FlippyDrive is an optical disc drive emulator for the classic GameCube game console that installs without any soldering, can be used in conjunction with your physical disc drive, and fits neatly inside the cube itself with no case modifications — preserving the appearance of the system.

Discs can be backed up directly from your physical drive and loaded via the microSD card or stored and loaded from your local network. The onboard Wi-Fi provides experimental support for loading disc images (subject to network conditions), while the Ethernet add-on offers a reliable connection to your network storage.

Upgrade your GameCube, With or Without an Optical Drive

FlippyDrive is an all-in-one mod that allows you to run homebrew and game backups.

Our mod installs securely between the disc drive and the GameCube. We decided to use the versatile Raspberry Pi Pico RP2040, which is widely used by other recent mods and offers a good combination of flexibility and performance. Additionally, we settled on the ESP32 to provide Wi-Fi (onboard) and Ethernet connectivity (via expansion board).

Our design choices allow for easy installation without sacrificing your disc drive. The FlippyDrive allows you to access your microSD Card, run game backups, stream files over a network, manage files remotely, and run homebrew, all while preserving your ability to use physical discs.

We aim for this to be the end-all-be-all mod for the GameCube and the last mod you’ll ever need.

Thoughtfully Designed for Gamers by Gamers

FlippyDrive has a no-frills install and update process to let you get up and running and playing the games you love. It’s easy to install and remove and does not involve soldering or permanently altering your console.

We’ve gone out of our way to ensure that the FlippyDrive menu looks and acts like the original to provide an authentic and immersive gaming experience.

Easy to Install

There are two common techniques for modding retro consoles, and both come with their own challenges. The first requires costly techniques like creating new manufactured connectors/plugs/etc. The second involves taking a soldering iron to your gaming system. Not everyone has the funds or the technical skills available to implement a successful installation at home, and as a result, many people have accidentally destroyed their GameCubes in an attempt to mod them. FlippyDrive solves this problem in a new way by sandwiching a low-cost flex ribbon cable between the original drive and the console.

This novel approach not only avoids soldering and the potential of hardware damage during installation, but the use of a flex with contacts inlaid on both sides allows the FlippyDrive to selectively pass signals between the drive and console, allowing you to continue playing your favorite physical games as usual in your GameCube’s disc drive.

In cases where the original drive is non-function or has been removed, an additional 3D printed plastic plug is included to establish contact between the Flex and the console.

Easy to Use

User experience was considered during every step of the design process for the FlippyDrive.

After installing the FlippyDrive using the provided flex connector and inserting your microSD card that has been set up as described in the documentation, the FlippyDrive will configure itself on first boot.  The microSD Card will be detected, and you will see a list of your files and games without any additional steps. It’s really that easy!

Want to play a disc? After using your FlippyDrive for the first time, turn off your GameCube and boot while holding the left trigger on your controller. This will disable the FlippyDrive until the next reboot and allow you to use your GameCube as a completely stock system.

Additionally, FlippyDrive has a built-in 1-click update process. Users can choose to download the software manually or use an OTA update.

CubeBoot is Team OffBroadway’s boot-time menu patching utility, enhancing your onboard GameCube menu with additional features, including a menu to select files/games, all while preserving the look and feel of the original BIOS. These menu enhancements do not modify the onboard ROM in your system, so FlippyDrive is easy to uninstall.

Our beta testers have responded to CubeBoot with excitement, giving us feedback that our interface feels native in the context of the GameCube and captures the nostalgia of the original system.

Fully Reversible

As retrogamers, we understand how important your GameCube is to you. There are a finite number of these systems in circulation, and the ones that we own are precious to us. Why risk damaging a childhood memento or, potentially, your only copy of the console?

Because FlippyDrive is solderless and allows you to keep your disc drive, the process of installing FlippyDrive is completely reversible. Want to migrate your FlippyDrive to another console? No problem. Afraid to lose parts? We’ve got you covered there too. FlippyDrive even comes with a built-in holder for the extra screw we remove during assembly to avoid it being lost.

