GameCube GameBoy Player discs?

[Niku-Sama]

where the hell have they all gone to?

I was looking for another set and I can find ALOT of player but less than 15% of the results are missing the discs
and the seller says "works 100%" and a lot along the same lines and I wonder, how the hell do they know if they don't have the disc then its pretty much useless and untestable!

any way I was wondering because I was aiming to get some of the colored Japanese game boy players and I figured it would be cheaper to get a cheap set with the disc to make it work but apparently not.
also aiming to get a very pimped out gamecube set. I cant find 2 of my 5 wave bird controllers and I still haven't found any component cables at a good price

[Rickstilwell1]

Clumsy kids broke or lost the discs will be my guess.

[Leo_A]

I was looking for another set and I can find ALOT of player but less than 15% of the results are missing the discs and the seller says "works 100%" and a lot along the same lines and I wonder, how the hell do they know if they don't have the disc then its pretty much useless and untestable!

That's no great mystery, they most likely have their own Game Boy Player and disc. It's easy enough to borrow it from your own Game Boy Player to test a loose GBP to confirm it works before listing it.

And I don't follow prices, but a few might be intentionally breaking them up to sell separately. I wouldn't be surprised if some idiots would bid almost as much on a loose disc to replace one that's missing as you'd pay for a GBP with the boot disc.

[Greg2600]

I'd be shocked if a GBP did not work, tested or not. What I did personally for my platinum cube, was I bought a NIB Japanese GBP in Platinum from So. Korea on ebay. Then I got a black one with the North Am. disc, and sold the black one along with a black console as is. Sure it cost me more money, but it's one of those things you really don't have a choice with.

As for the infamously hard to find component cables, you have my sympathy there. Unless you're absurdly lucky, expect to pay on average $100. Again, if you have the cash, I'd say just do it. It could take a year or more to wait to find a "deal."

[Tanooki]

GBPs are built like a tank so the seller is either playing a gamble or they have a disc of their own and a lot of disc less GBPs lying around so its parted out. On top of that its not hard to assume theyd split the disc and player up, and not even at the same auction to arouse suspicion because you can get more for it parted out which sucks but happens.

I ended up buying one off a newb on NA over a year ago and the dick didnt bother to tell me it had no disc, ended up getting 1/2 my cash back and a paperweight, at least for a couple weeks. Total dumb luck one disc without a player popped up at half price books for like 20, so in the end I was pissed, relieved, then saved 10 dollars for the aggravation of it all.


As to the GC cables, good luck with that. Collector trolls have driven the price up on those to newer dumber heights talking up how rare any of them are and in particular the Nintendo one since they ignorantly only sold it online. The formerly 10-15 dollar cable tops 100 now and even third party stuff doesnt trail much by association. For a time the Japanese one wasnt so bad, but then collectors and resellers caught on so its a lost cause too. Its just best to use a Wii for GC if you want the cleanest imagee at 480 Ive heard, but I found that hard to believe since the Wii is 480i and not 480p which that GC cable is.

[Niku-Sama]

So I gather from what some of you are saying is that there were 3rd party component cables for the game cube?

I imagine if some one came up and manufactured New cables and sold them at about 35 bucks they would make a ton of money. I've seen so many wanted ads for gc component cables over the years

[Greg2600]

There are NO 3rd party component Gamecube cables. None.

[RARusk]

There are NO 3rd party component Gamecube cables. None.

To add to this;

The reason that there are no 3rd party cables is that the Digital-to-Analog chip required to make the Component Video (or RGB Analog if you hack the cable correctly) is built into the cable plug itself. The chip was custom made specifically for Nintendo and they will not let the data sheets be released on the web. This ensured that only Nintendo would make the cables. They stopped production on the cable just as people were discovering the advantages of Component Video and Progressive Scan. Luckily for me I managed to get two cables at the time of production stoppage and before their cost skyrocketed. Despite the sudden demand Nintendo wouldn't make any more cables.

However, according to a gamer friend of mine at work, apparently somebody is working to make an HDMI adapter for the GameCube's Digital A/V plug. If successful, this would replace the hard to find and often expensive cable and would be cheaper too, especially since most TVs now are depreciating other video modes in favor of HDMI. Personally, I would rather go HDMI now that I have an HDMI monitor rather than Component Video.

There was somebody else that even made a small board that would give the N64 HDMI capabilities. I definitely want that since getting good RGB out of it is a pain in the ass.

