Hacking [Tutorial] For those unlucky to own a Japanese Wii U - How to play in English, problematic games

[ProtossEvo]

After reading lots of threads about running games in English on Wii U (JPN), I simply couldn't find out how to fix many problematic games that refuse to work or to set the desired language. But by gathering information about other, similar problems, I managed to fix some games (and I will be trying to fix more, so I'll update this first post as long as I make new discoveries). I thought it would be nice to share the method, or point which games are problematic and which known solutions we can apply to it.

First, you need to learn how to decrypt and encrypt files, you'll be doing this for almost all games you want to fix.

How to decrypt:

Spoiler

Download the CDecrypt program (https://gbatemp.net/threads/release-cdecrypt-v3-0.554220/). To decrypt, grab the 4 files of CDecrypt, put in the game folder (your downloaded game) or Update folder, and execute the .bat file. It will open the CMD screen and start to decrypt. After it finished, it will create 3 folders in your game/update folder: Code, Content and Meta.

How to encrypt:

Spoiler

Let's say you have decrypted Mario Kart 8, that created 3 folders (Code/Content/Meta) inside your "Mario Kart 8" game folder, and you have edited the files inside these 3 folders. Now, you need to encrypt back, to be able to install it in your Wii U external USB Hard Drive. To do this, first, create a new folder outside the Mario Kart 8 folder. Name it something easy to remember that this is the edited version. For example, "Mario Kart 8 Language Fixed". Copy the Code/Content/Meta edited folders from your "Mario Kart 8" folder, to the new created "Mario Kart 8 Fixed Language" folder.

Download the NUSpacker program (https://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-nuspacker-for-noobs.454684/). Create a folder called NUSpacker, put the NUSPacker.jar file inside, and inside the NUSPacker folder, create a folder called "output". This is where your encrypted game files will be created. Still in the NUSPacker folder, create a text file with the Notepad Windows program. Name it "Run.txt". Open this text file and write:

java -jar NUSPacker.jar -in "1111" -out "2222" -encryptKeyWith 3333

But Instead of 1111 you need to write your edited game folder path, 2222 is your NUSpacker output folder path and 3333 is the Wii U Common key number.

To find the Wii U Common key, just google it (it starts with a D7 and ends with 56).

An example, of what your text should look like:

java -jar NUSPacker.jar -in "D:\Wii U GAMES\Mario Kart 8 Language Fixed" -out "D:\Wii U Apps\NUSpacker\output" -encryptKeyWith 123456789abcdefgh

(of course, the blue random numbers must be the Wii U Common Key number).

Save your text file. Now, rename the text file, change the .txt extension to .bat extension. If you can't see the files extension, you need to enable it in Windows configurations. I can't remember how to do it, but as always, Google is your friend.

If you set everything right, double click your .bat file, a CMD window will open and the NUSpacker will start to encrypt your game files from "Mario Kart 8 Fixed Language" folder to the "output" folder.

If the NUSpacker fails to encrypt (it closes the CMD window too soon and the output folder has no files inside it), check if any file from the "Mario Kart 8 Fixed Language" folder is open, then close it. If still doesn't work, click with the right mouse button over your .bat file and choose "edit", it will open as a notepad file. Verify if the path to your folders is correct, or if the Wii U Common Key is correct. If it's wrong, fix it, save and close your .bat file. Try again.

If the CMD window took more time to close it, verify your output folder. If theres lots of files inside it, it probably worked. The size of the output folder should be close to the size of the "Mario Kart 8 Fixed Language" size.

Now, cut or copy, all files inside the output folder, and paste in the "Mario Kart 8 Fixed Language" folder, and delete or move to another folder the Code/Content/Meta folders. Your encrypted game folder is ready to be installed in your Wii U external USB Hard Drive (NEVER INSTALL AN EDITED GAME TO THE WII U INTERNAL SYSTEM, IT CAN BRICK YOUR CONSOLE, I TAKE NO RESPONSABILITY FOR ANY WRONG PROCEDURE).

List of Fixed Games:

Game: Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (USA) (JPN)
Method: Install to External USB Hard Drive
Problem: USA version won't start (freezes on splash screen). JPN version works, but the game doesn't has English files, so it only plays in Japanese.

Solution:

Spoiler

Step 1 - USA version will not boot, but you will need it to grab the English text files. Download the USA Game and JPN game, we will create an installable version that tricks the Wii U to load the English language files.

Step 2 - You need to decrypt the files in your downloaded Captain Toad folders (look the tutorial in the beginning of this thread). Do it for the Captain Toad (USA) and Captain Toad (JPN), you need both of them decrypted.

Step 3 - With all the files decrypted, go into the "Cap.Toad (USA)"
folder. Open the "USen" folder (Content/LocalizedData/USen), and copy the 2 folders inside (LayoutData and MessageData). These folders contain the english files we're looking for. Now, go to the Japanese version of the game and open JPja folder (Content/LocalizedData/JPja). Paste the copied folders from the USA game, Windows will ask for you to ovewrite the folders and files, click "ok".

Step 4 - This step will fool the Wii U to believe the game is updated. If you skip this part, after installing the game in your USB HD, when you try to play, the console will update the game, and ovewrite the english files back to japanese. Go to the "Cap.Toad (JPN)" folder you have decrypted before, open the CODE folder, and open the app.xml file. You can use the Windows notepad to do it. Look for this line:

<version type="unsignedInt" length="4">15</version>

Change the number 15 for 16:

<version type="unsignedInt" length="4">16</version>

Now look for this other line:

<title_version type="hexBinary" length="2">0000</title_version>

Change the 0000 to 0010:

<title_version type="hexBinary" length="2">0010</title_version>

Save the app.xml file and close it.

