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Messages - Willi

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1
I had high hopes for this game but after reading http://www.gamespot.com/wii/puzzle/boogie/news.html this game isn't the continuation of Wario Wares' awesome Dancing boss level as I hoped it would be.

It seems you only use the Wiimote gestures to shift the characters position. The buttons are used to to toggle through four different dance "styles" so you do not actually get to dance like in the unforgettable Wario Ware boss level.

Disappointment. Next dancing game please.


2
Nintendo Gaming / RE:2007 First Party List
« on: May 02, 2007, 11:04:28 AM »
Quote

Originally posted by: the1st_fret
Is one of Nintendo's strategies to screw Europe? Barely any dates announced and we're getting everything last.
What are we supposed to play? Seriously. I've had the same 4 games for about 2 months now. They to last me til??? 3rdQ of this year?


It has always been NOE strategy to alienate European customers. That's why I have been doing business with NOA for two generations now even though I am European. I couldn't care less what NOE is doing nowadays. It's never too late to make the switch.

3
Nintendo Gaming / RE: Big Brain Academy looks fun!
« on: May 02, 2007, 07:43:14 AM »
This game is a definite must buy for me. I also figured both players would play overall the same minigames but in a different order so you couldn't cheat by watching each other. Seems like the only and best way to go in a one tv setup.

4
Got my original Nintendo S-Video cable from play-asia.com. Works very nice, nothing to complain about.
Shipping took a long time though on standard international (like $6) to Europe! Was getting ready to order a Blaze cable after reading this thread but it arrived after all.

5
TalkBack / RE:Analyst Predicts Wii Shortages to Continue
« on: April 26, 2007, 09:28:27 AM »
Quote

Originally posted by: Plugabugz
Super Paper Mario doesn't exist on the NoE website. We will either get it Q3 2007 or somewhere in 2008 at the very earliest.



Damn I'd be pissed if I lived in Europe and had bought a PAL console locally. Glad I only live in Europe and never even considered PAL an option... I really can't complain about the flow of games on the US NTSC platform.

By the time Europe gets Super Paper Mario I'll probably be playing Galaxy.

I still check my friendly Canadian exporter once in a while out of curiosity. I never found it in stock except for this one time when it was my turn to place an order.

6
TalkBack / RE:Don't Use Mod Chips, Says Nintendo UK
« on: April 25, 2007, 12:18:43 AM »
Who is blaming NOE?

The bricked Wiis due to Super Paper Mario are to be blamed fully on the carelessness of the mod users. This certainly didn't happen on purpose by NOE. In closing, I only described one method NOE could deploy if they really wanted to deliberately brick modded Wiis, which they don't, as of now.

7
TalkBack / RE: Don't Use Mod Chips, Says Nintendo UK
« on: April 24, 2007, 07:55:07 PM »
Since I'm not eligible for warranty as an European NTSC import user, I won't care if I voided my warranty which never existed to begin with. I'd love to register my games and all but since they all say "For sale, rental and use only in the USA, Canada, Mexico and Latin America" I better not.
I have no interest to mod my Wii whatsoever, still I find this topic rather interesting.

On to the Super Paper Mario issue:

My leaflet in SPM merely says:
"Please note that when first loading the Game Disc into the Wii console, the Wii will check if you have the latest system menu, and if necessary a Wii system update screen will appear. Press OK to proceed."

Latest system menu.

So when you first try to run SPM, the Game Disc will check if you have already the newest System Update installed. Maybe Nintedo put this in place for those unfortunate console owners who do not have internet access. By regularly adding the newest Firmware on major releases Nintendo can make sure pretty much all consoles are up to date irregardless of a working internet connection.

Right now there are at least three mod chips out there: Wiid, Wiikey, and CycloWiz. The best of the bunch obviously being Wiikey as of now:

Homepage: http://www.wiikey.cn/
Forum: http://psx-scene.com/wii/portal.php?styleid=28

As has been said the mod chip merely allows a Disc to be read which isn't supposed to be read. Thus the forums can confirm that having a mod chip in place in no ways seems to hinder further System Updates:

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/499544:

I did a system update right after my Wii-Key was installed. No problems. Besides, Wii-Key runs in stealth mode.
or
internet --> system updates would be fine even with a modchip without the stealth mode feature (im using wi-ic and it doesnt have stealth mode but the update was successful its a sucky modchip though)

However, the bricked Wiis due to SPM are a logic consequence of a modded non updated system:

Your game selection will be limited due to Nintendo putting the system updates on newer game titles. Example: (Paper Mario) Which will install the update automatically to the newer version if your version is lower then what is on the game disc.

This already has become a problem with some Wii owners with region free modchips installed. Some users have bricked their Wii due to playing an NTSC game disc (Paper Mario) on their PAL system without updating their system. Paper Mario did a system update and flashed the NTSC system update on their PAL unit which then bricked their Wii due to region lock on the hardware of the system.

