Hacking Problem Ea Sports Active More workouts with USBLoaderGX

[Videomanman87]

Ok first off I am not having problems with ANY other game, so it is kind of odd. At IOS 249 just a black screen, at IOS 250 I get the wear the wrist strap image and then the this game uses the nunchuck image, but after that black screen.

I am using D2x and looks like rev 21008 based on the syscheck. I am not using emunand, just trying to run the backup from a fat32 drive. All of the other games work fine (that I have tried anyway which is about 50). Even EA sports active and Ea sports active 2. So like I said, kind of funny this one is giving me issues.

The HD is on port 0. Is there a setting I might be missing? The version of the game is NTSC and so is my console. But I have run PAL versions without any issues either (other than setting the screen fix in the config then it was fine).

I should mention I checked the WBFS file with Wiibackupmanger (MD5 and SHA1) and it checks out. Also the game uses IOS 53, the same as EA Sports active. Still baffled why it won't run.

Update:
I have found Configureable USBLoader works fine with 249 (which is that loaders default) as is. So it must be a setting I am missing in USBloaderGX. Any ideas? I tried the IOS reload block but no difference.

 

[Videomanman87]

Hmm surprised no one has any suggestions/ran into this before?

 

[Cyan]

Thanks for all the proper detailed information

base on CFG Loader result, I guess you are right it's probably a setting.
- isn't CFG loader using a "automatic cIOS slot selection" based on the default IOS requested by the game ? like if this game requests IOS53, then CFG loaders automatically search for a cIOS based on IOS53 and use it for that game?
- if there's such an option, please post a syscheck report to see what other cIOS/base you have. try the other slots in usbloadergx too.
- if there's no such option, then it's probably a wrong setting in usbloadergx. let's start with the video mode : are you still on "disc default" ? try another one, like force NTSC etc.

edit:
on the compatibility list, there's no special information for that game.
https://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/USB_Game_Compatibility_Table/E#Navbar

 

[Videomanman87]

Hi Cyan,
I did a post here several days ago but for some reason it looks like it never made it.

I did notice that on the compatiblity list, but figured it meant it was easy/worked with all the default settings. So it surprised it me when it didn't work. Until now USBLoaderGX has run everything I have thrown at it.

The version of configurable USBloader I have is OLD (version 70), I haven't used it in many years since USBLoaderGX is so much better (in my opinion). I checked and I don't find a "automatic cIOS slot selection" option in the settings, I am guessing this version is before that. It IS using IOS 249 and block IOS reload is on. I tried using block IOS reload on USBloaderGX but no difference.

I also tried both forcing NTSC options but no difference.

Also something else interesting. I previously said that EA Sports Active worked fine while more workouts didn't. Well EA Sports Active does boot and run. And you can set up a workout etc. BUT when you start the actual workout, the 3d area is full of odd polygons that obscure your character to the point that it is hard to see what you are doing. Yet it is fine under Configurable USBloader. I have a hunch it is related to the problem with More Workouts.

Even more interesting Ea Sports Active 2 works fine but these two don't?

I also found another game that is failing to load: Dead Space Extraction. Same problem with a black screen. Tried IOS 249 and 250 no change. But does work fine with configurable USBloader.

 

[tswntk]

USBLoaderGX doesn't have/need "automatic cIOS slot selection"
Dead Space Extraction is using IOS53 too! My record shows it at least boots with IOS 249/d2x v8 base 56
so can we go back to basics - post an update syscheck log (link and tutorial in Cyan's signature), no guess work.

Wiibackupmanger's MD5 check is almost useless for verifying if the game was a good rip, what color does it show with SHA-1 check?

 

[Videomanman87]

USBLoaderGX doesn't have/need "automatic cIOS slot selection"
Dead Space Extraction is using IOS53 too! My record shows it at least boots with IOS 249/d2x v8 base 56
so can we go back to basics - post an update syscheck log (link and tutorial in Cyan's signature), no guess work.

Wiibackupmanger's MD5 check is almost useless for verifying if the game was a good rip, what color does it show with SHA-1 check?

We know USBloaderGX doesn't have "automatic cios slot slection". We were discussing if the version of Configurable USBloader I was using had it. It is odd that runs fine, and yet USBLoaderGX does not.

As for Wiibackupmanger, yes I know about MD5 being (almost) useless, SHA1 checks out (GREEN) so all the files are fine. And again all of these work FINE with Configurable USBloader. And I do have IOS249/d2x v8 all set up properly (see my first post). I also reinstalled it for kicks, no change.

 

[Cyan]

I can confirm deadspace worked fine with d2x v8 base56 (or maybe even with rev17, long time ago). but in both case, I didn't suffer black screen.

I don't think it's a cIOS problem if another loader uses the same slot.
did you try to reset all the settings for that game? maybe there are odd ocarina cheats, or settings not meant to be used (like patch country string, etc.) which could affect displayed content. or the ISO is bad (but also wouldn't work in other loaders).

 

[Videomanman87]

I can confirm deadspace worked fine with d2x v8 base56 (or maybe even with rev17, long time ago). but in both case, I didn't suffer black screen.

I don't think it's a cIOS problem if another loader uses the same slot.
did you try to reset all the settings for that game? maybe there are odd ocarina cheats, or settings not meant to be used (like patch country string, etc.) which could affect displayed content. or the ISO is bad (but also wouldn't work in other loaders).