Step 5 - Now, we need to encrypt "Cap.Toad (JPN)" edited folders (Code/Content/Meta). First, create a new folder, you can call it "Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (JPN with English Text)". Copy the Code/Content/Meta folders from the "Cap.Toad (JPN)" folder into the new folder you just created, "Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (JPN with English Text)". Encrypt (following the tutorial above in this thread) the "Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (JPN with English Text)" folder.

Step 6 - Now, delete the Code/Content/Meta folders inside your "Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (JPN with English Text)", the folder now should be empty, and put all files from the NUSpacker output folder inside of it. Copy the "Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (JPN with English Text)" folder to your Wii U SD card install folder (sd:\install), wait to finish. After the copy is done, put your SD card into your Wii U, turn the console ON, launch the WUP Installer app (https://gbatemp.net/threads/release-wup-installer-gx2-rpx-channel.456199/) through Homebrew Launcher. Choose your "Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (JPN with English Text)", click on "install", when asked to install in the Nand or USB, choose USB (never install an edited game to the Nand, there's a brick risk if you do it). Wait for the install to finish, load your prefered CFW (Haxchi, Mocha, etc), go to the main menu, choose the Captain Toad icon, and that's it, Captain Toad installed in your Japanese Wii U, totally working and in English.

Game: Devil's Third (USA)
Method: Retail disc and Install to External USB Hard Drive
Problem: USA version load the Japanese language.

Solution:

Spoiler

Step 1 - First, you need to download the app Spiik: https://github.com/marco-calautti/spiik/releases/tag/v0.1b
Then, put your Wii U sd card on the PC, open the sd card, open the folder wiiu/apps. Inside apps, create a new folder and name it "spiik" (without quotes), put your downloaded "spiik.elf" file inside it. Put your SD card back to your Wii U.

Step 2 - Now, start the game. In the screen where you can choose the game modes, go to the third square, "ｵﾌﾟｼﾖﾝ" (Options). Inside the options menu, press ZR four times, to choose the "ABC" icon. Press down one time, and right one time, to change the voices to english. Press down one more time, in the "USB ｷﾎﾞﾞﾄﾞ" (USB Keyboard), press right one time to choose "ｱﾒﾘｶ" (america). Press start to save it, go back to the Wii U home menu.

Step 3 - Open the Homebrew Launcher, and load the Spiik app. Choose "Language: English, Region: JPN". Press A, wait a few seconds and you'll be back to the Wii U menu. Start the game. It will be in English.

Next time you play, you don't need to use Spiik again, the game will be in english already. Only the very first screen, where you need to press start, the little text saying "+ start" will be in Japanese, the next screen, where you choose game mode and options, will be in English. If the game still in Japanese, you can go to the Wii U system menu and delete your save in Data Management, and repeat the whole proccess (If you don't mind deleting your save).

Game: Mario Kart 8 (USA) (JPN)
Method: Install to External USB Hard Drive
Problem: USA version won't start (freezes on splash screen). JPN version works, but refuses to change language to English with Apps like Spiik

Solution:

Spoiler

Step 1 - Forget the USA version. Download the JPN version, we will create an installable version that tricks the Wii U to load the English language files.

Step 2 - Decrypt the files in your downloaded "Mario Kart 8 (JPN)" folder. To decrypt it, follow the tutorial above in this thread.

Step 3 - Create a new folder (outside the Mario Kart 8 folder. Later we will have to encrypt the edited Mario Kart 8, and if it's inside the original Mario Kart 8 folder, it will fail to encrypt), choose a name to the new folder like "Mario Kart 8 (JPN with English Text)". Copy the code/content/meta folders from the "Mario Kart 8 (JPN)" folder to the new "Mario Kart 8 (JPN with English Text)" folder you just created.

Step 4 - Now it's the first part to "trick" the Wii U to read the English files. Go to the CONTENT folder, then open the UI folder, and then the EE folder. Copy all the 4 files with the extension "msbt". Go back to the UI folder, and open the JP folder. Paste the files, when Windows ask to ovewrite the files, click "yes".

Step 5 - This step will trick the Wii U to believe the game is updated. If you skip this part, after installing the game in your USB HD, when you try to play, the console will update the game, and ovewrite the english files back to japanese. Go to the "Mario Kart 8 (JPN with English Text)" folder, open the CODE folder, and open the app.xml file. You can use the Windows notepad to do it. Look for this line:

<version type="unsignedInt" length="4">15</version>

Change the number 15 for 16:

<version type="unsignedInt" length="4">16</version>

Now look for this other line:

<title_version type="hexBinary" length="2">0001</title_version>

Change the 0001 to 0040:

<title_version type="hexBinary" length="2">0040</title_version>

Save the app.xml file and close it.

Step 6 - Now you need to encrypt the files of "Mario Kart 8 (JPN with English Text)" folder. Follow the encrypt tutorial above in this thread.

