Well, that was fast. That recent update that wouldn't allow users to install the Homebrew Channel? It's been bested, as the Homebrew Channel beta9 has been released. Among working with the latest update, beta9 also brings the following fixes to the table:
Installer / updater now works with the October 23 update
SDHC support
REALLY fixed the memcard bug
Installer now picks newest sane IOS, fixes some beta8 regressions
Added a reload button (for SD card changes)
Return to system menu skips warning
Fixed some graphical glitches
Saner XML load code
Many fixes to underlying stuff in the newer libogc
Apparently, there's a secret recovery mode within the Wii that can be accessed through a special GameCube memory card. What's the significance of this? Well, don't you read post titles? It allows the system to play back-ups.
There isn't much in the way of information regarding the process right now, but the deal seems to be that when this GameCube memory card is inserted into the system, with a unique ID signature present, it takes the Wii into recovery mode, allowing the user to run basically anything. We'll update you all with more information as it's made available.
Update: It appears the recovery mode is only good for fixing "certain bricked consoles." Oh well ...
So, you want to watch your favorite movie or television show on your Wii? It's not as hard as you would think! Thanks to the recent developments in the homebrew community, you only need a few simple files and you're ready to rock some DVDs on your console. So, without further delay, let's get you started!
You remember the "Twilight Hack," right? Well, Pong isn't the only thing folks are using this to run, as one man shows us his homebrew version of Tetris running on the system. Originally created as a homebrew project for the GameCube many years ago, this version of Tetris is lacking the bells and whistles most have taken for granted over the last decade or so. Still, it's impressive to see homebrew running on the Wii.
"Team Twiizers" have just released a hacked save file for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess that allows unsigned code to run. It requires nothing more than an SD card and a copy of Twilight Princess -- no hardware modding needed. Check out the video above, which features not only a demonstration of the hack at work, but also some neat chiptunes from Thomas Detert.
This is just a proof of concept at the moment, but at the end of the video, the group promises an ELF loader, which would allow the Wii to run Linux. This isn't the first time someone has hacked the Wii, but it is the first time the tools have been made available. We look forward to the inevitable rush of neat Wii homebrew applications, if this hack is actually developed to a useful stage.
Remember those dudes that hacked the Wii? Brushing, the guy who presented the exploit at 24C3, was recently interviewed about his future plans for the system. The natural first step, according to him, is to implement a version of SDLoad for the Wii. Then, once that's out of the way, he would like to see a Linux Channel for the console. Still, Brushing notes that it will probably take a while before he and the groups he worked with are able to reach these goals.
Also, if you're worried about this development opening the floodgates for piracy on the Wii, don't be. Brushing seems hesitant, at least for the time being, to release the hacked information and keys to the public.
To read the full interview with the author of the Wii exploit, go here.
Yesterday's Wii system update has been quite the mixed bag. For some, the added keyboard functionality is a great new feature, along with the Virtual Console download information, but for others who enjoy imports, the system update has been the bane of their existence. Now, word hits that the update has killed SD Media Launcher functionality.
While we haven't seen much on the homebrew scene for the Wii, it looks like those who enjoy completely legal homebrew are left up the proverbial creek without the required paddle.
Okay, we (and by we, I'm pretty sure here I only mean me) may be fans of Wii Fit, but we still have to offer up some props to this guy for sliding in a humorous reference to the balance board and the forthcoming fitness title in naming his altered-Pong video and homemade controller.
But we still laugh when he falls off. No idea what we're talking about? Then hit the break and check out this week's hilarious featured video! Now we just have to work on convincing our wonderful columnist Mike Sylvester to try out something similar (and film it for our pleasure).
Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.
When WiiWare was announced, it seemed like a godsend for the garage developer wishing to make Wii games for mass appreciation. But details on how to get your hands on a WiiWare development kit and the costs involved are not public knowledge, and the official launch of the distribution channel (on the Wii Shop Channel) isn't going to be happening until some time next year. So what's a Wii-loving, budget-restricted developer to do in the meanwhile? Making games for Wii's Opera Browser is one option.
Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.
de Blob has been getting a lot of coverage here lately because it's been announced that the freeware PC game will be making its way to our favorite console. I first heard of the game a few months ago, and it seemed like it could make for an interesting bit of roll-up gaming for my Wiimote in the absence of Katamari. I figured this week would be an opportune time to finish the scripting project I'd started back then and present a script for this gelatinous ball of Technicolor fun.
Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.
The Wii Remote is destined to go down in history as one of those revolutionary advancements that forever changed video gaming.But with the game industry being a business first and foremost, developers are often pigeonholed into sticking with what's proven to work and sell.In recent years, it has been primarily left to the small developers to deliver the big innovations and take the big risks, and homebrew communities are becoming a breeding ground for bucket-loads of innovative gaming experiences.
There is a growing community of hobbyists and weekend coders that are grabbing their Wiimotes and Nunchuks and working to virtually wring out every last drop of potential in these unique new interfacing devices.I'd like to welcome you into that community and give you the tools and resources to start enjoying the fruits of their labors, and even get involved in the creative process.
Nevermind the product's name -- Datel's Wii Drive Doctor isn't a tool meant for diagnosing and remedying your console's ailments. There should be laws regulating these misleading medical monikers. How many have suffered the embarrassment of consulting Dr. Dre about their disorders, only to find that the gangsta rapper prescribes phat beats, and not actual medicine?
The Drive Doctor is pitched as a "straightforward way for amateur programmers and techie tinkerers to get inside the game." With the mod in place, users can hook their Wii to a PC with a USB cable, allowing them to monitor the system's status and add data to running software. Homebrew applications and games are also playable through the $34.95 device.
Datel's homebrew and cheat tools usually boast low barriers to entry, making them accessible to even the most inexperienced users, but installing the Drive Doctor will require soldering. We've never been too keen on voiding our consoles' warranties, so hearing that requirement was enough to scare us away. Until something cheap and hassle-free comes along, we're going to live a boring, risk-free life with our unmodded Wiis.
If you've been curious about fixing your Wii to dabble with homebrew or play titles from other regions, but don't trust your abilities enough to mess with the console's innards, there might be a solution in the works for you. WiiNewz forum member Takrin recently posted photos of his hardware project in progress, a prototype modchip that requires no soldering to install.
With nothing to attach the modchip to though, how does it stay in place? Takrin suggests "double sided tape on one side" and "foam which presses it to your drive on the other." That doesn't sound like a very stable setup, but we hope to see this development spawn more sophisticated and accessible mods in the future. To be honest, if a monkey can't install it, we probably wouldn't be able to either.
Are you the type to paint your controllers or crack open your Wii? Well, considering the worldwide shortages, it takes a brave soul to try the later, but that hasn't stopped a few folks out there from dressingthingsup. How about homebrew? Do you have a Wiibot, or have you perhaps played a little WoW with your Wii controller?
If you're haven't tried any of the niftythings people have done with Wiimotes, why not? It does seem a little complicated from a layman's perspective, but gamers often like to poke around and hook things together. We have to mix it up to keep ourselves busy between awesome releases, after all.
Forget Guitar Hero -- these guys are doing it for themselves. Turning the Wii controls into a guitar, that is, and it's pretty awesome. Clearly, this guy doesn't need no instructions to know how to rock.
Half the fun of the Wii has been seeing all of the creative uses people have drummed up for the controls. Hit the jump to see this latest in action.
The homebrew community is doing nifty things with the Wii. Have you learned how to play DVDs on your console yet? Or read about the app that lets you play games from other regions? What about getting Goldeneye to run on Wii? Alternatively, you could just use homebrew to get your cheat on. 
