Created by the original developer of Nintendont, this tool can compress GameCube games extremely aggressively. However, there's a significant trade-off: after compression, games won't work with Dolphin, and , so always keep your original backups.
dolphin-tool convert -i "/path/to/game.iso" -o "/path/to/game.rvz" -f rvz -b 262144 -c lzma2 -l 9 -s
Developed directly by the creators of the Dolphin emulator, RVZ is the current gold standard for compressed GameCube and Wii ROMs.
The Nintendo GameCube remains one of the most beloved video game consoles of all time. With iconic masterpieces like Super Smash Bros. Melee , The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker , and Resident Evil 4 , it is no surprise that retro gaming enthusiasts frequently seek out GameCube ROMs (commonly referred to as ISOs) to relive these classics on modern hardware.
Dolphin will create a highly compressed version of the game in the same folder. You can safely delete the original 1.35 GB ISO file afterward. Performance and Compatibility: Will Compressed Games Lag?
When a game is "scrubbed," all unused sectors (unreferenced by the file system) are overwritten with zeros. Unlike random dummy data, zeros compress extremely well. A scrubbed ISO plus LZMA2 compression can shrink a 1.35GB game to 400MB.
To see how effective high compression is, look at how much space you save on popular titles using the RVZ or NKIT formats: Game Title Original ISO Size Compressed Size Space Saved 97% Super Smash Bros. Melee 18% The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker 26% Mario Kart: Double Dash!! 51% Luigi's Mansion 74% How to Compress Your Own GameCube ROMs
Before diving into compression, it is essential to understand the file formats involved.
Here is how you can use high-level compression to shrink your collection by up to without losing quality or performance. 1. The Gold Standard: RVZ Format
Before diving into specific formats, it's important to understand the fundamental distinction between lossless and lossy compression when it comes to GameCube ROMs.