Step 7 - Delete or move the Code/Content/Meta folders from your "Mario Kart 8 (JPN with English Text)" folder, and put the files from NUSpacker output folder into the "Mario Kart 8 (JPN with English Text)" folder. Copy the "Mario Kart 8 (JPN with English Text)" folder to your Wii U SD card install folder (sd:\install), wait to finish (4gb can take some time to copy...). After the copy is done, put your SD card into your Wii U, turn the console ON, launch the WUP Installer app (https://gbatemp.net/threads/release-wup-installer-gx2-rpx-channel.456199/) through Homebrew Launcher. Choose your "Mario Kart 8 (JPN with English Text)", click on "install", when asked to install in the Nand or USB, choose USB (never install an edited game to the Nand, there's a brick risk if you do it). Wait for the install to finish, load your prefered CFW (Haxchi, Mocha, etc), go to the main menu, choose the Mario Kart 8 icon, and voala, Mario Kart 8 installed in your Japanese Wii U, totally working and in English.

Game: Pikmin 3 (USA)
Method: Install to External USB Hard Drive
Problem: USA version load the Japanese language. It refuses to change language to English with Apps like Spiik

Solution:

Spoiler

Step 1 - Download the USA version, we will create an installable version that tricks the Wii U to load the English language files.

Step 2 - Decrypt the files in your downloaded "Pikmin 3 (USA)" folder. To decrypt it, follow the tutorial above in this thread.

Step 3 - Create a new folder (outside the "Pikmin 3 (USA)" folder. Later we will have to encrypt the edited Pikmin 3 folders, and if they are inside the original "Pikmin 3 (USA)" folder, it will fail to encrypt), choose a name to the new folder like "Pikmin 3 (English Fixed)". Copy the Code/Content/Meta folders from the "Pikmin 3 (USA)" folder to the new "Pikmin 3 (English Fixed)" folder you just created.

Step 4 - Now it's the first part to "trick" the Wii U to read the English files. Go to the "Content" folder, then swap the name of the folders "JPJpn" and "USEng". It can help if you move one folder at time to another folder before renaming it, or Windows will not accept (because if you have a folder called "USEng" in the folder, and try to rename another folder with the same name, Windows will refuse to rename it, or it will change the name for "USEng(1)", and the file game will fail to work when installed to the Wii U).

Step 5 - This step will trick the Wii U to believe the game is updated. If you skip this part, after installing the game in your USB HD, when you try to play, the console will update the game, and ovewrite the english files back to japanese. Go to the "Pikmin 3 (English Fixed)" folder you have decrypted before, open the CODE folder, and open the app.xml file. You can use the Windows notepad to do it. Look for this line:

<title_version type="hexBinary" length="2">0010</title_version>

Change the 0010 to 0060:

<title_version type="hexBinary" length="2">0060</title_version>

Save the app.xml file and close it.

Step 6 - Now you need to encrypt the files of "Pikmin 3 (English Fixed)" folder. Follow the encrypt tutorial above in this thread.

Step 7 - Delete or move the Code/Content/Meta folders from your "Pikmin 3 (English Fixed)" folder, and put the files from NUSpacker output folder in the "Pikmin 3 (English Fixed)" folder. Copy the "Pikmin 3 (English Fixed)" folder to your Wii U SD card install folder (sd:\install). After the copy is done, put your SD card into your Wii U, turn the console ON, launch the WUP Installer app (https://gbatemp.net/threads/release-wup-installer-gx2-rpx-channel.456199/) through Homebrew Launcher. Choose your "Pikmin 3 (English Fixed)", click on "install", when asked to install in the Nand or USB, choose USB (never install an edited game to the Nand, there's a brick risk if you do it). Wait for the install to finish, load your prefered CFW (Haxchi, Mocha, etc), go to the main menu, choose the Pikmin 3 icon, and that's it, the game is installed in your Japanese Wii U, totally working and in English.

Game: Resident Evil Revelations (USA)
Method: Retail disc and Install to External USB Hard Drive
Problem: USA version load the Japanese language. It refuses to change language to English with Apps like Spiik

Solution:

Spoiler

This one is very simple. The first screen menu it's in English, just go to "Options", "Language" and in the first option, press right, text will automatically change from Japanese to English. Choose the Voices language too, and leave options, that's it.

Game: Sonic Boom (USA)
Method: Install to External USB Hard Drive
Problem: USA version load the Japanese language. It refuses to change language to English with Apps like Spiik

Solution:

Spoiler

Step 1 - Download the USA version, we will create an installable version that tricks the Wii U to load the English language files.

Step 2 - Decrypt the files in your downloaded "Sonic Boom (USA)". To decrypt it, follow the tutorial above in this thread.

Step 3 - Create a new folder (outside the "Sonic Boom (USA)" folder. Later we will have to encrypt the edited Sonic Boom folders, and if the folders are inside the original "Sonic Boom (USA)" folder, it will fail to encrypt), choose a name to the new folder like "Sonic Boom (English Fixed)". Copy the Code/Content/Meta folders from the "Sonic Boom (USA)" folder to the new "Sonic Boom (English Fixed)" folder you just created.

Step 4 - Now it's the first part to "trick" the Wii U to read the English files. Go to the Content/Sonic_Crytek folder, then swap the name of the files "english_xml.wiiu.stream" and "japanese_xml.wiiu.stream". It can help if you move one file at time to another folder before renaming it, or Windows will not accept (because if you have a file called "english_xml.wiiu.stream" in the folder, and try to rename another file with the same name, Windows will refuse to rename it, or it will change the name for "english_xml.wiiu.stream(1)", and the file will fail to work when installed to the Wii U).

