Gaming Wii: No sound in some games

[Hateshinai]

I've got a weird problem with my Wii ("go see a doctor about that" ). Basically when I try to play Zelda: TP I get no sound except for effects coming out of the Wiimote. Same thing happens when I play the GC Mario Kart, although with Kart there usually is few seconds of music before it goes silent.
I tried the games on the Wii before I softmodded it and the problem was there already. I was running firmware 3.4E. It's a second hand PAL Wii in great condition and the discs are originals and have no scratches.
I softmodded the Wii and then upgraded to 4.1E. Still no sound.
I tried to boot through a loader but it made no difference.
Mario Kart works perfect on my Gamecube.
I tried an iso of Twilight Princess and still no sound.
I even tried my GC version of Twilight Princess and it has no sound on the Wii.
I tried different sound setting from the Wii menu (Mono/Stereo/Surround) with no improvement.
When I pres Home there is no sound when selecting to go back to the Wii System Menu. In fact the sound only comes back after it resets to the main Wii menu.
Other games I've tried up to now work well.

Has anyone got any idea what on earth is going on? It seems that those games shut down the sound output to the TV.
Has anyone had a similar problem?

 

[Taleweaver]

If the problem was there before the softmod, I'd say it is more a hardware than a software error.


Take gamecube games. There have been attempts to get them running from something aside DVD. This is harder to do than with wii games because gamecube games "access the hardware directly", but still moderately successful. But the most prevalent error is with games that make use of 'streaming audio', which is some sort of special direct connection between the DVD player and the audio output. I don't know much of the technical details, but the fact alone that some games have it and others don't show that audio can be accessed and used in different ways. If I have to guess, I'd say that one of those ways on your wii got broken.


(note: perhaps trying it with a different cable connecting to your TV may also help)

 

[Hateshinai]

I should have a different cable in a few days time but I'm not expecting it to work any better.
The last thing I can try is running the game from a USB disc rather than from the DVD itself. If it's a problem of DVD drive communicating with the output (as you suggested), then it might work. Ill try it when I have some time and update here.

 

[Hateshinai]

I tried running Zelda from a USB disc. Same exact problem: no sound except from the remote. Other games work fine. I have no clue what is happening.

Futher Update: Super Mario Galaxy has the same problem with one exception: no sound during gameplay but perfect sound during the cut-scenes.

Update 3: I found some more GC games with the same problem: Mario Sunshine, Zelda: Four Swords, Zelda: Wind Waker.

Link's crossbow Training has no sound except for the countdowns.

So it would appear that my Wii is allergic to Zelda (only GC Zelda Collector's Edition works correctly) and to 3D Mario games (NSMB works well). That's a bit of a problem...

 

[Donkey Plonk]

I tried the games on the Wii before I softmodded it and the problem was there already.

It's a second hand PAL Wii in great condition

Unfortunately those 2 lines contradict each other. This may well be the reason it is second hand and the old person may now have a new wii.

Gotta be honest, I'm an ex hardware repairer/installer, spent a lot of time on various wii forums since its release. I have never come across that problem or even read of anyone experiencing it on any of the forums ever.

It can only be one of a couple of things.
1) The wii is knackered, send to nintendo (remove hacks first, properly) and get them to fix it
2) Your av cable is knackered
3) Your av rca plugs or your scart adapter or component cables aren't plugged properly into the scart adapter or tv properly
4) Your tv's scart socket or rca plugs or component input rca plug sockets are knackered, try a different tv

Other than that, not a lot it can be. One thing, it definately aint a software fault

 

[Hateshinai]

Thanks for the suggestions. I bought the console from a friend's son and he honestly never came across the same problem but he never had any of the problem games. I tried replugging everything and even tried a different TV. I should be getting a component cable soon so I'll see if it makes a difference. The weird thing is how specific the problem is: it only affects Zelda and Mario games.
As for sending it off to Nintendo: the postage would cost me an arm and a leg since I live on an island. It's almost cheaper to but another Wii (console only)! Which is what I will probably do if the new Zelda turns up to have the same problem. In that case I'll keep the second Wii unmodded.
At this point I'm mostly just curious of the reason behind the sound abnormalities.

