Gamecube modchip?

[ChadTower]

I think I've hit the point where I'm tired of worrying about my kids swapping out the GC discs.  They're young and treat them pretty well but they're getting a bit beaten.  I solved this issue on the Saturn by modding it and making backups of our games so the kids could swap them and not damage the originals.

What is the best GC modchip out there right now?

[Fig]

I had the viper and it was a good chip.
But if you want to make backups of the mini disks you'll need a BBA to hook the GC to your PC.
To burn disks you can go 2 ways full size DVDs or minis
For the full size you'll need to buy a after market CG cover or mod the stock one.
I went the mini DVD way but found out that you need a good burner to do this, The GC has a very fussy laszer I went w/ a NCE 3520 burner and RiDATA 1.46GB 4X DVD-R 10 Pack http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817132372 and had 0 problems playing them

By far the GC was the hardest system to mod to date 

[pointdablame]

IMHO, the best modchip by far is the Qoob Pro.  My girlfriend has one and it is very nice.  We backed up her games with no problems at all.  She has a replacement case for full size DVDs which is also nice.

I went with a Max Drive Pro memory card which is essentially a boot disk when you load it with the right file.  No mods needed at all.  It's a bit flaky though, as maybe one in 20 times it'll have a problem and I'll have to restart the system before the backup game boots.  I like it though, and it was only $40.

[shmokes]

I have a broadband adapter for my Gamecube, and I'm planning to give my Gamecube to my nieces when I get a Wii and they'll have no use for the BBA.  You could probably talk me out of it.

[eastbayarb]

Qoob Pro is best since it has USB upgradeable, and most importantly, FORCE 480P! Some games don't work with this feature though, but it's a nice addition for those games that only support 480i.

If you don't need upgradeability, a Xeno chip is a good choice and is cheap. I disagree with Fig. GC is extremely easy to mod due to the larger soldering points. I suck at soldering and had the Qoob Pro modded within 30 minutes (including dismantling the GC itself).

I do agree that it is a worthwhile investment to get a top (or full case replacement) for the GC that will fit the larger DVD discs. I personally use Verbatim DVD-R and I tweaked the laser (using a multimeter to measure the voltage) so they would read with no DRE's.

[ChadTower]

I don't care about HD gaming.  Don't have an HDTV and don't plan on buying one any time soon.

What does the BBA usually sell for?  If it's too much I'd probably do the less noble method of downloading images of the games I have rather than performing my own backups.  Doesn't make sense to me to spend $150 so I can back up a bunch of $10 games.  At that point I may as well just buy second copies.  I did the Saturn because the modchip was $40 and many of the Saturn games I have are $75+. 

[shmokes]

I was thinking more along the lines of like $15 just to cover shipping and maybe lunch.

[shmokes]

Though, as time goes by it's getting to the point that you may as well give ten of it to pointdablame.   

[ChadTower]

I was thinking more along the lines of like $15 just to cover shipping and maybe lunch.

Oh, okay, so it's not a stupidly rare item like the Dreamcast broadband adapter. 

[shmokes]

I think I have that somewhere too.  Where in hell is my Dreamcast?

[pointdablame]

Though, as time goes by it's getting to the point that you may as well give ten of it to pointdablame.   

 


Chad, the GC BBA is not rare like the DC one.  You can get a new one from amazon for $35, and they should be easy to get used from either someone online like shmokes or maybe even a local EB.

[Banacek]

<threadjack>

I'll take the Dreamcast BBA!

Sorry, couldn't help it...

</threadjack>

[Scott84]

I have the XenoGC, you cant rip games but it can play backups no problem.

I highly reccomend buying MINI DVDR's instead of using full size discs.

Apparently its better on the laser, and the mini dvd-rs are cheap enough these days.

[ChadTower]

I have thought of going the minidvd route.  I have to see if my DVDR can handle it, though.

Then again, I was just offered a mint Xbox for $60 and will pick it up tonight.  So maybe the solution is to mod the Xbox instead.  That way I can load the thing up with 16 bit kid games and they don't have to swap any discs at all.

[shmokes]

That is unquestionably the way to go.  And turn that thing into a media center.  You'll never look back.

[ChadTower]

Don't need Media Center... we're a fully networked Tivo household.

[shmokes]

Well, I don't know what your interests are, but I, for example, have all my music on my computer, but the computer isn't where I generally want to listen to my music.  Xbox Media Center gives me access to all my music.  It also gives me access to all the pictures stored on my computer, which is nice when I want to show someone a picture who's visiting, but don't want to take them into the office.  Lastly (and what I use most) is the video streaming, as I will rip DVDs to DivX files and store them on my PC.  In a fit of unethicalityness I got a subscription to Netflix.  The disc arrives, I rip it, and send it back.  I've got probably 30 movies and quite a few seasons of various TV shows that I haven't seen sitting on my media server.  I figure it'll come in handy when I'm impoverished from being in law school and not working anymore and won't be able to afford other forms of entertainment.

For what it's worth, I'm in a fully networked ReplayTV household and I still use Xbox Media Center far more than my Replay (not to mention that Xbox Media Center can also stream from my ReplayTV box, and I think from Tivo boxes as well).

[ChadTower]

Yep.  You just described Tivo Home Media.  I could get all that with hardware already in place.  All of that stuff is nice but I'd rather be playing baseball in the yard with my sons.

I don't have a media server and don't see myself needing one.  The primary PC in my basement is a Dell server and could handle it easily.  I just don't think I'd use it.  I used to do the rent/rip thing too from BB Online but found I spent more time ripping and choosing than I ever did watching. 

What the Xbox can give me that I do want and can't get with what is in place is the ability to emulate many other systems accurately and store the roms.  So that's where I'll go with it.