How One Gamer Turned Nintendo’s GameCube Into a Real Hot Tub Console

BigRig Creates came across an animation online that caught his attention: a purple Nintendo GameCube with a small Jacuzzi on top of it, complete with bubbling fluids and illuminating accents. He was immediately taken back by the concept and wanted to make it a reality.

First, he went out to find a GameCube console that he could work with. Fortunately for him, one popped available on a local online marketplace for only $20. He grabbed it and went to work right immediately, pulling open the case to access the internals and removing the original disc drive to make room for some new components. Next, he installed a Raspberry Pi Pico, which would handle game loading from a digital file on an SD card, leaving the console completely playable but with a lot more space inside for the hot tub installation.

The printing was the most time-consuming aspect of the project. BigRig Creates used his Bambu Labs machine to fabricate the hot tub basin and all of the other components, including walls, stairs, rails, and even miniature plants. Before letting the printer do its thing, each piece was given a wood grain texture, which resulted in prints in different colours without the need for additional painting. The original console had a yellowed plastic look that needed to be fixed; a peroxide solution didn’t quite work as anticipated, so he simply repainted the replacement panels in light grey and they matched the shade nicely.

The final step was to seal everything up. BigRig Creates coated the interior of the hot tub basin in epoxy glue to ensure it was watertight before filling it with purple mineral oil to match the console. He was not going to use water because it could damage the electronics, but the oil worked perfectly. Inside the basin is a little pump that connects to a power line and is turned on; as soon as it is activated, the pump begins circulating the oil and produces those perfect steady bubbles on the surface of the water, precisely like in the animation. It’s also quite quiet, so it doesn’t disrupt the speakers close.

LED strips run down the edges of the console cabinet, giving the entire system a pleasant glow. The wires connect to a controller board, which controls color and brightness with ease. The lights begin to pulse, displaying all of the original patterns in a truly immersive and enjoyable manner. He took some buttons from a spare controller and placed them around the outside of the console. One press activates the pump and starts the bubbles, another changes the lighting settings, and the third just turns everything on and off. It just feels good and invites folks to take a try without having to look for switches.

Assembly set everything on a flat base for stability, and there is a stairway leading up to the hot tub platform, as well as a detachable railing that provides easy access to the controller ports on the left. Some false windows and plants really tied the scene together, giving the diorama the idea of being self-contained.
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