The way I used to do it was tedious and was quite complex, however with the v2.0 release of the wafel_setup_mlc plugin, region changing has become much simpler.

It is identical to just rebuilding the MLC, but this has region changing specific notes added.

This does not change the region of the Gamepad, however you can still use an out-of-region gamepad with Aroma, which can be loaded with the wafel_payloader Stroopwafel plugin, so you don't need to worry about getting a Gamepad from the region you are changing to. If you do want to change the Gamepad region, there is a section at the end of the guide with instructions.

It also does not change the vWii region. If you want to region change the vWii as well, use vWii Decaffeinator on Light Mode to region change. I think you also need to regenerate the setting.txt.

Following this guide will wipe the MLC. You should back up any saves you care about before following. Its possible to do it without wiping the MLC, but you're on your own should you ta

Keep an OTP and SEEPROM backup. Nothing should go wrong, but it is better to have the most important backups and not need them vs. need them and not have them.

DO NOT UNINSTALL ISFSHAX AFTER ERASING THE MLC AND DELETING THE SCFM UNTIL YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY REBUILT THE MLC AND CONFIRMED EVERYTHING IS WORKING.
I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU FAIL TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS PROPERLY.
If you need support, you can join my server and ask in #help

What you need

• Install isfshax. This is a requirement. You cannot region change without it. (You can also use de_Fuse, but at that point you probably already know what you are doing.)
  
  • Stop at the "Booting" section.
• The release of the MLCRestorerDownloader for your OS.
• The latest release of the MLC setup plugin.
• The latest release of the Payloader plugin.
  • Get the 5payldr.ipx.
• The latest Aroma files (If you have Aroma already, ignore this.)
  
  • Read and tick the 4 boxes -> Click on Download Payloads and Download Base Aroma

Downloading the MLC Titles

1. Extract the MLCRestorerDownloader you downloaded.
2. Copy the otp.bin into the extracted folder.
   
3. Open a command prompt / terminal (Linux/Mac only).
4. cd into the directory with the MLCRestorerDownloader (ie. cd /Downloads/MLCRestorerDownloader) (Linux/Mac only).
5. Run the application (ie .\MLCRestorerDownloader for Linux/Mac users). Windows users can just double click the .exe
6. Type in 1 the for MLC titles.
7. Type in the number for the region you want to change to (ie 2 for USA).
   
8. Wait for it to finish downloading. You can do part of the next section while you wait.

SD Setup

1. Copy the wafel_setup_mlc.ipx to sd:/wiiu/ios_plugins.
2. Copy the 5payldr.ipx to sd:/wiiu/ios_plugins.
   
3. Copy the two wiiu folders from the Aroma .zip files to the root of the SD.
4. Make a folder called wafel_install on the root of the SD and copy all 52 MLC titles here.

Region Changing

1. Boot the console.
   
   • If it does not automatically go into minute_minute, go install isfshax.
2. Navigate to Backup and Restore.
3. Select Erase MLC and then press EJECT to confirm.
   • If it tells you MLC Erase not allowed!, go install isfshax.
4. Select Delete scfm.img and press EJECT to confirm.
   • If it tells you SCFM delete not allowed!, install isfshax and quit trying with no safety measures.
5. Go back to the main menu and select Patch (sd) and boot IOS (slc).
   • During the setup you won't use the screen and stay at the GO GO GO minute message. You have to go by the power led.
6. Wait for the LED to start blinking blue, this means the setup has started. Wait for it to stop blinking, that is when the setup has finished.
7. Shut off the console and put the SD back into your PC.
   • Almost everything should have returned 00000000.
   • SetInitialLaunch will have returned 1.
   • If Set Region to X returned error FFFBFFEE, ask for help. That should not happen.
   • Otherwise boot the console again (select Patch (sd) and boot IOS (slc)), and you should be greeted with initial setup. Success!

Region Changing the Gamepad

1. Download the latest release of DRXUtil and copy it to sd:/wiiu/apps.
2. Launch DRXUtil from the Wii U Menu.
   • If it doesn't show up, press L + DPAD Down + Select on the Gamepad and set the "Hide all .rpx" configuration in the "Homebrew on Wii U Menu Plugin" to false.
3. Select Flash firmware.
4. Select Built-in Firmware Patches. Read the warning, then select Continue.
5. Read the second warning, then select Continue.
   • With the patched firmware, the Gamepad will now show "Modified Firmware" while booting up.
6. Select Set region and select the target region.
   • Note that Japan/Americas/Europe are the only regions that are actually used.
7. Press A to confirm. Press B to go back to the main screen.
8. Select Show DRC/DRH information and verify that the region under DRC info has been set to the one you selected.
9. Press B to go back to the main screen and select Flash firmware.
10. Select Original Firmware. Read the warning then select Continue.
11. Read the second warning, then select Continue.
12. Wait for the firmware to flash. Press B once finished and go back to the Wii U Menu.
13. Launch System Settings, select Console Information (Icon with a red Console/Gamepad), select Set System Language, and select the target language. This will change the Gamepad language.
14. Once it's finished, you're done!

After Region Changing

You can keep isfshax installed, or you can uninstall it. I would keep it, so you can load Aroma on boot without needing to install PayloadLoader, or as some form of 'brick protection'. You can set up autobooting in minute to have it automatically load IOSU. Instructions for that are on the isfshax guide.

