Hacking NTSC save file -> PAL

[kevin2damax]

The dreaded controller lock-up error just manifested itself on my wii while playing Skyward Sword, and I am currently in the process of obtaining a PAL copy of the game in order to continue on playing. I'd rather not have to start again from scratch on the PAL version since I was already so far into the game, so I was wondering if anyone could link me to a tutorial on how to convert an NTSC data.bin save file to a PAL format?

Spent hours looking it up last night on this forum and on google but the only results I could find did not apply to the data.bin formats.

Thanks!

 

[Captain_N]

The dreaded controller lock-up error just manifested itself on my wii while playing Skyward Sword, and I am currently in the process of obtaining a PAL copy of the game in order to continue on playing. I'd rather not have to start again from scratch on the PAL version since I was already so far into the game, so I was wondering if anyone could link me to a tutorial on how to convert an NTSC data.bin save file to a PAL format?

Spent hours looking it up last night on this forum and on google but the only results I could find did not apply to the data.bin formats.

Thanks!

You will have to use Savegame Extractor GX.
Extract both the ntsc and Pal version and and replace the pal files with the ntsc file and it should work.

 

[kevin2damax]

Thanks for the fast reply! I'll try that as soon as I can.

 

[Cilph]

Not quite, you will have to replace the Game ID in the save file you are transferring. Use a hex editor.

 

[kevin2damax]

Not quite, you will have to replace the Game ID in the save file you are transferring. Use a hex editor.

By the Game ID did you mean the one like SOUE01, or the region string?

 

[8BitWalugi]

Not quite, you will have to replace the Game ID in the save file you are transferring. Use a hex editor.

By the Game ID did you mean the one like SOUE01, or the region string?

Yeah. In the very first blocks you'll see SOUE. Just change it to SOUP.

 

[kevin2damax]

Not quite, you will have to replace the Game ID in the save file you are transferring. Use a hex editor.

By the Game ID did you mean the one like SOUE01, or the region string?

Yeah. In the very first blocks you'll see SOUE. Just change it to SOUP.

Ok I edited the data.bin in a hex editor, found the SOUE and changed it to SOUP and put it inside the sd card directory:

private\wii\title\SOUP

But when I load up the card in the Wii the save file has no icon, just question marks, and when i boot up the PAL version of the game, the save file apparently isn't recognized because it starts the intro movie. Any suggestions from here?

 

[JoostinOnline]

In SD:\savegames\ rename "00010001534f5545" to "00010001534f5550" and open up index.sgmgx with a hex editor. Change both the 45s to 50s. Restore your save and try it again.

 

[Hielkenator]

Sombody should make an app for these kind of things...

 

[kevin2damax]

Finally was able to install the save file successfully! Thanks to everyone that helped! If anyone has the same problem as me, please follow these steps:

1. Obtain PAL version of the game
2. Download Save Game Manager GX from the Homebrew Channel
3. Open up your NTSC Skyward Sword Save file from the Save Game Manager and extract it.
4. Use a hex editor to change the SOUE in data.bin to SOUP
5. Change all the "534f5545"s to "534f5550" in the index.sgmgx file.
6. Change the SOUE to SOUP in the wiiking2 file.
7. Move the files back into the SD card, and simply watch/skip the intro to your PAL Skyward Sword to create a proper PAL Save file in your wii.
8. Go to Save Game Manager GX once again, and install the save file that you just hex edited before.
9. If all goes well, it should run smoothly! I'm now playing just where I left off.

Once again thanks everyone who helped and hopefully others who had the same problem can see this as well!

 

[JoostinOnline]

This won't work for all games though, since some of them have big changes between regions (Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for example) so it will think it's a corrupt save and delete it.

 

[Hielkenator]

The extracted format from sgmgx present me with a banner.bin but no data.bin

 

[JoostinOnline]

The extracted format from sgmgx present me with a banner.bin but no data.bin

Data.bin isn't part of an extracted save, it's what you would find in your private folder. You shouldn't need to edit data.bin at all, just copy it to your Wii, then extract it with SGM GX, followed by my instructions.

 

[esahc161]

I am having the same problem but I am kind of a newb to all of this, could someone please explain the above steps 4-6 a little more in depth?

 

[GreG2MarS13]

For Mario Galaxy2 I didn't need to make many modifications:
- From the Wii memory manager, copy the NTSC backup to an SD card. The save will be in "SD:\private"
- Use Save Game Manager GX to extract the save from "private" to "SD:\savegames\"
- Rename "xxxxxxxxxxxxxx45" to "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx50" in "SD:\savegames\"
- Return to Save Game Manager GX, choose the modified save "SD:\savegames\" and install.