The Wii homebrew channel enables you to take full advantage of your precious Wii. Enthusiastic hackers such as the Team Twiizers have found a way to bypass the official Wii keys and install software allowing users to integrate media players and console emulators to their Wiis. Doing so, users can easily play older pc or other console games, create and enjoy homemade games, play with no limitation any DVD game copies, save games into an SD card, back up Wii files and settings or even use the balance board as a weighing machine. Sounds interesting? Well, here is the easy way to install the Wii homebrew channel!
1. First of all, you will need a FAT formatted SD card to save the needed software from your pc. If you are not sure how your card is already formatted, then it is recommended to reformat it in order to avoid application problems.
2. Download the ‘Bannerbomb’ software from their web page at: http://bannerbomb.qoid.us/ . Read the instructions and unzip the file into your SD card. Make sure you use an empty SD card because otherwise, bannerbomb may not run properly.
3. Download the ‘Hackmii Installer v0.6’ from: http://bootmii.org/download/ . Note that you have to unzip the downloaded file to your pc first and then transfer the installer elf file to your SD directory naming it ‘boot.elf.
4. Turn on your console and from the main Wii home, click on the ‘Wii’ circle on the lower left corner. Choose ‘Data Management’ and then ‘Channels. Now, insert your card into the SD card slot found next to the game disc slot. If your SD card works properly, then it will be automatically detected from your console. If so, click on the ‘SD Card’ box on the top right corner. If not, reformat your card and download again all the necessary programs.
5. A new dialog box will pop up prompting you to load ‘boot.dol/elf. Choose yes and a loading screen will appear with a text letting you know that you should claim your money if you paid for this program. Wait for a few seconds and then you will be asked to press button ‘1’ on your Wii remote. Do so and you will found inside the ‘Hackmii Installer’.
6. Read carefully all the instructions showed on your screen to avoid mistakes. Moreover, you will also get a list of the available applications that can be installed to your Wii. Choose continue and press the ‘A’ button on your remote. A new menu will pop up allowing you to install the homebrew channel. To do so, choose continue and then press ‘A’ again. It will take only a few seconds to install the program; once it is done, press the ‘A’ button to move on. Now you have successfully installed the homebrew channel to your Wii! Congratulations!
7. To install new apps, remove the SD card, connect it your pc and create a folder named ‘apps’. Download the needed program from: wiibrew.org and decompress it to the ‘apps’ folder of your SD card. Save as many applications as you wish and place the card back to your console. Choose the homebrew channel from the main Wii menu and choose the app you want from the applications list.
The Wii homebrew channel can boost your console’s features and enable you to take full control over it! After a successful installation, you can repeat the above steps to install DVDx to play DVD movies and DVD game copies, the MPlayer CE to enjoy your favorite MP3s and music videos, the Bootmii which allows you to back up your Wii’s internal flash memory and create homemade games, the Wii fit and any other application that best suits your needs! Enjoy the new Wii world!
Sources:
1. http://nintendo.about.com/od/nintendowiibasics/ss/homebrew_setup.htm
2. http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Homebrew_Channel
