Should I stick my GameCube in my cabinet?

[Skadar]

I'm still debating whether or not to include my GameCube in my cabinet.  Has anyone done this?  Is it worth doing or is it just a dumb idea?

Basically what I'm thinking is putting the complete GameCube in the cabinet and then using controller extension cords...

... to mount permanent GC controller ports just beneath my control panel.

Another potential idea is to make a GC-sized cutout in the side of the cabinet, mount the GC sideways in the cutout so that the top can be opened for disc changes.  It could even be done right in the midst of any side art, with the art extending over the CG top, thus completely camoflaging it.

My main question is... does anyone think it would be desirable to play GC games at a cabinet.

[stratjakt]

No dumber than putting any other console in your cabinet, there are some really good gamecube arcade titles - ikaruga, soul calibur 2, bloody roar, etc...

If you're using an arcade monitor, you'll run into troubles.  Gamecube doesn't output RGB, nor is there any way to tap RGB internally.  If you have the digital multi-out port on the back (newer cubes dont have it), and can find the component cable, you may be able to hack RGB off of it - from what I can gather, the encoder is in the cable itself, and I'm not sure if it can output analog signals, or only digital (480P vs 480I)..  AFAIK, nobody has come up with an RGB hack for gamecube..

Of course, if you're using a TV, then no big deal, but if it's an arcade monitor, you'd be better off with PS2/xbox/dreamcast/etc with an appropriate RGB output hack. (check gamesx.com for info on hooking up consoles in arcade cabs)

[mo1e]

i dont see why not im planning on making a complete cabinet with just my xbox and the gc sounds good too especially the side idea (why not have a gc in there as nintendo have some of the greatest games around just imagine viewtiful joe on a cabinet

[arcadecollecting]

http://www.ravengames.co.uk/gamecubergbleadinfo.htm

[Skadar]

Sorry, should have given some details of my cabinet.

I'm using a 27" JVC television.  I'll have MAME running through component video, so the S-video port will be open for the GameCube.  I suppose that I would just have to switch video modes with my TV remote in order to access the GameCube.

[mo1e]

yes sounds good to me im plannin gto have alittle slot cut out of the cab and when i press the button the console tray will come out through the gap i dont see why you shouldnt add your gamecube the more the merrier lol

[mo1e]

also there are gamecube adapters that allow you to create a control panel and use it on your gamecube but you may want to use your controller?

[Skadar]

Yeah, I don't see anything wrong with the standard GameCube controllers.  Actually I really like them.  I like the idea of storing the controls in the cabinet and then plugging them into exterior ports on the cabinet in order to play.

I wouldn't want to use my arcade controls to play GameCube games.  Just like I wouldn't think of using anything other than a keyboard and mouse to play FPS games.   

[RayB]

Go for it, but use WAVEBIRD controllers.

[elvis]

AFAIK, nobody has come up with an RGB hack for gamecube..

Eh?  Wouldn't you just do a normal SCART->Jamma hack?  That works for almost every console in existence.  Any reason why this doesn't work for a GameCube?

Details on other console hacks (most of them SCART cable hacks) here:
http://www.mameworld.net/pc2jamma/

[EDIT]

And furthermore, here's a 31KHz (480p) RGB (aka: VGA) output cable for GameCube:
http://www.aheadgames.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=16198&cat=0&page=1

Review here:
http://www.planetgamecube.com/reviews.cfm?action=hwprofile&id=403

GameCube most certainly does output RGB, it seems.

[Minwah]

GameCube most certainly does output RGB, it seems.

Yes it does, I use an RGB scart lead.

One thing to beware is that many of the decent GCN games including ones not available on any other system can only be played properly with analog controls.  Not a  problem for control pads, but just in case you want to use it with arcade controls in future.

[Lilwolf]

what type of analog does the gamecube use?

dreamcasts you can hack each analog connection to a microswitch to fake an all on all off analog connection that can work.   (because it uses hall effects joystick).

