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Wii

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Title Screen

Wii

Developer: Nintendo IRD
Publisher: Nintendo
Released in JP: December 2, 2006
Released in US: November 19, 2006
Released in EU: December 6, 2006
Released in KR: April 26, 2008
Released in BR: November 19, 2006
Released in HK: December 12, 2009
Released in TW: July 12, 2008


GraphicsIcon.png This console has unused graphics.
TextIcon.png This console has unused text.
RegionIcon.png This console has regional differences.
Carts.png This console has revisional differences.


ProtoIcon.png This console has a prototype article
PrereleaseIcon.png This console has a prerelease article

The Wii is Nintendo's second disc-based home console, and the first to have fairly in-depth online capabilities, plus a sophisticated updatable operating system. The Wii shares much of its base hardware with the GameCube, and thus most models are backward-compatible with GameCube discs and Memory Cards.

Because of the console's relatively modest hardware upgrade, it was much cheaper to manufacture and sell compared to its competition. Couple that with a unique and intuitive control scheme, a pack-in title as essential as the console itself, a memorable advertising campaign, and attracting video game illiterate grandparents, it's no secret why the Wii sold over 100 million units, even if that success would later end up becoming a curse.

Hmmm...
To do:
  • Some strings reveal some early plans (e.g. games) for Virtual Console. Maybe there's more hidden things in the Virtual Console files? The "preset IDs" also show some unreleased games.
  • This video showcases a Japanese Wii with the 1.0 firmware, displaying a number of notable differences to later firmware revisions and placeholders for as-of-yet unreleased channels in 1.0.

Sub-Pages

Read about prototype versions of this game that have been released or dumped.
Prototype Info
Read about prerelease information and/or media for this game.
Prerelease Info

Disc Channel Banner Files

Hmmm...
To do:
There also exists a reflection of the DVD Disc in the diskBann.ash file. This should also be uploaded.
Wiiunusedbanner.png

Wii Menu DVD DiskChannel.png

The system menu contains a DVD banner for the Disc Channel, which would presumably be displayed when a DVD was inserted. This, along with spotted functions in the code (specifically syscalls 50 and 51, which control DVD video-related functions), suggests Nintendo planned to include DVD playback for the Wii.

The Wii's hardware is capable of DVD playback, but it was scrapped likely because they had to pay a small fee with every console shipped for licensing issues (a similar situation occurred with the original Xbox, which required an add-on for DVD Video playback due to Microsoft omitting the DVD logo on its console so the licensing fee wouldn't have to be paid for every unit produced). The ability to play DVDs on the Wii can be "unlocked" through Wii homebrew software, but this does not work on some newer Wii consoles due to the drive chip being changed.

In diskBann.ash, the brlyt file for the Disc Channel shows that the DVD Disc and reflection are actually still present, but are set to be hidden. They are located to the left of the Wii Disc and are slightly off-screen. A shade for the DVD also exists, but is incorrectly named "DVDSahde" and is also set to not be visible. These images remain in all known and datamined versions of the System Menu, including Korean 3.5, vWii, and the Wii Mini.

By extracting and editing the Disc Channel's brlyt file, you can re-enable all parts of the DVD, and it will behave partially as expected when opening the channel. The DVD Disc will perform the default animation for when no disc is inserted, as seen in the video above, but doesn't seem to have any other animation assigned to it, as the DVD and reflection icons do not spin when a disc is being read, and do not stop and fade out when a disc can't be read.

On July 20, 2021, a few prototype designs for the Wii Remote were leaked on the Internet, and some of them featured "Back" and "Pause" buttons as opposed to the final's "Plus" and "Minus", which may have been the design intended for the scrapped DVD functionality.

Unused Text

Wii Menu 1.0 has some unused text, shown below.

Watch DVD

This would probably be shown if you were going to watch a DVD on your Wii (before the idea was scrapped).

Reading the disc...

The Disc Channel does not display this text when reading a disc, although it may be a leftover from the GameCube. In later versions of the Wii Menu, the locations of these strings still exist but are blank.

