Japanese Gamecube Question

[gru3som3rick]

My wife just bought me a Tales of Symphonia Gamecube system. How easy or difficult would it be to get it playing my US titles? It came with a matching Gameboy Player as well, so I'd need that to play American titles as well. Would swapping the shell of my black Gamecube/Gameboy player be the easiest way (not 100% sure the screw holes will match up though)? Or is there a better way of doing this?

[Blueprint]

Get Datel Freeloader Disc (japanese version) it should do the trick.. 

[gru3som3rick]

Get Datel Freeloader Disc (japanese version) it should do the trick.. 

Great, never heard of that before - I'll definitely pick one up. Would that help with the Japanese Game Boy player it came with as well?? Thanks Blueprint!

[palmer6strings]

Use the datel disc to start the gameboy player disc, then just put your american game in the gba player. gba games a region free.

[scarmullet]

Since gamecubes are cheap as balls these days, a mod chip could be in the question as disc swapping is a pain in the ass.

Keep in mind, you need a dedicated memory card for Japanese AND American games. For some reasons, each region Gamecube formats its memory cards differently.

[gru3som3rick]

Use the datel disc to start the gameboy player disc, then just put your american game in the gba player. gba games a region free.

Good to know, thanks man!

[gru3som3rick]

Since gamecubes are cheap as balls these days, a mod chip could be in the question as disc swapping is a pain in the ass.

Keep in mind, you need a dedicated memory card for Japanese AND American games. For some reasons, each region Gamecube formats its memory cards differently.

That's ALSO good to know. Do you think swapping the shell from my american gamecube/ gameboy player would work? Not 100% if I could pull off a mod, without botching it lol!

[scarmullet]

Since gamecubes are cheap as balls these days, a mod chip could be in the question as disc swapping is a pain in the ass.

Keep in mind, you need a dedicated memory card for Japanese AND American games. For some reasons, each region Gamecube formats its memory cards differently.

That's ALSO good to know. Do you think swapping the shell from my american gamecube/ gameboy player would work? Not 100% if I could pull off a mod, without botching it lol!

Shouldn't be an issue. Remember, the gamecubes laser assembly is VERY fragile. A way to protect it is to keep a disc on the system when it is disassembled.

[gru3som3rick]

Since gamecubes are cheap as balls these days, a mod chip could be in the question as disc swapping is a pain in the ass.

Keep in mind, you need a dedicated memory card for Japanese AND American games. For some reasons, each region Gamecube formats its memory cards differently.

That's ALSO good to know. Do you think swapping the shell from my american gamecube/ gameboy player would work? Not 100% if I could pull off a mod, without botching it lol!

Shouldn't be an issue. Remember, the gamecubes laser assembly is VERY fragile. A way to protect it is to keep a disc on the system when it is disassembled.

Making notes... thanks man!

[scarmullet]

I dont see the point in changing cases though, unless you want a Spice colored Gamecube that is native US....

he who controls the spice colored gamecube, controls the universe.

[SirCorn]

I dont see the point in changing cases though, unless you want a Spice colored Gamecube that is native US....

he who controls the spice colored gamecube, controls the universe.

That... yeah... looks about like what's going on.

[UncleBob]

No need to swap the Game Boy Player case - the GBP is region free - it's just the disc that causes the issues.

You can use the JPN Disc on a JPN Cube with a US Game Boy Player or a US Disc on a US Cube with a JPN Game Boy Player.

Or, with the Freeloader, you can use a US Disc on a JPN Cube with a US GBP or a JPN Disc on a US Cube with a US GBP.  Or a US Disc on a JPN Cube with a JPN GBP.  Or a JPN Disc with a US Cube on a JPN GBP.

Make sense?

Regarding the Freeloader - You'll probably have a slightly easier time getting a GCN Action Replay - they have a Freeloader built in.  Grab one of those with a Datel/AR-branded memory card.  Now, copy the Action Reply files from the AR-branded card to a cheap-o used official Nintendo memory card 59 and junk the Datel one.  They're flaky and not trustworthy - but if you don't copy it over and it goes out, your AR is now worthless.

[gru3som3rick]

No need to swap the Game Boy Player case - the GBP is region free - it's just the disc that causes the issues.

You can use the JPN Disc on a JPN Cube with a US Game Boy Player or a US Disc on a US Cube with a JPN Game Boy Player.

Or, with the Freeloader, you can use a US Disc on a JPN Cube with a US GBP or a JPN Disc on a US Cube with a US GBP.  Or a US Disc on a JPN Cube with a JPN GBP.  Or a JPN Disc with a US Cube on a JPN GBP.

Make sense?

Regarding the Freeloader - You'll probably have a slightly easier time getting a GCN Action Replay - they have a Freeloader built in.  Grab one of those with a Datel/AR-branded memory card.  Now, copy the Action Reply files from the AR-branded card to a cheap-o used official Nintendo memory card 59 and junk the Datel one.  They're flaky and not trustworthy - but if you don't copy it over and it goes out, your AR is now worthless.

This is PERFECT. Thanks for the info/ ideas. I was having some trouble finding a freeloader, but found an AR really quick.

I actually preferred the gamecube being able to play both Japanese and American games, so this is right up my ally.

[UncleBob]

Well, if you'd rather go the Freeloader route, you can get them here:
http://us.codejunkies.com/Departments/gcn.aspx

$10 isn't bad.

[wiggy]

I would hunt down a US system that won't load games, and then just swap the gutty-wuts minus the laser assembly. Freeloader is great, but screw playing the swap game. That was ok in 2003, but not in 2012.