Nintendo GameCube shrunk down to the size of a keychain, includes actual hardware

Some of the coolest hardware mods have always existed in the retro gaming space, and the Kawaii is certainly up there. What you've got here is a compact, keychain-sized Nintendo GameCube that features actual Nintendo silicon. Created by Bitbuilt modders @YveltalGriffin, @Wesk, and @Ding, it's made possible thanks to the OMEGA trim of the original Nintendo Wii motherboard.

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As the Wii was backward compatible with GameCube titles, the Kawaii is a GameCube in the form of a stylish CNC-machined aluminum chassis with laser-etchings measuring 60 x 60 x 15.8mm. Now, the Kawaii is paired with a magnetic dock that includes four GameCube controller ports and video out, and the CPU inside the passively cooled chassis is undervolted to keep temperatures in check.

The modders note that the design "prioritizes aesthetics over practicality," which is reinforced by a deep dive video on the Kawaii by YouTube channel Macho Nacho Productions. In the video, we learn that the Kawaii gets "very warm" when gaming, so a portable desk fan and airflow are recommended.

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Also, because the Kawaii's clean, stylish look doesn't feature any notable ports aside from the magnetic pogo-pin docking connector, the actual games and homebrew launcher are stored on a microSD card inside the device. A decision made to maintain the impressive aesthetics and compact size of the device, but one that adds a layer of complexity if you want to add or remove any games from the library.

The video showcases a few titles like Mario Kart and Crazy Taxi running on the device, and it's definitely impressive to see the tiny GameCube in action. To put the size into perspective, it's about the same size as a Game Boy Color cartridge.

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