Introduction: Build a Plants Vs Zombies Planter

I had this old Nintendo GameCube that was taking up some space inside of my closet so I decided to either chuck it or use it for something. Not wanting to waste anything I went with the latter. It came out pretty awesome, if I do say so myself, so I figured I would post up the directions as my first Instructable. I hope you enjoy!

What you will need:
1 GameCube 
1 Gallon milk jug
Potting soil
A cutting tool (I simply used a hack saw blade)
Assorted Philips head screwdrivers
Gamebit 4.5mm screwdriver (We can work without it though)
Razor blade
Hot glue gun
Drink of choice

Step 1: Separate Case

Before you even begin you will want to get your atmosphere right by grabbing your drink of choice (mine being Narragansett beer) and your music of choice.

Now we're ready to begin!

First you will want to take out the four screws that hold the case together (highlighted in red). To do this properly it requires a game bit screwdriver, which is pretty cheap but as far as I can see is only available through online retailers. I don't have time for that. I found a guide online that mentioned using a Bic pen to make your own screwdriver so I gave that a go. You MUST use a Bic pen with a CLEAR hard plastic barrel. Any other variant will be to soft to make an effective end. After taking the nib and ink tube out you then take a lighter to the nib end until it starts to melt. Quickly insert the melted end into the hole and press it to the fastener end. You then take your makeshift tool out, cool it underwater and WALA! You now have a gamebit screwdriver!

This trick worked on three of the screws but the last one did not want to budge for some reason so I just ended up drilling it out. If you don't want to deal with the whole pen method you can go ahead and drill them all out, but then you will be forced to hold the entire project together with glue at the end. It'll probably look sloppy and that is no bueno.

Step 2: Scrap the Electronics

Now that you have separated the casing you can now begin to make room for your plant's roots to live. Just unscrew everything until all of the electronic parts are out (save for the controller circuit board. It doesn't get in the way and it let's you still plug in the controller so you can nerd out and pretend you're playing Plants Vs Zombies.)  

Next up, making more room!

Step 3: Cutting Up the Top Case

Now you will remove the pop up lid by removing the two screws highlighted in red and then cutting open some room. I do not have a before picture but you should be able to see where I cut by the after picture. You can use any cutting tool you want. I ended up just using a blade for a hacksaw and also pliers to break off what I could simply break.

Step 4: Lining the Inside

Now we will be making a plastic liner for the inside. I decided to use an empty milk jug because I thought it was a perfect fit at first. It turns out that it's a little bit on the big side so after getting the height down, I then had to cut out a segment and glue it back together again. There are no measurements for this, so just take your time and cut trial and error style until you find a good fit. Please be careful!

Step 5: Put It All Together Now!

Get your hot glue gun heated and let's roll! First, I don't want the now defunct buttons sunk into the console, so apply some hot glue to hold them up. Then, insert your liner into the casing and screw it back shut (or hot glue if you drilled it open.) Now we just need to plant! But before that............

Step 6: Insert Food Into Mouth

Working makes me hungry so right about now would be a good time to refill your stomach. Another Narragansett wouldn't hurt either.

Step 7: Name and Plant Your Plant

It's still winter up here in Rhode Island (as I type this we're supposed to be having a blizzard. No big deal) so I went down to the local big box hardware store and went looking for plants. Luckily, they had some on clearance and I found this Schefflera plant for $1. His name is now João. 

So now apply potting soil to your planter and then apply plant to soil. It's a pretty simple equation.
Finally........

Step 8: Plug in Your Controller and Play

Plug in your controller and play a round of Plants Vs Zombies!
I hope you enjoyed my first Instructable and please post photos of your completed projects!