Homebrew Homebrew in 2019

[ECW025]

Hey all, this is my first post to these forums. I've been involved with the scene since around 2013, but somehow never ended up over here. I recently bought a Wii for some family, and was going to set it up, but its been a while, and when I went to do my research, it seems like A LOT has changed in the past few years, so I have a few questions.

1. Is nobody using the Homebrew Browser anymore? That is where I was getting all emulators, but now it seems like you can just get them off of websites, are there more updated versions than whats on the Browser for lets say Snes9x, FCE Ultra, and the N64 emu? I hear there is a much better 64 one out now.

2. Are there any apps you guys recommend? I always loved WiiMC, never had a problem with it playing files. Thats really the only one I messed with, apparently you can get YouTube and a Browser now?

3. It seems like everyone is using WiiFlow...mine is pretty old. I found two versions, Wii Flow Lite, and Wii Flow from 2017...is there a superior definite version? I was using USB Loader, which seems to be super fast, but WiiFlow has a nice interface and can play cool music.

4. Any necessities I am missing? Let me know!

I appreciate anyone's time to answer these questions, in return, I have some things I can share...tons of stuff, even custom WAD's I saved from waaaaay back in the day.

 

[Ryccardo]

1. Is nobody using the Homebrew Browser anymore? That is where I was getting all emulators, but now it seems like you can just get them off of websites

You always could, Wiibrew has always been the most major source (except for the things the staff censored off it), and yes the HBB has been de facto discontinued for multiple years by now

I always loved WiiMC, never had a problem with it playing files

You're lucky that you always got files that it likes, because it loves to freeze for long times if you feed it anything just too complex

apparently you can get YouTube

Yes and no, what you're thinking of (search for "restored youtube support for wiimc") is effectively a proxy that does the hard job of downloading and converting videos in a format that WiiMC likes... and you pretty much need to run your own on a PC, because the "official" one (if it's even up at all anymore) can only process so many megabytes of video, shared between all users, per month

3. It seems like everyone is using WiiFlow...mine is pretty old. I found two versions, Wii Flow Lite, and Wii Flow from 2017...is there a superior definite version?

I use(d) Configurable, in text only mode - GUIs are just distractions, in my opinion
Anyway there are two currently developed usb loaders (Wiiflow Lite and GX), plus classic Wiiflow and Configurable which while not updated anymore and so lacking the newest gimmicks (mainly integration with recent versions of Nintendont and automatic Wiiimmfi patching, both things that can be done manually) are still quite usable

4. Any necessities I am missing? Let me know!

The beauty of the Wii is that's extremely modular, so there is no true setup - if you didn't need Wii disc backups or compatibility with some older homebrews, you wouldn't even need a CIOS!
That said, you may want to check your CIOS (d2x v8 or v10.52, base 57 - is the new recommended default (249) and the same but base 56 the first alternative - but all the possible bases are there for a reason, and Hermes cios (typically 202, 222, 223, 224) are for the most part not used anymore);
- most major system tools have been rewritten to use AHBPROT instead of CIOS (wad managers? Some Yawmm Mod or Wii Mod Lite; anytitle deleter? Bushing's fork; ...);
- and IOS58 is the new default for homebrews, so ensure it's installed and that the HBC is using it
(these last 2 points were already known by 2013 but of course the transition wasn't immediate, and of course there are older homebrews that never got updated this way)

 

[ECW025]

Wow thanks for the awesome reply. Would you say there is a better media player? All I am really playing are mp4,mp3, and avi.

I'll forget about the YouTube thing haha, I was going to see if the emus are newer than what I have from Homebrew Browser...I was actually able to get in, and everything looks pretty much the same, I was just wondering if the main emus got updates that helped...last I used the 64 one it was somewhat unstable.

The Wii is the greatest console ever...I swear it can do anything.

 

[newo]

1. Somebody really needs to write a new version of the HBB


2. The newer releases (which are few and far between) are sure to work but as of right now the best way to get them is downloading them from wiibrew.org then putting them on your SD card (stick to the stuff after 2011); https://wiibrew.org/wiki/WiiBrew:Homebrew_releases

3. I have made a few pieces of homebrew over the years; https://wiibrew.org/wiki/User:Owen#Homebrew_Projects

 

[Maeson]

I find Wiibrew a bit outdated as it is today.

It's still a great source for information and homebrew apps don't get me wrong, but it also lacks a whole bunch of newer projects or forks of old projects that do get updates such as FCEUltra RX, Snes9x RX (or BladeOner's fork with the same name as the original Snes9x GX), RA-SS, and other apps are outdated, such as VBA GX, with it's last version being 2.4.0. Even mGBA lacks a page, and it has been around for a long time now and it's the (very) superior GBA emulator.

I wonder if I could help to give it a good cleanup.

Edit: I tried creating an account there but I'm not able to. I'll try later.

I also checked, there is not a Nintendont page either!

 

[newo]

wiibrew has posting rules against anything that might be considered as "piracy" or violating GPL. The mainline versions of FCEUltra and the other emulators are already on the emulator page. I have never heard of some of these forks but I am sure there are many more.

 

[ECW025]

Hey thanks for those Maese, that is what I was looking for, newer updates for the emus, not that the older ones don't work well but for my newest Wii I wanted to hook it UP with the best stuff possible, I also have never heard of mGBA so thanks, is there a newer one for DS?

I setup a Wii for my parents, and I was able to get on the Homebrew Browser by changing the Server in the txt file from 0 to 1. Everything is EXACTLY the same as when I left, it runs fine.

I did some tests with WiiMC, I didn't see any lag or sync issues, these were on MP4 files, I do use Handbrake so I don't know if that matters.

I like WiiFlow a lot more than more than USB Loader...I am going to try the Wii Flow Lite and see if I notice a difference.