Nintendo GameCube Prototype From Space World 2000 Expo is Rediscovered

[T0@st]

Nintendo hardware enthusiasts have been scouring the internet for more than two decades in search of special prototype Nintendo GameCube consoles - the Space World 2000 expo model has long been sought after by hardcore collectors. Nintendo revealed (at the time) its upcoming home console as well as the Game Boy Advance handheld system at their annual video game trade show held near Tokyo, or the company's hometown of Kyoto, Japan. Space World 2000 (Makuhari Messe, Chiba) would end up being the penultimate show, with Nintendo choosing to not continue with their regular consumer event post-2001.

Consolevariations, a gaming hardware database, this week reported via a blog post that an interesting GameCube prototype was up for sale, following a tip received on Discord, and it quickly became apparent that this slightly bashed and chipped example was indeed one of the very first models revealed to the public at Nintendo's Space World 2000 expo. Several preview units were also demoed on the showroom floor at the August 2001 event, but experts think that these were sourced from the previous year's batch.



A Consolevariations representative managed to contact the seller, and arranged for a bit of hands-on time with the Space World prototype. A regular retail version of the GameCube (Japanese DOL-001) was within reach for purposes of comparing, and the current owner allowed a small photo shoot to take place. There are clear external differences between this prototype and final retail unit - Consolevariations noted over 20 discrepancies - their blog provides a decent rundown of these details.



The prototype is not in working order according to the blog, the author was allowed access to the console's insides and observed: "Nothing is connected, there is a loose PCB, with the name CPU-DJ-X2 that indicates that this is a prototype board there is no CPU or GPU installed, just wires that go to the LED on top, everything can be removed without screws except the base." The GameCube first launched in September of 2001, for the Japanese market, sporting an IBM PowerPC 750CXe "Gekko" CPU and ATI "Flipper" ArtX-designed GPU (with 3 MB embedded 1T-SRAM functioning as video memory).



Consolevariations has not revealed the seller's asking price. The site's database has not been updated with a new entry for the Space World-era GameCube prototype.

Check out Adam Doree's footage from the 2000 event:

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[Space Lynx]

man I miss gamecube and ps2 days, tube tv's made them have better picture quality then what they get credit for today. wish I never sold off my old consoles. my Mom gave away my tube tv, always pissed me off. it was such a nice one. but i guess the bulb would have burned out in it eventually, nothing lasts forever, so eh.

 

[P4-630]

man I miss gamecube and ps2 days, tube tv's made them have better picture quality then what they get credit for today. wish I never sold off my old consoles. my Mom gave away my tube tv, always pissed me off. it was such a nice one. but i guess the bulb would have burned out in it eventually, nothing lasts forever, so eh.

I never seen/known about these products, I see they are powered by ATi graphics though...


I still got my CD-i player with my CD-i collection, it's using SCART...

 

[dozenfury]

These will probably sell for a small fortune, but very cool to see they were found. There were some less rare but small production consoles that are fun for collectors and a bit more financially accessible, like the lime green Mountain Dew original Xbox and the Taco Bell Xbox One. Not really a fan of the common ones that are just game skinned, but the unique limited production ones from contests and similar events are great additions to any collection.

 

[eidairaman1]

Erm the Gamecube did not come out in 2011

 

[P4-630]

Erm the Gamecube did not come out in 2011

You are correct sir...

 

[Fouquin]

I never seen/known about these products, I see they are powered by ATi graphics though...

Oh it's even cooler than that. The graphics chip carries ATi's name, but the design is completely unique separate from anything ATi was working on and releasing at the time. The Flipper graphics chip is a 4-pipe programmable shader layout with very respectable (for the time) hardware T&L designed and built by a tiny ~80 person team by the name ArtX. ATi purchased them in 2000 and put their name on the project, but Flipper was already nearly completed (Nintendo awarded ArtX the contract in 1998). The chip is fully DX8.1 and even has support for a few DX9 features. Bunch of features from the project were carried forward to the design of R300, with the original ArtX team being the primary contributors to that design.

I'm hoping that any of the small Mac OS on GameCube projects ever make it beyond planning phase, but since the chip is so different from any other ATi graphics chip and the GameCube has locked firmware nobody has really made it far into hacking them.

 

[ZoneDymo]

such a happy little console from better times

 

[Space Lynx]

such a happy little console from better times

the tiny discs were really cute lol

 

[maxfly]

man I miss gamecube and ps2 days, tube tv's made them have better picture quality then what they get credit for today. wish I never sold off my old consoles. my Mom gave away my tube tv, always pissed me off. it was such a nice one. but i guess the bulb would have burned out in it eventually, nothing lasts forever, so eh.

You can have mine...its a Sony Trinitron monster that weighs 260lbs. If you and your two Hulk Hogans can manage to get it out of my basement she's yours.

I will turn it on for you and let you watch whatever you want for proof of life! Please dear God, Take it!

 

[64K]

Cool. A slice of gaming history.
I got to play Mario Kart Double Dash with a friend on his Gamecube back in the day. It was a lot of fun.

The Gamecube can still be had on Ebay for around $60 used and the Mario Kart game for around $60 used.

 

[Space Lynx]

You can have mine...its a Sony Trinitron monster that weighs 260lbs. If you and your two Hulk Hogans can manage to get it out of my basement she's yours.

