FlatMii Review

[Lily]

now i have a question about the flatmii, does anyone else get a flatmii development cmd-type window when they try to run GC multirom images? and what is this or what can this be used for?

I don't have this happen, so I'm not sure what that's all about. Maybe it's connected to your Wii being softmodded?

Hmm, would it be possible to daisy-chain a FlatMii with a DriveKey and a Wii disc drive?

Good question. We don't have a Drivekey in for testing yet, but we do have someone lined up to receive one. Somehow I don't think so though. There would be too much conflicting logic as the Wii tried to access the DVD drive. Also, there wouldn't be any room inside the Wii to install both chips. You'd encounter the same problem that I did with the solderless clip + FlatMii, except it would be worse, because the FlatMii and DriveKey look to be about the same size.

QUOTE(jd506 @ Feb 18 2009, 03:42 AM)

Can the FlatMii handle multidisk GC games that don't save before switching?

I don't believe so, no. It's written in their documentation somewhere, but I can't seem to find where again. I think this only affects 1 or 2 games, and they list which games they are, but again, I can't find it.

 

[SSJToo]

I don't have any wireless USB equipment to test that. I do however have a Cat5e USB extender, and yes it works with that.

Was the Cat5e USB Extender USB1.1 or 2.0? Did you find it caused any slow loading or lag issues running across the extender?

In the review you mentioned "Over a USB 1.1 connection, there was some lag and stuttering, but it was minimal.".
Just wondering if you experienced any of this over the extender as most tend to only transfer at aprox USB1.1 speeds.

 

[Sloshy]

Just the other day I was looking for something like this... thank God there is now! I mean it'd be HECTIC to back up all my games and re-burn them, am I rite?

 

[Lily]

I don't have any wireless USB equipment to test that. I do however have a Cat5e USB extender, and yes it works with that.

Was the Cat5e USB Extender USB1.1 or 2.0? Did you find it caused any slow loading or lag issues running across the extender?

In the review you mentioned "Over a USB 1.1 connection, there was some lag and stuttering, but it was minimal.".
Just wondering if you experienced any of this over the extender as most tend to only transfer at aprox USB1.1 speeds.

I have this extender, which is USB 2.0. No lag. A USB 1.1 extender would cause lag, yes.

 

[kar10]

Awesome review, Ive been using one since release day and its not failed me once! I found it a little bit fiddly to fit in the correct spot but after that its been a dream to use! Ive got a nice 500gb internal sata drive dedicated to wii games and even when my pc is under heavy load the games dont suffer one bit! Great stuff if you dont mind your wii being next to your PC. Would be awesome if it were developed a bit more to allow loading from external HDD directly connected to the wii though.

It does exactly what it sets about doing and does it perfectly! 10/10 from me

Best place to get one?

 

[Sloshy]

Awesome review, Ive been using one since release day and its not failed me once! I found it a little bit fiddly to fit in the correct spot but after that its been a dream to use! Ive got a nice 500gb internal sata drive dedicated to wii games and even when my pc is under heavy load the games dont suffer one bit! Great stuff if you dont mind your wii being next to your PC. Would be awesome if it were developed a bit more to allow loading from external HDD directly connected to the wii though.

It does exactly what it sets about doing and does it perfectly! 10/10 from me

Best place to get one?

The link in the review seems good; it says around 100, but that's in Australian cash whatever its called, and if you enter the coupon code gbatemp gives at the end of the review you get free shipping (in addition to there being no tax since it's from Australia). So in $ its around 60.

 

[PopSmith]

Dang, when I read it was "Plug and Play" I thought for sure I wouldn't have to take apart the Wii to install it.

Oh well, I might buy one if my drive craps out or starts being flaky.

However, if they ever get to where it just plugs into the USB slot and you don't have to take the Wii apart I will pick one up for sure.

 

[WiiMoosh]

WOW! This sucks!

No body seems to take my Opinions to count!

Why bother then?!

 

[Trukkle]

NOD32 antivirus (ESET in specific) is picking up Flatmii v1.0.rar as packed with Win32/Packed.Themida
Themida isn't a virus itself, but it is most often used to conceal things that are. I understand the WiiFlat team want to protect their client from crackers/homebrew alternatives for as long as they can, but I'm not too comfortable with the method.

 

[jd506]

Can anyone provide some confirmation about MultiDisc GC games not working,
other than thinking they read something somewhere?

I looked on their site and readme's, I couldn't find anything.