Step 5 - This step will fool the Wii U to believe the game is updated. If you skip this part, after installing the game in your USB HD, when you try to play, the console will update the game, and ovewrite the english files back to japanese. Go to the "Sonic Boom (English Fixed)" folder you have decrypted before, open the CODE folder, and open the app.xml file. You can use the Windows notepad to do it. Look for this line:

<title_version type="hexBinary" length="2">0000</title_version>

Change the 0000 to 0010:

<title_version type="hexBinary" length="2">0010</title_version>

Save the app.xml file and close it.

Step 6 - Now you need to encrypt the files of "Sonic Boom (English Fixed)" folder. Follow the encrypt tutorial above in this thread.

Step 7 - Delete or move the Code/Content/Meta folders from your "Sonic Boom (English Fixed)" folder, and put the files from NUSpacker output folder in the "Sonic Boom (English Fixed)" folder. Copy the "Sonic Boom (English Fixed)" folder to your Wii U SD card install folder (sd:\install). After the copy is done, put your SD card into your Wii U, turn the console ON, launch the WUP Installer app (https://gbatemp.net/threads/release-wup-installer-gx2-rpx-channel.456199/) through Homebrew Launcher. Choose your "Sonic Boom (English Fixed)", click on "install", when asked to install in the Nand or USB, choose USB (never install an edited game to the Nand, there's a brick risk if you do it). Wait for the install to finish, load your prefered CFW (Haxchi, Mocha, etc), go to the main menu, choose the Sonic Boom icon, and BOOM, the game is installed in your Japanese Wii U, totally working and in English.

Game: Sonic Lost World (USA)
Method: Retail disc and Install to External USB Hard Drive
Problem: USA version load the Japanese language. It refuses to change language to English with Apps like Spiik

Solution:

Spoiler

The game has language options menu. Just go to the "New Game" Screen (はじめから), touch the little book with an "A" on the cover at the bottom of the screen. The Language select screen will open, the first row of flags it's for the Voices, the second row for the Texts. Select the prefered language and press A.

Game: Star Fox Zero (USA)
Method: Install to External USB Hard Drive
Problem: USA version won't start (it gives a black screen after the splash screen). JPN version works, but the game doesn't has English files, so it only plays in Japanese.

Solution:

Spoiler

Step 1 - Download the american version of the game and decrypt it (to decrypt, follow the tutorial above in this thread)

Step 2 - Create a new folder (outside the "Star Fox Zero (USA)" folder) and name it something like "Star Fox Zero (Fixed Language)". Move the 3 folders (code/content/meta) from the "Star Fox Zero (USA)" folder to the "Star Fox Zero (Fixed Language)" folder.

Step 3 - Go to the "stream" folder (located in: Star Fox Zero (Fixed Language)/content/sound/stream). Inside the stream folder, there's a folder called "English(US)". Rename it to "Japanese".

Step 4 - Now, we have to unpack the file "data003.cpk". First, download the application Repacker CPK:

https://mega.nz/file/QIdk3KaK#42oEOSHwTQ1WvfSRIPr9rOECz6_Q4FUUTE6LDeRCe7Q

Now, unzip/unrar the application. In the Repacker CPK folder, open the "CPKTools.exe" file. The program will open. In the "Unpack CPK" section, Click "browse" in the CPK File option, and find the "data003.cpk" file, located in "Star Fox Zero (Fixed Language)/content" folder. Next, click on "browse" in the Save Path option, to browse for the location where the unpacked files will be saved. I recommend to create a folder in the desktop, you can name it "Unpacked data003". After you defined the Save Path location, in the Repack CPK program, click on "Decompress". A CMD window will open and it will start to decompress your data003.cpk file inside the "Unpacked data003" folder you created in your desktop.

Step 5 - After it finishes to unpack, open the "Unpacked data003" folder, now theres some folders inside of it, open the folder "UI". Inside this folder, you will notice that theres a lot of .dat files, and some of them has "_us" in the name. You need to remove this "_us" from the name of the files, with the exception of the file "ui_msg_sector_gamma_us.dat", because this specific file, already has a version without the "_us" in this folder, and the version without the "_us" is much bigger than the version with "_us". I don't know if leaving this file intact will make the game crash or show japanese texts in the "Sector Gamma" stage, so I left this information for future reference or attempt to fix any problems. The other files, you must remove the "_us" from the name. Before renaming it, they will look like this: "ui_logo_us.dat" and after you remove the "_us" it must be like this: "ui_logo.dat". Double check if you didn't left any "_us" in any file, with the exception of "ui_msg_sector_gamma_us.dat".

Step 6 - Now, still inside the "Unpacked data003" folder, open the "VO" folder. Inside the folder, rename the file "voffff_us.dat" to "voffff.dat".

Step 7 - In this next part, we need to repack the "Unpacked data003" folder. In the Repack CPK program, in the "Build CPK" section, click on "browse" in the Data Path line. Search for your "Unpacked data003" folder in your desktop, and click "ok". And at the bottom, in the "Save Path" line, click on "browse", select your desktop and name the file as "data003". Click in "ok". And now, click "Build" in the program. It will start to repack your new edited "data003.cpk" file in your desktop. A CMD window will open and show the progress of the repacking. Around 80% it gets slower, have patience and wait to finish it. When it's done, it will create a "data003.cpk" file in your desktop, with the size around of 789mb. Copy this file and paste in your "Star Fox Zero (Fixed Language)/content" folder. Windows will ask to replace the existing file, click "yes" to rewrite.

