Hacking WiiKey - How's it still stand?

[littlesushi]

I've installed my good share of WiiKey's and I have one on my own as well, I wouldn't recommend any other chip. All the games run fine for me, and if you have the launch day Wii it's even easier to install. You don't even need wires.

I didn't even know about D2Ckey making upgrades for the WiiKey, that makes things even better.

 

[Hellfenix]

Wiikey site has been down for a while, not sure we'll get any more updates if any other update is ever needed..

 

[MC DUI]

Just get a Wiikey, with the Cyclowiz you need to install a switch in your Wii just to install updates.

And the Wiikey Super Mario update only took them a couple of days to bring out not anywhere near a week.

 

[StacMaster-S]

I've been pretty happy with the Wiikey... if the support was a little more on the ball it would be fantastic, but so far I have no real complaints!

 

[boblen]

It plays my backups

Thats all it needs to do.

 

[StacMaster-S]

I think the real test is going to be future support from now on... now that their site is offline I'm certainly a little worried that a game like Smash Bros may possibly have new protection and the Wiikey team may decide to discontinue support altogether.

Just have to wait and see!

 

[hamchan]

Don't worry, the team has stated that they had to shut down their website because of where they are and the legal issues that surround them there. They say that they will release new updates when it is needed (eg. new copy protection) on to scene sites like wiinewz.com, support is still gonna be produced, even if they don't get their site back.

 

[bluebright]

I recommend the Wiikey.

Oh, and I'm pretending that the jap version is going to work on PAL as well. Lets hope it actually does.

 

[antpod]

I'm also in the same boat wanting to mod my Wii for the Jap Smash but I got a couple of questions that still need to be answered before I dive in:

-Is Wiikey online friendly?(Will I be able to play Smash online using Wiikey or what about previous games, say I have Mario Strikers and I have Wiikey installed, will online work and be safe? And what about access to Virtual Console and other online channels?)

-Does it play all imports as long as there is not something like a SMG fiasco and what about backed up imports?

-Now say I'm done with my fill of the chip and Nintendo releases a firmware upgrade and I want to stop using the chip and upgrade and use the new official firmware, how does that work?

 

[MC DUI]

I'm also in the same boat wanting to mod my Wii for the Jap Smash but I got a couple of questions that still need to be answered before I dive in:

-Is Wiikey online friendly?(Will I be able to play Smash online using Wiikey or what about previous games, say I have Mario Strikers and I have Wiikey installed, will online work and be safe? And what about access to Virtual Console and other online channels?)

-Does it play all imports as long as there is not something like a SMG fiasco and what about backed up imports?

-Now say I'm done with my fill of the chip and Nintendo releases a firmware upgrade and I want to stop using the chip and upgrade and use the new official firmware, how does that work?

All online games at the moment work fine with modchips including the Wiikey. I can confirm this as I have a wiikey'd Wii and I've played Strikers online several times.

The Wiikey will play all import games so long as they are region-free. Not all Wii games can be played between regions.
The Wiikey will play any import games that any other modchip is able to.

If you want to remove the chip then you would either have to cut the wires to the chip or de-solder it from your Wii.

 

[antpod]

I'm also in the same boat wanting to mod my Wii for the Jap Smash but I got a couple of questions that still need to be answered before I dive in:

-Is Wiikey online friendly?(Will I be able to play Smash online using Wiikey or what about previous games, say I have Mario Strikers and I have Wiikey installed, will online work and be safe? And what about access to Virtual Console and other online channels?)

-Does it play all imports as long as there is not something like a SMG fiasco and what about backed up imports?

-Now say I'm done with my fill of the chip and Nintendo releases a firmware upgrade and I want to stop using the chip and upgrade and use the new official firmware, how does that work?


All online games at the moment work fine with modchips including the Wiikey. I can confirm this as I have a wiikey'd Wii and I've played Strikers online several times.

The Wiikey will play all import games so long as they are region-free. Not all Wii games can be played between regions.
The Wiikey will play any import games that any other modchip is able to.

If you want to remove the chip then you would either have to cut the wires to the chip or de-solder it from your Wii.

