Hacking WiiU Virtual Console finally fixed! [No More dark filter, and widescreen support!]

[MelonSpeedruns]

Hey guys! Recently, I found out a few things about the VC software of the WiiU. First of all, since the recent breakout of hacking the iQue Player, we were able to dump the ROMs of that Chinese console. Surprisingly enough, the chinese roms worked perfectly in the VC emulator!

(Thanks Jhynjhi for the screenshot.)

For those who don't know, it is possible to replace the rom inside any N64 VC title by just replacing the file inside the "rom" folder.

Another fun fact is that placing multiple ROMs and starting the software will display a debug menu where users can choose their ROM.

I wanted to see if there was a way to fix the problems a lot of people were having with the WiiU Virtual Console, being the dark anti-epilepsy filter. For those who don't know, there was a filter on each game in the Virtual Console library, making them render way darker and way less colorful than any other emulator.

After looking around at the files, the file called "FrameLayout.arc" caught my attention. I know .arc files were openable in Wexos' Toolbox, so I took a look at it in that tool.

As you can see, there is a file called "FrameLayout1080.bflyt".
After openning it again with Wexos' Toolbox, we get this:

If we change the scale of element "frame_mask" to 0, it completly removes the dark filter!
If we want the game to be widescreen, simply change the element "frame" to have a size of 1920x1080.

To save the .arc with the edited .bflyt, you need to save the .blfyt as a seperate file, then right click the original one in the .arc and select "Replace".

This is the final result of the hack:

(Thanks gamemasterplc for the Widescreen patch for the rom.)

In any case, I hope the information here was useful. Have a good day everyone!

 

[b17bomber]

So you have to have a widescreen patch for the rom, otherwise moving the frame to 1080 will just stretch everything I take it?

This is really cool. I hope someone develops a patcher for dummies such as myself!

 

[lurkerer]

Yeah this is cool. Could be used to get games like DK64 running in widescreen without having to change your ratio via TV panel. I guess other games that were not intended for 16:9 will still exhibit the same rendering issues- like the trees not rendering outside the 4:3 render space in Super Mario 64.

Is FrameLayout.arc located in the packaged rom, or part of the emulator files?

 

[MelonSpeedruns]

Directly in the emulator files, right in the "content" folder.

 

[lurkerer]

How could you push the edited value to a console, instead of cemu?

 

[MelonSpeedruns]

Just launch the software with Loadiine or install it on your console after modifying the files.

 

[ShadowOne333]

@the_randomizer hope for all of us!

 

[the_randomizer]

@the_randomizer hope for all of us!

I am honestly confused, what's going on? Checking it out.

Edit: @ShadowOne333 Downloaded the toolbox and I'm editing those values on my end.


Edit 2: @MelonSpeedruns

What exactly did you change in "frame_mask"? There is no value to change to zero.

Never mind, found it, gonna make a quick video.

 

[MelonSpeedruns]

@the_randomizer Hopefully I get credited.

 

[the_randomizer]

@the_randomizer Hopefully I get credited.

Okay, ran into an issue. How do I save it as an .arc file? It won't let me save the changes I made. I will credit you, as soon as I figure out how to save it as the arc.
Could you at least add that part in the OP? It's only letting me save as .blfyt file.

 

[MelonSpeedruns]

I will. You need to save the .blfyt as a seperate file, then right click the original one in the .arc and select "Replace"

 

[the_randomizer]

I will. You need to save the .blfyt as a seperate file, then right click the original one in the .arc and select "Replace"

Oh.. okay. Interesting, will do.

 

[huma_dawii]

Yes!!!!! I want it!

 

[Billy Acuña]

Damn!

Enviado desde mi LG-X240 mediante Tapatalk

 

[bootmonster]

Widescreen unfiltered donkey 64 omfg!!!!!

 

[lurkerer]

It's crazy that the hud overlay elements seem to be remain not stretched, but still repositioned into the corners on that OoT screen shot. I wonder if all games will function like this of if there will be issues.

 

[Wuigi]

While your looking into the emulator, could you look into problematic games like CBFD not running?
Does the multiselect menu change the config file loaded on the fly as well?

 

[the_randomizer]

While your looking into the emulator, could you look into problematic games like CBFD not running?
Does the multiselect menu change the config file loaded on the fly as well?

Pretty sure that's just the emulator not being all that accurate; Rare used some very complex microcode and dev tools that pushed the N64 to do insane things. Other emulators struggle with it, very few run it well. Same goes with Resident Evil 2.

 

[ShadowOne333]

It's crazy that the hud overlay elements seem to be remain not stretched, but still repositioned into the corners on that OoT screen shot. I wonder if all games will function like this of if there will be issues.

That OoT you see in that image is a hacked ROM to allow for proper Widescreen output, don't expect every game to behave like that.

 

[lurkerer]

That OoT you see in that image is a hacked ROM to allow for proper Widescreen output, don't expect every game to behave like that.

Ah, thanks for the clarification- should've read a lil slower.