The other ones probably use a single analog range 0-5k?  0-100k?  whatever.  And once you have the total range, you could add resistors to get it to the right starting resistance if needed (ie if its 10-15k range, then you could add a 10k resistor in series with your 5k pot).  Its changing the range that isn't so easy to do.

Anyone know the analog range / type for a gamecube?  would love to see if you could get it to work with a true analog arcade joystick... or hack it with a simple circuit with a 49way happs

[Minwah]

what type of analog does the gamecube use?

I'm not sure.

dreamcasts you can hack each analog connection to a microswitch to fake an all on all off analog connection that can work.   (because it uses hall effects joystick).

True.  The point I was making tho is even if this is possible for the GCN, it would be no good for a lot of the good games (imagine Monkey Ball with this kind of digital control).

Your pot idea might work tho...

[RayB]

It's pretty rare to find a GC game that doesn't make use of variable analog input. LIke I said, just use a Wavebird wireless gamepad....

[Lilwolf]

I would like to see what type of analog controller it is... and what ranges.

You could very easily create a circuit that would convert a happs 49 way controller to almost anything... just have to remember all the calculations for combining resistors...  (if it was 15k range, and you combined a 5k for one up.  The 5K + another 5K for two up...

I have to check to see if the happs wiring is.  Sinistar and Happs is slightly different.  One has open 1 for one up... open1 and open2 open for 2 up... and open 1-3 for 3 up.   The other is only one open for each.  This one seems like it would be  a little easier.

[stratjakt]

The gamecube can output 480P *iff* you have an older model with the digital multi-out port. 

This is fine for a VGA monitor.  It cannot do 480i, or output 15khz RGB signal (CGA, standard arcade monitor), unless there's a new hack I'm unaware of, which was what I was trying to say - there's no way I know of to hook it up to a standard arcade monitor.

On top of that, the VGA cable or D-terminal cable(s) only work if the game supports progressive scan 480P.  Since Nintendo dropped hardware support for it, developers stopped wasting time trying to support it, and consequently most new games don't support 480P, and would be unplayable.

Like I said before, the actual circuitry for RGB is inside the cable itself..

Anyhoo - in the US at least, S-Video is about the best you're going to be able to get out of it..  You could use a composite/svideo to RGB adapter board to wire it to an arcade monitor, but the picture would be no better (probably worse) than a TV.

[RayB]

StratJakt... don't dismiss the responses others have already made. In Europe they have a standard called "Scart". It's basically RGB + sync + left and right audio all split up to seperate pins.

All you need to do is order one of those cables and you're set.

[stratjakt]

I'm not dismissing anything.  I'm sure it works for him, and I'm sure his TV is converting 480P to something it can display.

The gamecube has the old nintendo multi-out, but unlike n64 and early SNES's, there is nothing on the old analog RGB pins.  Not there.

Early gamecubes have a digital multi out, this was discontinued on later models.   In fact, finding one with digital out is tricky, because they ended this practice early, since all it did was add expense, and consumers didnt care.  The GCN I bought the kids on release day has one, the one I bought myself a year later does not.

You can connect a cable here which will output 480P component video.  The circuitry that generates the signal is in the cable itself.  These cables can be hacked, or you can get an aftermarket cable, to output VGA (RGB, 31khx).  Finding this cable is even trickier, Nintendo stopped manufacturing them early on.  Lik-sang *had* some, but were on reorder last time I checked.

IIRC (I'm no euro), but SCART doesn't mean the same thing as arcade CGA.  Is SCART not really some do-all cardedge connector?  Just because you have a SCART hookup doesn't mean its recieving a RGB signal w/15khz sync, am I right?

I helped my friend wire his kids GCN through the 9-pin vga connector on his plasma screen (with the VGA cable), so yeah, he's got "RGB" inputs, but this wont make it work on a standard res arcade monitor.

I scoured the earth from one end to the other trying to find a way to hook my GCN up to analog component video (480i), so it can live on the same video switch as my XBox and PS2.  There is no way.  There is no analog RGB out, and no easy mod to get RGB, like there was on the N64 and later model SNES's.