Channel Time Remaining: 
Less than a minute

These strings would have been used if a Channel has a time limit, and would display on the Channel's banner, but is unused since it never got implemented.

The period of use for this 
Channel has ended.

Even if the time limit option was implemented, the system uses the limitOver.ash file and doesn't use the text string. These strings link in with the unused time limit option for Wii Channels.

Please connect a Nunchuk to the Wii Remote.
Please connect a Classic Controller to the Wii Remote.
Please connect a Classic Controller to the Wii Remote or connect a Nintendo GameCube Controller to your Wii console.

Originally, games could have had a flag for controller requirements set, with the Wii Menu not allowing the game to be launched until the required controller has been connected. The Wii SDK includes a package for banner mastering; in its release notes, a note dated September 2006 mentions the removal of this flag, which was present in the game's banner.

(Source: Original TCRF research)
What's a Wii Number?
What's a nickname?
What's an e-mail address?

These strings aren't used, probably because people actually do know what a Wii Number, a nickname, and an e-mail address are.

GB
MB
KB

The Wii does not use byte sizes to determine space on the System Memory or the SD Card, and instead refers to "Blocks" just as the GameCube did.

Nintendo's Internet-based services
have not yet launched. Please check
back at a later date.

This was never used, even in Wii Menu 1.0, but the text seems to suggest that the Wii may not have launched with the Address Book or WiiConnect24 until Wii Menu 2.0. Interestingly, this string still exists in Wii Menu 4.3.

Dear Tommy,

I have gone out to buy groceries.
Your ice cream is in the fridge.

Mom
This letter is from Grandma.

This is my neighbor's cat.
Isn't it cute?

Love, Grandma
Grandma

See you at Christmas!

Some of the messages that were used to demonstrate the uses of the Wii Message Board at the Wii Channels conference on September 14, 2006. The message about the cat also appears in the Wii Manual on Pages 32 and 36. The cat picture itself is on the Photo Channel's banner.

Grandma
Dad's Cell
Michelle

These were used to demonstrate the uses of the Wii Address Book. They also appear in the Wii manual on Pages 35 and 37. The UK Wii manual has different names, with "Dad Mobile" on Page 37 and just "Dad" on Page 39.

Animal Crossing

-Notice-

The Flea Market is open for business tomorrow!
Visit other folks' houses and pick up gently used items for dirt cheap!

It seems that Animal Crossing: City Folk would have sent messages regarding events happening in the game to your Wii Message Board. However, it uses an in-game Bulletin Board instead, similarly to other games in the series.

Japanese Localization

Present in Japanese localization directory which actually has three extra files.

Most likely DVD player controls relating to the latter is in sample.bmg.

再生 (Play)
停止 (Stop)
早送り (Fast Forward)
巻き戻し (Rewind)
DVDの設定 (DVD Settings)
再生機能 (Playback Functionality)
字幕変更 (Change Subtitles)
音声変更 (Change Audio)
アングル変更 (Change Angle)
タイトルプレイ (Play Title)
ビデオ出力モード (Video Output Mode)

ジャンプ (Jump)
この操作は禁止されています。 (Operation denied.)
年齢制限により視聴が制限されています。 (You are unable to watch this due to the age limit.)
本体設定で年齢制限を解除してください。 (Please disable the age limit in the console settings.)
リージョンが異なるため再生できません。 (Cannot play due to region mismatch.)
DVD-VIDEOディスクではありません。 (The disc is not a DVD-VIDEO disc.)
ディスクが読めません。 (Unable to read the disc.)
ディスクが入っていません。 (There is no disc inserted.)
TVシステムが異なるため再生できません。 (Cannot play due to TV system mismatch.)
エラーが発生しました。 (An error has occurred.)
詳しくは取扱説明書をご覧ください。 (Please read the Operations Manual for more information.)
MENU
TOP MENU

Remote Control Functionality

Elementary, my dear Cactus.
This needs some investigation.
Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page.
Specifically: See if it's possible to get the Home Menu to display on TV no Tomo Channel G Guide for Wii in case these images display on the Home Menu. Also check the brlyt files, we might find where these images were supposed to be used, where they are located, and if they're visible or not.

