The rebirth of Gamecube Homebrew

[wraggster]

For what is a powerful console, the Gamecube has a severely lacking homebrew and emulation scene, what can we do and the homebrew community as a whole to make it better and entice new developers to join the Gamecube scene ?

Answers Via Comments

[CampaKaze]

Um.. i really dont think it will be able to be saved because with the Wii and its clearly possible homebrew, i think it will take all the attention.

[SnoopKatt]

Yeah, homebrew for the Gamecube is pretty much gone man...

[Video_freak]

I didn't even know there was GC homebrew! Well, I did....but you know...

[CampaKaze]

its like an empty pie plate, you look at it and say, "Damn, i wish there was some pie!"

[JesusXP]

Yeah, I got the modchip installed, but havent been able to run any code, or iso's either. Nor do I have time for it, but as always, it would be great to see some more resources and documentation

[Shadowblind]

I never even knew Gamecube had homebrew o_0

[mcvader]

How the hell do you run homebrew on a GC anyway?

I Remember reading something about the broadband adapter and phantasy star online, networking with a PC instead of the SEGA server but being stuck loading you're homebrew off a 8mb (official nintendo memcards are 2mb) memcard would suck, there wouldn't even be enough room for the original doom.

I'm sure i'm missing something, I wasn't aware you could get modchips for GC's what media would you use? I thought GC discs read backwards and are impossible to imatate so how would you load an ISO? (not on a memstick thats for sure).

It would be good if a viable exploit came out for the GC, even tho it's at the end of it's life i'm sure any homebrew could easily be ported over to the Wii. But then again what could the GC emulate that the PSP can't anyway?

[Vangar]

Because its just too hard to get homebrew running on a GC. ordering modchips, smaller DVD-Rs and padding files. Its just not worth it in the end.

[Jockel]

its not that hard. you dont even need a modchip, if you stream GCOS via the PSO security leak.
and small DVDs arent that expensive, i can grab a pak of 10 8cm DVD-Rs for 6 €.

[Magician45]

Wouldnt the mod chips just work for playing imported games? and im pretty sure isos can be put into little cds. I mean c mon when theres a will theres a way.

[the_eternal_dark]

Wouldnt the mod chips just work for playing imported games? and im pretty sure isos can be put into little cds. I mean c mon when theres a will theres a way.

Modchips aren't just for playing imports. Check this out. My Viper Extreme has a usb adapter for streaming to and from the Gamecube, an SD Card plug-in (lik-sang still carries the official one from nintendo, ebay has the sd gecko which is just as good), and a usb bios flasher. The only thing killing the GC homebrew is the Dreamcast and everyone's facination with the Xbox homebrew.

To get coders and programmers interested in the Gamecube, we need to provide them the information and the resources to run code on the GC, such as the SDLoader, modchips aren't that expensive (quite comparable to xbox chip pricing, Viper is the easiest to install, 4 wires, large solder points, etc). Disk setups, disk structure for each size, the correct media/dye for the GC, using the PSO exploit to run code (BBA's are cheap at EB and Gamestop and various used game stores, I got 2 for $14 USD at EB Games). In actuality, I'd say anyone who has experience with Xbox and PSP should be able to transition over to Gamecube for development. There are great games for the Gamecube as well, so a few people may have one they wish to mess with. The SDK is pretty nice, easy to set up, but takes a while to get used to (PPC achitecture, I think). Too bad I suck at programming.

I did see a port of Doom to GC, so that gives me hope for this console. I really want to see a Quake II or III port, that would be awsome.:cool:

[the_eternal_dark]

Sorry in advance for a double post wraggster .

I found the link for a dev kit for Gamecube and thought others may want to check out the link.

http://devkitpro.org/about.shtml

It is the devkitPPC. This should spark even more interest.

[SSaxdude]

GC homebrew really never got off because it's not as powerful as the Xbox, plus the audience of Cube owners are less interested in homebrew.

Here's for hoping the Wii is easily hackable.

[the_eternal_dark]

GC homebrew really never got off because it's not as powerful as the Xbox, plus the audience of Cube owners are less interested in homebrew.

Here's for hoping the Wii is easily hackable.

That kind of attitude is why there was the reason no one wanted to mess with the cube. Overhyped Xbox homebrew, yes it's good, but still. The Gamecube has more potential than everyone gives it credit. Come on, PS2 has homebrew and its much more complicated than the GC in terms of architecture and development.

I'm all for pushing for more homebrew and emulation for the GC. A more compatible N64 emu would be awsome. Golden Eye on GC, what a dream (don't say TimeSplitters, i know already).

Speculation would permit that if the Wii can read the original GC games, it can also read homebrew GC disks as well (patched and padded), which would lead to a hackable Wii, hopefully DS style (go through the older system to the newer system archetecture), which would be all the more reason to buy one, not just for the fricken sweet games that are coming out on release day.

*edit* - I would love to see some of the old FPS's ported over, especially Quake or Marathon. Anyone else agree?