Credits

@SDIO: isfshax setup guides, the wafel_setup_mlc plugin, help get the PoC to work, cleaning up my code, making the region fixer more sane...
@shinyquagsire23: de_Fuse, minute_minute, and stroopwafel
@GaryOderNichts: Also help me get the PoC working, DRXUtil
@rw-r-r_0644: Finding isfshax and implementing it

 

[greenscheme]

If you only want to change vWii's language from Japanese into English, then just change the setting.txt with SettingEdit.

Backup and load setting.txt and change it as below, DO NOT touch MPCH and Serno otherwise you WILL BRICK vWii.

View attachment 430828

Tested myself on a Japanese Wii U. Everything will be in English for vWii, including Mii channel and system settings, though the Date format is a bit weird, and E-manual will fail to load and hung. You will find out yourself. Note this will prevent non-US Wii disc games to load without using a USB loader, of course.

do i have to follow everything in the guide to get vwii in english or can i turn vwii to english without doing all of the other steps?

 

[neverendsDull]

do i have to follow everything in the guide to get vwii in english or can i turn vwii to english without doing all of the other steps?

my method only change the UI from Japanese to English as the Japanese vwii actually has a built-in English UI.
But the translation is somehow... you will understand when you see the date if you choose this way. This method will NOT change the vwii region.

Region changing Wiiu has nothing to do with region changin vwii, if you want to region change vwii, use vwii decafinnator after region changing Wii U.

 

[RoiMTnez]

Copy the two wiiu folders from the Aroma .zip files to the root of the SD.

Wich are the wii u zips? Were do I download them?
Also, where is the otp.bin file? I downloaded the mlc titles without adding that file to the folder. Is that a problem?

 

[AxlDreyar]

please help, i have follow this guide to change my wii u JP to US and works great except for wii, its wont boot to wii and keep returning to wii u menu. after that i did factory reset by accident and now keep boot loop on asking to update my wii u gamepad and keep restarting

 

[A_Random_Guy]

please help, i have follow this guide to change my wii u JP to US and works great except for wii, its wont boot to wii and keep returning to wii u menu. after that i did factory reset by accident and now keep boot loop on asking to update my wii u gamepad and keep restarting

Do you still have isfshax installed? You can try and boot to aroma with payload ios plugin to get around gamepad region lock.

 

[AxlDreyar]

Do you still have isfshax installed? You can try and boot to aroma with payload ios plugin to get around gamepad region lock.

thanks. now its boot to aroma with some of apps i install. now what should i do?

 

[A_Random_Guy]

thanks. now its boot to aroma with some of apps i install. now what should i do?

You can try vwii decaffeinator and see if it helps

 

[tsukimaru]

This new method makes my head spin :/ I've come back to this thread many times and I just can't seem to follow it. What was wrong about the method with the RP2040? That one was more streamlined, why was it ditched over this one? I'm legitimately curious

 

[Gryffon25]

Hello, Excuse me
I'm trying to turn my Japanese Wii u into European
I've done everything said on this Tutorial and all the steps were perfectly executed and the MLC files from Wafel install were installed without any problems or errors, however, I'm struggling with launching it now.
After clicking on the ON power and "Patch SD and boot SLC" option upon the minute_minute menu, Its stuck in the WII u Menu screen and its not moving from there by an inch. Btw I clicked on the A button when this Yellow warning popped up
Have I done anything wrong ?

 

[Technician]

What system version had your japanese wii u before you changed the region?

 

[MVRTNLKK]

Hello friends, I want to synchronize my Japanese gamepad to my Wii U USA, my Wii U does not have internet and I have a Raspberry Pi Pico, any idea what method I could try?

 

[SDIO]

What happens if you sync the gamepad in the UDPIH recovery menu?

 

[Ricardo1718]

Hello friends, I want to synchronize my Japanese gamepad to my Wii U USA, my Wii U does not have internet and I have a Raspberry Pi Pico, any idea what method I could try?

Your Wiiu have aroma or tiramisu?

 

[Lazr1026]

I added instructions for region changing the Gamepad. Have fun everyone!

 

[earlpants]

I added instructions for region changing the Gamepad. Have fun everyone!

I wonder if you have guide on how to region change the vWii

 

[lightwo]

I wonder if you have guide on how to region change the vWii

After region changing the Wii U, all you need to do is to run vWii Decaffeinator (with updates unblocked!), regenerate setting.txt under advanced options and start aggressive mode (for the record, I haven't tested light mode). Finally, perform a system update, which you will be prompted to do. Do note that aggressive mode wipes the complete vWii installation.

Currently, Hacks Guide Wiki doesn't mention regenerating setting.txt, so this will save you the trouble I went through.

Though now that I'm looking at it, the OP already mentions this. But yes, you absolutely have to regenerate setting.txt, since that determines your region, so it will just reinstall the same region if you don't. And it takes a long ass time!

 

[unqone]

I added instructions for region changing the Gamepad. Have fun everyone!

Lazr, Thank you so much for the instructions for region changing gamepad! Worked for my Japanese wii u gamepad to use on an American / USA Wii U!

 

[bodziopl]

Hello. I want to change region in my japanese WiiU from JPN to EU but i don't know if the gamepad will work after this change? After the whole process aroma will be still installed on WiiU and the japanese gamepad will work?

 

[SDIO]

Yes it will work

 

[bodziopl]

Yes it will work

Thanks for reply. I successfuly changed region of my console but i'm a little confused about booting console into WiiU menu. Now my console every time boot on minute, I created ini file to autoboot option 3 (patch sd and boot IOS slc) but its not working, console boot into minutę. How to change the booting method directly to Aroma? Uninnstal minute and set autoboot to aroma?

EDIT

Ok it's working fine now. I copied the minute.ini from zip and didn't changed the name of file. It was minute-sd.ini and after change it works