If you know a way, then let the crew at gamesx know, since that site is basically all about putting consoles in arcade cabs.

And if you know a way to get RGB out, then it's a skip and a jump to get 480i analog component video from it, which is what I want.  The only solution I could find invloved a scan converter.

If I'm wrong, then let me know, becauae as I said, I've searched high and low.  SVideo is the best the current GCNs can do, with the older supporting 480P through the digital out.

[elvis]

The gamecube has the old nintendo multi-out, but unlike n64 and early SNES's, there is nothing on the old analog RGB pins.  Not there.

What model GC do you own?  Only PAL SNES units didn't output RGB.  USA NTSC SNES and Japanese Super Famicoms output RGB.

As mentioned, there are people on this forum (eg: MinWah who replied above) who use a SCART connector on their GameCubes.  SCART *IS* RGB.  Converting SCART to something JAMMA compliant is pretty trivial, as documented by the PC2JAMMA website:

http://www.mameworld.net/pc2jamma/

SCART cables for GameCube are certainly available.  I can find a dozen ebay and other online stores selling them without much effort.  Here's the first half-dozen hits from Google for "GameCube RGB":
http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews83497.html
http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews83500.html
http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000060NY9/302-6885383-4385601
http://www.take2.co.za/product.php?id=6036
http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=183&products_id=220
http://www.cex.co.uk/product.asp?sku=NCONGAME001

The big question is: if indeed certain particular GameCube consoles do not allow the use of SCART/RGB cables, which models are these?  Looking around I'm seeing plenty of evidence of individuals using SCART cables without any issues.

stratjakt: could you let is know what type/region/model GC you have?

[ginno]

Another potential idea is to make a GC-sized cutout in the side of the cabinet, mount the GC sideways in the cutout so that the top can be opened for disc changes.

[stratjakt]

How about a link from our own site?

http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_consoles.shtml#rgb2arcade

#
# The GameCube Digital/Component cable offers RGB (as well as 31khz RGB ... otherwise known as VGA).  [Gamesx only has the GameCube RGB/VGA hack in a very long discussion thread at the moment.]

The Digital/Component cable has been removed from the Gamecube.   This is fact, and has been since 2002 or so.  The cube I bought on release day had it, the one we bought our son a year later for his room did not.  The used one I bought for myself about a year ago does not either.

Go to EB and buy a component video cable for gamecube, they're right next to the Dreamcast broadband adapters and Sega Saturn modems, in the aisle past the SNES CD-rom addons.

Newer cubes simply don't have it, those folks are out of luck.  If you had an older cube, and can track down a component cable, it can be hacked to get RGB.

But it's long been discontinued as a GCN feature.  It's the reason almost all the links you posted say "no longer available", and part of the reason Nintendo could all of a sudden cut the cube's price in half.  And very rarely does a new GCN title support 480P, and Nintendo no longer makes the cables.

I haven't seen anyone get 15khz RGB out of a newer cube with only analog outputs.  The AV pinout has RGB - the first SNES had it, but the SNES 2 - the smaller later american one, did not, and N64 did not.  With these consoles it was easy to add (well not quite so easy with the new SNES, but possible).

The scart cables in some pictures look like the regular Analog AV out - maybe PAL cubes have RGB on all versions?  It would almost make me want a PAL cube to do a country mod on if it was true.

I can tell you that pins 1, 2, 3, and 4 are not connected inside my cube.  If you've ever opened one up, you'd see how impossible it would be to figure out where to tap the signals.  Everything happens within one of the two custom chips on that thing.

If it's possible, please, show me, because if I could get RGB/S, I could get YUV and be happy.

[elvis]

Minwah's in the UK, and I'm assuming he has a PAL GC.

I'm in Australia, and know a few GC owners (one with both a US NTSC unit and a PAL unit).  I'll see if I can open them up and compare directly.