As for the GameBoy Player;

I think needing a disc to play your device was a very stupid design decision because without that disc your Player becomes worthless. You may want to consider looking around the web to see if there is a modchip for the GBP that will allow you to use the device without the need for the disc. I'm sure there's something like that out there since the Player is a nice way to play those old GB games (and it's Progressive Scan too).

[Tanooki]

I've never heard of anyone making a HDMI Gamecube cable. If that's in development I welcome it, both for the practical use on my TV that just really has only HDMI plugs, and also to help slam some of the value off that cable too as it's ridiculous what collectors and predatory resellers have popped it up to thanks to Nintendo's arrogance back then of stopping it despite the demand.

[Leo_A]

A HDMI cable would be great to see if it actually happens, is well under $100, and can plug into the same port the original component cable does with no need to modify the system.


Its just best to use a Wii for GC if you want the cleanest imagee at 480 Ive heard, but I found that hard to believe since the Wii is 480i and not 480p which that GC cable is.

The Wii is fully capable of outputting a 480p signal via component with progressive scan capable GCN software.

The only thing of significance for most that the BC Wii can't do is interface with a Game Boy Player. Component and 480p support for the Game Boy Player is the main appeal of the GCN component cable these days as far as I'm concerned.


I think needing a disc to play your device was a very stupid design decision because without that disc your Player becomes worthless

Too bad they hadn't planned ahead and had it present in the system's bios so all you had to do was hold start when powering the system on and select the appropriate option.

[Niku-Sama]

Still I imagine someone could make a component cable still. It only would take an o scope and some one that knew what the hell they were doing and a good understanding of ICs that were capable of handling the job

[megasdkirby]

I recall Nintendo selling the discs separately for around $15 on their website.

I always wondered if there were better, improved versions. Or a homebrew version that's superior.

[Jorpho]

Isn't there only a very limited range of GC titles that supports 480p? But I guess the Game Boy Player is one of them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nintendo_GameCube_games_with_480p_and_16:9 _support

Anyway, I suspect it is possible to boot a GameCube with something like the SD Media Launcher and then run a burned copy of the Game Boy Player disc. I can't seem to find any confirmation, though.

[megasdkirby]

Anyway, I suspect it is possible to boot a GameCube with something like the SD Media Launcher and then run a burned copy of the Game Boy Player disc. I can't seem to find any confirmation, though.

According to this link, unfortunately no. I just hope the list is outdated...

http://wiki.scorpei.com/index.php/SD-Boot_compatibility_list

[RP2A03]

Isn't there only a very limited range of GC titles that supports 480p? But I guess the Game Boy Player is one of them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nintendo_GameCube_games_with_480p_and_16:9 _support

Um... according to that list the overwhelmingly vast majority of GCN games support 480p.

[JSoup]

You may want to consider looking around the web to see if there is a modchip for the GBP that will allow you to use the device without the need for the disc. I'm sure there's something like that out there since the Player is a nice way to play those old GB games (and it's Progressive Scan too).

Here's a thread covering that: http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?34875-Gameboy-player

[xelement5x]

Here's a thread covering that: http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?34875-Gameboy-player

Yeah, that's pretty much what I did with an extra GC I found. You can get Xeno chips for like $10 and they're not to bad to install if you have an idea what you're doing. At this point I just want to find extra loose GBP units cheap so I can match them and sell them off my extra GameCubes.

[Niku-Sama]

That's not a bad idea, maybe I should do that too

[SparTonberry]

I recall Nintendo selling the discs separately for around $15 on their website.

I always wondered if there were better, improved versions. Or a homebrew version that's superior.

Indeed they did.
That is where I got my disc after I got a loose orange GBP on ebay a few years ago.

[Greg2600]

One of the guys doing the GC HDMI is "OzOnE" (http://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=1315) from the UK. He's also been working on the DCIO (Dreamcast SD to IDE) project. I still think it's cheaper to to find a used GBP disc than it is to mod the cube and burn a disc. Probably still will be cheaper to find the component cable than to install a homebrew HDMI as well!

[Jorpho]

Clumsy kids broke or lost the discs will be my guess.It occurs to me: there never was a proper full-size DVD case for the Game Boy Player disc, was there? I obtained mine used, and the disc came in this weird rectangular mini-case that constantly threatens to vanish into the depths of my DVD rack.



According to this link, unfortunately no. I just hope the list is outdated...

http://wiki.scorpei.com/index.php/SD-Boot_compatibility_listBut that is a list of games that are bootable from the SD card itself without any disc. Booting something from a burned disc is a different matter. (Nice list, though.)

