GameCube emulators
The GameCube (GCN) is a 2001 console produced by Nintendo. Due to how similar the architecture is between the GameCube, Triforce and Wii, many GameCube emulators offer support for them.
The Triforce is an arcade system board developed jointly by Namco, Sega, and Nintendo, with the first games appearing in 2002. The system hardware is based on the Nintendo GameCube with several differences, like provisions for add-ons such as Sega's GD-ROM system and upgradeable RAM modules.
Due to having very similar (albeit more powerful) hardware, the Wii is able to natively play GameCube games rather than emulating them.
Emulators
| Name | Operating System(s) | Latest Version | GCN | Wii | Triforce | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphin | Windows, Linux, OS X, Android | SVN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gekko | Windows, Linux | SVN | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| MESS | Multi-platform | 0.152 | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dolphin (Nintendo) | Windows | e2.8 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Comparison
Dolphin is the only real emulator you should use; Gekko is still in very early development after being on hiatus for many years, and is nowhere near achieving Wii emulation either. In addition, for Triforce emulation, MAME is not optimised for 3D systems yet, nor is the emulation of the system in question very good either.
Dolphin is updated on a near daily basis and has very good emulation of almost everything. System requirements are high, moreso for Wii games than GameCube.
Dolphin (Nintendo) is an official emulator by Nintendo of the same name as the recommended Dolphin emulator. The two are unrelated; the official Nintendo emulator does not run commercial games.
GameCube Resources
- Dolphin Wiki - For checking if you games work and any fixes/tweaks/settings you should know before hand.
