Hardware CycloWiz V1 review

[Scorpei]

Just finished my review of the CycloWiz V1. Sorry for the giant delay but I'm afraid because of both slow shipping and the lack of the update (I was waiting for it but decided not to a day or so ago) my review was delayed quite a bit.

http://wii.scorpei.com/CycloWiz.html

"....thankfully I was able to fix it by chipping away the bridges with my trusty leatherman (a very, very sharp knife). Although fixing a defective unit isn't very hard I highly suggest (if you have limited experience) you return it to your reseller in exchange for a new unit.

Second as my unit was a V1 unit I am not able to fully test the latest greatest version of the CycloWiz. The Cyclo team have promised to release an update soon that will pull both units to the same level and as soon as that update is here I will update my review accordingly (I was originally planning on waiting until the release of the update). Also, as I do not have every game available (I simply do not have the budget) I was unable to test the CycloWiz with every available title. I am however able to test it's general performance (as with the Wiinja V1). So let us see how the CycloWiz V1 holds up."

As soon as the update is released I'll make sure to revise my review accordingly

.

~Scorpei

 

[Monkey01]

Also, as I do not have every game available (I simply do not have the budget) I was unable to test the CycloWiz with every available title.

Psst, don't tell anyone further, but it has been rumored that the mod chips can also play illegally downloaded games.

If it's for only testing purpose nobody gets worse of it. It's not like you'd normally buy all those games or something. :S

Also I find this statement a bit odd: "The only real critisism I have is the packaging being just an ESD bag and having a very thin PCB." If it's in your Wii, it's in your Wii. Who cares what package it was in or how it looks like when you open the box again? The real criticisms should consist of it's performance.
While all other mod-chips work fine with every game from the same region. CycloWiz doesn't. It also messes up the drive speed making video's go stuttering. I think that should be the real criticism.

And stop waiting for the update, it will not come. February is over (1st promise release date), now the last week is over (2nd promise release date) and well, people are saying it isn't even technically possible and if CycloWiz then says No it is, we're gonna prove it, and then suddenly doesn't, well that confirms it isn't.

 

[Scorpei]

.........

Psst, don't tell anyone further, but it has been rumored that the mod chips can also play illegally downloaded games.

If it's for only testing purpose nobody gets worse of it. It's not like you'd normally buy all those games or something. :S

That doesn't make it alright to do so

. I know this will get me a flame war, like Chishm, but I do not endorce piracy. I do however fully support the homebrew scene which is why this mod-chip is needed in the first place (as Euro Wii's do not run AR).

Also I find this statement a bit odd: "The only real critisism I have is the packaging being just an ESD bag and having a very thin PCB." If it's in your Wii, it's in your Wii. Who cares what package it was in or how it looks like when you open the box again? The real criticisms should consist of it's performance.

You are correct to say that performance matters, however as performance can change heavily, and I personally feel doesn't perform that half bad this is not something I think is of the highest importance. Many games I tested worked flawlessly, and it allowed for proper SDload use and etc.. The packaging however is simply very very very very very bad. Personally I think a good product can also be detected by packaging, and especially with such a thin PCB a better packaging would have been needed.

It removes the authenticity check and lets you boot your own DVD's. Some titles apparently still give it heavy problems though (such as Rayman and WarioWare, but I was unable to test all of this myself). The CycloWiz team have promised this should be fixed with the next update though;

While all other mod-chips work fine with every game from the same region. CycloWiz doesn't. It also messes up the drive speed making video's go stuttering. I think that should be the real criticism.

Drive speed mes-ups are mentioned, and not working properly with games from the same region (this is also mentioned) --> neither does the Wiinja V1. This is the V1 I'm talking about and again I feel the main point of a mod-chip is that it runs GC homebrew (or at least allows it to run).

And stop waiting for the update, it will not come. February is over (1st promise release date), now the last week is over (2nd promise release date) and well, people are saying it isn't even technically possible and if CycloWiz then says No it is, we're gonna prove it, and then suddenly doesn't, well that confirms it isn't.

1. Waiting don't hurt me.
2. I did didn't I? If I wouldn't have stopped waiting you still wouldn't have my V1 review

.

P.s. I also do not write about other people's experiences without testing something myself. I personally did not experience a lot of problems (other then with Rayman) and have therefor not included things such as WarioWare (extensively).

 

[Monkey01]

"That doesn't make it alright to do so wink.gif. I know this will get me a flame war, like Chishm, but I do not endorce piracy. I do however fully support the homebrew scene which is why this mod-chip is needed in the first place (as Euro Wii's do not run AR)."
That's bullshit man, it only supports the GC Homebrew, if you want GC homebrew you get a GC.
And the chip is only there because Euro Wii's don't run AR??? hmmright...
Also I'm not asking you to endorce piracy, do you think Chism didn't test his rip tool on other games then he owns? Then how can he say it rips everything and such. If it doesn't harm anyone, then why make a problem out of it.

