When NCSX got their shipment of Japanese copies of Mario Kart Wii, they immediately popped a disc into a U.S. system to test the rumor that it wouldn't work with the Freeloader. At first, their experience bore that rumor out: the game boots to a black screen. But what we thought would break Freeloader support actually seems to have fixed it: after updating the Wii's firmware to version 3.1U (with a Brawl disc), Mario Kart ran just fine through the Freeloader. Of course, this is no guarantee all updates will be so accommodating to the Freeloader, but you've at least got the green light to import Kart.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-10-2008 @ 5:41PM
snkngshps said...
I know Brawl was the first Wii game to be put on a dual layer DVD and I think the update that came with Brawl helped the Wii read dual layer. Maybe Mario Kart Wii is also dual layer and needed that update to run.
Reply
4-10-2008 @ 8:44PM
Pie Pants said...
Mario Kart is a single layer disc.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: US consoles have IOS37. IOS37 is not used by the system menu. When the system menu is updated to 3.3U, *that* will probably stop the Freeloader working.
Until then, stop panicking. Mario Kart has no way of blocking Freeloader.
4-10-2008 @ 5:45PM
Mr Khan said...
This whole picture seems to be painting my idea that the whole thing is very much "use at your own risk"
Reply
4-10-2008 @ 5:48PM
JC Fletcher said...
Of course it is. It's an unlicensed peripheral.
4-10-2008 @ 7:09PM
Mr Khan said...
Yes, but more so than other unlicensed peripherals
Unless you were running experimental code, Action Replay for GC worked like a charm most of the time
4-10-2008 @ 6:01PM
FantomRedux said...
I want a freeloader, just so i can play brawl before the wii hits its 2nd birthday (Guess itll teach me for living in the uk), but i cant afford brawl on top of a free loader. Although I am gettin MK tommorow :) bye bye metroid, hello mario kart ^^
Reply
4-10-2008 @ 7:04PM
Jay said...
I don't see why anyone's gonna import MK anyway. Its not like Brawl where America had to wait a month and Europe has to wait ??? months. every region will have it within a couple weeks of each other (and europe even gets it BEFORE us)
Reply
4-11-2008 @ 1:11AM
Garst said...
I won't even bother importing. At the cost of importing and obtaining a copy of Freeloader, it's not worth it. Besides, by the time I get both Mario Kart will be out.
Reply
4-11-2008 @ 8:58AM
Leeroy said...
The thing I'd like to know is what about the MarioKart channel.
If you do choose to import(for whatever reason), does the channel install and work fine on a different region console, this to me looks like the biggest possible issue after the compatibility of the disk iteslf as the channel is obviously pretty essential for online play.
Reply