It's out, and it works; the WiiGator GameCube Backup Launcher we mentioned last week has been released to the open arms of a community of incredibly clumsy gamers. Yes, you who can't possibly keep your discs from getting scratched or cracked or covered in peanut butter by your two-year-old sibling can now play backups of GameCube games on your Wii without having to install any modchips or void any warranties. The app, available with source at the read link, runs in the Wii's Homebrew Channel and enables the playing of GC games from a DVD-R (demonstrated in some incredibly dramatic shakeycam footage below). There are some issues with save games on certain types of memory cards, and not all titles work, but before you complain feel free to crack open those C files and try fixing things yourself, Mr. Critical.

[Thanks, Omega]

Well, it wouldn't be Thursday without another way to, er, "upgrade" your Wii. In this case, we're proud to present to you the Wasabi DX. Like many a drivechip, this one promises to hack the "unhackable" Wii, sporting plug and play installation on your console's (DMS, D2A, D2B, D2C, D2C2, D2E, epoxy D2E, or D2nothing / D3) drive. The firmware is stored in flash and can be upgraded from DVD, or downgraded (if you ever need to do that) from a backup on the chip itself. Like Wasabi's previous offering, drive read speeds are limited to 3x, which might effect some games, but you were probably expecting that anyways. Pretty exciting, huh? No word on pricing or availability yet, but the company says to expect all that "soonish."

At this point, we're sorta surprised you can't just look askance at a Wii and set it to running homebrew with your penetrating gaze alone -- it seems like everything else has been accomplished in the hacking, modding and general humiliation of Nintendo's little console. Brought to us by the WiiKey folks, DriveKey is a wire-free, solder-free, brain-free method for hacking any Wii on the market, especially those pesky new ones with "epoxy" drives or the dreaded hack-proof "D3" drives. DriveKey acts as a simple passthrough for the DVD connector cable, tweaking certain functions to allow for a bit more freedom in your Wii experience. Unfortunately, DriveKey limits the DVD drive to 2x read speeds, which might make certain games unplayable, and it also can't be flash upgraded, unlike the WiiKey before it, to add more functionality or fend off a theoretical hack-buster update from Nintendo -- though this hasn't proved much of a problem for similar hacks. The chips go for around $70. Install videos after the break.

[Thanks, Gob]

Though only a small fraction of Wii owners will ever mod their console, there's something strangely comforting to our status as a species that it's imminently doable. The latest in this long line of Wii hacks is the WiiZii, which is termed a "plug and play" no-solder method of playing Wii backups and other fun modchip-style stuff. WiiZii has an upgradable firmware, and is being touted as "future proof" against any forthcoming attempts by Nintendo to block it, but what's really exciting is the external SATA connector for extra-speedy ISO loads off of your favorite SATA hard drive -- no more dinky USB keys. Right now WiiZii is in prototype stage, but we're sure somebody will be hitting us up for cash for the mod in the near future -- if you're feeling a little stingy, just remember: hacking consoles that we've already paid money for to be able to do what we want with them is the only thing separating us from the apes. That and Hulu.

Are you a Wii fanatic? Do you enjoy getting "in" "there" and really messing about? Well here's a word to the wise: if you want to keep on keepin' on with your funky mods and hacks, don't get a new Wii. Apparently, fresh shipments of Nintendo's cash cow are stocked with an optical drive configuration that somehow breaks current modchips -- thus rendering your freedom from gaming oppression null and void. It seems that the drives sport a new fusion of older components (including the controller chip) which contribute to the disruption in your regularly scheduled program of l33t hackery. Luckily for you, you're too hardcore to spring for a new system -- so you're safe from this glaring affront to your personal freedom... right?

[Thanks, Mike]

A double shot of bad news for the Wii hacking set today -- not only do new Wiis appear to have a modchip-proof layer of epoxy around the DVD-ROM IC chips, Waninkoko has abandoned the Wii Backup-Loader project. The modchip news isn't all that surprising -- Ninty's been fighting a losing battle against chip devs for a while now, and gluing things down with epoxy is a logical solution -- but Waninkoko quitting is a bit of a shock, since we just caught wind of the Wii Backup-Loader a few days ago. Apparently he's not happy that it was leaked this morning, so he's dropping it, but surely an outpouring of affection in comments will change his mind.

[Thanks, Linh T]

Read - New Wiis have epoxy-locked DVD-ROM chips
Read - Waninkoko abandons Wii Backup-Loader

Look no further for the follow-up to last year's multi-region Blu-ray players, with Bluraymods.com advertising a completely region free Panasonic DMP-BD30, available in either pre-modified or DIY kit formats. That's all 6 DVD regions and three Blu-ray regions for those keeping count, and it claims to still work with any firmware updates. The good news for import lovers is a price of €499, considerably less than previous hardware, or €69 for a mod kit. We're still not sure how well this will play with future DRM updates, but taking the leap appears to be getting cheaper and more convenient.

