| Wii-U Modding Getting the Wii-U ready for the Post-Support Future |
I have this specific thing with the lifecycle of modern game consoles like the Wii-U and others, especially those like these from Nintendo that rely on an internet connected "service" to work - I mod them once the primary company starts shutting down the services. I believe these devices - like any other console in the past, should be reckoned as "abandoned" as soon as a company stops supporting, and stops providing online services for it, and these devices should become fair-game for modding.
I got a Wii-U just a few short months before Nintendo shut down all their Wii-related services as the "Switch" is the new thing. My idea, mod it, just like I've done my Wii consoles. It turns out this was a lot easier, and offers some benefits over the Wii systems. A shame Nintendo didn't make/sell more of these Wii U units. The main reason I wanted to mod the Wii-U, was because of the controller. One of the best controllers in recent history is the Wii-U gamepad. It's basically a "sattelite" for the console itself, and allows you to play anything all over the house. It's basically the proto-switch. This includes the official releases, virtual console titles, and even homebrew stuff. Other reasons included protection against the Disc Drive dying (which happened to our Wii we got in 2010) by ripping discs to SSD (Wii and Wii-U), as well as allowing for FTP based management of the softmods overall.Part 1: The Aroma Custom Firmware The first thing we are going to need, is the Aroma Custom Firmware - the instructions are here - Wii-U Hacks Guide - so rather than re-invent the wheel, I'm just going to post the link, and then boil it down to a simple step guide. Basically, the steps in a nutshell are...
So what are the benefits of this? Well, first off, you now can play online games via the Pretendo network, install homebrews (Homebrew Channel is a part of this), and even access the official repository to reinstall things from the now defunct and otherwise inaccessible E-shop. To be safe, probably wise to avoid most official nintendo things when in the CFW, and run those things OUTSIDE CFW - hence why I don't auto-boot aroma. View it as sort of like running Linux on your Wii instead of Windows or Apple, except it uses the same UI and other parts. I view the two as separate systems, one an outdated system dropped by a Corporation, the other as a updated opensource system upheld by users and hobbyist developers to continue the usefulness of a post-internet-age console. That said, we're not out of the weeds yet... Part 2: Wii-U and vWii ExpliainedSo, the Wii-U is a "backwards compatible" console. That means, it runs WII software. It also can run Gamecube games, N64, NES, SNES, and anything else really so as long as theire's a Virtual Console app or emulator written for it. When the Wii-U is running older Virtual Console applications, or Wii software, it switches into a Wii Compatible mode called Virtual Wii or vWii for short. This mode looks, feels, and runs, just like the old 2005-2014 O.G. Wii console. Runs the same software, even compatible with (some, maybe most) original Wii Virtual Console apps and WiiWare. It does have a catch though - you cannot use the Wii-U Gamepad with it (at least, not this way), because the Wii-U gamepad is not supported by vWii. What you can do in the standard variant of this mode, is get a WiiMote, sync it to the Wii-U in Wii-U mode, then go to vWii mode, and use the Wii Gamepad as a sensor bar! That said, there are some items for Wii-U called "Injects" which put an icon for vWii programs, games, and software, on the desktop of the Wii-U interface. it seems sometime around 2021 or so, a developer made a driver for the Wii-U that allows vWii apps, through Injects, to utilize the gamepad. Software I know that does this is Not64 (N64 Emulatior though it's broken on my install), SNES9X GX, and FCEUX - the latter two I both have on my O.G. Wii actually (which is also modded). Part 3: Wii Homebrew Channel Apps & WUP Package Installer So with those explainations out of the way, let's talk about the Wii Homebrew Channel, which gets installed by default. This is basically a channel to install homebrew apps (and even launch them) so that you can run them on your Wii-U. Part 4: NusPli - official Server An option for getting old Virtual Console content is a program called NusPli, which connects to the Nintendo Update Server (get it, NUS), and allows you to pull the software from the official server. This is sort of a gray area, and typically, by code of ethics, I only use it for software I already purchased (or purchased for my Wii because the shop channel was gone by the time I started using the Wii-U). Basically, Nintendo tore down their interfaces for buying/downloading content, but they left the server up. This option won't exist forever though, someday it will go away. My Code of Ethics - I believe this should be used only for software you own, or can show a right to. That said, some argue, and I agree with this as well but don't practice on it due to the murky legal crap of today's digital world, that because Nintendo does not offer these specific SKUs for sale, it's fine and dandy, but some would still argue "tough shit, it's piracy, plain and simple, you should just do without, or buy a fuckin' switch!". I walk in the middle, I own a physical copy of NintendoLand, so I should be fine installing it from this resource. But I'm not going to fill my whole NAND with crap from this service just because I have an access to a ton of crap. That's also a good way to give yourself choice-paralysis. Part 5: vWii - Modding, this is bloody familiar VWii applications are installed a little differently than those from the Wii-U side. Wii-U side seems pretty consistant with using folders with *.app files imp[orted through WUP, downloaded with NusPLI, or copied to the \apps folder on the SDCARD. Wii Applications are typically installed either on the root of the SD Card, or in the \apps folder, and consist of a *.dol, *.elf, and *.xml file to function in my experience....and maybe some other resource files. They need a forwarder from the vWii side to be accessible outside the Homebrew Browser for vWii, and they need a forwarder from the Wii-U side if you're like me and intending to use these programs from the Wii-U side with the gamepad like a sattelite-Game Boy-Device. Part 6: The Esoterics of Emulation |