Step 8 - Now you need to encrypt your "Star Fox Zero (Fixed Language)" folder, to encrypt, follow the tutorial above, in the beginning of this thread. After you finish the encrypting, delete or move the "code/content/meta" folders inside your "Star Fox Zero (Fixed Language)" folder, and transfer all the files from the "NUSPacker/output" folder to your "Star Fox Zero (Fixed Language)" folder.

Step 9 - Copy the "Star Fox Zero (Fixed Language)" folder to your Wii U SD card install folder (sd:\install). After the copy is done, put your SD card into your Wii U, turn the console ON, launch the WUP Installer app (https://gbatemp.net/threads/release-wup-installer-gx2-rpx-channel.456199/) through Homebrew Launcher. Choose your "Star Fox Zero (Fixed Language)", click on "install", when asked to install in the Nand or USB, choose USB (never install an edited game to the Nand, there's a brick risk if you do it). Wait for the install to finish, load your prefered CFW (Haxchi, Mocha, etc), go to the main menu, choose the Star Fox Zero icon, and that's it, the game is installed in your Japanese Wii U, totally working and in English.

Game: The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild (USA)
Method: Real retail disc
Problem: Disc won't start, even if you use Region Free unlocking apps like "Ourloader".

Solution:

Spoiler

Beware! You'll be messing with Nand files in this solution. Any wrong settings and you can potenttialy brick your console. You're responsible if you try to do this method and something goes terribly wrong

Step 1 - Download FTPIIU from here: https://github.com/FIX94/ftpiiu/releases/tag/v0.4u2-cbhc

Step 2 - Create a folder called "ftpiiu" inside your "apps" folder in the Wii U sd card (sd:\wiiu\apps\). Put your downloaded "ftpiiu.elf" file inside the "ftpiiu" folder.

Step 3 - In your computer, install any FTP program of your preference (I use Filezilla: https://filezilla-project.org/)

Step 4 - Be sure your Wii U and Computer are connected in the same network. Put your SD card back to your Wii U. Launch your CFW through Haxchi (launch Haxchi and hold B button in the Haxchi splash screen. Hold untill the black screen close and a white screen appears). Open Haxchi again to start the Homebrew Launcher. Go to FTPIIU and load the app. Your gamepad will show a black screen with an IP number and a Port number, something similar to this:

192.168.0.15:21, where 192.168.0.15 is your Wii U ip number in the network, and 21 the port.

Step 5 - In your computer, start your FTP program. Choose "Start New Connection" or something like this (it depends of the program you're using). If you're using Filezilla, In "Host" put the Wii U ip number, and in "Port" your Wii U port number. No need to put anything in "User" and "Password". Click on "Quick Connection". If a window pop up, just click "OK".

Step 6 - Filezilla will access your Wii U Nand folders. Be extremely careful dealling with these files. Don't edit anything besides the file I'll point out, and just the number I'll say to you to change. Now, navigate through the Nand folders until you find the sys_prod.xml file. Path to the file: Nand:\storage_slc\config. The files in the folder are shown in the botton right window of the Filezilla UI.

Step 7 - Click with the right mouse button over the sys_prod.xml file. Choose "view/edit". The file will open. look for this line:

<game_region type="unsignedInt" length="4" access="510">1</game_region>

1 is the game region number for Japanese games. Change it for 119:

<game_region type="unsignedInt" length="4" access="510">119</game_region>

Save and close the file. Close the FTP program.

Step 8 - On Wii U, leave the ftpiiu app by pressing home button. Go back to Wii U menu. Turn the console off and then turn it on. If everything went well, your Wii U now is able to launch discs from any region, and this time, Breath of the Wild (USA) will launch without problems.

I'll be trying to make more games to work or load english text. That's all, be careful and have fun![/SPOILER]

 

[nosoyFEaDDiCT]

Same issues here, trying to play games on english and spanish, hahaha.

 

[ProtossEvo]

Same issues here, trying to play games on english and spanish, hahaha.

Let me know which games you're having problem, and if it's real discs or installed to the USB HD, maybe we can help each other. Another stubborn games are Super Mario Land 3d, Pikmin 3, Wii Sports Club (refuses to work in english).

 

[cearp]

I take it that means there is no region change done for wii u? Interesting.
It's probably possible to do as long as you have coldboothax.

 

[ProtossEvo]

I take it that means there is no region change done for wii u? Interesting.
It's probably possible to do as long as you have coldboothax.

Actually I didn't dare to change the console region. Because the eastern consoles have a more different firmware than western ones, switching regions can be fearsome, I guess. I only did the edit in the sys_prod.xml to change the game regions that the console can read (and just for disc, not for installed games). We can say the solutions I'm pointing out here, are less invasive to the console system than trying to setup a rednand, changing the sysnand region, etc...

 

[nosoyFEaDDiCT]

Let me know which games you're having problem, and if it's real discs or installed to the USB HD, maybe we can help each other. Another stubborn games are Super Mario Land 3d, Pikmin 3, Wii Sports Club (refuses to work in english).

Real discs.

I did the "119" thing and have Haxchi with Spiik.

Sometimes I can play my games without going through Haxchi, but they only work on japanese or english or another language if it was included in the japanese version (like Bayonetta, Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101) and I change it in the game menu. Xenoblade Chronicles X works in english right away.