It is important to keep your Wii updated if you have a modchip installed. If you do not want to update your Wii due to a softmod that could be exploited later in time then you will need to know what titles have the system update on them and stay away from those game titles.


The correct steps to play a game like that:
http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/1107329/?show_files=&page=3

I have a (launchday) pall Wii firmware 2.1E, Wiikey, Game patched with RegionFrii 1.2.
Can confirm SPM works on pal (downloaded from another site however)

- turn on your wii without a game disc in
- perform a system update and follow it until the system reboots
- perform system updates until you get a message telling you there are no more updates available.
- boot up your wii then insert the game disc
- when you go into the disc channel, you will be asked to perform an update
- make sure your internet connection is available then click OK to perform the update
- once your wii reboots, you can play this awesome game!


In summary, all NOE had to do to brick lots and lots of modded Wiis:

- build a new NTSC firmware with no changes but incremented version number
- include a similar update mechanism as in SPM in a new major US title such a Galaxy
- do NOT include such an update mechanism in the same major title to be released in Europe
- do NOT include this update in the PAL market so it is not available for non NTSC consoles
- release the major title in the US but delay the title considerably in Europe

-> every attempt to play this game on a non NTSC console will brick the modded Wii until the time a newer
update is released in the PAL market.

I wonder if a bricked Wii like this could still be later updated and fixed "blindly". A pal console with NTSC firmware couldn't display a picture anymore but other than that could in theory still work, right? So assuming we have a broken Pal Wii due to bad firmware, could this Wii be repaired by blindly updating the Firmware to a new legit Pal System Update provided one was available?

If so, NOE only had to modify the above procedure slightly to add enough changes to the Wii to deliberately brick a Pal onsole which applies this patch.

8
Nintendo Gaming / RE:LET'S DO A RIOT
« on: April 22, 2007, 11:08:03 PM »
My systems region is NYC. It is a minor annoyance already when I want to look up weather for my region. Have to scroll half the globe to do so.. This feature is rather pointless anyway. Yawn.

Can't say I care much about Football games though. If that's all Europe gets first I certainly shall never regret my import decision.

9
Nintendo Gaming / RE:LET'S DO A RIOT
« on: April 22, 2007, 10:20:52 PM »
Will be interesting how this pans out for import gamers like me.

I'm running an US Wii in Europe. Will my future online play be limited to other US Wii importers and to other "official" US Wii users? I doubt the "regional" restriction will work IP based.

10
I received my Joytech Wiimote power station today. This post reports on on my initial findings.

Battery type:
Printed on the inside of the Joytech battery replacement cover: Ni-MH.

Battery capacity:
Still unknown

Build & installation:
Installation of the base unit was a breeze. I merely had to power down my Wii for a few seconds to piggyback it's DC power for optimal integration. Even this little connector looks like it could be an original extension of Wii's official DC connector. Both covers fit nicely, however one was a little easier to initially put in place than the other. Once in place the new covers seem to be rock solid. Both Wiimotes connected instantly with their wrist bands firmly in place.

Looks:
Very stylish as long as you don't extend the Nunchuck holder-legs.

Differences to standard Wiimote:
The weights of a charged and standard Wiimote are indistinguishable.  However, alas there is one minor tactile difference: The exterior surface of the Joytech cover is perfectly smooth as opposed to the lightly roughed up Nintendo surface. Joytech obviously didn't manage to reproduce the admittedly "difficult" Nintendo surface.


As expected the battery packs are shipped drained / empty... Alas I now need to take a Wiimote charge pause even though Fedex just delivered Super Paper Mario and a third Wiimote with WiiPlay to my doorstep.

In closing the Joytech build quality met my expectations with only a minor let-down on the plastic texture. I would be curious to learn if any other 3rd party did manage to reproduce that texture but I doubt anybody has just yet. Until Nintendo produces a 4-port official power station the Joytech will do fine. I will update this thread should I encounter any trouble down the road. My two primary Wiimotes will stay in the charger at all times when not in "use" for playing with the sole exception of extended holidays.

My new third Wiimote brings up one point I'd like to add. The Joytech charger only supports two Wiimotes piggybacking Wii's power line. This connector adds to the length of your Wii. If you really want to keep four Wiimotes charged like this you'd have to buy two Joytech stations and piggyback Wii's power line not once but twice doubling the adapters length.  

11
Nintendo Gaming / RE:Guy wins a Wii
« on: April 08, 2007, 10:03:36 PM »
The game machine used is called 'Stacker'. Here a more detailed video of a guy attempting to win:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a6kU7oukwk

12
Yeah the "melting" post might be a complete fabrication and seemed very isolated. Overall the Nyko rating was very good in all reviews I found.

