Once upon a time, there was a Freeloader. It was late, as usual, but everyone waited with baited breath, because it promised much.

Action Replay Gamecube Freeloader Free

Action Replay (US Version). Preloaded with over 1,000 powerful codes for the latest and greatest GameCube games. Includes over 2,500 codes for US and Japanese games. Totally unauthorised cheat codes that you wont find anywhere else. Add replayability to completed games with unique enhancements. Dedicated support site, updated daily – www.codejunkies.com. Play import games from the USA. These were presumably checked by the laser in the same fashion the gamecube may read the 'bar code'. Freeloader loads and executes a program just like Action Replay. Action Replay, how the hell did you figure 'region check has to be off'? Action Replay merely includes the same software feature as FreeLoader which again disables region checks. Action Replay (PAL Version). Preloaded with over 1,000 powerful codes for the latest and greatest GameCube games. Includes over 2,500 codes for US and Japanese games. Totally unauthorised cheat codes that you wont find anywhere else. Add replayability to completed games with unique enhancements. Dedicated support site, updated daily – www.codejunkies.com. Play import games from the USA.

And so it came to pass, the Freeloader finally arrived, and oh what gifts it brought. The ability to de-zone everyone's Gamecubes. Finally, an easy (and cheap) way for anyone in the world to play games from anywhere else in the world. It was welcomed with open arms.
Datel, after many delays, have now released their de-zoning disc. Twice. The first shipment, with discs marked version 1.04, worked almost as intended, but it soon became apparent that the US version of Resident Evil Zero did not work on PAL Gamecubes. This issue is fixed in version 1.06, which was released very soon after the first one. 1.06 also works a lot more smoothly than 1.04. Those who have received version 1.04 should send them to Datel for upgrade to 1.06. So everyone should be happy. Information on this update and where to send your 1.04 disc can be found on the forums at www.codejunkies.com.
However, the reason for the delays was cited as time spent making the disc 100% compatible and so it remains to be seen what future games may also prove problematic.
As usual with this type of product, there are issues and workarounds. None of them are particularly serious, but they make the Freeloader more accessible to some Gamecube owners than to others.
Usage
Freeloader itself is region free, so it can be used in any type of Gamecube (Japanese, American or European). To use the Freeloader, like most bootdiscs, just insert the disc, turn on the Gamecube and remove it once the splash-screen appears. The prompt then tells you to insert your chosen game. The game will then load.

Action Replay Gamecube Freeloader Rom

There is another method to try in case this one does not work. It involves inserting the Freeloader disc, turning on the Gamecube and then pressing the Z button at the splash-screen, choosing the appropriate region for the game, removing the disc and then inserting the game. This method is included to try and make it more future proof and was not required for any of the games I tested.
NTSC games on PAL Gamecubes