Sometimes I use Spiik and force USA region with english/spanish and I can play just like an american Wii U (The Wonderfull 101), play with some weird things (Bayonetta didn't load the intro scene, but if you press "a" button, then you skip that and works) or play like if I never did anything (Bayonetta 2).

I'm trying to make Xenoblade Chronicles X works with spanish subtitles, but it only works in english. I installed the update with WUP Installer, but maybe I'm doing something wrong. If I force USA with english/spanish, the only thing that changes it's the system Miiverse closer notice.

Also, if you use Spiik to force another region and then go to console settings, the Wii U crashes.

Almost every game I own have something, but when I have time I will try one by one and I will leave you the details.
Sorry if my english is a little weird.

 

[ProtossEvo]

Real discs.

I did the "119" thing and have Haxchi with Spiik.

Sometimes I can play my games without going through Haxchi, but they only work on japanese or english or another language if it was included in the japanese version (like Bayonetta, Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101) and I change it in the game menu. Xenoblade Chronicles X works in english right away.

Sometimes I use Spiik and force USA region with english/spanish and I can play just like an american Wii U (The Wonderfull 101), play with some weird things (Bayonetta didn't load the intro scene, but if you press "a" button, then you skip that and works) or play like if I never did anything (Bayonetta 2).

I'm trying to make Xenoblade Chronicles X works with spanish subtitles, but it only works in english. I installed the update with WUP Installer, but maybe I'm doing something wrong. If I force USA with english/spanish, the only thing that changes it's the system Miiverse closer notice.

Also, if you use Spiik to force another region and then go to console settings, the Wii U crashes.

Almost every game I own have something, but when I have time I will try one by one and I will leave you the details.
Sorry if my english is a little weird.

Don't worry, my English it's not the finest too T.T

EDIT: Can I ask if you can make a list of your discs that work without any trick (haxchi, spiik, 119 etc), and the region of the disc (USA or EUR)? Maybe we can create a post with a list of working games on Japanese Wii U. And what games work with 119, but without using haxchi or spiik, and the region of the disc.

About your case, you mean all these games, are real discs right? For those, there's not much we can do, aside from doing the 119 fix. I know that some discs, has a hard encode that even with the 119 fix and spiik, they simply won't work in English.

The only way to overcome these problems, it is with a installation in the USB HD, because we can swap, edit files and fool the console. Maybe an edited Update, installed via WUP, to work along the real disc, could work, problem is, NUSpacker fails to encrypt properly update files. Games are ok, but Updates, the encryption does something strange, that screw the files when installed via WUP. WUP will say it installed normally, but when you go to Data Management in the console settings, you can see the update file become 10x tinier than the NUSpacker encrypted update file. That's the main trick of my solution, to prevent the console to update the games, so the language swaped files are not overwriten. If the edited and then encrypted, Update files, could work normally, it would be much more easier to fix all these language headache for Japanese Wii U owners.

I thought about simply buying an USA Wii U. But it seems the console is already considered a "collection piece", because everyone on eBay, Amazon, are asking a fortune for one console. Here in Japan, they pratically give to you for some coins. Bizarre.

Another thing I'll be looking for, is to compile a list of which downloaded JPN games, has selectable english language (even if it's hidden, like Bayonetta 1), and if spiik can force english language. If it does, I'll try to find real discs, Japan version, to buy. And I'll be testing USA games that are region free, unlike Mario Kart 8 for example, that freezes on Japanese Wii U.

 

[jenhuei]

hi. i m new here. got myself a wii u jap without researching and m stuck with the japanese language game. would love to contribute to this. understand from above we need to decrypt and encrypt the game to make changes however i was thinking what about ftp into the USB on installed game and edit from there?

 

[jenhuei]

Following the guide n made some improvement i manage to repack EN sub to Super Mario 3D world, Mario Party 10, Mario Kart 8 and Paper Mario Color Splash.

Something i done slightly different from above.
1. Using Wii USB Helper to unpack instead of using cdecrypt as i found that some game cannot be decrypt with that (eg. Mario Party 10)
2. Always use the Japanese version of the game as base and search for the ".msbt" file in the content folder and replace it with the same msbt from the US version of the game.
3. Some game have different graphic for some of the scene in the game (eg. Paper Mario) and normally these files will have the JPN_ja somewhere in the filename while the US counterpart will have USA_en. you may rename the file from the US version to JPN_ja and replace it into the japanese. This is harder to replace as they are all over the place.

 

[Newwiiuuser]

Following the guide n made some improvement i manage to repack EN sub to Super Mario 3D world, Mario Party 10, Mario Kart 8 and Paper Mario Color Splash.

Something i done slightly different from above.
1. Using Wii USB Helper to unpack instead of using cdecrypt as i found that some game cannot be decrypt with that (eg. Mario Party 10)
2. Always use the Japanese version of the game as base and search for the ".msbt" file in the content folder and replace it with the same msbt from the US version of the game.
3. Some game have different graphic for some of the scene in the game (eg. Paper Mario) and normally these files will have the JPN_ja somewhere in the filename while the US counterpart will have USA_en. you may rename the file from the US version to JPN_ja and replace it into the japanese. This is harder to replace as they are all over the place.

I have an NTSC WiiU and trying to play Mario Party 10 and Super Mario 3D World PAL discs. Can you help about those?

