GameCube Games on Wii: Memory Card Required?

No memory card needed to play. Required to save.

Breakdown

• Boot/Play: Insert GC disc → Wii Menu → "GameCube" channel → Play. Works with zero memory cards inserted.
• Save Progress: GameCube games only save to GameCube Memory Cards in Slot A or B (top flap). Wii Internal Flash / SD Card / USB cannot be used for GC saves.
• Wii Saves: Wii games save to Wii Internal / SD. Separate partition.

Memory Card Options

• Official Nintendo (59 block / 251 block / 1019 block): Reliable, expensive used.
• Third-Party (Mad Catz, Nyko, generic 128MB/256MB/512MB/1GB): Cheap, mostly work. Some corrupt on specific games (Animal Crossing, Pokémon).
• SD Card Adapter (GC2SD, WKF, XenoGC + Swiss): Homebrew. Uses SD card as virtual memory card (infinite slots). Requires modded Wii.

Pro Tip

Buy a 251-block (official) or 128MB+ (3rd party) card. 59-block fills fast (8 blocks per Mario Kart ghost, 19 for Zelda). Keep one card per "era" (GC games only) to avoid corruption.