Miracle Minecraft GameCube port now outperforms official Switch version

A fan-made Minecraft port to the Nintendo GameCube actually exceeds the game’s official Switch release. Despite the console’s age, one talented modder has managed to recreate Mojang’s beloved survival game in an extraordinary way. 

The miracle of Minecraft GameCube 

Talented modder A Flock of Meese has spent months working on bringing Minecraft to the Nintendo GameCube and the Sega Dreamcast. While the project aims to recreate Minecraft in its entirety, the creator will only release the project once all its assets are original. 

The modder’s Minecraft GameCube port runs on the proprietary Meese Engine, allowing the creator to highly optimise the game for the aging hardware. However, the homebrew developer’s brilliant project is now outshining the official port running on Nintendo Switch. 

In a recent tweet, A Flock of Meese revealed the Minecraft GameCube port now renders at a further distance than the Switch version. Not just that, but the GameCube version’s render distance outperforms the Switch version in its more demanding Docked Mode. 

“The GameCube engine now boasts a render distance of 13 chunks, surpassing the render distance of the Switch (docked),” the developer said. 

The #Gamecube game engine now boasts a render distance of 13 chunks, surpassing the render distance of Minecraft on the Switch (docked). Cloud shadows now distort as they move and soften during sunrise and sunset.#retrogaming #indiegamedev #gamedev #Dreamcast pic.twitter.com/oPylZtNhR5

— A Flock of Meese (@meesedev) August 26, 2024

How is this possible? 

As Minecraft GameCube is running on a custom built engine, A Flock of Meese’s recreation is made specifically for Nintendo’s old machine. With this in mind, the developer is able to optimise the survival game much more efficiently compared to modern ports. 

Furthermore, the new GameCube port doesn’t currently have every feature of the base game. There’s currently no weather system, and only very basic entities like pigs and cows are included, but it’s still incredibly impressive. 

While current Minecraft does have minor performance issues on the Nintendo Switch, it is doing a lot more than this homebrew creation. The game requires parity with more powerful consoles for cross-play purposes, and it simulates more complex scenarios than this mimic. 

However, Minecraft GameCube is a testament to the ingenuity of homebrew developers. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and dedicated devs always find a way.