Public beta: found a bug? Tell us on Discord.

Dolphin Depot

Terms of Service

Last updated: November 2, 2026

1. Definitions

"Dolphin Depot" refers to the project and ecosystem operated by the Operator. "Operator" refers to the maintainers of the Dolphin Depot project. "User" or "you" refers to any individual who accesses Dolphin Depot through the website or the client.

"Service" refers to the website available at this domain, the public API, the application catalog (registry), and the supporting infrastructure operated by the Operator. "Client" or "Client Software" refers to the native Nintendo GameCube client application distributed by the Operator through the Service.

"Content" refers to application manifests, metadata, banner artwork, and any other material made available through the catalog.

2. Acceptance of these terms

By browsing the catalog, downloading or installing the Client, or installing applications through Dolphin Depot, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service or the Client.

3. Description of the Service and the Client

Dolphin Depot is a free ecosystem for distributing homebrew software for the Nintendo GameCube. The Service consists of a public catalog of homebrew applications, a website for browsing the catalog, and a public API. The Client is a native GameCube application that connects to the Service to let users browse the catalog and install applications directly to their storage device. Applications listed in the catalog are produced by independent third-party authors; Dolphin Depot only references and packages them for installation.

4. No affiliation with Nintendo

Dolphin Depot is an independent fan project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo Co., Ltd., Panasonic, or any other manufacturer of the hardware this software targets. "Nintendo", "GameCube", and other product names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only for descriptive, nominative purposes.

5. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years old to use the Service or the Client, or the minimum age required to consent to the processing of personal data in your country, whichever is higher. If you are below this age, you may use Dolphin Depot only with the involvement of a parent or legal guardian.

6. License grant: Client Software

The Client is provided free of charge. Subject to these Terms, you are granted a personal, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to install and use the Client on your own hardware. All rights not expressly granted in these Terms are reserved by the Operator.

7. Trademarks

The names "Dolphin Depot" and the project's logo and visual identity are trademarks of the Operator. No right to use them is granted except as needed to refer to the project, and no one may claim affiliation with or endorsement by Dolphin Depot without the Operator's permission.

8. Third-party open-source components

Both the Client and the Service incorporate third-party open-source components, each governed by its own license. A complete list of those components and their licenses is available from the Operator on request.

9. Service availability and Client persistence

The Operator does not guarantee continued availability of the Service. The Service may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time, with or without notice. If the Service is discontinued, you may keep using the Client you have installed, but Client features that depend on the Service backend (such as catalog browsing or application installation) may stop working.

10. Data collected during use

To operate the Service reliably and prevent abuse, Dolphin Depot collects a limited set of technical data:

  • From the website: the User Agent string sent by your browser, which identifies the browser, its version, and the operating system.
  • From the Client: the CPU ECID (a unique identifier burned into the GameCube CPU at manufacturing) and a User Agent string that includes the Client's version, the console hardware type, and the console region.

This data is used for ensuring system stability (including rate limiting and abuse prevention, such as banning specific CPU ECIDs) and for aggregate statistical purposes (such as understanding which Client versions, hardware variants, and regions are in use). No other personal data is collected by the Client beyond what is described above.

A banned CPU ECID will be unable to use the Client to browse or install applications. Bans may be temporary or permanent at the Operator's discretion. Detailed information on how this data is processed and retained is available in our Privacy Policy.

11. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

  • attempt to disrupt, overload, or compromise the security of the Service, including the website, API, or any infrastructure that supports them;
  • automate or scrape the catalog at a rate that materially burdens the Service, except through the public API within reasonable limits;
  • manipulate or attempt to manipulate download counts, like counts, ratings, rankings, or any other public statistics;
  • submit, host, or distribute through the catalog any application that contains malware, attempts to brick or damage hardware, or infringes the intellectual property rights of others;
  • use the Service to distribute commercial software, copyrighted ROM images, or any other material that you do not have the right to distribute;
  • circumvent technical measures intended to enforce these Terms, including attempts to spoof, hide, or rotate the CPU ECID transmitted by the Client.

12. Third-party content in the catalog

Application manifests in the catalog reference binaries hosted on external platforms such as GitHub, GitLab, and itch.io. The Operator does not host or modify those binaries, does not control the availability of those external platforms, and is not responsible for the content, quality, security, or licensing of any third-party application. Each homebrew application is governed by its own license, set by its respective author. Use of any application installed through Dolphin Depot is subject to that application's own terms.

13. Submissions to the catalog

If you submit an application manifest or related Content (such as banner artwork) to be listed in the catalog, for example by opening a pull request to the registry repository, you represent that you have all necessary rights to the submitted material and grant the Operator a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, distribute, and display the submitted Content as part of the Service. You may withdraw a submission at any time by requesting its removal from the registry.

14. Disclaimer of warranties

Both the Service and the Client are provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. Running unsigned code on a Nintendo GameCube carries inherent risk, including the risk of permanent hardware damage. You install and run homebrew at your own risk.

15. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Operator shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of data, hardware damage, or service interruption, arising out of or related to your use of the Service or the Client. Because Dolphin Depot is provided free of charge, the Operator's total cumulative liability for any direct damages shall not exceed zero.

16. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Operator from any claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Service or the Client, your violation of these Terms, or your infringement of any third-party right through your use of Dolphin Depot.

17. Termination

The Operator may suspend or permanently revoke your access to the Service (including by banning a CPU ECID) at any time and without prior notice if you violate these Terms or engage in conduct that the Operator reasonably considers harmful to Dolphin Depot or its users. You may stop using Dolphin Depot at any time by uninstalling the Client and ceasing to access the website.

18. Changes to these Terms

The Operator may update these Terms from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be communicated through the website or the Client. Your continued use of Dolphin Depot after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

19. Contact

For questions about these Terms, the Service, or the Client, reach out to the project maintainers via the channels listed on the About page.