Within exBtn.ash are multiple files indicating that, at some point, the Wiimote had functionality to act as a TV remote. This may have also been from when DVD functionality was planned.

This feature would later be implemented in the Japan-only TV no Tomo Channel G Guide for Wii and later on the Wii U's GamePad. Coincidentally, the Japanese Club Nintendo offered a Wiiテレビリモコン ("Wii TV Remote"; RVL-003(-01)) to Platinum members from 2005 to October 2006, the month prior to the release of the Wii and the regular Wii Remote.

In Wii Menu 1.0-3.0, you can find a file called tvrc_DB.arc which has .bin files which probably were used to control the TV. TV no Tomo Channel G Guide for Wii also has this file.

In addition, in Wii Menu 1.0, the Wii Settings HTML files have an empty TV_Remote folder.

Wii-Rimocon sousa.tpl.png Translation
Volume Control
Power On/Off

Change Input

rimocon_sousa.tpl shows the controls of said functionality.

Wiimenu Sphere.png

rimocon_btn.tpl shows a sphere-like picture. (Possibly a button)

Wiimenu TV.png

rimocon_btn_min.tpl shows a "TV" button.

tvrc_maker tvrc_type

0000009b.app, the main executable for Wii Menu 4.3E, together with alternate names for the other SYSCONF variables. This suggests a brand-centric database, as used on most universal remotes with a display… including the Wii U.

Unused Icons

Mario time!

In board.ash is an image called Nigaoe.tpl ("nigaoe" translates to "portrait") that contains a small picture of Mario. This icon was also used in early screenshots and videos of Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Wii Menu Tanooki.png

Wii Menu 1.0 has a file called tanuki.arc, which inside it has a picture called okane.tpl ("okane" translates to "money") which has a render of Tom Nook from Animal Crossing.

Early Final
Doesn't look too special... At least it looks a little better now...

myLetterS.tpl contains an unused picture of a memo for the Wii Message Board, while myLetterS_a.tpl contains the final picture of a memo. The unused graphic appeared in a prerelease screenshot.

NO RESETTIN'!

myLetterS_Game_a.tpl contains an unused Animal Crossing graphic used for memos regarding the game which was shown at the September 14, 2006 Wii Channels conference. The only remaining Animal Crossing-related memo graphic that exists is the orange envelope with a leaf logo on the red sticker from sending a letter to the Wii Message Board via Pelly in the Post Office window of Town Hall in Animal Crossing: City Folk.

Early Final
Looks generic... Now we're seeing a real Mii icon.

In letter.ash are two Mii icon pictures: myNigaoePos.tpl (an early Mii icon used to select Miis on the Wii Message Board), and th_mii_icon_a.tpl (the final Mii icon with the same use above).

Unused Font

WiiMenu-MatDBG24.png

In Wii Menu 1.0, matDbg24.brf seems to contain an unused font.

Error Messages

Some early Wii executables have a variant on the standard error message, which is also present in sample disc error headers in the SDK. The "Startup Disc" placeholder System Menu has an even earlier message that mentions the Revolution.

Very Early Early Final Version 1 Final Version 2
An error has occurred.

Turn the power off and refer to the Nintendo Revolution Instruction Booklet for further instructions.

An error has occurred.

Turn the power off and refer to the Instruction Booklet for further instructions.

An error has occurred.

Press the Eject Button, remove the Game Disc, and turn the power off. Please read the Wii Operations Manual for more information.

An error has occurred. Press

the Eject Button and remove the disc, then turn the Wii console off and refer to the Wii Operations Manual for help troubleshooting.