I added YMMV to the last negative bullet point for a good reason. I know the rubber grip has received good reviews. So some, like you, could read this as a positive bullet point.  For me personally, it is a clear negative, because I'm not the type of person who likes to use third party accessories unless absolutely unavoidable. Especially controllers with a company like Nintendo! I adore the first party feel and Joytech obviously took special care to retain that feeling.

I am located in Europe... so this specific import is quite easy. But since I got my Wii from Canada, my S-Video cable from Asia, and only my power supply from my own country, there isn't an import obstacle I'm not willing to climb to get to the good stuff. It's true the Joytech one seems hard to find. But this seems reasonable given it's very recent release. My Amazon order was also degraded to a Pre-Order but should ship in 3 days which is fine by me.

From what I have read Nintendo officially claimed not to have an interest in producing a Wiimote charger, so Nintendo effectively left the field for 3rd parties. I have not found any official link to confirm this though.

Oh any my Wiimotes will stay in the recharger at all times unless specifically not recommended in the chargers manual. I see little usability advantage from using rechargeable batteries compared to buying more and more non rechargeable batteries. Real usability is only achievable with a true craddle. That's the behavior I expect from a modern battery hungry mobile device.  

13
Every since I completed my Wii puzzle with imports from all over the world and started serious Zelda gaming it become obvious how much power these lovely Wiimotes suck.

Thanks a bunch for this post to point me in the right direction to solve the single major annoyance Wii has given me. The Nyko is one of many recharchgers, but not the best IMHO. To share my research findings with you, this post includes a short overview on all rechargers currently available. The first one passed my online quality tests and was just (pre-)ordered at amazon.co.uk. I will gladly update this post when I have put this charger through it's paces.

I did not include pricing into my rating considerations because that's a non issue when risking melting Wiimotes and when even the top products costs are negligible...

Contestant #1
Manufacturer: Joytech
Name: Power Station
Official URL: http://www.joytech.net/1/products/wii/12/130/Power-Station.htm
Review-1: http://www.vooks.net/modules.php?module=reviews&id=127 (9/10)
Review-2: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Joytech-Power-Station-Wii/dp/B000L3DFS0 (7 x max rating)
Review-3: http://www.mywii.com.au/ReviewDetail.aspx?id=100 (10/10)
Battery Type: Ni-MH
Battery Capacity: unknown
Critic:
(o) positively works with strap in place according to review
(+) looks are in harmony with Wii
(o) useless and ugly nunchuck holders (can fortunately be retracted almost completely)
(+) reputable brand -> decent quality can be expected
(+) hijacks Wii dc adapter cable so won't even hog a wii usb port, most reliable power source without external power supply
(+) manufacturer obviously tried to build a battery pack as close to the original Wiimote casing as possible
-> third party feel minimized
(o) taken from last review, but since this should affect any and every battery charger rating (o) instead of (-).
"It's only fault (and it's a small one), is that you have to take out these batteries and use normal ones to Sync the controllers. This may be a bit annoying for people whose controllers keep going out of sync, but no more annoying than spending all your money on batteries."
I never had this problem with my Wiimotes, so this can be ignored for now.

Contestant #2
Manufacturer:  Nyko
Name: Charge Station
Official URL: http://www.nyko.com/nyko/products/?i=102#
Review-1: http://gear.ign.com/articles/764/764273p1.html (favorable 9/10)
Battery Type: unknown
Battery Capacity: unknown
Critic:
(--) Quality questionable, one report of melted battery pack http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=802574
(-) Needs external power supply
(-) Adds rubber grip to remote -> third party feel (YMMV)

Contestant #3
Manufacturer:  Thrustmaster
Name: T-Charge NW
Official URL: http://www.thrustmaster.com/product.aspx?ProductID=75&PlatformID=10
Battery Type: unknown
Critic:
(--) merely a glorified battery charger

Contestant #4
Manufacturer:  Brando
Name: Wiimote Charger ?
Official URL: unknown
Review URL: http://gear.ign.com/articles/772/772303p1.html
Battery Type: unknown
Critic:
(+) the most beautiful of the bunch (http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/6922/7946/brando-unveils-wii-remote-charger.phtml)
(--) Only one Wiimote

Contestant #5
Manufacturer:  Powerwave
Name: Controller Dock
Official URL: http://powerwave.com.au/index.php?evnF=productImage&format=&title=Powerwave%20Controller%20Docking%20Station&id=3.199367&acode=139409
Battery Type: unknown
Battery Capacity: unknown
Critic:
(--) Can't be bought, only mock-up so far

Contestant #6
Manufacturer: Thanko
Name: USB Charger for Wii Remote Controll
Official URL: http://www.thanko.jp/wiirech/
Official URL Readable: http://raremonoshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=99
Battery Type: Lithium-ion
Battery Capacity: unknown
Critic:
(+) awesome looks
(+) Lithium-ion high longevity of battery pack
(o) positively works with strap attached
(-) battery pack looks flimsy
(o) hogs Wii usb port
(-) only one, need to buy 2 but reduced pack is being offered    

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