Chunky!
Written by Jason Venter
Published Aug. 08, 2024
Over on X/Twitter, A Flock of Meese has put together something pretty amazing: a build of Minecraft that runs on the Gamecube hardware. You can (and should) check out the original post to see a video right at the top, which shows the game in action and looking pretty darn good.
There are, of course, a few things to keep in mind. Judging by replies to questions from people who saw the post, this version of Minecraft was built from the ground up, specifically to allow the classic game to run on hardware such as the Gamecube and even the Dreamcast.
According to A Flock of Meese, the game's binary and asset files comprise a mere 1.7MB. As noted, there are 25 million blocks crammed into 24 MB of RAM, which allows for a render distance of 12 chunks. For those who don't know, a “chunk” is a grid of 16x128x16 “blocks.” In other words, the draw distance is pretty spectacular.
The build isn't yet complete, and it's not perfect. Some folks have noted the floaty jumping and movement. There is some skepticism that a final build can look this good while also incorporating mobs, though A Flock of Meese has indicated the default render distance will be “at least 12 chunks on release.”
A Flock of Meese is also working hard to get the game running on Dreamcast, but that version has a render distance of 10 chunks. Also, the “framerate consistency is still lightyears behind the Gamecube version.”
This version of Minecraft will run on Gamecube and Wii both, since the Wii hardware was basically just a slightly more powerful Gamecube that could perfectly run games from that original hardware. A lot of people who remember and enjoyed Gamecube software might have actually first played it on Wii for that reason. Back in the day, the Gamecube didn't sell all that well because everyone was busy grabbing PS2s. I know I sold a lot of them to people who wanted a new DVD player.
Fan projects such as this one can't be sold in physical form (sorry, guy in the comments who was hoping to buy a retail version to store on the shelf next to the other Gamecube greats), but they are still exciting because they enable us to see just what amazing things committed individuals can do with hardware. Just imagine what passionate developers might accomplish with PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch hardware 20 years from now.
What are some of your favorite retro/fan projects you've seen lately that shouldn't be possible on the hardware?