We’ve tried to anticipate everything so that you can continue to use your GameCube the way that you want to for years to come.

Future Customization Potential

While FlippyDrive is an ODE with a microSD Card and Wi-Fi connectivity, we have made provisions for additional customization options moving forward.

Our first goal is to provide customers with useful add-ons, many of which were inspired by conversations with our beta testers. So far, we have already prepared an ethernet add-on board that will allow a direct and reliable network connection. We are also considering moving forward on a USB add-on board, which would allow for the connection of hard drives and additional controllers.

Of course, any mod is only as strong as its community, and FlippyDrive was conceived as a project that could serve both gamers and developers. As such, many aspects of the FlippyDrive are already open-source, including the CubeBoot loader, the app loader, and the FlippyDrive API library.

Ethernet Add-on

In addition to the FlippyDrive, we’ve also designed an Ethernet add-on that enables all the existing network functions like game loading and file transfer over a fast, reliable network connection using Ethernet. The benefit of using the Ethernet add-on is far more predictable performance and transfer speeds when loading files from a PC or NAS compared to Wi-Fi.

We’ve carefully designed the Ethernet add-on rear mounting plate to match the GameCube’s design aesthetics while adding the standard-size connector. No internal modifications, cuts, or removals are required as the module is shaped to fit around the existing hardware. FlippyDrive Deluxe includes the Ethernet add-on in the box, so you’ll be ready to get on a local network from the jump.

Load Your Favorite Homebrew Software

Whenever a new mod comes out, there can be anxiety about whether or not it will “play nice” with existing homebrew. While we cannot ensure that FlippyDrive is supported by everything, FlippyDrive has already added support for Swiss and GCMM, with support planned for vbagx, FCE Ultra GX, Snes9x GX, and GeckoOS.

Thanks to the onboard flash, Swiss is included pre-installed alongside CubeBoot for those who wish to use its additional features.

Features & Specifications

• RP2040 Powered Drive Emulation
• ESP32 4-bit with Wi-Fi
• No-solder internal install via custom flex cable
• Keeps your original disc drive installed (one button bypass to boot from disc)
• Load games from a microSD Card or over a local network
• Experimental loading over Wi-Fi (RPi / PC / NAS)
• No software patching required (games can run stock)
• CubeBoot menu patcher and Swiss in internal Flash
• Software updates via SD card/Network and USB ROM drag-and-drop/brick recovery
• Wired 10/100 Ethernet connectivity (via add-on)

Comparisons

Compared to Popular Mods

Compared to Other Optical Drive Emulators

Support & Documentation

After manufacturing has started, we intend to fully open-source both the hardware design and firmware components of FlippyDrive. Doing so will allow people to create add-ons and make their own custom firmware modifications even after the team has moved on to other projects. We will update everyone when we have this information publicly available.

Fulfillment & Logistics

We will be performing final assembly, programming, and packaging the FlippyDrives and all required installation components in Baltimore before sending them to Crowd Supply’s fulfillment partner, Mouser Electronics, who will handle distribution to backers. If you want to know more about Crowd Supply’s fulfillment service, information is located under Ordering, Paying, and Shipping in their guide.

Manufacturing Plan

FlippyDrive is ready for production and no longer a prototype. Not only are our vendors and the hardware fully qualified, but we have had over 100 beta testers help us validate the design. We have plans to produce FlippyDrive in high quantities to meet whatever demand we encounter, in batches of several thousand boards at a time. Final assembly, QC, firmware flashing, and packaging will be done by Team OffBroadway in Maryland.

Risks & Challenges

While the main FlippyDrive product is production-ready, the Ethernet module add-on is a functional prototype that has been designed for manufacture and may still require optimization for mass production. The plastic rear I/O plate has been designed and quoted for injection molding from several vendors. Our primary risk is parts availability. As the pandemic taught us, any parts you don’t own can go out of stock or change price in an instant. We will keep backers appraised if we are hit by delays of any kind.