Hacking WII U Pro Controller with WII Games?

Zacharybinx34

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Is anyone working on a way to make this possible with a WII U?

I find it really lame that Nintendo didn't make support for this built in.
 

bezem

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It's not laziness, it's Wii development. Wii Development is done. Yes we'd all love to use the Wii U Pro Controller in WiiMode but that would essentially require a Wii Update to add the info to all the IOS's. It's not going to happen. Now there is a Gamecube backup loader that can utilize the Wii U Pro Controller but I don't remember what it's called and if it's been made publicly available. As far as getting it to work with retail games that might be trickier.
 

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It's not laziness, it's Wii development. Wii Development is done. Yes we'd all love to use the Wii U Pro Controller in WiiMode but that would essentially require a Wii Update to add the info to all the IOS's. It's not going to happen. Now there is a Gamecube backup loader that can utilize the Wii U Pro Controller but I don't remember what it's called and if it's been made publicly available. As far as getting it to work with retail games that might be trickier.
I think it's more accurate to say it's confusing.

Think about it, there are games that support just the Classic Controller (e.g. Epic Mickey 2), or just the U Pro Controller, and then some that support both. It creates some fragmentation among game titles and confusion among consumers. Nintendo said original Wii accessories would function on the Wii U, yet even New Super Mario Bros. U can't be played with a Classic Controller despite supporting the U Pro Controller.

Functionally, to the end user, there's no real difference between both controllers. The other has rumble and connects wirelessly without attaching to a Wiimote. It's convenient and ergonomically better than previous Classic Controller designs, but it also creates fragmentation and confusion. Ultimately I think it would've been best if the U Pro Controller was never released, instead a remodeled Classic Controller Pro would've fit the bill better: it'd work with new games and old games and goes along with the new design language of the Wii U. And if you happen to have an older design, no problem, you can use that as well. How would that sound?

Yes, technically the U Pro Controller is better. I like the fact that it has a built-in battery vs. draining the AA cells in a Wiimote like a Classic Controller. Still, it's stupid that I have a pair of perfectly capable Classic Controllers and am not allowed to use them to play New Super Mario Bros. U. In contrast, some new games like Rayman Legends support them. It's confusing to me as a consumer and lessens my overall experience with the Wii U.

I'm sure if Nintendo really wanted to, they could make the U Pro Controller work in Wii Mode. I don't see why it couldn't support Classic Controller emulation either. Have it look like it's connected to a Wiimote when it's not. Maybe even add a small IR blaster to have it work as a pointer just like a Wiimote when necessary. Any of these situations could have been implemented by Nintendo. I'm sure it wouldn't have been hard for their engineers either. However nintendo chose NOT to do that. Whatever the reason we must suck it up as consumers.

Just my 0,02€.
 
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Zacharybinx34

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Simple solution would have been to make so that the WII U PRO controller can function in it's own WII Mode, like a classic controller does essentially. The fact that Nintendo didn't do this shows why they can't sell units like they hoped. They are completely out of touch.
 

bezem

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I think it's more accurate to say it's confusing.

Think about it, there are games that support just the Classic Controller (e.g. Epic Mickey 2), or just the U Pro Controller, and then some that support both. It creates some fragmentation among game titles and confusion among consumers. Nintendo said original Wii accessories would function on the Wii U, yet even New Super Mario Bros. U can't be played with a Classic Controller despite supporting the U Pro Controller.

Functionally, to the end user, there's no real difference between both controllers. The other has rumble and connects wirelessly without attaching to a Wiimote. It's convenient and ergonomically better than previous Classic Controller designs, but it also creates fragmentation and confusion. Ultimately I think it would've been best if the U Pro Controller was never released, instead a remodeled Classic Controller Pro would've fit the bill better: it'd work with new games and old games and goes along with the new design language of the Wii U. And if you happen to have an older design, no problem, you can use that as well. How would that sound?

Yes, technically the U Pro Controller is better. I like the fact that it has a built-in battery vs. draining the AA cells in a Wiimote like a Classic Controller. Still, it's stupid that I have a pair of perfectly capable Classic Controllers and am not allowed to use them to play New Super Mario Bros. U. In contrast, some new games like Rayman Legends support them. It's confusing to me as a consumer and lessens my overall experience with the Wii U.