I find it hard shelling out $60+ for something that can't accomplish what free homebrew
will be able to do in a matter of weeks.

Waninkoko's next release will have support for MultiDisc GC games.
Most worthwhile multi-disc titles like Resident Evil do not save before prompting to switch discs.

 

[Diffusion]

Can anyone provide some confirmation about MultiDisc GC games not working,
other than thinking they read something somewhere?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRpWAYs18ec

It loads Multidisc GC games.

 

[Lily]

Can anyone provide some confirmation about MultiDisc GC games not working,
other than thinking they read something somewhere?

Waninkoko's next release will have support for MultiDisc GC games.
Most worthwhile multi-disc titles like Resident Evil do not save before prompting to switch discs.

I tested Resident Evil, Baten Kaitos, Tales of Symphonia, and all of them switch just fine. What I was saying was that I remember seeing something in their documentation about not supporting games that didn't save first, but it looks like that's been removed. Considering that the multi disc games work just fine, maybe it was just an early documentation error on their part.

 

[scognito]

lilsypha can you please confirm if audio works on 1080 snowboarding? I mean the background music of the first level, not the intro one.
I get no sound, maybe it is a problem of streamed sound games, there is a list here:
http://wiki.nintendo-scene.com/Audio_Fix

Sco

 

[Lily]

lilsypha can you please confirm if audio works on 1080 snowboarding? I mean the background music of the first level, not the intro one.
I get no sound, maybe it is a problem of streamed sound games, there is a list here:
http://wiki.nintendo-scene.com/Audio_Fix

Sco

No, currently you need to patch the ISO manually if it has streaming audio. There is some hope that the FlatMii team will incorporate the GameCube audio fix into the next release of their software.

 

[scognito]

lilsypha can you please confirm if audio works on 1080 snowboarding? I mean the background music of the first level, not the intro one.
I get no sound, maybe it is a problem of streamed sound games, there is a list here:
http://wiki.nintendo-scene.com/Audio_Fix

Sco

No, currently you need to patch the ISO manually if it has streaming audio. There is some hope that the FlatMii team will incorporate the GameCube audio fix into the next release of their software.

The iso IS patched, is there a way to un-patch it so i can test if it will work?

 

[doyama]

I don't have any wireless USB equipment to test that. I do however have a Cat5e USB extender, and yes it works with that.

Was the Cat5e USB Extender USB1.1 or 2.0? Did you find it caused any slow loading or lag issues running across the extender?

In the review you mentioned "Over a USB 1.1 connection, there was some lag and stuttering, but it was minimal.".
Just wondering if you experienced any of this over the extender as most tend to only transfer at aprox USB1.1 speeds.

I have this extender, which is USB 2.0. No lag. A USB 1.1 extender would cause lag, yes.

I did a double take when I saw that the extender costs $450!! At that point I'd be better off just buying a netbook.

 

[enarky]

WTF? Is this USB extender a practical joke on the people of the internet? Even on Amazon it costs 320 USD. That can't be right.

 

[FAST6191]

@USB extender doubters. The USB spec only allows for very short leads http://www.usb.org/about/faq/ans5 (also see theory behind twisted pair/UTP leads)

These extenders either act as repeaters (take the signal and send it, boost it down the line and repeat) and the like which means complex signalling hardware or they convert into a more common format (see cat5e cable which is designed for length) which requires complex signal manipulation hardware.
It is also a fairly small market/demand so economics of scale do not really come into play.

 

[doyama]

@USB extender doubters. The USB spec only allows for very short leads http://www.usb.org/about/faq/ans5 (also see theory behind twisted pair/UTP leads)

These extenders either act as repeaters (take the signal and send it, boost it down the line and repeat) and the like which means complex signalling hardware or they convert into a more common format (see cat5e cable which is designed for length) which requires complex signal manipulation hardware.
It is also a fairly small market/demand so economics of scale do not really come into play.

I don't doubt it's very complex and expensive having designed a few high speed circuits in a previous life. I guess I was just more surprised that someone bought this and then used it to test the FlatMii.

I can definitely see scenarios where you'd have to use this extremely expensive type of device though. I've had to deal with some manufacturing equipment that behaves in stupid ways, coupled with stupid people who thought putting the sensor and the receiver 100ft from each other was somehow a good idea.

 

[enarky]

Don't doubt that it exists, too. That was said jokingly.

But I really find it surprising that this things is so damn expensive. I would've thought that this is some kind of item that's being produced by the millions because everyone wants to have something like that. I sure as hell do. Guess I was wrong there.