 

[jenhuei]

I have an NTSC WiiU and trying to play Mario Party 10 and Super Mario 3D World PAL discs. Can you help about those?

unfortunately i have no experience with disc version. But in order to play game from other region You need to mod your console with mocha or haxchi before you could proceed (proceed with caution and watch some youtube video to familiarize yourself with it as it might brick your console).

 

[Newwiiuuser]

unfortunately i have no experience with disc version. But in order to play game from other region You need to mod your console with mocha or haxchi before you could proceed (proceed with caution and watch some youtube video to familiarize yourself with it as it might brick your console).

It is already done. Region hax is already done. See my thread:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-make-super-mario-3d-world-and-mario-party-10-region-free.577016/

 

[tabzer]

Finally got Star Fox running thanks to this. It's complicated, but it seems like there is no better solution. I just hope I was thorough enough, because I'd hate to have to re-do the process.

 

[jenhuei]

It is already done. Region hax is already done. See my thread:

you have a japanese wii u? instead of the disc. why dont u download the same and play via USB? the game is available by downloading Wii U USB Helper.

Mario PArty 10
You will need the japanese version and also the english version of the game. both can be gotten from Wii USB Helper.
Once you have downloaded the game unpack it from Wii U USB helper.

1. Unpack both the completed game in Wii U USB Helper
1. Use the japanese version of the game as based
3. From the extracted japanese game go to "code" folder and look for "app.xml" edit the following 2 lines to the value as specified

<version type="unsignedInt" length="4">16</version>
<title_version type="hexBinary" length="2">0060</title_version>

4. Look into the \content\mess folder and locate "JP_Japanese" folder. Now you need to replace the same folder from the english version of the game. Delete the "JP_Japanese" folder and copy the folder of the same from the english version of the game and put them into the \content\mess (japanese) (i think the folder name read something like "US_English" so you need to rename it to "JP_Japanese"before copy over)
5. All the edit is done now use NUSPACKER to pack it by following the instruction in post 1.
6. Install it with WUP Installer GX2

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

after much trial and error i found that not all game will allow the content to be change prior to installation. some game would freeze on bootup if the language file / any file is change. Or the installation will become smaller and not complete rendering the game freeze on bootup.

In this case the language file will need to be edited after installation by using ftpiiu to ftp into the console and change the game data that is already in the usb drive. the rest is more of less the same. look for msbt file and replace it with the english version of the same file.

 

[Gabberhead]

Is it possible to do this kind of fix to the game wipeout 3 usa on eur console without using spiik? Because the game freezes on the splash screen without spiik. Because there is only a usa release of the game.

 

[Newwiiuuser]

you have a japanese wii u? instead of the disc. why dont u download the same and play via USB? the game is available by downloading Wii U USB Helper.

Mario PArty 10
You will need the japanese version and also the english version of the game. both can be gotten from Wii USB Helper.
Once you have downloaded the game unpack it from Wii U USB helper.

1. Unpack both the completed game in Wii U USB Helper
1. Use the japanese version of the game as based
3. From the extracted japanese game go to "code" folder and look for "app.xml" edit the following 2 lines to the value as specified

<version type="unsignedInt" length="4">16</version>
<title_version type="hexBinary" length="2">0060</title_version>

4. Look into the \content\mess folder and locate "JP_Japanese" folder. Now you need to replace the same folder from the english version of the game. Delete the "JP_Japanese" folder and copy the folder of the same from the english version of the game and put them into the \content\mess (japanese) (i think the folder name read something like "US_English" so you need to rename it to "JP_Japanese"before copy over)
5. All the edit is done now use NUSPACKER to pack it by following the instruction in post 1.
6. Install it with WUP Installer GX2

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

after much trial and error i found that not all game will allow the content to be change prior to installation. some game would freeze on bootup if the language file / any file is change. Or the installation will become smaller and not complete rendering the game freeze on bootup.

In this case the language file will need to be edited after installation by using ftpiiu to ftp into the console and change the game data that is already in the usb drive. the rest is more of less the same. look for msbt file and replace it with the english version of the same file.

I have US console but PAL games. This is too much work. Guess I will just buy games from Eshop.And discs will be there for collection.

Btw what is Wii U USB helper? How does it download games? From Torrent? Name USB Helper but it is also a Downloder?

 

[Gabberhead]

I have US console but PAL games. This is too much work. Guess I will just buy games from Eshop.And discs will be there for collection.

Btw what is Wii U USB helper? How does it download games? From Torrent? Name USB Helper but it is also a Downloder?

Wii u usb helper downloads games directly from the nintendo servers. After download u can install them via wup installer if your wii u has a custom firmware. U can download every game, which u can buy on the nintendo eshop store + more.

 

[Newwiiuuser]

Wii u usb helper downloads games directly from the nintendo servers. After download u can install them via wup installer if your wii u has a custom firmware. U can download every game, which u can buy on the nintendo eshop store + more.

So I can have the whole collection with just one program. Simple as that? Why the name USB helper than? Also why nintendo not blocking it and allowing the piracy from the very heart of their own servers? It is very funny actually. Nintendo giving the games freely?

 

[jenhuei]

List of game i have tested on a JAP Wii U so far. You can refer to them as a start. For game listed requiring change to language files you may refer to post no.1 as most of the method is there. You just need to figure out what files need to be replace.