I'm sure if Nintendo really wanted to, they could make the U Pro Controller work in Wii Mode. I don't see why it couldn't support Classic Controller emulation either. Have it look like it's connected to a Wiimote when it's not. Maybe even add a small IR blaster to have it work as a pointer just like a Wiimote when necessary. Any of these situations could have been implemented by Nintendo. I'm sure it wouldn't have been hard for their engineers either. However nintendo chose NOT to do that. Whatever the reason we must suck it up as consumers.

Just my 0,02€.
Original Wii Accessories do function on the Wii U; the classic controller just happens to not be supported on NSMBU but the Wiimote sideways is. Your other examples are third party games, so including or not including compatibility for whichever preferred controller was their choice, not Nintendo's; 'consumer confusion' isn't Nintendo's fault, either. If someone can't read a manual or the back of a box to determine controller compatibility than that's their personal failure. Of course Nintendo could make the Pro Controller work in Wii-mode, but they'd essentially be making it work on the Wii as well. This is Wii Development, something they are no longer investing in. You're talking about being annoyed over having to own a classic controller and a Pro Controller, yet you mention some additional IR Blaster thing as third component? I don't even think that would work for one, and for another it again falls under the 'Wii Development' umbrella. I agree classic controller emulation would have been nice, but it again would have required an update to the Wii, and active development for the Wii's OS has long since ceased.

Simple solution would have been to make so that the WII U PRO controller can function in it's own WII Mode, like a classic controller does essentially. The fact that Nintendo didn't do this shows why they can't sell units like they hoped. They are completely out of touch.
You think the Wii U isn't selling due to not making the new controller compatible with the old system (and in some cases vice-versa)? If this were true the Xbox One and PS4 would be dead on arrival.
 

Zacharybinx34

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Original Wii Accessories do function on the Wii U; the classic controller just happens to not be supported on NSMBU but the Wiimote sideways is. Your other examples are third party games, so including or not including compatibility for whichever preferred controller was their choice, not Nintendo's; 'consumer confusion' isn't Nintendo's fault, either. If someone can't read a manual or the back of a box to determine controller compatibility than that's their personal failure. Of course Nintendo could make the Pro Controller work in Wii-mode, but they'd essentially be making it work on the Wii as well. This is Wii Development, something they are no longer investing in. You're talking about being annoyed over having to own a classic controller and a Pro Controller, yet you mention some additional IR Blaster thing as third component? I don't even think that would work for one, and for another it again falls under the 'Wii Development' umbrella. I agree classic controller emulation would have been nice, but it again would have required an update to the Wii, and active development for the Wii's OS has long since ceased.


You think the Wii U isn't selling due to not making the new controller compatible with the old system (and in some cases vice-versa)? If this were true the Xbox One and PS4 would be dead on arrival.



There's a lot of misunderstanding in your post.

WII U is sold with the feature of "being able to play wii games". So saying, "YEAH BUT WII DEVELOPMENT IS DEAD" is a bad excuse. It's obviously not dead on the WII U side since they sold it with a wii mode. updating their WII U with fixes that make sense should be done, this is one of them. Who wants to have to use different controller for every single type of game. It's incredibly poor design to not have shipped the WII U PRO CONTROLLER with the ability to also work in WII mode, regardless of if regular wii support is dead or not. The WII U is not dead, and it's wii mode is a major selling point of the system. I wouldn't get a WII U if it didn't have backwards compatible support.


It can't be that much work to make the pro controller work in WII MODE either through a system update making it emulate as a classic controller or baking the ability into the controller itself to function as a classic controller.
 

specht

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Getting a Wii U Pro controller to work in vWii mode at all shouldn't be much of a problem in a homebrew app. And apps such as Nintendon't allow use of USB devices such as DualShock 3 and allow for additional devices if you're willing to code it. Though at the moment it doesn't support Bluetooth. A patch to rewrite the Bluetooth driver to accept Pro controller signals for Classic controller input before loading a game may be possible to work with retail games, but the analog stick sensitivity would have to be accounted for as well. Also games that use the internal memory in the Wiimote could lock on trying to access it.