I will turn it on for you and let you watch whatever you want for proof of life! Please dear God, Take it!

the tv i had was a 24" Panasonic I think, had a vhr built in to it. it was really nice and it had handles, so i could lift it by myself. i don't want a giant one like that lol

 

[P4-630]

i don't want a giant one like that lol

You know what they say....

Go big or go home!..

 

[erocker]

If you want a good tube TV. You're better off going through ebay through a reputable repair shop/refurbisher or if you're lucky enough you have a local repair shop still. Most of the time buying old "good condition" used tube TV's, they won't last very long after they're shipped.

 

[Space Lynx]

If you want a good tube TV. You're better off going through ebay through a reputable repair shop/refurbisher or if you're lucky enough you have a local repair shop still. Most of the time buying old "good condition" used tube TV's, they won't last very long after they're shipped.

I was thinking of garage sales in my local area too, might get lucky someday. Some older type people just leave them in corner of their house unused for who knows how long and decide to sell in garage sale one day, that's my hope, plus going to garage sales can be fun sometimes.

 

[lexluthermiester]

man I miss gamecube

Get yourself a Wii. 100% GC compatible!

 

[bonehead123]

You know what they say....

Go big or go home!..

Trudat, but they also say: "size DOES matter", hehehehe..

I remember those gigantic hulkster tv's, I remember the delivery guys telling my mom & dad "hey, make sure you know where you want it, cause we aren't allowed to move it once it touches the floor"...

 

[Gmr_Chick]

such a happy little console from better times

Amen. I can fondly remember waiting in line at my local Toys R Us store on release day to pick mine up. Had sooooo many great games throughout its life, and the controller still stands, for me at least, as the most comfortable controller ever.

Get yourself a Wii. 100% GC compatible!

Yet another thing I loved about the Wii! I remember when we got ours - at the time they were selling left and right so my dad resorted to getting one off Ebay - it was an added bonus to be able to play not only Wii games on it, but GC games on it too, which we had a lot of, and so it was cool that you didn't have to get rid of the older games because they didn't work on the newer system. You could enjoy both the new games and the old ones.

People can mock the Wii, but it was an amazing console, and it actually got older (seniors) adults up and playing games - even if it was just Wii Sports. The point is, it got them up and allowed them to have fun and be active.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Yet another thing I loved about the Wii! I remember when we got ours - at the time they were selling left and right so my dad resorted to getting one off Ebay - it was an added bonus to be able to play not only Wii games on it, but GC games on it too, which we had a lot of, and so it was cool that you didn't have to get rid of the older games because they didn't work on the newer system. You could enjoy both the new games and the old ones.

The only downside was that the GBA player didn't work. For that you needed a proper GameCube. That's the only thing I can think of that the Wii can't do GameCube-wise.

People can mock the Wii

Wait, really? That really happens(ed)? Who are those losers? Wait, don't tell me, I don't care..

 

[Space Lynx]

Get yourself a Wii. 100% GC compatible!

I got my first gf because of the Wii. I was living in the dorms at college, and my friends told me this one girl liked me, a roommate of another friend... so I asked her if she wanted to play Wii someday, we played Wii Golf, then I asked her to ice cream. She said yes, lol

When she left me a couple years later for a doctor, I got rid of my Wii, just hurt to look at it honestly. So, no Wii for me sadly. It's all good though, got my Steam Deck and can emulate games on it. I play my Deck every night in bed, I love it. It feels like I am unplugging from the world, since I run it in offline mode. I put my phone away across the room, get cozy, and just get lost in a game and no distractions.

 

[Beertintedgoggles]

You can have mine...its a Sony Trinitron monster that weighs 260lbs. If you and your two Hulk Hogans can manage to get it out of my basement she's yours.

I will turn it on for you and let you watch whatever you want for proof of life! Please dear God, Take it!

If you live anywhere near Ohio I'll take you up on that offer! There's a community out there where that set is actually sought after (I'd use it for my old Atari 2600 and original Nintendo). Also, you didn't say this part but they don't have bulbs in them that go bad. They do have electron tubes which can lose their vacuum and therefore go bad but those CRT (cathode ray tube) televisions typically just kept on truckin'.

 

[mechtech]

such a happy little console from better times

ya the student days, used to go over to a buddies, bring a big bag of doritos friday/saturday and play till whenever, he had all kinds of consoles and games..............simpler happier times indeed.

 

[maxfly]

If you live anywhere near Ohio I'll take you up on that offer! There's a community out there where that set is actually sought after (I'd use it for my old Atari 2600 and original Nintendo). Also, you didn't say this part but they don't have bulbs in them that go bad. They do have electron tubes which can lose their vacuum and therefore go bad but those CRT (cathode ray tube) televisions typically just kept on truckin'.

HA! I live in NW Ohio. You can't back out now!!!! I will start poppin door hinges right friggin now!

Seriously, if you're close enough and can get some steerong ass help she is all yours. Just pm me!

 

[Space Lynx]

HA! I live in NW Ohio. You can't back out now!!!! I will start poppin door hinges right friggin now!

Seriously, if you're close enough and can get some steerong ass help she is all yours. Just pm me!

I'm not helping, that shit will take a spine out. Go to the gym, find some guys that look like they take steroids, tell them $20 each. lol

 

[maxfly]

I'm not helping, that shit will take a spine out. Go to the gym, find some guys that look like they take steroids, tell them $20 each. lol

Ugh, I hear ya. 20yrs ago my buddy and I moved it downstairs...that was it for me...that didn't include those square dollies.