[EDIT]

This thread:
http://atarilabs.com/cgi-bin/UltraBoard/UltraBoard.cgi?action=Read&BID=11&TID=942&P=1&SID=7943

Lead me here:
http://www.gamechoiceclub.com/search.asp?subcategory=Cable&category=Gamecube

And of course the link from arcadecollector above:
http://www.ravengames.co.uk/gamecubergbleadinfo.htm

[Minwah]

And of course the link from arcadecollector above:
http://www.ravengames.co.uk/gamecubergbleadinfo.htm

The most important part:

'The USA & Japanese GameCube machines don't actually have Rgb outputs so you can't use the standard UK Rgb scart lead.'

Also from this page ( http://cgfm2.emuviews.com/gc.php ):

' Analog A/V Out

    * Composite video
    * S-Video
    * RGB (PAL consoles ONLY, not available in NTSC consoles)
    * Stereo audio'

...and:

'RGB video from the Analog A/V port of a PAL GameCube is fixed at 15KHz (480i, interlaced) output only.'

[stratjakt]

I didn't know that PAL units had RGB on the multi-out port.  I'd be interested in a good comparison of the two side by side - I'm betting it has extra components inside, but if not, tracing back the RGB pins might lead to something that NTSC owners could tap..  I always thought nintendo had just one board design, and just put the jumper in for regions (which is why a region switch is so easy).

Of course, if it were possible, there'd probably already be a hack out.

I know it could be hacked from the component video cable - if you have the digital AV out port, which most cubes on the street dont.  The RGB/YUV circuitry is in the cable's plug itself, so you need the cable too - and not the d-terminal cable for the japanese, the component YUV cable designed for north america and quickly discontinued.

Of all the modern consoles, I'd say GCN would be best suited for the arcade, with a modchip it could run MAME no problems, and it's cheap and has some pretty kick ass titles..

[RayB]

You could run Ikaruga on a vertical monitor...

[stratjakt]

Super Smash Brothers Melee would make a really cool title for arcade play. 

Star Fox Assault, Soul Calibur 2, Viewtiful Joe, Alien Hominid, Mario Kart Double Dash..

Plenty of cool games, only sucks that there's no easy way for NTSC folks to get anything better than S-Video..

But then S-Video on a good TV set looks better than RGB on a mediocre monitor..  Eg; my Neo Geo CD on my 27" phillips set looks better than my Neo Geo MVS on a brand new Happs 19" monitor..

[Minwah]

Of all the modern consoles, I'd say GCN would be best suited for the arcade, with a modchip it could run MAME no problems, and it's cheap and has some pretty kick ass titles..

I disagree...refer to my earlier comment about controllers.  Most of the good games need an analog stick (or 2) - not usually suited to hacking to arcade controls.  Also lack of RGB (for you NTSC people) is a major downer...of course I'm ok on that score 

Xbox has to be *much* better suited IMO...hard drive mod means no disc swapping, it has lots of games that use digital controls (fighters etc.), many emulators available, has IPAC & AV (arcade monitor) adaptors available from Ultimarc etc...

[stratjakt]

Xbox has to be *much* better suited IMO...hard drive mod means no disc swapping, it has lots of games that use digital controls (fighters etc.), many emulators available, has IPAC & AV (arcade monitor) adaptors available from Ultimarc etc...

Yes, a modded xbox + large HDD and you have a crappy PC without the flexible resolutions of an arcadeVGA card and a cheapo DVD-rom and power supply that'll fail if you leave it on long enough..  Both have failed in my XBox, at least - but I bought it at launch, so maybe the newer models arent made out of junk..  Anyhow, I'm just saying that for the price of an XBox+ mod + adapters + big HDD, you could put together an equally capable PC.

Other than DOA3 I cant think of any XBox exclusive titles that would be well suited for an arcade, but GCN has plenty of "pick up and go" type games - the Mario Party series would be pretty cool on a 4-player panel.

There are plenty of arcade sticks for GCN that support analog, this is just the first google link I saw..  http://www.whitedog.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=104