This time I’ll be talking about the Nintendo GameCube I disassembled and cleaned!
Here’s a fancy picture of the Gamecube disassembled :) (Notice that the top emblem thing is missing; it didn’t come with one and I’ll need to buy one in the future)
I also didn’t realize that it had an IBM chip, which I think is pretty neat!
(Warning: This post will mention bugs (specifically a type of cockroach) and infestation. No pictures of bugs will be shown, nor will it be overly descriptive, but as I understand that even mentioning it could be really distressing and/or triggering to some people, I figured I would give a warning in advance.)
Also because this is a long post and also mentions bugs, I’m going to put the following under a read more section!
So back around Memorial day I was looking for a Nintendo GameCube on eBay. Specifically I was looking for one listed “for parts/repair.” In my experience, those tend to be cheaper, plus I just really enjoy taking consoles apart. I found an untested GCN for a reasonable price; after looking at the pictures and reading the description I bought it for about $45 (that’s including shipping).
I even went back and looked at the listing again; none of the images showed any signs of bugs. But when I got it, there were bugs everywhere. None of them were alive, but as a result, the console itself had a rancid smell.
It wasn’t until this last week that I finally could open it. I didn’t realize beforehand that I’d need a gamebit for the outer screws. It was when I’d opened it that I finally realized what I was truly in for.
After much scrubbing with soap and water (for the outer plastic), isopropyl alcohol, and baking soda, I got the console completely cleaned up and looking pretty good! I’m fairly convinced that baking soda is actual witchcraft because it can be used for so many different things and completely neutralized the bug smell.
While I’m currently not done with this project, I’m really happy with how this console has turned out. As you probably noticed in the picture, the top case is noticeably stained, but I plan on trying the retr0bright process on it in the near future (and who knows, maybe I’ll show update pics).
Even if it doesn’t work it was still a (relatively) fun experience, minus the bugs. And hopefully getting the cords, a controller, and some games for a reasonable price (srsly people charge way too much for GCN games auGH :/)
That’s all for this episode of Dannie Takes Shit Apart™, tune in next time where I’ll most likely take apart the broken wii my girlfriend gave me to fix (maybe I’ll livepost it?)