It's possible if someone with the time and experience could get it to work and put it in one of their projects. There's just not enough interest unfortunately. Maybe once Smash and Kart are out, more people will pick up the controller and want to use it in Wii or Gamecube games.
 

bezem

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There's a lot of misunderstanding in your post.

WII U is sold with the feature of "being able to play wii games". So saying, "YEAH BUT WII DEVELOPMENT IS DEAD" is a bad excuse. It's obviously not dead on the WII U side since they sold it with a wii mode. updating their WII U with fixes that make sense should be done, this is one of them. Who wants to have to use different controller for every single type of game. It's incredibly poor design to not have shipped the WII U PRO CONTROLLER with the ability to also work in WII mode, regardless of if regular wii support is dead or not. The WII U is not dead, and it's wii mode is a major selling point of the system. I wouldn't get a WII U if it didn't have backwards compatible support.


It can't be that much work to make the pro controller work in WII MODE either through a system update making it emulate as a classic controller or baking the ability into the controller itself to function as a classic controller.
As in I misunderstood? No. Vice-versa? I believe so, but I may not have worded my response properly.

Let me address each point you have made. Wii U is being sold with backwards compatibility as an early adopter convenience feature,; it's attractive at launch to Mom's and existing Wii owners, but as the years go by it will become less so. Look at the Wii - you can't get one that plays Gamecube games anymore because the feature, though convenient and desired by some, is no longer a relevant selling feature. Wii Development IS DEAD; it's not an excuse, it's a fact.
<begin assumption> I imagine if Nintendo could have easily implemented Wii U Pro Controller support while still fully maintaining backwards compatibility, they would have done so without giving us a 'WiiMode.' Again using the Wii for reference, there was no 'Gamecube mode' per se; the system simply rebooted as a Gamecube. Were it that simple, I imagine Nintendo would have integrated the backwards compatibility into the OS of the Wii U so launching a separate WiiMode wouldn't even be required. <end assumption> Because the Wii U and WiiMode are essentially running separate Operating Systems, development for WiiMode is by extension Wii Development. I just think it would have happened by now were it going to happen. I already have all the different controllers as a previous Wii owner, so I don't mind having to switch back and forth; I understand it's the cost of providing near-100% compatibility. Wii U development is not dead, you are right; but the focus of Wii U development is moving forward, not back-porting features to the WiiMode. I was surprised we received the update that streams WiiMode to the Gamepad , but I think that was because it's strictly video output being streamed so it was much easier to implement. I again argue that as time goes on, backwards compatibility will not be such a 'huge' selling point as you say. I also don't think it is that huge of a selling point; backwards compatibility for the accessories yes, but the Digital Discount Promotion and Hardware Bundles are the real chief selling point. I take it you didn't buy the PS4 or Xbone then, since they lack BC?

I agree it seems like it shouldn't be that difficult to make the system recognize the Pro Controller as an emulated device, I just think it would have happened by now if that were true.

Getting a Wii U Pro controller to work in vWii mode at all shouldn't be much of a problem in a homebrew app. And apps such as Nintendon't allow use of USB devices such as DualShock 3 and allow for additional devices if you're willing to code it. Though at the moment it doesn't support Bluetooth. A patch to rewrite the Bluetooth driver to accept Pro controller signals for Classic controller input before loading a game may be possible to work with retail games, but the analog stick sensitivity would have to be accounted for as well. Also games that use the internal memory in the Wiimote could lock on trying to access it.

It's possible if someone with the time and experience could get it to work and put it in one of their projects. There's just not enough interest unfortunately. Maybe once Smash and Kart are out, more people will pick up the controller and want to use it in Wii or Gamecube games.
This. It's more likely to happen in homebrew then officially. I don't understand why a 3rd Party doesn't just release a WiiMote dongle that can sync to the Pro Controller, thus providing pseudo Classic Controller emulation. Probably due to the system's sales/install base.
 

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This might be a dumb place to ask but does anyone know how to contact Tueidj? As far as I know, he's the only one who has gotten a Wii U Pro working in homebrew. I'm interested in trying to port it to other homebrews if possible but I don't have the knowledge to do it yet.
 

