YouTuber GingerOfOz Relives 2005's Fake Portable GameCube
JAKARTA - In 2005, the Nintendo GameCube Advance, which is a rendering of a portable handheld device, began circulating on the Internet. However, it was soon discontinued as it was deemed a fan-made fake.
YouTuber GingerOfOz, or often remembered as the hobbyist who made the PlayStation 2, WiiBoy Color, and GameCube Classic Mini handhelds, has just completed a real and functional concept version of the Nintendo GameCube Advance, as quoted from The Verge.
This nearly 20-minute video details Ginger's attempts to revamp the old console. But, not only did he create his own GameCube Advance, but he also tracked down the original artist behind the 2005 mockup and got information on how and why they made it.
embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENEpJJPQomg
Ginger tried to change the parts a bit, but stayed true to the original look. The first part he changed was the disc slot on the front to fit the GameCube disc size.
The second part that is changed is the back of the folding screen. The reason is because it looks like a cheap portable MP3 player. He also compromised the internals by using a Wii motherboard instead of the original GameCube mobo.
Some aspects of the original render were unusable in real life, such as the hinge or joystick, which had to be replaced with a 3DS-style, slider so that the screen could actually close.
Nonetheless, Ginger went to great lengths to add some unique software to the GameCube including the iconic boot logo. The final build is very functional in that it looks like the original render and plays GameCube games, although the battery lasts about an hour and a half.
The original rendering was made by an artist named Demond. They say they create original images for fun as a way to practice rendering products in Autodesk 3D Studio Max.
Demond continued to make other futuristic renders such as PSP2 images that circulated the internet a few years later and continued to work for actual video game companies like Ubisoft and Epic Games.