Pre-Orders are now open for multiple replacement shell colors for the Nintendo GameCube (DOL-001). These were designed by Yoei, creator of the Retro Is Cool brand (not the knockoff ;p). The “early bird” pre-order price is about $100 plus shipping, but that will go up to $120 after December 4th. They should arrive at customers in the second quarter of 2023. More details about these and some limited edition colors are available below the links:
CastleMania Games: https://retrorgb.link/gcyoeishell
Muramasa: https://www.muramasaentertainment.com/product-category/replacement-components/gamecube-replacement-components/gamecube-replacement-shells/
The first thing to mention is this case is also compatible with the DOL-101 models, however you’ll have to use the original rear plate. Blueshell3D.com is working on a fully printable GC case and hopefully they’ll do a rear cover for the DOL-101’s in case anyone needs to replace a broken one for use with this shell.
Next, there’s quite a few colors available: Translucent White, Translucent Black, Translucent Red, Translucent Purple, and Translucent Extreme Green are the main ones and should be available after the pre-orders ship. There will also be a one-time, limited production run of Translucent Orange, and Opaque Char Red that are slightly more expensive and won’t be produced again after stock is gone.
These will be direct replacements for the originals, which means no case mods are integrated. I know some people might have wanted support for full-sized discs, but at this point, a modchip is cheaper than DVR’s, so it’s best to load your homebrew that way. Also, I’m sure creative makers out there will have a 3D printed shell available at some point that can use full-sized discs, which is just more proof that there’s always room for more of these products in the retro scene.
Lastly, there will be a place on top of the lid for an original Gamecube emblem. No Nintendo or Gamecube branding will be present on the shell though, for all the obvious legal reasons.
And to clarify the timeline: There’s a two month pre-order period, a 2 month tooling period, 1 month sample testing, and 1 month to ship. The estimated ship date listed is May 31st 2023, which is why I felt a “arrive in Q2” statement is the best way to describe it.
