Hacking S.S.B.B. (JP Firmware Update?)

[Hoss]

So I'm an avid fan of the Wiikey and a HUGE Smash Bros. buff, and I'm planning on playing whatever JP .iso I can get a hold of in the coming weeks.

However, I'm concerned about an NTSC-J Japanese firmware update on my NTSC Wii. I've used Brick Blocker before, and RegionFrii, but will this be enough to play SSBB?

My question is this: what is the risk I take by loading the Japanese image of Brawl on my NTSC Wii?

 

[Tomobobo]

Depends, you can do the metroid prime 3 trick, I think. Where you boot a copy with the update, let the update go for 10-15% and turn off the wii, and then boot the brickblocked copy.

I heard that it worked on Mario Galaxy as well as Metroid Prime 3. However, Nintendo tries to out-do hacks like brickblocker, which is why it doesn't work with MP3 and SMG in the same way it works with most other games.

And I'm willing to bet that Nintendo is going to try some new copy-protection on this game as it is the must-have for the console. It's the game that's going to define the system.

So: Worst case scenario, brickblocker and the metroid prime 3 trick don't work, and the game has an update. You update your NTSC-U system with parts of the Japanese firmware and your system is completely bricked. You power it on and it gives you an error that only Nintendo will be able to fix.

Medium/Bad: Brickblocker and the metroid prime 3 trick don't work, and the game has an update. You update your NTSC-U system with parts of the Japanese firmware and your system is half-bricked, so whenever you try to access your wii's settings, it pops up with an error. This also erases all your network settings, so you can no longer connect to the internet with the Wii. However, it's still able to play games from DVD and VC stored on the systems' flash memory.

Good: The game either works with brickblocker (unlikely) or doesn't have an update that will be applied to the most recent of NTSC-U firmwares (likely), and you play the game without updating at all, or update and no noticably bad things happen to your wii (most likely).

Most Probable: The game will have some new copy-protection that will take chip makers some time to workaround, so you don't even have to worry about updates, because your Wii won't run the game with the current firmware on your modchip.

 

[Hoss]

So what you're saying is that someone has to take one for the team and find out for sure?

 

[Tomobobo]

That's correct. I took one for the team with Mario Strikers Charged: Football when it was released for PAL users, luckily, my Wii was and is still ok.

 

[Gaisuto]

A way will be found, there is no way they'll just let the game sit unusable for long.

 

[Hoss]

It's good to see you all care about this game as much as I do. I play competitively and I'm an active member of SWF, or Smashboards. I know a good number of posters over there are importing the game and would love any advice you have to give them.

 

[StacMaster-S]

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but if we just make sure our US-NTSC Wii's have the newest firmware before popping in a J-NTSC game, won't it skip any system updates entirely?

 

[HisshouBuraiKen]

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but if we just make sure our US-NTSC Wii's have the newest firmware before popping in a J-NTSC game, won't it skip any system updates entirely?

Unlikely, the region mismatch would likely force the update anyway. That's been the case the whole time.

OP - Don't listen to anyone suggesting the MP3 trick or any other method - it's not guaranteed to work. There is SIGNIFICANT risk that you'll brick your Wii and render it unable to play anything. Basically, I'd say to try it with RegionFrii + BrickBlocker, and if it doesn't work, wait until March. You will F yourself in the A if you install an update from the wrong region.

Also, the "Maintenance Mode" fix was bullshit, it doesn't change anything if your Wii's bricked (cutting off the inevitable noob posts)

 

[StacMaster-S]

Huh, I thought the only time you needed BrickBlocker was for PAL systems with NTSC games... guess I'll have to pay attention when SSBB NTSC-J is out.

 

[Hoss]

The game could be on sites any moment now.

brawlcentral.com

 

[electricsashimi]

i think that they WILL have new protection BUT there will be a way around it...

Since there is "Wiitools" we could hack into the disk and do some hackery stuff

and now the wiikey code is out on the net, people could create custom firmware....

oh yeah... plz put your brawl threads in the official brawl thread (61pages long now!)

 

[Twiffles]

When Galaxy was leaked it was because it was given to stores to demo so people can try it out (like they did in America as well). I wouldn't count on a leak, since Nintendo more or less will be very wary of leaking a game of it's calibur. Then again, I can be very very wrong and am prepared to eat my words when the time comes. (if it comes)

 

[Dnestr]

Well, as an owner of a Wiikey 1.9g NTSC-J system... I know the SMG NTSC-U still doesn't work on my Wii and that probably never will. So... I'm guessing Brawl will have similar protection and that people with modded NTSC-U systems that are importing are going to be very disappointed.

 

[manias]

Well, as an owner of a Wiikey 1.9g NTSC-J system... I know the SMG NTSC-U still doesn't work on my Wii and that probably never will. So... I'm guessing Brawl will have similar protection and that people with modded NTSC-U systems that are importing are going to be very disappointed.

that is not due to some new protection scheme, some games are such that they cannot be played on other regions, has been so since day 1, nothing new.

 

[Dnestr]

Well, as an owner of a Wiikey 1.9g NTSC-J system... I know the SMG NTSC-U still doesn't work on my Wii and that probably never will. So... I'm guessing Brawl will have similar protection and that people with modded NTSC-U systems that are importing are going to be very disappointed.

that is not due to some new protection scheme, some games are such that they cannot be played on other regions, has been so since day 1, nothing new.

Oh... is it known why certain games won't play on different regions then? Looking through the compatibility list, it seems like a pretty random assortment. I was really hoping to play SMG in English and originally thought I couldn't because of the new protection... guess not.

 

[Defiance]

Man, I really want a modchip but...

1. Idk how so solder.

2. They're all out of CycloWiz's.

And there's some more but I don't feel like naming them all.

 

[Kressi]

i hope it will work on my pal console, is it propably?(sry if it's written wrong xD)

 

[DarkLG]

I think SSBB will have an update cause all of the wii games Nintendo has released has had updates like paper Mario,Metroid Prime3,Super Mario Galaxy and i also think that it will cause a problem to wii modchips until they figure out how to get pass it like they did with Super Mario Galaxy.