Hacking Now will we be able to find out how Nintendo uses the gamepad as a controller in vWii?

[mrbigreddog]

So after doing a little research. It seems that the new release of Super Mario Galaxy 2 is in fact running in vWii.

When you hit the home menu, it looks just like the original Wii home menu. When you click system, it boots back to Wii U menu instead.

Also, if you already had the Super Mario Galaxy 2 save files on your vWii and now purchased the digital version. Your save files are now usable on the digital versions.

So after games that previously could use the Classic Controller, and now can be played with the Gamepad controls... Will you (a lot smarter than me) guys be able to see how the Gamepad is not implemented in vWii mode and be able to recreate that to be used for Homebrew/Emulators/Other Wii disc games?

 

[stan423321]

Well... I have no idea, really!

It may be not as easy to RE as it seems though. I wouldn't be surprised if it works like this:

1. Nintendo created their own "cIOS" (except working with eShop purchases, obviously)
2. This thing is kept not available to the rest of vWii
3. It pulls the saves from regular vWii partition because why the hell not, but that's it

The pessimistic scenario is that they revamped whole IOS security system. Since they launched the thing without a global update, this doesn't seem probable.
The optimistic scenario is that this is already implemented in regular vWii IOSes , but this is even less probable.
Of course these are all guesses from someone probably less educated than you.

Anyway, if this is what's happening and not some deep magic like a completely separate hardware mode, here's how GamePad access could work:

1. The games and IOSes are changed to support this (special IOS GamePad API)
2. Only IOSes are changed (repacking controls into Bluetooth packets)
3. Only games are changed (special non-IOS GamePad API, like System Menu aspect ratio thing)

Anyway, in order to use this thing. Some people can decrypt Wii U HDDs or something, so it should be easily seen if they changed the games (...unless, like VC, there's a separate patch file, or unless their abilities don't work with the latest update). The cIOS changes, on the other hand, may end up being complicated to detect.

Alternatively, one could try to exploit an eShop Wii game. Whether this makes sense or not... depends on a game. Basically, the more complicated the save is, the more sense it makes. The currently announced games seem to be ones with uncomplicated saves - that said, that's what I'd think about Zelda, so well.

This all assumes that the CC > GamePad conversion is exclusive to eShop versions of games. If it's not (low chance, but who knows), this will simply work out of the box.

 

[TeamScriptKiddies]

Well... I have no idea, really!

It may be not as easy to RE as it seems though. I wouldn't be surprised if it works like this:

1. Nintendo created their own "cIOS" (except working with eShop purchases, obviously)
2. This thing is kept not available to the rest of vWii
3. It pulls the saves from regular vWii partition because why the hell not, but that's it

The pessimistic scenario is that they revamped whole IOS security system. Since they launched the thing without a global update, this doesn't seem probable.
The optimistic scenario is that this is already implemented in regular vWii IOSes , but this is even less probable.
Of course these are all guesses from someone probably less educated than you.

Anyway, if this is what's happening and not some deep magic like a completely separate hardware mode, here's how GamePad access could work:

1. The games and IOSes are changed to support this (special IOS GamePad API)
2. Only IOSes are changed (repacking controls into Bluetooth packets)
3. Only games are changed (special non-IOS GamePad API, like System Menu aspect ratio thing)

Anyway, in order to use this thing. Some people can decrypt Wii U HDDs or something, so it should be easily seen if they changed the games (...unless, like VC, there's a separate patch file, or unless their abilities don't work with the latest update). The cIOS changes, on the other hand, may end up being complicated to detect.

Alternatively, one could try to exploit an eShop Wii game. Whether this makes sense or not... depends on a game. Basically, the more complicated the save is, the more sense it makes. The currently announced games seem to be ones with uncomplicated saves - that said, that's what I'd think about Zelda, so well.

This all assumes that the CC > GamePad conversion is exclusive to eShop versions of games. If it's not (low chance, but who knows), this will simply work out of the box.

A game save exploit might be the ticket in as we already know for a fact that save exploits are doable in the vWii.