 

[Donkey Plonk]

In that case I'll keep the second Wii unmodded.
At this point I'm mostly just curious of the reason behind the sound abnormalities.

As you've already said, it did it before it was modded. In which case, blaming the mod makes no sense. It just sounds like a random hardware fault with that wii or something like the left channel of the lead not working

 

[Hielkenator]

You don't have modchip installed?

 

[Hateshinai]

In that case I'll keep the second Wii unmodded.
At this point I'm mostly just curious of the reason behind the sound abnormalities.

As you've already said, it did it before it was modded. In which case, blaming the mod makes no sense. It just sounds like a random hardware fault with that wii or something like the left channel of the lead not working

I'm not blaming the mod. I intend to leave the second Wii (if I buy one) unmodded since I'll be using it to play the Zelda and Mario Galaxy games which I buy original anyway. This way I don't have to worry about going online or firmware updates disabling my Homebrew channel, and I will have my current Wii for the "naughty" software.

A channel lead fault should still give me sound from the other channel, right? I got nothing and it's always on the same games.

I don't have a modchip, by the way.

 

[Donkey Plonk]

In that case I'll keep the second Wii unmodded.
At this point I'm mostly just curious of the reason behind the sound abnormalities.

As you've already said, it did it before it was modded. In which case, blaming the mod makes no sense. It just sounds like a random hardware fault with that wii or something like the left channel of the lead not working

I'm not blaming the mod. I intend to leave the second Wii (if I buy one) unmodded since I'll be using it to play the Zelda and Mario Galaxy games which I buy original anyway. This way I don't have to worry about going online or firmware updates disabling my Homebrew channel, and I will have my current Wii for the "naughty" software.

A channel lead fault should still give me sound from the other channel, right? I got nothing and it's always on the same games.

I don't have a modchip, by the way.

Sounds like a huge waste to me.

Sell the current wii as is to some poor unsuspecting soul just like you, don't sell it with any of the games the sound is botched on, job done. Then buy another used wii with the proceeds, remod and just have the one frickin wii with all backups working. Sheesh, can never understand these 2 console nutters, just no need with the wii. Its not like the xbox or ps3, no bannings here for mods, and updates, who the f cares about them, they NEVER add anything, only ever combat piracy, why help them?

And the reason I said channel lead fault. Those games may only produce certain sounds from certain channels, I dunno. Either way, sound problem and you haven't even tried the leads yet

This gets better

 

[Hateshinai]

I haven't tried any other leads yet since I don't have any. The local shops overcharge an obscene amount so I bought them from overseas and they are taking their sweet time to arrive.
Selling a malfunctioning Wii knowingly seems to me like a #$%^ thing to do. Not my style.

 

[Donkey Plonk]

I haven't tried any other leads yet since I don't have any. The local shops overcharge an obscene amount so I bought them from overseas and they are taking their sweet time to arrive.
Selling a malfunctioning Wii knowingly seems to me like a #$%^ thing to do. Not my style.

Maybe not, but someone did it to you dude. And that was bought from a "friend".
Some friend they turned out to be, man up dude, just sell the shit and be done with it. If you don't wanna upset some poor kid then just go to gamestation or something and sell it as a preowned, you'll get decent enough money back. Who in their right mind has a problem they can fob off and says no no, I shall not let anybody else have the issue. This is my problem, I should go waste $150 to resolve it.

Screw that, get it sold and get a new one. Could have had it done in all the time you've been moaning on this thread and you still aint tried the cables, lol. Don't you know ANYBODY at all with a wii? Get some more friends man

 

[Hateshinai]

Finally got some component cables. Still no sound on those games. Bugger.