Ah, thanks. So are Nintendo games always region free? And would upgrading the firmware with official Nintendo firmware while there is homebrew firmware installed do any damage or is it safe?

 

[MC DUI]

Ah, thanks. So are Nintendo games always region free? And would upgrading the firmware with official Nintendo firmware while there is homebrew firmware installed do any damage or is it safe?

Well so far Metriod3 and Mario Galaxy USA releases have both worked on PAL consoles.

Upgrading your Wii's operating system software so far has not had any impact on the operation of DVD Drive firmware modchips.

However this doesn't mean that a system update in the future could disable the chip or brick your Wii. Just don't update your console software until you have checked online to see if it is safe to do so.

 

[antpod]

Ah, thanks. So are Nintendo games always region free? And would upgrading the firmware with official Nintendo firmware while there is homebrew firmware installed do any damage or is it safe?


Well so far Metriod3 and Mario Galaxy USA releases have both worked on PAL consoles.

Upgrading your Wii's operating system software so far has not had any impact on the operation of DVD Drive firmware modchips.

However this doesn't mean that a system update in the future could disable the chip or brick your Wii. Just don't update your console software until you have checked online to see if it is safe to do so.

Ah ok, and say it is safe to upgrade and you do and then you have regular Nintendo firmware, would any firmware updates after that have any effect and still require checking safety?(or would you also have to de-soldier it?) Thanks for answering all these questions by the way.

 

[MC DUI]

Ah, thanks. So are Nintendo games always Ah ok, and say it is safe to upgrade and you do and then you have regular Nintendo firmware, would any firmware updates after that have any effect and still require checking safety?(or would you also have to de-soldier it?) Thanks for answering all these questions by the way.

You would need to check each time to see if the Wii update is safe, however no update (As long as the update is for your region Wii) so far has done any damage to a modded Wii.

Note that if you try to install updates from other regions you can end up bricking your Wii.

You don't need to desolder your chip to install Wii updates.

 

[antpod]

Hmmm, ok thanks.

Sounds like I might go through with this, one more thing though, so after I install the chip does the Wii even notice it? How do you take control of the chip and update the firmware? Through a burned DVD with the contents? Is there a speficic way of burning it or is it just burning an image to a dvd? And would you be able to point me to where I can find Wiikey firmware or is that not allowed on the forum?

 

[MC DUI]

You update the Wiikey's firmware via a image burnt to a DVD.

No need to do anything special when burning the update DVD.

You can get the update from this site - http://gbatemp.net/index.php?download=1218

 

[antpod]

You update the Wiikey's firmware via a image burnt to a DVD.

No need to do anything special when burning the update DVD.

You can get the update from this site - http://gbatemp.net/index.php?download=1218

Thanks, and now for my last question, just to get everything straight. I install the chip, burn the image to a dvd, put in the dvd and turn on wii, it updates the firmware to homebrew, and then my Wii is ready for imports and backups? Also is there a special way of burning Wii images to DVD or is it just like any dvd image burning?

 

[MC DUI]

Firstly before playing any games I would connect your Wii to the web to download the latest system update. (Unless you have already done this)

Then yep follow what you said. But the modchip won't allow you to run Wii homebrew no modchip does this yet, but you can run Gamecube homebrew.

Burning Wii images is just like burning any other ISO image.

 

[antpod]

Firstly before playing any games I would connect your Wii to the web to download the latest system update. (Unless you have already done this)

Then yep follow what you said. But the modchip won't allow you to run Wii homebrew no modchip does this yet, but you can run Gamecube homebrew.

Burning Wii images is just like burning any other ISO image.

When you say connect it to the internet and get the latest system update do you mean the actual official Nintendo system update in the regular options and that runs safely with the modchip firmware? Or do you mean there is some specific menus for the wiikey firmware which allows me to update its firmware? Does the modchip and the homebrew firmware even change anything visually about the Wii's interface or does it stay the same?

 

[MC DUI]

I was talking about the official Nintendo system update for your Wii.

The modchip has to be updated via the DVD firmware I linked you to.

The modchip wont change the appearance of your menus on your Wii in anyway. It will just allow you to boot burnt Wii ISOs and burnt GCN ISOs and homebrew.