The issue is that we would need a brand new exploit as as any games that are re-released this way would surely have all current exploits patched in them....

It "might" be possible to call the vpad function (activate and utilize) gamepadfrom said exploit and write a script to emulate the CC using the gamepad...

 

[TeamScriptKiddies]

Wait, what new SMG2 release? A new release with GamePad controls? Can someone link something, I want this so bad!

New eshop game <3, google it

 

[moc]

Wait, what new SMG2 release? A new release with GamePad controls? Can someone link something, I want this so bad!

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2015/01/14/super-mario-galaxy-2-metroid-prime-trilogy-coming-to-wii-u

 

[the_randomizer]

Wait, what new SMG2 release? A new release with GamePad controls? Can someone link something, I want this so bad!

It was revealed at the Nintendo Direct http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/01/wii_disc_software_heading_to_the_wii_u_eshop

 

[FPSRussi4]

As of right now, none of this is confirmed. Devs need to look into the technical specs and determine if it really does use vWii software. It's almost certain it uses the hardware. Crediar has stated that it may use an IOS that japan Dragon Quest used, but he didn't confirm it yet. OP hasn't heard of save file importing, apparently.

 

[naxil]

That new smg2 can work on normal wii,?

 

[stan423321]

That new smg2 can work on normal wii,?

No. Regular Wii cannot connect to eShop.

 

[sonicsleep]

I sure hope we can figure something out.

Yeah, if wii mode literally wasn't updated, which it seems like it wasn't, then there's probably nothing we can do without a wii u exploit.

But who knows, maybe all it would take is extracting the thing they use, and putting it into a wii mode ios, and then it'll work. Maybe wii mode already has the capability to hear the gamepad and wii u pro but just doesn't know how yet.

 

[DiscostewSM]

Heh, imagine if they were silly enough to release Brawl as an eShop title.....

 

[Marionumber1]

The Home Menu is implemented by the game, so the fact that it's there doesn't tell us anything.

 

[FIX94]

The Home Menu is implemented by the game, so the fact that it's there doesn't tell us anything.

was just about to say this, to the people who didnt know the system menu is not a global software which is always running, every single game has their own little system menu gui implemented which shows if you press the home button so just because you still see this happening on wiiu doesnt mean at all that it is actually running in the original wii mode.

 

[mrbigreddog]

The pessimistic scenario is that they revamped whole IOS security system. Since they launched the thing without a global update, this doesn't seem probable.

Well technically it hasn't launched yet. So far (and for the next 2 games) none of them work with the gamepad. So maybe when the 1st game that DOES work with the gamepad comes out, THEN we'll get a little system update.

 

[DiscostewSM]

My thoughts on this is that each of the Wii eShop titles doesn't just contain the game, but all the relevant iOS modules needed to run the game (whether from the original game or part of the base iOS modules), and some have been altered so it'll allow various things like immediate launching of the game without needing to run the Wii start menu, and exiting straight to the Wii U menu from within the game's Home menu. The inclusion of Gamepad control usage for those games that are compatible with the Classic Controller likely have an additional change to the relevant iOS modules supplied with the game.

 

[nando]

I dont think it uses vwii.

 

[mrbigreddog]

I dont think it uses vwii.

We still might be able to see HOW it's done and make it work in vWii. Maybe install the specific ios the game is using to make it work for everything. (I know, it's not that easy... But hey, let me dream)

 

[FPSRussi4]

Thank you to MN1 and that mod! This is honestly like "Project U" all over again.

 

[DiscostewSM]

Think of it like how Smash 3DS, when played on a regular 3DS, swaps out the OS to throw in a minimalist version so it can reserve more space for the game, but instead, what gets swapped in is a slightly altered version of the required iOS modules that does away with some things and adds others that perhaps can only be done on the Wii U.

 

[stan423321]

Well, fine, the question is whether somebody smart could get that special IOS. Then it would be easy to pull out the "how the GamePad work" parts. I think. If it's implemented in IOS anyway.