Spoiler: Game list

Assassin's Creed III (DL English Version)
Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
BADLAND Game of the Year edition (DL English Version then use SPIIK Region Changer)
Bayonetta (DL English Version then use SPIIK Region Changer)
Bayonetta 2 ( In-game language setting)
Biohazard Revelations Unveilled Edition (In-game language setting)
Captain Toad : Treasure Tracker (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
Cars 3: Driven to Win (DL English Version)
Chariot (DL English Version then use SPIIK Region Changer)
Child of Light (DL English Version then use SPIIK Region Changer)
Darksiders II (DL English Version)
DEUS EX: Human Rev. Director Cut (DL English Version)
Devil's Third (In-game language setting)
Disney Epic Mickey 2 (DL English Version)
Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition (DL English Version)
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (DL English Version then use SPIIK Region Changer)
Don't Starve : Giant Edition (DL English Version)
Dual Core (DL English Version)
Ducktales: Remastered (DL English Version)
Dungeons & Dragons : Chronicles of Mystara (DL English Version)
F1 Race Stars (DL English Version)
FAST RACING neo (DL English Version then use SPIIK Region Changer)
FIFA 13 (DL English Version)
Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage (DL English Version)
Game & Wario (DL English Version)
Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams (DL English Version then use SPIIK Region Changer)
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship edition (DL English Version)
Hyrule Warriors (DL English Version then use SPIIK Region Changer)
Injustice: Gods Among Us (DL English Version)
Just Dance Disney Party 2 (DL English Version)
Just Dance Kids 2014 (DL English Version)
Kamen Rider: Battride War II (Only Japanese release)
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
LEGO Batman 3 Beyond Gotham (DL English Version)
LEGO City Undercover (DL English Version)
LEGO Jurassic Park (DL English Version)
LEGO MARVEL Avengers (DL English Version)
LEGO MARVEL Super Heroes (DL English Version)
LEGO Star Wars : The Force Awakens (DL English Version)
LEGO The Hobbit (DL English Version)
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (DL English Version then use SPIIK Region Changer)
Mario Kart 8 (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
Mario Party 10 (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
Mario Tennis : Ultra Smash (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate ( DL English Version)
Nano Assault Neo (DL English Version)
NBA 2K13 (DL English Version then use SPIIK Region Changer)
Need For Speed Most Wanted U (DL English Version)
New Super Mario Bros U (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
Ninja Gaiden 3 : Razor Edge (In-game language setting)
Nintendo Land (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
Oddworld New 'n' Tasty (DL English Version)
ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red (DL English Version)
Paper Mario Color Splash (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK) !!!!Some text not display properly
PIKMIN 3 (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
POKKEN Tournament (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
Rayman Legends (DL English Version)
Shantae : Half Genie Hero (DL English Version)
Shantae and the Pirate Curse (DL English Version)
Shovel Knight : Treasure Trove (DL English Version)
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (DL English Version)
Sonic Lost World (In-game language setting)
Splatoon (DL English Version)
Star Fox Zero (Change language files. Cdecrypt, Repacker CPK and NUSPACK)
Stealth Inc 2 : A Game of Clones (DL English Version)
Steamworld Dig (DL English Version)
Steamworld Heist (DL English Version)
Super Mario 3D World (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
Super Mario Maker (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
Swords & Soldiers II (DL English Version)
Teslagrad (DL English Version)
The Amazing Spider Man (DL English Version)
The Amazing Spider Man 2 (DL English Version)
The Fall (DL English Version)
The Legend of Zelda : Breath of the Wild (DL English Version)
The Legend of Zelda : The Wind Waker HD (DL English Version)
The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess HD (DL English Version then use SPIIK Region Changer)
The LEGO Movie Videogame (DL English Version)
The Wonderful 101 (In-game language setting)
Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE (DL English Version)
Transformer Prime (DL English Version)
Trine 2 : Director's Cut (DL English Version)
Trine Enchanted Edition (DL English Version)
Warrior Orochi 3 Hyper (DL English Version)
Wii U Party (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK)
Xenoblade Chronicles X (DL English Version)
yoshi's Woolly World (Change language files. FTPiiu or Cdecrypt and NUSPACK) !!Some text not display properly
ZombiU (DL English Version)

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Is it possible to do this kind of fix to the game wipeout 3 usa on eur console without using spiik? Because the game freezes on the splash screen without spiik. Because there is only a usa release of the game.

What about installing the US version of the game and run without spiik? if the game is available for a specific region only (eg. USA) it should run without any problem as the code does not need to look for other region localization file. In my case i run Kamen Rider (jap only) with SPIIK region change to EUR it will still run without any issue.

What i have found out is that game only freeze if a game is develop for multiple region but the language file is not included in the version you are running

e.g Mario Kart 8 available in multiple region but when you run the USA version on japanese console it will freeze as it is trying to locate the japanese language file which is not in the USA version of the game

Which is why when we replace language file, in some cases we need both the USA and Japanese version of the game.

 

[ProtossEvo]

Finally got Star Fox running thanks to this. It's complicated, but it seems like there is no better solution. I just hope I was thorough enough, because I'd hate to have to re-do the process.

I'm glad to know it helped you! But yeah, it's a little complicated. As long as you do it with calm, read carefully, at least, you need to do only one time per game. I have backups on my computer for all games that I fixed. If for some reason I loose this backups, I'll need to follow my own tutorial in the future (because I already forgot how to do some of this stuff haha).