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A developer using the handle Rairii has gotten classic Mac OS, including versions 7.6 and 9.2.2, to boot on the Nintendo Wii's desktop, after beginning the project on June 22, 2025. The work involved porting OpenBIOS to emulate the Open Firmware environment required by the classic Mac OS 'Trampoline' bootloader, building on Rairii's earlier experience porting Windows NT to PowerPC Mac hardware with similar ArtX-designed chipsets.
Collectors report that a Japan-exclusive GameCube variant tied to Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, released in a distinct console color rather than just a faceplate, now commands prices in the thousands of dollars on secondary markets. Other rare GameCube bundles, like the US Pokémon XD and Japan-only Donkey Konga editions, remain more affordable since they used standard Platinum Silver units with custom faceplates.
Nintendo released the WaveBird controller for the GameCube in 2002, using 2.4GHz radio frequency technology to offer wireless play with a range of about 20 feet. It lacked rumble support to conserve battery life but ran for up to 100 hours on two AA batteries, and required a receiver plugged into the console paired via matching channel sliders.
Dolphin, the GameCube and Wii emulator, has extended its networked multiplayer feature to its Android version, matching functionality already available on PC. The emulator continues to support Windows, Linux, macOS and Android 5.0+, running GameCube and Wii titles in HD with enhancements like controller support and turbo speed.
Dolphin Emulator has added NetPlay support to its Android build, letting users play GameCube and Wii titles online with others. The update also enables cross-platform NetPlay sessions, so Android players can join matches with people running Dolphin on Windows, Mac, or Steam Deck. The developers say the feature relies on a lockstep syncing method that runs the emulator on a single CPU core to keep gameplay aligned across devices.
Nintendo's ongoing "Customer Appreciation" sale, running through September 26th, has dropped the digital price of Metroid Prime Remastered for Switch and Switch 2 to $27.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, down from a physical retail price of about $42. The sale also includes the Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective hardcover book, cut from $49.99 to $28.50 at Amazon and Walmart.
A new open-source project has produced a complete, byte-identical decompilation of the November 2004 debug prototype of Resident Evil 4 for GameCube, covering the main executable and all 114 overlay modules. The repository includes roughly 555,000 lines of reconstructed C/C++ code and 33,000 lines of headers, but no original game assets or disc data—users must supply their own dumped disc images to build and verify the match.
Engadget writers reflected on beloved GameCube games as the console marks its 25th anniversary, highlighting titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. One writer argued the GameCube version, with Link's original left-handed orientation, is the definitive edition compared to the mirrored Wii release built for motion controls.
A retrospective analysis compares the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube, noting the PS2 sold 160 million units globally versus the GameCube's 21.7 million, even though the GameCube was technically more powerful. The piece attributes PS2's dominance to broader adult-oriented marketing, DVD playback functionality, backward compatibility, and a massive library of nearly 4,500 titles compared to the GameCube's more limited third-party support.
A team of developers has completed a full decompilation of Super Smash Bros Melee, converting Nintendo's 2001 GameCube fighter into readable C code that compiles into a binary identical to the original main.dol. The project, hosted on the doldecomp/melee GitHub page, took over six years and reportedly used OpenAI's Astra to help finish the work.
Volunteer programmers have completed a 100% decompilation of Super Smash Bros Melee, according to the decomp.dev database, meaning the GameCube game's original code has been fully reverse-engineered. It joins other decompiled titles like Twilight Princess, Pikmin, and Animal Crossing, giving developers a legal path to build unofficial ports without using Nintendo's copyrighted code.
A comparison of the two leading retro emulators finds that Dolphin, which handles GameCube games, is generally considered more accurate and easier to run than PCSX2, the PS2 emulator, despite PCSX2 covering a slightly larger percentage of its console's library. Both are free, open-source tools available on Windows, macOS and Linux, with Dolphin also supporting Android, and neither requires top-end graphics hardware to run games at 4K/60fps.