[Dorison Hugo] let us know about a project he just completed that not only mods Nintendo with more Nintendo, but highlights some of the challenges that come from having to work with and around existing hardware. The project is a Gamecube Dock for the Nintendo Switch, complete with working Gamecube controller ports. It looks like a Gamecube with a big slice out of it, into which the Nintendo Switch docks seamlessly. Not only that, but thanks to an embedded adapter, original Gamecube controllers can plug into the ports and work with the Switch. The original orange LED on the top of the Gamecube even lights up when the Switch is docked. It was made mostly with parts left over from other mods.
The interesting parts of this project are not just the attention to detail in the whole build, but the process [Dorison] used to get everything just right. Integrating existing hardware means accepting design constraints that are out of one’s control, such as the size and shape of circuit boards, length of wires, and often inconvenient locations of plugs and connectors. On top of it all, [Dorison] wanted this mod to be non-destructive and reversible with regards to the Nintendo Switch dock itself.
To accomplish that, the dock was modeled in CAD and 3D printed. The rest of the mods were all done using the 3D printed dock as a stand-in for the real unit. Since the finished unit won’t be painted or post-processed in any way, any scratches on both the expensive dock and the Gamecube case must be avoided. There’s a lot of under-cutting and patient sanding to get the cuts right as a result. The video (embedded below) steps through every part of the process. The final screws holding everything together had to go in at an odd angle, but in the end everything fit.
We’ve seen [Dorison]’s work before with the custom 3D printed Raspberry Pi Zero case which was made to look like a mini PS One console; he compared results of SLA versus FDM printing in the process.
Fantastic mod, though it never occurred to me that anyone would still be willingly using GC controllers…
As a long time member of the Nintendo fan community, I can tell you that there’s a large subset of people who believe for one reason or another that the GameCube controller is the ONLY good controller ever made, and will defend it to their graves.
Amen. Perhaps not the only good one (i really like the SNES dogbone) but one of the best. In particular if you play the Smash Bros. games. As far as i know the top tournament players all use GC controllers.
The mini “microcon” 3rd party gc version (made by madcatz, and other resellers) is the perfect one. But you get points for effort. ;0)
Lots of people still use those miserable pieces of garbage because the C-stick provides shortcuts for pulling off faster combos and spamming attacks.
It’s cool and all but I can’t look at this; that poor gamecube…
There is no excuse for butchering that GC.
Seems the Game Cube was already dead,
The narrator of the video seriously sounds like he is narrating an episode of How it’s Made, even the music sounds like it lol. Love this build tho.