[Leo_A]

My bought new Game Boy Player and two or three used ones I bought for $10 at GameStop (3 or 4 years ago you could walk into pretty much any GS and buy one used) all came with a clear plastic case about half the size or so of a full size DVD case.

And it originally had an outer cardboard sleeve rather than a case insert, something I'm sure is commonly missing at this point.

[Pikkon]

The gameboy player disc case shares the same one as a japanese gamecube case,hence why it's small.

[Gamevet]

I got my Onyx GBA player from The Movie Trading Company about 4 years ago. It was only $15 and came with the disc. They used to have quite a few laying around, but I haven't really been looking to notice if they still carry them. Before I'd bought that, I had a little adapter called a Game port. I was pretty much an Action Replay device that would plug into a controller port to run the GBA games. It seemed okay, but I only played a couple of games with it.



To add to this;

The reason that there are no 3rd party cables is that the Digital-to-Analog chip required to make the Component Video (or RGB Analog if you hack the cable correctly) is built into the cable plug itself. The chip was custom made specifically for Nintendo and they will not let the data sheets be released on the web. This ensured that only Nintendo would make the cables. They stopped production on the cable just as people were discovering the advantages of Component Video and Progressive Scan. Luckily for me I managed to get two cables at the time of production stoppage and before their cost skyrocketed. Despite the sudden demand Nintendo wouldn't make any more cables.


I believe Nintendo quit making them, because the newer Gamecubes had the digital port removed to cut costs. I would have bought a Platinum GC, if it had the digital port.

[Natty Bumppo]

I have seen a lot of gameboy players attached to gamecubes in thrift stores. I have yet to see one with a disc with the machine. The people sorting the stuff when it comes in likely don't know what the discs are for and if they come in with the gamecube who knows what they do with them. And if the disc is in the player (which is where mine lives unless I am playing a game - then it lives in the game case) it likely gets left in and shoplifted about as soon as the gamecube hits the floor.

[Gameguy]

I believe Nintendo quit making them, because the newer Gamecubes had the digital port removed to cut costs. I would have bought a Platinum GC, if it had the digital port.
There are Platinum Gamecubes with the digital port, I have one.


I have seen a lot of gameboy players attached to gamecubes in thrift stores. I have yet to see one with a disc with the machine.
Same with me. I've passed on plenty of systems like this because they were missing the disc. I've seen systems with the player attached, with some other loose game in the console, for some reason they never had the system disc inserted.

[BlastProcessing402]

I'm kicking myself for talking myself out of buying a GBP + disc for $10 at GS a few years ago.

[Niku-Sama]

That's where I got mine except it was last year and it was more like 5. Still I have tons if game cubes and if I thought ahead I could have bought more GBP's and sold them off as bundles now that they are worth something (apparently)

[xelement5x]

I'm kicking myself for talking myself out of buying a GBP + disc for $10 at GS a few years ago.

Yeah, I picked up several at that price a couple years back. I even grabbed one randomly when I was on vacation someplace! With Nintendo-mania being an ongoing thing I always figured they would go up in price, $35 a pop isn't a bad price to cash out at now, but I may just continue to sit on them for a couple more years since I don't think the GC has hit its stride for collecting yet.

[thegamezmaster]

I bought a few from Gamestop when they were getting rid of them for $10. Wish I would have got some from Nintendo when they were selling them for $15. But who knew? They were available one day and then poof gone. Wonder what Nintendo did with them? And I agree that most Gamecubes with the player don't have the disc. The only places that do have the disc want major bucks for them.

[SparTonberry]

Maybe Nintendo finally exhausted their stock? It must've been like eight years after release that I bought mine.

[Jorpho]

I've been messing again with my GameBoy Player lately and have confirmed that the SD Media Launcher can definitely boot the GameBoy Player disc. (I don't know if it will work with a copy of the disc, but there's nothing to suggest it wouldn't.)

[PizzaKat]

Resellers are hoarding them so they can sell at a huge mark up.

[Rickstilwell1]

I'll be getting a XenoGC modded gamecube in the mail pretty soon. Maybe I could see if I can find an image of the disc online and try using a burned copy.

[xelement5x]

I'll be getting a XenoGC modded gamecube in the mail pretty soon. Maybe I could see if I can find an image of the disc online and try using a burned copy.

The images is readily available and quite small. Let me know via PM if you have any issues locating a copy.