"You are correct to say that performance matters, however as performance can change heavily, and I personally feel doesn't perform that half bad this is not something I think is of the highest importance. Many games I tested worked flawlessly, and it allowed for proper SDload use and etc.. The packaging however is simply very very very very very bad. Personally I think a good product can also be detected by packaging, and especially with such a thin PCB a better packaging would have been needed."
Yeah, but you haven't tested all games cause you don't own them all, then how can you judge it's performance?
And it's not like it fails with half of the games or something, it's not that bad, but it's just that it's imperfect while others are. And if it doesn't have perfect compatibility you get problems like just the one game you really want to play doesn't work, or that in the feauture more titles will fail and such.
Having imperfect compatibility while others have perfect compatibility is of more importance then the package.

QUOTE

"Drive speed mes-ups are mentioned, and not working properly with games from the same region (this is also mentioned) --> neither does the Wiinja V1. This is the V1 I'm talking about and again I feel the main point of a mod-chip is that it runs GC homebrew (or at least allows it to run)."

Yeah, well, Wiinja V1 also sucked, with all it's DRE's, but Wiinja V2, DX, WiiKey and the open source mods (except for chiip) are fine with this.
And I feel the main point of a WII modchip is not playing GC homebrew. Really, how many other people do you think buy a Wii modchip mainly for that purpose, don't you think they'd better get a GC one then?

 

[Scorpei]

That's bullshit man, it only supports the GC Homebrew, if you want GC homebrew you get a GC.
And the chip is only there because Euro Wii's don't run AR??? hmmright...
Also I'm not asking you to endorce piracy, do you think Chism didn't test his rip tool on other games then he owns? Then how can he say it rips everything and such. If it doesn't harm anyone, then why make a problem out of it.
And here is your flame war

. Yes the CycloWiz supports the booting of GC homebrew, and yes to run GC homebrew on your Euro Wii you NEED a mod-chip. As for Chishm, I have no clue about what he does and what not, but I fully respect him and his point of view. He does not endorce piracy and he will never endorce it, neither do I. Knowing this he most probably did not test his dumping tool with other games then ones he owns (how on earth could he do that btw??).

Yeah, but you haven't tested all games cause you don't own them all, then how can you judge it's performance?
And it's not like it fails with half of the games or something, it's not that bad, but it's just that it's imperfect while others are. And if it doesn't have perfect compatibility you get problems like just the one game you really want to play doesn't work, or that in the feauture more titles will fail and such.
Having imperfect compatibility while others have perfect compatibility is of more importance then the package.
It may be inperfect, but that is also mentioned in my review (else it would have gotten 10's out of 10's

).

QUOTE

Yeah, well, Wiinja V1 also sucked, with all it's DRE's, but Wiinja V2, DX, WiiKey and the open source mods (except for chiip) are fine with this.
And I feel the main point of a WII modchip is not playing GC homebrew. Really, how many other people do you think buy a Wii modchip mainly for that purpose, don't you think they'd better get a GC one then?

Wiinja V1 and CycloWiz V1 are first gen chips, they obviously have limitations which is logical.

As for the GC homebrew thing, you are free to think what you like. Personally I still feel that the most important feature of those chips is the enabling of GC homebrew (and with next gen chips hopefully Wii homebrew). As for people better buying a GC, I think not. You can play GC games with your Wii, and why buy a GC if you can also buy (or already own) a Wii which also plays Wii games? GC homebrew is simply a very nice addition to the Wii's capabilities (think the Mplayer front end for GC linux for example).

 

[Monkey01]

[..]
And here is your flame war

. Yes the CycloWiz supports the booting of GC homebrew, and yes to run GC homebrew on your Euro Wii you NEED a mod-chip. As for Chishm, I have no clue about what he does and what not, but I fully respect him and his point of view. He does not endorce piracy and he will never endorce it, neither do I. Knowing this he most probably did not test his dumping tool with other games then ones he owns (how on earth could he do that btw??).

[..]
It may be inperfect, but that is also mentioned in my review (else it would have gotten 10's out of 10's

).

[..]
Wiinja V1 and CycloWiz V1 are first gen chips, they obviously have limitations which is logical.

As for the GC homebrew thing, you are free to think what you like. Personally I still feel that the most important feature of those chips is the enabling of GC homebrew (and with next gen chips hopefully Wii homebrew). As for people better buying a GC, I think not. You can play GC games with your Wii, and why buy a GC if you can also buy (or already own) a Wii which also plays Wii games? GC homebrew is simply a very nice addition to the Wii's capabilities (think the Mplayer front end for GC linux for example).

Well there's a swap trick discovered recently, with which you could boot the AR for homebrew, but yeah a mod chip would be easier. I know it's not defaultly possible, but I don't see the point in saying the main purpose of a Wii mod chip is for GC homebrew. Most people interested in GC homebrew more then playing backup games, already have a GC+Mod Chip. It's a nice feauture to have, but I don't think many people will buy it only for the GC homebrew.
You're right about the dumping tool though.

But the main point is, that why do you limitate your testing abilities if they don't harm anyone?

True, I just think it mathers more, especially when new releases will not work as well, so I think the difference between imperfect and perfect is quite big here.

Yeah, but the newer chips have come out not much later and are out now for quite some time already, so they should be compared to them more.

 

[ratx]

You can boot GC homebrew on PAL wii's using Datels Media Adapter

http://us.codejunkies.com/news_reviews.asp...i=9064&p=23&s=8

No mod chip required. Been out for a month or so now