Action Replay Gamecube Freeloader Download

The main intended use for the Freeloader is to allow PAL Gamecube owners to play Japanese and American NTSC games. No problems in using Freeloader for this have been reported thus far, as long as you have version 1.06. The games are output in PAL 60Hz mode, so essentially, all this means for PAL Gamecube owners is that to get the most out of Freeloader, you must own a television capable of displaying PAL signals at 60Hz (as well as the usual 50Hz). This will not be an issue for most people, but check our guide to televisions for more information. If your TV supports RGB, then using the Official RGB cable will give the best results.
PAL games on NTSC Gamecubes
The other groups of people wanting to make use of Freeloader are those with NTSC Gamecubes. They might want to rent some PAL games, borrow a game from a friend or get some second hand bargains. Or they may not have modified their Gamecube to allow Japanese games on their American cube and vice versa. Also in this category are owners of the Panasonic Q.
Firstly, the good news is that US games work perfectly on a Japanese Gamecube/Q and vice versa. The not so great news is that when a PAL game is tried in an NTSC machine, the Gamecube tries to output the signal in NTSC, but at 50Hz. This format is incredibly rare and will appear as a black and white picture on most televisions when using composite or svideo connections. There is a way around this issue.
If the PAL game supports a 60Hz mode, thus providing the more common NTSC 60Hz signal, this option will provide a colour picture on fully NTSC compatible TV's. The 60Hz mode in PAL games is normally activated by holding down the B button after inserting the game, until a prompt appears, asking if the player wants to enable the 60HZ mode. However, Freeloader makes this easy for you by forcing the prompt to appear (as long as the game supports it). Pressing YES will solve the problem, assuming the television supports NTSC properly, but if the owner has already been playing their NTSC Gamecube games via a composite or svideo cable, then it certainly does.
However, not all PAL games support a 60Hz mode and this problem is difficult to get round. Using a VGA cable and a suitable display device, be it a monitor, plasma screen or projector, should solve the problem. But normal cables (RGB, composite, svideo) will all give black and white pictures on TV's.
So, the Freeloader works. It is very straightforward to use, but you must have a television capabale of displaying the required signals. The niggling doubt about future compatibility still remains, as demonstrated by the Resident Evil Zero compatible version update. But let's be optimistic! It currently works as intended.
And so the Freeloader stayed, having won the hearts of most of the villagefolk by making the rest of the world just that little bit easier to access. They hoped the Freeloader could cope for a long while to come. If not, they could always move to that other village. You know. Importland. Where they import the actual Gamecubes as well as the games.
The End.
Freeloader Version 1.04 and 1.06 were tested. See text for details, but basically make sure you have version 1.06.
edit: There was also the Action Replay disc with memory card that had similar functionality and was marked 1.06B. There might have been a 1.06b (lower case) but my memory is hazy at this point - please post in comments if you know the details!)
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Everytime someone brings up the two (DOL-001 and DOL-101) models of the GameCube, all they ever mention is the removal of the Digital AV Out port in the newer model as if that is the only difference.

The newer model of the GameCube contains several differences, though they aren't immedietly obvious unless you look around. Much like Nintendo's other systems (such as the Top Loader NES), some of the differences are to reduce manufacturing costs and others to make minor improvments to the hardware.

Digital AV Out port

This is the most well-known and obvious difference between the two models. The newer model doesn't have that port, so Component cables can't be connected. That means Progressive Scan is not available with the newer model.

Serial Port 2

Nintendo is known to include unused ports on their systems that are removed later on. The GameCube's Serial Port 2 is unused, there is nothing available to make use of it. The port is removed from the newer model.

Nameplate

On the original model, the nameplate can be removed. There are two tabs on the bottom of the disc cover, just below the nameplate. The disc cover on the newer model doesn't have those tabs, so the nameplate normally isn't removable.

Action Replay and Freeloader compatibility

The DOL-101 model contains firmware, which prevents most discs from Datel from working. These include Action Replay versions 1.06 through version 1.14b, Ultimate Codes, and Freeloader versions 1.04 and 1.06b. Instead, an error message appears. Pictured above are Action Replay version 1.14b and Freeloader version 1.06b inside the DOL-101 GC.

Laser

One complaint some people have about the original models, is it's tendency to incorrectly read a disc and display an error messsage. I personally haven't run into any major problems with my original GameCube, but others have and shortly after the system's launch Nintendo even provided repairs for free. The newer model works around this issue by having a newer, more advanced laser that correctly reads discs with fewer errors. However, the lasers in the newer models apparently don't last as long as the one in the original models.

AC Adapters

Not a hardware difference, but oh well. The AC Adapter that comes with the original model (left) is 46 Watts, while the AC Adapter that comes with the newer model (right) is 48 Watts.

Platinum difference

These are the same two pictures as at the top of the page. They show another, minor difference with Platinum GameCube's of the newer model. DOL-001 Platinum GameCube's are colored entirely Platinum, just like how GameCube's of other colors are just one color. However, the rear of Platinum GameCube's of the newer DOL-101 model is black. I don't know what Nintendo's reasoning for doing that is. The Indigo, Jet black, and Spice orange GameCube's of the newer model are just one color, just like the original model. But the rear of Platinum GameCube's of the newer model, for whatever reason, is black.