Wii Region hack status, AnyRegion Changer / Gecko OS / GC Booter / Starfall

[Spatial]

Dunno if this helps at all but I popped the PAL version of Madworld into my US Wii - it's running the Unoffical Gecko OS 1.07b 002 fix and it's never asked or seemed to update anything (I'm running 3.2U).

[marcodolo]

Yeah, I installed the Gecko fix to avoid updating, works a treat. I'm playing my PAL version on my PAL machine so I have borders, is it defo that the PAL version is 50 hz only? When I force PAL 60 the borders remain, so I assume its still running at 50 hz. Can anyone confirm that as well

[charlesr]

If you use Gecko every time it blocks updates.

[Cornflakes]

Just heard from someone that with the latest system menu 4.0U/E/J you need to be careful, that the HBC doesn't get moved to the SD card, since you won't be able to move it back to the flash again. That mean HBC will be gone on your system, until a new method is found to install back again.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Can anybody on here confirm if the new Wii System Update 4.0 (announced at GDC '09 and released today) will still allow the Homebrew Channel to work? This demonstration video of the 4.0 System firmware's new SD Card function seems to show an installed Homebrew Channel already on the user's Wii.

Personally, I would update to 4.0 as the SD Card function looks pretty nifty but I'm still hanging on to the hope of purchasing import titles like Tatsunoko vs Capcom & Taiko no Tatsujin Wii to run on my console (EU, PAL, 3.4e firmware) using Gecko via the HBC. This wouldn't be so irritating if I hadn't already put 2000 Wii Points onto my EU Wii Shop account this morning before the update was released!!

[Spatial]

Someone on RLLMUK says that it the Homebrew channel still works and that Gecko OS etc works fine too. So if it's already softmoded then it shouldn't be a problem (emphasis on the shouldn't).

Just installed this and the homebrew channel is still there, Geko OS and emulators work fine so at the minute all looks good.

But as Cornflakes says above, it sounds like you need to be careful. I'm hanging fire until this has been out a few more days and more people know what the score is.

[C']

I just got PMed a link to the following information:

I’ll keep this brief.

* Nintendo, as expected, half-assed the SD feature by just automating the copy to NAND. No surprise there.
* The IOS16 that warez users used to pirate is no longer an option, thank goodness.
* HBC survives. So does DVDX.
* They fixed the bug that the HBC installer and DVDX 3.4 installer use; time to bring out another one.
* Twilight Hack no longer works. I’d like to remind everyone that this exploit has been in use for over a year. Whether it comes back or a new game exploit takes its place, I think we can say it’s served us all well.
* No new problems expected with BootMii, other than needing a new exploit as mentioned above.

Correct if I'm wrong but it sounds like current installations are fine but the current exploit via Twilight Princess has now been fixed.

Where does this leave in terms of wanting to update our version of HBC, add new apps etc?

[Cornflakes]

Where does this leave in terms of wanting to update our version of HBC, add new apps etc?

It should be possible to update the HBC via internet or launch the update via HBC itself, but don't quote me on that. If you're using the new SD management system, don't move the HBC to the SD card, leave it in the flash.
As for homebrew applications, they are launched via HBC from the SD card anyway. So if HBC is running fine, there shouldn't be a problem.
To be on the safe side, unless the lastest update is necessary for a game, waiting for bootmii seems to be advisable if you want to make sure that import games will be still possible in the future.

[Nu-Eclipse]

It should be possible to update the HBC via internet or launch the update via HBC itself, but don't quote me on that. If you're using the new SD management system, don't move the HBC to the SD card, leave it in the flash.
As for homebrew applications, they are launched via HBC from the SD card anyway. So if HBC is running fine, there shouldn't be a problem.
To be on the safe side, unless the lastest update is necessary for a game, waiting for bootmii seems to be advisable if you want to make sure that import games will be still possible in the future.

So in theory, would I be able to install HBC & GeckoOS on my 3.4e PAL Wii, update to 4.0e and then run import games without any problems?

[Asylum]

So in theory, would I be able to install HBC & GeckoOS on my 3.4e PAL Wii, update to 4.0e and then run import games without any problems?

Yep, exactly . Probably worth holding back for now until more is known mind. As lovely (and overdue) as this update is I don't want to risk any future problems with HBC, its a bit risky at this point updating to 4.0 if HBC is valuable to you.

[sj33]

Yeah may as well hold off until you actually need the ability to load games from SD Card. It is quite an important new feature, so I'm sure the homebrewers are working something out to get 4.0 functionality without the risk, be it a new exploit or other means.

Nice little quote from Marcan, major guy in the Wii homebrew scene, better not post a link to the source.

Good job trying (again) to kill PatchMii and forgetting to overwrite cIOS. In case you don’t know, that’s IOS249 (not IOS254), and it’s what all the VC/WiiWare pirates use, as well as the softmod pirate’s choice of IOS, as it includes DVD read patches. It’s also what they’re using to patch your update now so they can enjoy SD launching of pirated titles. Good job.
Hint: If you worked on screwing up piracy instead of blocking homebrew, you might have a better chance at stopping it. And you know that we aren’t going to help the pirates, don’t you?
This was also your last chance to get rid of some piracy before the release of a NAND backup/restore solution. You blew it.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Fair do's...

Hopefully the wait won't be too long. Looks like I'll have to get a copy of the Twilight Princess and install HBC. Playing the likes of No More Heroes US, Tatsunoko vs Capcom & Taiko No Tatsujin Wii have been my only reason thus far for wanting to dabble in Wii Homebrew, although the ability to access JPN & US Wii Shop Channels sounds interesting as well. It's just slightly irritating that I put 2000 Wii Points on my Wii Shop Account on the day of the 4.0 release (didn't think that Nintendo would release it until the Summer) - now I can't access the Wii Shop until I upgrade to 4.0e.

Rhetorical Question Time - what are the chances that the forthcoming Wii version of Punch-Out!! will force a 4.0 update on Wii owners who haven't done so? Or perhaps even PES 2009 (out tomorrow)?

[sj33]

Up until now, people have been able to get around that by just installing the newer IOS revisions that are included in the new updates, but not actually updating as such.

But it sounds like this update has promoted the homebrewers to prepare to release one of their newer exploits that they've had waiting in the wings, so we'll see what happens next. Things will become really interesting when BootMii is released too, replacing all current methods.

4.0 won't be on anything released over the next few weeks, maybe months.

[C']

Can anyone explain exactly what BootMii is?

Reading around a little it sounds like it's something similar to the PSP Pandora battery exploit in that once it hits, Nintendo cannot do anything to prevent you using it on your current console (irrespective of firmware changes).

[Rep]

Can anyone explain exactly what BootMii is?

Reading around a little it sounds like it's something similar to the PSP Pandora battery exploit in that once it hits, Nintendo cannot do anything to prevent you using it on your current console (irrespective of firmware changes).

In short, it alters the boot sequence so that the Wii will load from SD. If you brick your Wii for example, you can skip the Wii startup and load straight into the HBC and then work from there. It's been in development for ages.