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Wii Homebrew channel sneaks onto Wii U, sticks with what it knows
Back in 2010, Ninteno's waggle-riffic wonder would occasionally pulsate with a charming blue glow: update me, it said, I have hackers to fight. Although its efforts were quickly circumvented by Hackmii's LetterBomb installer, the Wii's 4.3 update was Nintendo's last stand against the homebrew community -- it hasn't offered an update since. That isn't to say Kyoto's game giant gave up, though; Wii U owners can find a tweaked version of the system menu hidden away in the system's backwards compatibility mode, featuring just enough updated code to block existing exploits. It didn't take the community long to catch up, though -- the homebrew channel was working its way onto select systems using tried and true methods since launch day. Now, the HackMii team has compiled an official installer, letting the average joe bypass the menu's IOS files with ease. Like the PlayStation Vita's PSP-based homebrew loader, this exploit is trapped in the sandbox of its original hardware, effectively blocking it from making the most of the Wii U's fancy internals. It's a modest start (and perhaps a little too easy), but its encouraging to see both Nintendo and the modding community sticking to their guns. Check out HackMii's fancywork at the source below, and give us a buzz if you manage to find your way outside of Nintendo's last-gen sandbox.
LetterBomb does game-free Wii hacking for System Menu 4.3
The myth of the unhackable Wii has long since been put to rest, but that hasn't stopped intrepid homebrew enthusiasts from coming up with new exploits. Case in point: LetterBomb. This particular Wii hack is a follow-up to BannerBomb, which was billed as a replacement for Twilight Hack -- all of which are capable of launching the homebrew channel sans hardware mods. BannerBomb stopped short at Menu 4.2, but LetterBomb is carrying the exploit banner, so to speak, for the next generation. Utilizing the console's Message Board, the hack requires an SD card, a Wii running System Menu 4.3, and a Wii MAC address. If you're looking to get your game-free Wii hack on, check out the source link for the full rundown.
Virtual pipe organist is the Phantom of his own living room
If any instrument deserves to be geeked over, it is the pipe organ. Over the course of its almost 2,000 years of development, it has evolved from the rudimentary Greek water organ to the extremely complex device featured in cathedrals and concert halls all over the world. And this is all well and good, but what is an aspiring (or accomplished) organist to do when he wants to practice yet doesn't have access to the Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois in Paris? Well, he might go ahead and build his own -- at least that's what an Engadget reader named Rob Stefanussen did. The heart of the thing is a Mac Pro running Hauptwerk's Virtual Organ, and while the software is pretty impressive itself, what caught our attention was the baroque MIDI controller he built to play the thing. Featuring four keyboards, a pedalboard, pistons, and expression shoes, this thing plays like the real deal. And not to be undone in the sound department, he threw in six speakers and a sub-woofer, routing different sets of pipes to the different speakers to let the sound mix in the air for that authentic pipe organ sound. Wild, no? How would you like to hear it in action? Check out the video after the break to see (and hear) it for yourself.
Homebrew community takes back the Wii
Good news homebrewsters, the Homebrew Channel has been updated and is now compatible with Nintendo's Homebrew killing (for new installs) October 23rd update. While the previous exploit was closed by Nintendo, Beta 9 of the HBC exploits a different flaw and works just fine with the latest system software. They've even tossed in SDHC support to make the brick risking maneuver a bit more enticing. [Via HackMii, thanks Glen G.]
Wii ISO Loader demonstrated on video running "backup" copy of Zelda
Is this the day, is this the hack that frees the Wii console to finally run your legal (or, eh hem, otherwise obtained) "backup" games? As the story goes, Waninkoko, the latest name to emerge from the hacking underground, has developed a "work in progress" v0.1 Wii backup ISO loader for the Wii Homebrew Channel that will run backed-up game ISOs converted with a "special program" -- no modchip required. If true then the whole thing smacks of the original Xbox font exploit that turned that console into a hackers playground and noisy, all-media playing powerhouse. In support of the claim, TehSkeen has posted a video demonstrating the loading and execution of a backup Zelda game. If Waninkoko can deliver this to the masses, then the demand for a proper Wii storage solution is about to grow exponentially.[Thanks, Joseph B.] Read -- Video Read -- Exploit described
WiiBrew's Wii Pack Generator takes the "messy" out of homebrew
Not that getting some hand-crafted 'brew on the Wii was any great feat to begin with, but the kindhearted individuals over at WiiBrew have decided to make things even easier. The newly released Wii Pack Generator is, in its own words, a "web-based utility that allows you to select from the most recent, up to date, and high quality homebrew for your Nintendo Wii and create a custom pack." Everything you select will be beautifully organized into a .zip or .exe file with the correct structure for easy extraction onto your SD card. Any remaining doubts you had about giving this a go just flew out the window (really, we saw it go down), so check the read link to conquer your fears and start really living.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
