Topic: Importing and playing from UK

[UncleBob]

Two questions - first, any of the soft mods allow you to play UK titles on a US Wii with no issues?  I've given up on getting a release of the second Trace Memory game in the US.  Second - any tips on sites to import from?

[Mop it up]

I've looked into this a bit when I got the Homebrew Channel, and from what I found, getting the system to play PAL games is extremely complicated. Then again, I think anything that is more than simply selecting an application to run from the Homebrew Channel is complicated. Anyways, it looks like the hacks I've found will not play from discs, and instead, the game must be run from a hard drive (which in itself can be a mess to get working). So this means you either have to download the game from the Internet, which is illegal, or find a way to copy Wii discs, the legality of which is questionable. After that, not every game will function, and absolutely no games will work 100% correctly due to the differences in PAL and NTSC televisions. If you're going to hack your system, it is strongly recommended that you create a backup of your internal memory data. Should you happen to brick the system from a hack, you can restore it using the backup.

In short: I'd give up that dream of playing PAL games, as I have.

[MegaByte]

You should be able to do this from Gecko OS... you can patch region and even display settings and boot the discs, though it's not 100% reliable.

[UncleBob]

Well, there's always the option of importing a PAL Wii. But then, getting it to run on a US TV... damnit.

[Mop it up]

There are converters that you can use to connect PAL devices to NTSC televisions or vice versa, but they aren't cheap.

You should be able to do this from Gecko OS... you can patch region and even display settings and boot the discs, though it's not 100% reliable.

Ah thanks. I just Googled that, looks nifty. I might try it sometime if I can't resist... the forbidden games...

[KDR_11k]

I don't know if this works the other way around (it should) but all I have to do is run the homebrew channel, start GeckoOS and tell it to run the game.

Well, there's always the option of importing a PAL Wii. But then, getting it to run on a US TV... damnit.

Really? PAL TVs accept both PAL and NTSC just fine, I'd be surprised if TV makers go to the effort of ripping out the PAL decoder for the US TVs.

[UncleBob]

Unless things have changed in the past few years, it was common practice for manufacturers to remove any PAL abilities from TVs sold in the US to prevent them from being sold/shipped overseas.  The TV market in the US is cutthroat, with low margins (in comparison to what they stick you Europeans with).  It's similar to the games - where it's almost cheaper for you to import games from the US, but you can't (ideally) play them.  It'd probably be cheaper to import a TV (even more so now, since shipping would be cheaper!) but it likely wouldn't do you much good.

[KDR_11k]

I guess you could try getting a VGA cable for the Wii then. The game supports progressive scan so that would be the cheapest alternative.


If Wii to VGA is too expensive there are component to VGA adapters that are pretty cheap.

[UncleBob]

Well, if I get this new position at work, I'm planning to purchase a second Wii (yay!).  I'll try the homebrew method first.  NEED TO PLAY ANOTHER CODE R!!!

Any suggestions on cheap importing to US from UK?

[MegaByte]

Amazon + Karlie

[UncleBob]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nintendo-Another-Code-R-Wii/dp/B002AAVDUY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1282502197&sr=8-1

~$22 + whatever shipping/handling costs.
hmmmm...

[Morari]

Forget the Homebrew scene. It makes things for more complicated than need be. Modchips are cheap and don't even require any soldering nowadays. They'll allow direct booting of any region for your console, even with GameCube games.

[TJ Spyke]

Modchips take more work than just doing homebrew, and are more likely to void your warranty if you have a new-ish Wii (since it's easy to just erase the Homebrew Channel).

[ymeegod]

Why though?  Does your TV support 480P because Pal is 576I and all WII games (from what I recall support both formats in Europe).  So you wouldn't need a converter at all though you can buy them but they are scalers and do a failry poor job (madcatz has one for $20).  You're best off just playing in 480P.

There's a couple of games that are only 480I (think Madworld was one).

[Morari]

Modchips take more work than just doing homebrew, and are more likely to void your warranty if you have a new-ish Wii (since it's easy to just erase the Homebrew Channel).

No, they don't. About a dozen screws are removed and the modchip is literally clipped onto the drive. That's a helluva lot less work than jumping through hoops to install the Homebrew Channel and keep it updated to stay ahead of each and every firmware update.

Warranty is not an issue. You simply pop the modchip back off before sending it in.

[UncleBob]

Modchips costs money.  Homebrew doesn't.  And I'll only have to deal with the hoops once (for the forseeable future) as this is the only non-US game I want to play...

[NWR_insanolord]

I imported New Play Control Pikmin 2 from the UK, but I don't think I ever got around to playing it. I should go do that to confirm Gecko OS works right for European games. The thing is, though, last time I checked you couldn't install the Homebrew Channel on the current firmware.

[MegaByte]

I tested some Euro games last night and they worked through Gecko.  You can install Homebrew Channel again, but you now need to use SSBB or LEGO Indiana Jones.

[Morari]

Modchips costs money.  Homebrew doesn't.  And I'll only have to deal with the hoops once (for the forseeable future) as this is the only non-US game I want to play...

A good modchip costs about the same as one game. If this is truly the only game you'd ever want to import, then it might not be worth it to you. Otherwise a modchip is going to be relatively cheap, super easy to setup and install, practically bulletproof, and will actually make it easier to install the Homebrew Channel itself.

[KDR_11k]

Modchips costs money.  Homebrew doesn't.  And I'll only have to deal with the hoops once (for the forseeable future) as this is the only non-US game I want to play...

Once you have it installed you're good to go, just don't update to new firmwares right when they come out (wait a bit, the HBC auto-updates over the internet so you don't have to worry about that and usually the next update after a firmware update makes it immune to the firmware).

Plus with the HBC installed you can install OpenTyrian!

[Dasmos]

Anyone in NTSC regions should try this, if only to play Disaster: Day of Crisis.

[DAaaMan64]

I imported New Play Control Pikmin 2 from the UK, but I don't think I ever got around to playing it. I should go do that to confirm Gecko OS works right for European games. The thing is, though, last time I checked you couldn't install the Homebrew Channel on the current firmware.

Oh my gawd!!! DUHH why didn't I get Pikmin 2 sooner!

[ThePerm]

since hd has taken hold I imagine next generation if there is multiple power settings then there might be universal compatibility.

[UncleBob]

I have my second Wii.  It's black and shiny.

Now, to work on getting a copy of this game.

[UncleBob]

Whoo!  Wii #2 is up and running with Gecko and HBC (I assume) with minimal effort.

Now to import my copy of Another Code R.
This better be worth the cost of buying a second Wii and importing and such.