Here in the US, we've heard some pretty terrifying experiences about selling modchips, but it seems as if higher-ups in the UK are being a bit more reasonable about the whole thing. Reportedly, UK-based MrModchips was cleared of all 26 counts against him for his role in importing and selling console modchips, as the Court of Appeal Criminal Division (Judge Justice Jacobs, in particular) ruled that said chips do not circumvent copyright protection. Better still, the defendant was "awarded full costs as a result of his successful appeal," and we can only assume he was smiling all the way out of the crowded courtroom. Chalk one up for the little guy.

[Via Slashdot]

An upcoming firmware update for Memor32 – the PS2 modchip on a memory card – promises to allow your non-chipped PS2 to play your entire collection of games from the comforts of a roomy, capacious USB hard drive. A group of Russian hackers named Memento are responsible for the firmware handiwork, allowing hard drive-based playback of your entire collection of PS2 discs for easy access, TiVo-style. Sure, the unscrupulous amongst you may use your Memor32's new found powers for evil, but we just want to fire up Shadow of the Colossus without leaving the couch.

[Via ripten]

It's not like folks haven't been tinkering with something like this, but it's quite refreshing to see an actual product emerge that promises to deliver on the claims we've been hearing about. Apparently, the Memor 32 memory card enables PlayStation 2 owners across the globe to effectively chip their console without requiring a single power tool. The unit promises to allow gamers to load / unload save games (not to mention backups, homebrews, etc.) to and from their PC, and there's even a built-in USB connector to make things even simpler for you. 'Course, we'd still like to see one of these in action before lauding it too enthusiastically, but if you're willing to take a chance, MrModChips will gladly take your £33.49 ($70).

[Via PS2News]

We were skeptical of Vast's claims to have developed a PS2 modchip that works simply by plugging in a memory card when we first heard about it earlier this week, but the company sent MaxConsole a video of the chip in action and it looks pretty convincing. The demo PS2 first fails to boot a backup disc, but then the demonstrator inserts the Vast card and the disc starts right up. Impressive, but we're still a little wary, especially since the demo PS2 in the video is totally opened up. Let's see this on a fresh console straight from the box, shall we? Check the full video after the break.

It's that time again folks -- the moment when you're rushing out of the house, but you make the oh-so-wise decision to head in even later rather than leaving that glowing Wii unattended. Today, Wii owners in Europe, Japan, and the US can download a shiny new firmware update, which institutes a new digital clock on the main menu, a few "aesthetic changes to the Wii Shop," an updated Forecast Channel window, a "Today's Accomplishments" note on the message board, and a made over Wii Shop that "changes the way Virtual Console games are ordered." Also of note, some users are reporting that a message appears before updating that states: "If your Wii console has an unauthorized technical modification, this upgrade could cause interoperability of your console." Of course, this shouldn't come as a surprise considering the Big N's crackdown on modders, but in our single attempt of updating a Wii not left on standby, the aforementioned statement did not appear. So go on, head on down and get to updatin' (if you're not chipped, that is), and do let us know how your experience goes.

[Via The Wolf Web]

UPDATE: We've seen numerous reports of the new firmware not bricking modded Wii consoles, and that includes machines using Cyclowiz and WiiKey. If you're courageous enough, give it a go yourself and let us know how it turns out in comments.

While US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement are remaining tight-lipped about what exactly they have seized thus far, a certain modder has come forward to depict his story and explain the experience of getting raided by the fuzz. After agents woke up his grandmother and perused her domicile with a warrant in hand, they confiscated a number of consoles and spare parts around the house before heading out to find the man behind FallsInc. Once locating him at his girlfriend's dwelling, they persuaded him to hand over everything even remotely related to modding, and he was left with "nothing of worth" outside of a computer monitor and his vehicle. Unsurprisingly, the culprit (or victim, depending on perspective) feels that his "life was taken away by a ludicrous interpretation of the DCMA" as the "little guy" was taken down while mass piraters remain at large. To read his whole account, be sure and tag the read link.

Hide away that soldering iron, Nintendo is on to you crazy kids. The company has issued a press release "in support of" recent raids by US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents, which executed 32 search warrants in 16 states to weed out those responsible for the distribution of "illegal modification chips." Apparently this is the largest enforcement action taken against video game piracy, and Nintendo has been working hand in hand with the Department of Homeland Security to pull it off. Since April, Nintendo claims to have seized more than 91,000 counterfeit (er, "backup") Wii discs globally. Of course, the whole issue of whether mod chips, when used harmlessly to enable homebrew and backups, should be illegal in the first place is still a sticky issue (the DMCA seems to frown on the idea), but it looks like if you are indeed trading in the illicit stuff, Nintendo and the fuzz are hoping to track you down for a little chat.

Update: Looks like Wii modders aren't the only ones on the run. No console is safe!