Elgin, IL · Fox Valley · By appointment
GameCube repairs, mods, re-shells and original shell restoration. Many fixes get done while you wait. Bring it in sick, take it home playing.
Meet up, grab a coffee, see the beautiful sights of Elgin Illinois, and walk away with a working console. These usually take 15–45 minutes. Just let me know ahead of time what's wrong so I bring the right parts.
Disc read errors and "cannot read disc" fixed with a careful laser potentiometer tune.
New optical laser when an adjustment won't do it.
Dust out, fresh paste, and a cleaned fan for cooler, quieter play.
Lid won't close, disc won't spin, or the drive door sensor isn't working.
Stop the date/time prompt every time you power on.
Stick drift, loose sticks, sticky buttons, and a full controller clean.
Prices are starting points. Quotes are always free, and you'll know the total before any work starts. Bring your own parts for a repair and save $10. Not a GameCube? See other consoles.
| Diagnostic / bench test credited toward repair | $15 |
| Laser lens adjustment wait | $25 |
| Laser replacement parts included wait | $69 |
| Lid / spring / sensor fix +$15 if the lid sensor needs replacing wait | $20–30 |
| Deep clean + thermal paste wait | $35 |
| Fan replacement original Nintendo fan, tested wait | $30 |
| Quiet fan upgrade Noctua fan + custom bracket wait | $45 |
| Clock battery replacement wait | $20 |
| Controller port repair | $35–45 |
| Power / reset / board repair | from $35 |
| Stick module replacement wait | $20 / stick |
| Deep clean + button refresh wait | $20 |
| Controller re-shell | $25 + shell |
Flat-rate installs. You buy the mod kit and bring it, and I install it (LEDs are on me). Not sure what to buy? Ask and I'll send you a link.
| Solderless game loader GC Loader, FlippyDrive, PicoLoader, etc. Includes SD card setup | $35 |
| Modchip, soldered PicoBoot or similar | $40 |
| Internal HDMI original DOL-001 model only | $80 |
| Region switch | $25 |
| Custom LED / power indicator LED included, pick your color. Free with any re-shell, restoration or refurb bundle | $25 |
| Any other mod send me a link to the kit and I'll quote it | from $25 |
| Console shell all panels, UV protectant coat included | $40 |
| Single panel lid, top, front or bottom | $15 |
| Controller shell | $20 |
Restoring faded, yellowed plastic to its original color (also known as “retrobrighting”) takes 3–7 days, sometimes longer in cold weather. Results depend on the plastic: heavy yellowing can take more than one round, and I'll tell you up front if a shell won't come back fully.
| Console re-shell your shell | $45 |
| Console re-shell aftermarket shell included | $95–130 |
| Original shell restoration yellowing removal, scratch polish, new screws & feet | $50–90 |
| Full refurb bundle clean, paste, lens, battery, shell polish | $99 |
Parts prices change. Anything marked "+" means parts or devices cost extra, at what I pay for them. wait means it can usually be done while you wait. Some mods (SD card adapter, internal HDMI) only work on the original DOL-001 model, so I'll check your model number before quoting.
GameCube is my specialty, but I also repair other retro systems, up through the PS3 / Xbox 360 / Wii generation.
NES, SNES, N64, Wii, Game Boy / Game Boy Advance, DS
PS1, PS2, PS3
Genesis, Dreamcast
Xbox 360
Typical jobs: deep cleaning and new thermal paste, cartridge slot and pin replacement, disc drive and laser repair, capacitor replacement, fans, controller sticks and buttons, and save batteries for cartridges.
I don't keep parts on hand for these systems, so I order them once you've booked. Expect 1–4 weeks depending on shipping, and none of these are while-you-wait jobs. Labor is priced like comparable GameCube work, and parts are at cost, so you'll get a full quote first. Certain board-level faults require more sophisticated equipment, like many PS3 and Xbox 360 no-power or overheating failures. I'll tell you up front if that's what it looks like.
Use the form below. Tell me what's wrong or what you want done.
I'll reply with a price and timeline, usually within a day.
Pick a time to meet somewhere public around Elgin, or drop off by appointment.
We fire it up before you leave so you know it works.
Based in Elgin and happy to meet in nearby towns:
Farther out? Ask anyway, and we can probably work something out.
I pay $25 cash for any broken GameCube console, as long as it's all there. Won't read discs, won't power on, makes a weird noise: it doesn't matter.
Controllers, memory cards and power supplies are priced separately. Tell me what you've got in the form below and pick “Selling a broken GameCube.” We can meet anywhere around Elgin.
Yes, 90 days on labor. If my repair fails, I'll fix it again for free.
While-you-wait jobs take 15–45 minutes. Mods, re-shells and restorations usually take 2–7 days, depending on parts.
Sure. Repairs are $10 less with your own parts, and mods are always bring-your-own. I can't guarantee parts I didn't source, but I'll tell you if something looks off.
Yes. Stick replacements, cleaning, button refreshes and re-shells for standard GameCube controllers.
You only pay the $15 diagnostic, and only if I couldn't fix it after we agreed to go ahead.
Yes, $25 cash for any broken GameCube console. See Selling a Broken GameCube? above.
Tell me what's going on and I'll get back to you, usually within a day.