Hacking Transparent backup loader?

[El Blacksheep]

Ok, I tried asking this in the channel and basically people couldn't keep track of exactly what I was asking, so I'm asking here.

Background (relevant)
I went xmas shopping with my mom to help her pick out gifts for my nephew / niece, and while we were leaving Toys R Us she saw a Wii Fit display and decided she wanted it... so she bought a Wii. Neato. Now, I'm pretty tech-savvy and I'm sure I could handle all the workarounds and whatnot required to run backups, but my dad is a bit less tech-savvy and my mom is pretty much limited to working the TiVo. If this were my Wii, I'd just modchip the thing and be done with it but since I don't own it that's not an option.

Question #1
Is there any way to load backup games (for example, there's a GH3 iso hacked to include songs from GH1, and I'd very much like to play that) on the Wii WITHOUT interfering with the Wii's ability to play retail games? From what I understand, you need to downgrade to a specific firmware version, and patch all your games (and thus only play backups) so they'll work on that version without updating the firmware. This does not work for me; if my mom wants to buy a game and play it, she should be able to without having to rip an iso, patch it, and reburn it (none of which she knows how to do nor would put up with learning how to do), so if there is no way to load backups transparently then I guess I'll give up on the idea.

Question #2
This question is a bit more hypothetical: for the sake of argument, lets say my parents have no problem with me installing a modchip in their Wii (not likely, but possible). Will that allow me to load backups and still let them play their retail games as if there were no modchip installed?

 

[samagon]

You dont need to patch the ISO files anymore and in both cases you are still able to play originals.

 

[getrehl]

You can still play retail games on the Wii. Currently you will want to stay with v3.2 firmware. Nearly all of the updates after v3.2 have been worked around and you can just install the needed parts of the official update. The only game I know of that will give you problems would be Need for Speed: Underground. Running Gamma Loader or SoftChip also does not require decripting the backup title to play it. 1:1 backups have a higher compatibility rate.

 

[f00had]

If you have a Wii with 3.2 firmware you can install a program called Starfall which ignores updates from discs so your parents won't have to update to play games.

 

[bebs]

...and if you don't want that your parents see the gamma channel or softchip's just launch them by homebrew channel, and you can move HBC at the bottom to hide it

 

[Distrance]

...and if you don't want that your parents see the gamma channel or softchip's just launch them by homebrew channel, and you can move HBC at the bottom to hide it

But if he will move HBC away to the rightmost screen, it won't be seen right ? So what's the point to NOT install Gamma, when you can move that to the rightmost page too ? Either way, if someone goes to the rightmost page, they WILL see atleast HBC there.

Whatever everyone else said is true - You can play retail games through the disc channel, and backup games through gamma channel. You can install Starfall to skip the updates ( and install rescue menu to prevent the Wii bricking ), and they're not able to see if you've installed Starfall or not. You can also play retail games through Gamma launcher to skip the updates, but the problem is obviously that if they won't let you mod it in the first place... I know my mum wouldn't if the Wii wasn't mine..

 

[noobwarrior7]

nvm im dumb

 

[bebs]

...and if you don't want that your parents see the gamma channel or softchip's just launch them by homebrew channel, and you can move HBC at the bottom to hide it

But if he will move HBC away to the rightmost screen, it won't be seen right ? So what's the point to NOT install Gamma, when you can move that to the rightmost page too ?

because he'll have one channel instead of 2 or 3... but you're right..

 

[CIJC]

...and if you don't want that your parents see the gamma channel or softchip's just launch them by homebrew channel, and you can move HBC at the bottom to hide it

But if he will move HBC away to the rightmost screen, it won't be seen right ? So what's the point to NOT install Gamma, when you can move that to the rightmost page too ?

because he'll have one channel instead of 2 or 3... but you're right..

then just use twilight hack to install starfall. then use twilight hack to install cios rev7. then use twilight hack to install gamma channel. thats it. 1 channel. done. finito. perfect. finished. real games = disk channel. backups = gamma channel. tadah.

(i like fullstops)

 

[zidane_genome]

Here's exactly what you want to do, and your parents will never know the difference.

Go buy Zelda, or rent it.. Not Links Crossbow Training, but Twilight Princess. Also, buy or get a 1 or 2 gig SD card

Find and download the following items:
Twilight Hack
Homebrew Channel installer
Custom IOS Downgrader
Starfall
WAD Manager
WiiGator Backup Loader 0.3 Gamma, or SoftChip Loader

First, your going to put Zelda in, and play it for about 30 seconds... start the game, create a save file, then restart your Wii. Assuming this is a brand new Wii, it will have 3.3b, or 3.4 installed. Bad... Now, on your SD card, this is what your going to do.
Put the TPHack save files on the SD card, preserving the directory structures. Put the Homebrew Channel.elf file on the ROOT of your SD card (meaning, open it up, and don't put it in any folders), but rename it boot.elf
Go into your Wii's Data Management menu, go on your Wii first, delete the Zelda save file. Now, go back, and copy over all the save files from the SD card to your Wii. If they don't copy, don't worry. DO NOT PRESS HOME, OR RESET!! Use the BACK button at the bottom of your screen when your done. Load Zelda agian, select the hacked save file to start from, and when you get to the game, either run up and talk to the guy standing in front of you, or run backwards. You'll get a code dump... don't worry, it's good. You'll then have to read the information on the screen to install the Homebrew Channel. Once you restart your Wii, the hacked save files will be gone, but you'll have a new Channel on your menu...

Now, put all the apps on your SD card correctly... read the instructions, SD:\APPS\appname\boot.elf

Load up the Custom IOS Downgrader, and install 3.2 to what ever country your in. U is USA, E is Europe, J is Japan

You then should be on Wii 3.2, and then can install Starfall, which can block updates from games, stop the Health and Safety Screen, and other neat things.

Your parents shouldn't even be able to tell you did anything if you did it right. Then install the Backup Loader channel, and put it on the second menu page (press +) and they won't even see it.

 

[El Blacksheep]

Thanks for the input, but perhaps I need to clarify exactly what I'm asking.

I don't need to HIDE anything.

I'm just trying to avoid worst-case scenarios. For example, lets say hypothetically I do all that, and get everything setup just fine. All my parent's games work, my backups work, all good. Then some time down the line some new game comes out, and they decide they want it, buy it, then try to play it but it needs a firmware update or else it wont run. Either (A) Starfall prevents the update and they can't play their game they bought for their system, or (B) the game forces an update which bricks the system for having all that homebrew stuff installed.

I realize there are workarounds to get problematic games working on the old firmware, but that's the kind of stuff I could do... not the kind of stuff my parents could do, and I'm not going to make them go through all the trouble of learning it all just so I can play backups.

So if there's any way to make backups work with any firmware, then I'd like to know what I need to look into. If that's not possible, then I just won't be using any backups.

 

[bebs]

... if starfall doesn t work and your parents make an update...it will kill all the homebrews installed, but not brick it. and original games still playable

 

[Damian1221]

downgrade to 3.2U install starfall for recovery and antiupdate then use TPhack to install CIOS REV7, then install Waninkokos Menu Patcher channel (you could even change the banner to like super mario or something if you want to). Then just start the Menu Patcher channel everytime you want to play a backup the wii will reboot and you can load you backups through the disk channel.