This is a bit odd to be sure. I am going to try Deadspace again and see if I can get that one going. I did check over the other settings/cheats but didn't see anything. I will double check. And I know I have D2x V8 base56 installed, and like i said it works fine with Config USBloader. If you want a full syscheck will do, but I know earlier you didn't think it would help since it does work fine with the other loader.

 

[Videomanman87]

Ok I GOT Deadspace to work. Come to find out all I had to do was set block IOS reload from AUTO to ON and it was fine.

I managed to get EA Sports Active to work fine by ... get this... set it to PAL! It worked fine until you got into the 3d aspect with your character then it got all the weird extra polygons all over the screen and the Wii lagged a little (about a second slower than normal for a click response). I set it to PAL and it works fine. Which is REALLY weird since this IS a NTSC version of the game. Figure THAT one out! LOL

Now for EA Sports Active More Workouts, I still can't get it to work in USBLoaderGX. I did get a little more progress when I set the block IOS reload to ON, at least then on 249 it would load the "use the jacket/wrist strap" warning and "this game uses the nunchuck" screen right after. But then nothing but a black screen after. I tried wiiflow and that works fine too, all on the default settings. I also tried turning off/setting all the options manually rather than letting it go with the global settings. But no change. I don't have any cheats for the game, at least it says there isn't any and offers to download them. Though I tried that for a different game and it didn't work with a network error (but the wii does have a connection and works with other online aspects fine). It is strange as it used to work. I am guessing the database changed its format?

Anyway I have got everything else working fine, just this one game is being stubborn lol. But at least I can run it with another loader if I have to.

 

[Cyan]

AUTO sets automatically that option to ON if it detects you are using a "d2x" cIOS v7+, instead of d2x v6-, waninkoko or hermes cIOS. that's what "automatic" does.
It has no action if set to OFF or if using an old cIOS, because they didn't had that feature.
it can be manually disabled (some games with AP detection might not like it so it's an option). auto could even be ON, it's exactly the same, unless your cIOS is incorrectly detected.

Which is REALLY weird since this IS a NTSC version of the game. Figure THAT one out! LOL

maybe you set to incorrect NTSC? (i/p, etc.)

when you set to PAL, it doesn't necessarily use PAL in the game.
the video mode is very hard to set and understand for end user.

when you set "use PAL 480" in the loader's setting, it changes the console's current video mode to that mode (PAL480)
then it launches the game
then the game compare it's internal "compatible video mode" with the current video mode of the console.
if it finds a match, it uses it. if it doesn't find a match, it changes the console's video mode to one of the preferred "compatible video mode" found in the game.

So if the game contains only NTSC video mode in its preferred mode, using PAL doesn't mean the console will stay in PAL. it'll reset back to NTSC, but using the prefered NTSC mode (there are lot more than just 3 mode! there are 32!)
maybe the game has "NTSC 240i with DS AA interlace" and if you force "NTSC 480" it'll keep that NTSC because it matches the console's region but it's not the expected features used by the game (Anti aliasing option, etc.)

be sure to not force a specific video mode for your own region, and keep either game default, or console's default, for game from the same region.
but, if setting to PAL fixed your issue, well then it's all that matters

 

[Videomanman87]

AUTO sets automatically that option to ON if it detects you are using a "d2x" cIOS v7+, instead of d2x v6-, waninkoko or hermes cIOS. that's what "automatic" does.
It has no action if set to OFF or if using an old cIOS, because they didn't had that feature.
it can be manually disabled (some games with AP detection might not like it so it's an option). auto could even be ON, it's exactly the same, unless your cIOS is incorrectly detected.

Hmm strange. Even more so is it works fine with other loaders. I am definitely using V8 of D2x so it should have set blocking to ON.

maybe you set to incorrect NTSC? (i/p, etc.)

Nope, I had tried the different NTSC options and I got the extra weird polygons all over the screen when it got to the 3d part (workout).

when you set to PAL, it doesn't necessarily use PAL in the game.
the video mode is very hard to set and understand for end user.

when you set "use PAL 480" in the loader's setting, it changes the console's current video mode to that mode (PAL480)
then it launches the game
then the game compare it's internal "compatible video mode" with the current video mode of the console.
if it finds a match, it uses it. if it doesn't find a match, it changes the console's video mode to one of the preferred "compatible video mode" found in the game.

So if the game contains only NTSC video mode in its preferred mode, using PAL doesn't mean the console will stay in PAL. it'll reset back to NTSC, but using the prefered NTSC mode (there are lot more than just 3 mode! there are 32!)
maybe the game has "NTSC 240i with DS AA interlace" and if you force "NTSC 480" it'll keep that NTSC because it matches the console's region but it's not the expected features used by the game (Anti aliasing option, etc.)

be sure to not force a specific video mode for your own region, and keep either game default, or console's default, for game from the same region.
but, if setting to PAL fixed your issue, well then it's all that matters

Oh I agree. But it is the wacky that it fixed the problem. It is one of those instances where it shouldn't work but does. I didn't play it very long in my tests, so perhaps it will crash after a while. Will let you know. Like I said, it is a real head scratcher that other loaders don't have a issue. It must be the others are switching to another mode on the fly and UsbloaderGX isn't. I had tried all other other settings and this was the only one I found that worked.

Still wish I could get EA Active More Workouts going as well, but so far I can't get anything but a black screen after the "use the jacket/strap" and "this game uses the nunchuck" screens/warnings. Oh well it is just one game and if need be I can use another loader.