GameCube BIOS (IPL)

What is the GameCube IPL?

The GameCube IPL (sometimes called the GameCube BIOS, or IPL.bin) is the console's boot ROM. It's the startup program that plays the animated “cube” intro and shows the GameCube Main Menu where you can manage memory cards and adjust system settings before a game loads.

It is separate from your games. iCube can run most titles without it, but a few features need it (see below).

When the IPL is required

• To use the GameCube Main Menu itself (the boot animation and system menu).
• To boot any game while Load GameCube Main Menu is turned on. With that setting on, iCube boots into the IPL first, so the IPL must be installed or nothing will start.

You'll find this toggle under Settings → Config → GameCube → Load GameCube Main Menu.

Why iCube doesn't include it

The IPL is copyrighted Nintendo code. iCube can't and doesn't bundle it. You have to supply your own, dumped from a GameCube console you own.

Open-source tools exist that run on a homebrew-enabled GameCube or Wii to dump the IPL from your own hardware. We don't host, link to, or distribute IPL files or game ROMs — only dump from a console you own.

Installing the IPL in iCube

Once you have your IPL.bin, place it in iCube's GameCube system folder (the Dolphin Sys/GC path inside iCube's app storage), organized by region. You can copy the file over Wi-Fi using iCube's built-in web server — see Import games over Wi-Fi for how to connect from your computer.

After it's in place, restart iCube so it picks up the new file.