Hacking What exactly is a wad file?

[WaterManny1]

Is it just another way to download the same game or is it a rom? For example, if i wanted, say, Castlevania Adventure Rebirth. and i downloaded it from the eshop, would that be the same thing as downloading a wad and installing it? Like would the game from the wad still be the same as the one i downloaded, i.e. the one that is shown on the shop? or is it like a rom where the two games are different? (different in the sense that it's not the original product but a copy of the game.)

From what i gather, the wad file is the same exact game as if you just downloaded from the e-shop, but it's just a different way of getting that exact same game.

 

[FancyNintendoGamer567]

WADs is a ripped version of channels from a Wii. If you can install something as a channel, then you can rip it to a WAD.

 

[GreyWolf]

They're distribution archive files similar to ZIP/RAR except they're not compressed. Downloading them from the shop doesn't use a WAD file as far as I know. It downloads the .app files directly from NUS to a temporary directory then uses internal functions to install the content.

 

[MaxiBash]

To keel it short, a *.wad file is a special decrypted file that can demand the Wii to install whatever is extracted. Each *.wad has tickets, commands and *.app files which contain decrypted folders and *.xml files.