[kcajblue]

its like an empty pie plate, you look at it and say, "Damn, i wish there was some pie!"lol. werent you talking about your DS making pie for you too. :D

[the_eternal_dark]

Wraggster, I'd say hold a competition to see who would be interested in coding. You could take donations or something and offer a Wii for first place, a DS lite for second, and a gamecube for third. Make the competition last for a month or 2 and also make sure that the entries are something worth while, not one or 2 entries that really suck and are coded because no one else is entering for the easy win (meaning more than 2 people have to enter to have a competition).

I don't know, maybe the Gamecube is destined to only be a haven for pirates and people already happy with the current homebrew scene. I am neither one, but I also have very little coding experience.

*edit* Is there seriously any member here at dcemu who has coding experience and a gamecube and hasn't done anything to put the two together? I think I will try something.....

[saward85]

you can change the cover on the gamecube so that you can play normal size disks on it

[CampaKaze]

Yesh I Was! I Like Pie! Theres nothing wrong with that! im hungry again...

[kcajblue]

you can change the cover on the gamecube so that you can play normal size disks on itthe only reason you would do that is if you need to do something extra. *coughpiracycough* otherwise its totally not needed.

[wolfpack]

GC has homebrew? man ive been living under a rock.... a very.... very... big... rock

[kcajblue]

/\ lol. yes the GC has homebrew

[the_eternal_dark]

/\ lol. yes the GC has homebrew

Although not as developed as some other consoles, but still fun to play with.

I imagine almost anything with a cd/dvd drive has homebrew.

[JKKDARK]

Yeah, the gamecube is not bad. I love the phantasy star online games :)

[NoQuarter]

I personally would like to see some clustering projects involving the Gamecube,since they're so cheap.

[the_eternal_dark]

I personally would like to see some clustering projects involving the Gamecube,since they're so cheap.

Using GC linux it would be possible, cheaper than the xbox or ps2 projects they had.

[picketf]

Ninjamod allows binary streaming so you don't even have to burn media to test your own code on it. It's also hell-a-fast!

On a side note I think Nintendo discontinueing support for the BBA has discouraged some of the old school homebrew coders back then. Because it was lame to say it was being used "only" for piracy

[the_eternal_dark]

Ninjamod allows binary streaming so you don't even have to burn media to test your own code on it. It's also hell-a-fast!

On a side note I think Nintendo discontinueing support for the BBA has discouraged some of the old school homebrew coders back then. Because it was lame to say it was being used "only" for piracy

Ebgames still has a load of them near my house, 7-8 I think, for only $9 a piece. I think I'll head down there when I get paid and pick them up.

[kcajblue]

i didnt know they had BBAs in stores

[the_eternal_dark]

i didnt know they had BBAs in stores

Yeah, you can also order them from Nintendo still, i think, at their online store.

The ones I found are used.

[starblazer84]

I'll definitely be looking into this some more. Anyone know where in the UK I could get BBAs?

[Apoklepz]

HOLD the phone...Cube Homebrew?!..This needs to be strenghtened up!!! BTW, what's BBA?!...Sorry, but I know it's not Big Breasts Amen!

[kcajblue]

BroadBand Adapter

[Basil Zero]

wii's going to make everyone forget GCN!

[pibs]

I tried the broadbandadapter method but didn't work for me >< btw u don't need a big memorystick to do it u run the games off your computer

[Shinebi]

Use a memcard instead of a chip, that's what you mean, right?

BBA needs an upload program from the GC and another prog running on the PC to save te files. (same as with the DC)

[LilSwish722]

dude...i looked at GC homebrew...looks like way too much work and money. No wonder homebrew for the GC failed

[F9zDark]

I hadn't ever heard of GC homebrew... I think my little brother has one that he never uses, maybe I can pilfer it for a while.

Did that with my other bro's DC... Was rather disappointed. Not to mention I couldn't even get the disc to burn.

[boule]

Gamecube has homebrew, but basically only with emulators, not homebrew games (apart from the port of the linux game super tux, and xrick).

Actually these emulators run really great, not quite as "complete" as on a xbox (which is a dream for emu lovers) but they are totally playable with great sound, and at fullspeed !

Just look for Softdev's work (i don't know if i can give a link to the website where he releases his tuff), but just google for it ;)

He has made emus for:
snes (snesgx, a port of snes9x)
genesis
master system/gamegear
nes
pc engine
neogeo cd
neogeo pocket.

and the methods to "hack" your gamecube have evolved a lot since the bba days, it's actually not needed at all today =) (except if you want to make backups of your game, or if you want to use the samba share with snesgx).

You can use the sdloader method (look on gcdev for it: you need an action replay, sd card adapter, sd card), or modchips like qoobpro and vipergcextreme.

The only drawback for the gamecube is that you can only burn 1.4GB of data onto a dvd, so all the divx stuff is a bit useless... (even if a port of mplayer has been done by the guys at http://www.gc-linux.org ).

Thankfully, a lot of the emus have support for sdcard, so it's very easy and quick to play with them.

And launching homebrew and is just as easy as it can be, seriously... If someone can manage to launch homebrew on a DC by himself, then he has ten times the skills needed to do it on a GC :p

ps; sorry for my poor english :x