which is about six different types of mini AND full-sized DVD-R brands.

The QOOB Pro (or the laser in the unit) seems to be more picky.  I may re-adjust the laser on the QOOB Pro unit a bit more, and take it down to 190 Ohms, see if it boots faster, and has less issues.  Right now it won't always boot the same discs that the XENO will always boot.


Testing has been fun - - I have played for hours on both units to see if the the laser strength drops or if there are any incompatibilities!  (I had to play for hours, really!  I swear!  It was important testing, not just gaming! )

Works great on retail DVDs too, of course.


Thanks for watching, I hope you enjoyed!


-atari2atari

Looks great! How much does a mod like this run you?

Those look great!

The thing I'm most impressed with is that you unstuck and reapplied those labels, especially the paper serial number one. Care to share your methods? I'm guessing a heat source helped in removal, but does the same adhesive work for the reapplication? Awesome work, very detail oriented.

This fantastic! Great detail. Can you share the sites that you bought the chip and cases from?

That is amazing work man! Nice!

You might want to sit down . . . the cost is about $400 for each console.  Each.  That total includes the base console that you start modding with, the parts (chips, wire, cases, switches, etc.), international shipping cost, my own personal supplies and then time and labor . . . precious time and labor . . . 


Thank you!  I have been practicing my Label-Fu for years.  I stay in regular shape by slowly and painstakingly peeling off GOODWILL thrift store labels a few times a week from my new purchases . . .

In all seriousness, it is just a SLOW thing. Peel slloooooooooooooow.  Real slow.  Getting that first "critical corner" up so you have purchase to pull on is crucial.  A sharp object, but NOT a razor, can help to get that edge up.  A razor has the possibility to cut the label.  

And then go slow.  Did I mention to go slow?

I do heat it up just a little bit with a lamp, but that's it.  Sometimes the blow dryer can cause the adhesive to stick more, or separate from the label, actually!

Every label on everything is different, too.  You just have to "know" the label and product, I guess.

Luckily, Nintendo used a sort of metallic label for the model number label, and a thick plastic label for the serial number.

Both of those "kept" there adhesion PERFECTLY with a slow peel, and they stuck right back onto the prepared surface of the new cases like, well, like glue!


I wish it was that simple!

That's just the thing.  With the exception of the XENO chip (which can be had from a few Canadian websites), there literally isn't ANYWERE that has this stuff in stock!

I seriously DID spent over a month tracking the cases and chips down.  I bought one case from a Canadian website.  They took two weeks to even respond (there are a LOT of "dead" websites out there) and it was the absolute last one they had.  There was NO chance of ever getting more.  Ever.  They are done, liqudating, gone.  Even the purchasing was a PayPal "shot in the dark where I was convinced I was going to be placing a claim after nothing ever arrived.

The other case was from a collector who I tracked down through old "dead" website searching, contacting webhosts for old site owners, and tracking forum discussions for hints of names and sources.  That collector who sold it to me (new in box!) was also from Canada.  The QOOB Pro chip was from an independent fellow "emu_kidid" in Australia (the developer of the excellent 'Swiss' BIOS for the GAMECUBE, incidentally, and all-around excellent fellow modder - - Google him up!).

If you find a source for cases . . . let us know.  Start searching, you'll see what I mean.  There's some random place in Spain that a few folks have looked into . . . but the shipping and communication issues seem to be overwhelming . . .

http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?33393-XC...


Sorry - - I truly am!  I think the GAMECUBE has officially gone 'retro' and now we are going to be trading parts and working with what there is left . . . 



Here's an interesting aside, on that topic - - 

This month GAME STOP announced they would no longer be accepting GAMECUBE consoles and games.  I think  that this officially means that we have entered the retro territory for GAMECUBE . . . . !?

(Article clipped from GameInformer)


Long live the 'cube!


-atari2atari

Wow, I get very envious of custom game systems, nice centerpiece! I sure wish someone would do clear cases for the SNES and NES. No more yellow systems!

man - if you can make that cube into a yellow question mark version... (mario bros block)

that has a LED to light up ......drools...


Great work on the gamecube mod's
they look very very good!

Amazing

S E X Y SEXY S E X Y Duder duder.

That is just awesome. I envy those with the technical knowledge to do these sort of things.

I came.
Amazing work, man.