OncleJulien

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This might be a dumb place to ask but does anyone know how to contact Tueidj? As far as I know, he's the only one who has gotten a Wii U Pro working in homebrew. I'm interested in trying to port it to other homebrews if possible but I don't have the knowledge to do it yet.
so, you're interested in having him do it?
 

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I'm not for/against Nintendo or any third parties, just to clarify.

bezem: Saying that consumer confusion is a non-issue and consumers should just read the manual is precisely why Nintendo has been struggling with the Wii U. Look, it's Nintendo's own platform first and foremost. If they wanted to, they could force each and every third party developer to include support for all controllers, thus ensuring customers migrating from an original Wii to the Wii U can play new games with their existing and perfectly capable Classic Controllers.

Again, I stand by my reasoning that to the end user, there is functionally little difference between the Classic Controller and the U Pro Controller. Both have dual analog sticks. Both have A, B, X, and Y buttons. Both have L/R and ZL/ZR shoulder buttons. So then tell me why should I as a consumer care what kind of controller I own when the features between the two are nearly identical? Since the Wii U was developed with backwards compatibility in mind (which is reflected upon in Nintendo's own marketing) with the intention of having original Wii accessories function on the Wii U, why shouldn't I expect my Classic Controller for the original Wii to work on a new game for the Wii U?

Tell a mother to buy her child the "button controller" for the Wii U. Do you truly believe she cares to read the manual to ensure her child can play New Super Mario Bros. U with a compatible controller, or rather would she simply go to Gamestop and tell the sales rep she needs a Wii "button controller"? You can play that particular game with the Wiimote sideways, that's true, but it's beside the point because you can also play it with the U Pro Controller and NOT the Classic Controller.

Here are three Wii U games each with differing controller support:
1. Epic Mickey 2 (NO U Pro Controller, YES Classic Controller)
2. New Super Mario Bros. U (YES U Pro Controller, NO Classic Controller)
3. Rayman Legends (YES U Pro Controller, YES Classic Controller)

Tell me how that is NOT confusing. And now tell the mother in the example to go buy two different controllers, because Nintendo thought it'd be a good idea to have mixed controller support in Wii U games.

Nintendo could have, in my opinion should have, done something about this. They chose not to and now it's the consumer's responsibility to look up and learn the difference. If you ask me, buying an accessory peripheral as simple as a controller for a game console should NOT require this level of complexity. It should be enough for the consumer to just see the "Wii" label on a product and deem it compatible. That way the mother is happy because her son can play his favorite game in the way he wants to, the sales rep at Gamestop is happy because a frustrated customer is not coming to return a product, and Nintendo should be happy that people give a crap about their platform to buy additional peripherals for their Wii U consoles.

No, I'm not kidding. Yes, I've seen the confusion happen right in front of my eyes at a local Gamestop. Yes, I'm frustrated as a knowledgeable person that Nintendo is just milking the opportunity for extra money. No, I'm not going to play New Super Mario Bros. U with the Wiimote sideways! /rant
 

Zacharybinx34

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I'm not for/against Nintendo or any third parties, just to clarify.

bezem: Saying that consumer confusion is a non-issue and consumers should just read the manual is precisely why Nintendo has been struggling with the Wii U. Look, it's Nintendo's own platform first and foremost. If they wanted to, they could force each and every third party developer to include support for all controllers, thus ensuring customers migrating from an original Wii to the Wii U can play new games with their existing and perfectly capable Classic Controllers.

Again, I stand by my reasoning that to the end user, there is functionally little difference between the Classic Controller and the U Pro Controller. Both have dual analog sticks. Both have A, B, X, and Y buttons. Both have L/R and ZL/ZR shoulder buttons. So then tell me why should I as a consumer care what kind of controller I own when the features between the two are nearly identical? Since the Wii U was developed with backwards compatibility in mind (which is reflected upon in Nintendo's own marketing) with the intention of having original Wii accessories function on the Wii U, why shouldn't I expect my Classic Controller for the original Wii to work on a new game for the Wii U?

