The Mini variants of the NES and Super Nintendo caused a true revolution in their time... and ended up exactly as expected: collecting dust on a shelf, or completely hacked. Nintendo fans are still waiting for a third release focused on the Nintendo 64, but the YouTube channel Bringus Studios decided to skip ahead and build a GameCube Mini.
I still remember the discussions about the lack of stock, the game selection, the appearance of pirate clones, and the inevitable hacks to load additional titles. The NES Classic Mini was a surprise even for Nintendo itself, which responded with the SNES Classic Mini and some re-releases, but that whole “Mini strategy” ran out of fuel in December 2018, and since then we only have rumors. Nintendo 64 Mini? Game Boy Classic Mini? Nothing official... for now.
But the DIY space moves at a different pace. We previously explored the challenges of a portable Nintendo 64, and today it's the turn of the Bringus Studios channel on YouTube, which shows us the construction of a GameCube Mini. The best part is that there's no emulation here: the project is based on original hardware, combined with extensive use of 3D printing, and some modifications that make it much more interesting.
Building a GameCube Mini
Unlike what happens with the Nintendo 64, the physical hacks required for this GameCube Mini are relatively accessible. Cutting the secondary ports on the PCB might not sit well at first, but without a vacuum desoldering tool you risk causing bigger problems. Cutting the ports on the PCB is also reasonable, and the affected components (battery, LED, and reset button) can be relocated without any trouble.
It goes without saying that the space savings come from removing the optical drive. Thanks to the magic of the Raspberry Pi Pico and the open source project PicoBoot, any user can free the GameCube from its traditional loading system and enjoy their favorite titles using an SD card. When the secondary ports on the PCB are cut, the memory card connection is made with a special adapter for the Memory Card slot.
A Noctua fan for cooling, several hours of CAD and a few 3D prints later, the GameCube Mini finally takes shape. The relocation of the LED and reset works perfectly, the Raspberry Pi Pico causes no difficulties (after all, it's only five wires), and I'd dare say the console is much more efficient and quieter with this mod. The models for the shell, buttons, and internal supports have already been published on Printables.