Tell a mother to buy her child the "button controller" for the Wii U. Do you truly believe she cares to read the manual to ensure her child can play New Super Mario Bros. U with a compatible controller, or rather would she simply go to Gamestop and tell the sales rep she needs a Wii "button controller"? You can play that particular game with the Wiimote sideways, that's true, but it's beside the point because you can also play it with the U Pro Controller and NOT the Classic Controller.

Here are three Wii U games each with differing controller support:
1. Epic Mickey 2 (NO U Pro Controller, YES Classic Controller)
2. New Super Mario Bros. U (YES U Pro Controller, NO Classic Controller)
3. Rayman Legends (YES U Pro Controller, YES Classic Controller)

Tell me how that is NOT confusing. And now tell the mother in the example to go buy two different controllers, because Nintendo thought it'd be a good idea to have mixed controller support in Wii U games.

Nintendo could have, in my opinion should have, done something about this. They chose not to and now it's the consumer's responsibility to look up and learn the difference. If you ask me, buying an accessory peripheral as simple as a controller for a game console should NOT require this level of complexity. It should be enough for the consumer to just see the "Wii" label on a product and deem it compatible. That way the mother is happy because her son can play his favorite game in the way he wants to, the sales rep at Gamestop is happy because a frustrated customer is not coming to return a product, and Nintendo should be happy that people give a crap about their platform to buy additional peripherals for their Wii U consoles.

No, I'm not kidding. Yes, I've seen the confusion happen right in front of my eyes at a local Gamestop. Yes, I'm frustrated as a knowledgeable person that Nintendo is just milking the opportunity for extra money. No, I'm not going to play New Super Mario Bros. U with the Wiimote sideways! /rant



EXACTLY!
 

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I think it's more accurate to say it's confusing.

Think about it, there are games that support just the Classic Controller (e.g. Epic Mickey 2), or just the U Pro Controller, and then some that support both. It creates some fragmentation among game titles and confusion among consumers. Nintendo said original Wii accessories would function on the Wii U, yet even New Super Mario Bros. U can't be played with a Classic Controller despite supporting the U Pro Controller.

Functionally, to the end user, there's no real difference between both controllers. The other has rumble and connects wirelessly without attaching to a Wiimote. It's convenient and ergonomically better than previous Classic Controller designs, but it also creates fragmentation and confusion. Ultimately I think it would've been best if the U Pro Controller was never released, instead a remodeled Classic Controller Pro would've fit the bill better: it'd work with new games and old games and goes along with the new design language of the Wii U. And if you happen to have an older design, no problem, you can use that as well. How would that sound?

Yes, technically the U Pro Controller is better. I like the fact that it has a built-in battery vs. draining the AA cells in a Wiimote like a Classic Controller. Still, it's stupid that I have a pair of perfectly capable Classic Controllers and am not allowed to use them to play New Super Mario Bros. U. In contrast, some new games like Rayman Legends support them. It's confusing to me as a consumer and lessens my overall experience with the Wii U.

I'm sure if Nintendo really wanted to, they could make the U Pro Controller work in Wii Mode. I don't see why it couldn't support Classic Controller emulation either. Have it look like it's connected to a Wiimote when it's not. Maybe even add a small IR blaster to have it work as a pointer just like a Wiimote when necessary. Any of these situations could have been implemented by Nintendo. I'm sure it wouldn't have been hard for their engineers either. However nintendo chose NOT to do that. Whatever the reason we must suck it up as consumers.

Just my 0,02€.


The Pro U controller does work in Wii mode but the Pro controller doesn't.
 

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There are two kinds of pro controller the official pro controller & the pro u controller the official version doesnt work in wii mode but the pro u controller does only thing I don't like is for games that use the numcuck you can't use it with
I'm very sorry but I just have no clue what you are talking about. Can you please explain what do you mean with "official pro controller" and "pro u controller"?

If you mean Classic Controller Pro, the one that attaches to a Wiimote, I still call it just a Classic Controller because that's what it is. And I've kept saying "U Pro Controller" to avoid the confusion between the Classic Controller and the new controller Nintendo made specifically for the Wii U.
 

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