Startup Disc

Hmmm...
To do:
The Startup Disc leaked, write about it here. A NAND dump (mirror) of one of these early consoles exists and contains a few more things not yet documented here.
Wrong Disc (Menu) Insert Startup Disc (Menu) Checking Disc (Menu) Installing (Disc)
Wii-StartupDiscWrongDisc.png Wii-StartupDiscInsertDisc.png Wii-StartupDiscCheckingDisc.png Wii-StartupDiscInstalling.png
Installation Completed (Disc) Error (Menu) Already Completed (Disc, Unused)
Wii-StartupDiscInstalled.png Wii-StartupDiscError.png Wii-StartupDiscAlreadyCompleted.png

The first ~300,000 Wii units to be manufactured included an incomplete System Menu. Rather than re-flash all of these units before shipping, Nintendo included a Startup Disc that was required to be inserted to update the system's firmware on first-run. Most of these units were shipped to retailers for use in demo kiosks. These units would display the above screen instructing the user to insert the Startup Disc.

Early Wii retail boxes include a reference to the Startup Disc in the package contents, however only a few actually-incomplete units shipped to end consumers. Nintendo asked that users affected ship their units back to Nintendo for replacement.

The Startup Disc System Menu also checks if a Title ID of a Wii Disc is "RAAE" and if it is any other Title ID, then the disc is rejected. In any other version of the System Menu, if a Disc ID has "RAAE" then the disc is rejected (note that RAAE01 is the default titleID in the SDK). The Startup Disc Menu also accepts discs with Title IDs starting with a number, allowing it to natively run auto-boot discs such as the Wii Backup Disc and Movie-Ch Install Disc. If a disc is accepted, the Startup Disc Menu plays a short fade-out animation.

The Startup Disc was discovered on September 2, 2020, when an anonymous user leaked numerous internal Nintendo files to 4chan. The disc is a bulk title installer which provides Wii System Menu 1.0 (v33), MIOS v1, BC v1, Mii Channel v0, Photo Channel v0, Forecast, News, and Wii Shop channels v0.

An error sound only present in the Startup Disc System Menu exists and does play, but is not in any other System Menu. It is located at WSD/ERR/ with the filename "MSG":

(Source: https://hackmii.com/2010/09/insert-startup-disc/)

Time Limits and Usage Periods for Channels

Hmmm...
To do:
This can be reactivated by modifying a game. See here.
License Expired Period of Use Ended Channel Time Remaining
Wii-LicenseForChannelExpired.png Wii-PeriodOfUseForChannelEnded.png Wii-ChannelTimeRemaining.png

In limitover.ash, there are some unused graphics indicating that you can't use a Channel after a certain period of time. This was most likely intended for demos. Each title for the Wii has an option for a time limit, but Nintendo never used this on the Wii. This feature would later find its way to the 3DS and Wii U, which do have demos with a maximum play limit. In the Wii Shop JavaScript files, there are references to title categories including subscriptions, rentals, and demos; this is most likely the intended use of this feature.

Wii-TimerUS.png

Wii-TimerUSB.png

(Source: CCCen)
(Source: Original TCRF research)

Wii Factory Tools

Hmmm...
To do:
Add more pictures of the different screens. And also see if this can be dumped.
Remember when YT had a little indifferent face when a video went down? TCRF remembers.
This page or section has one or more broken YouTube links.
Please find an archived version of the video(s) or a suitable replacement.
Specifically: Video was set to Private

Wii-factorytool.png

When Wiis had their NANDs programmed in the factory, Nintendo would have used discs and tools to install boot2 and important system menu files. However, one of these tools was discovered by fluffy. These tools would be imported onto the NAND, and would then be deleted after they were no longer needed. However, one of these Wiis still had a factory tool on the NAND. The disc itself is known as "0002". What is known about it is that it can import files from an SD Card and then write it to the NAND. This application reads from a file on the SD card known as "all.ini", containing a list of DOL files launched from the SD card.

(Source: thefluffydino)

Maintenance Mode

Wii-MaintenanceMode.png

The Wii has a maintenance mode (available to access on all system menu versions!) accessible by holding the + and - buttons on the Wii Remote for several seconds on the health and safety screen. When continuing, the user is prompted with a message stating the following:

The system is operating in maintenance mode. The Wii Message Board cannot be used.

As the message states, the Wii Message Board cannot be used.

Some Wi-Fi settings also appear to be disabled, although the console itself can still connect to Wi-Fi.

Entering any channel appears to set the Wii from maintenance mode, back into its normal operating system.

The main intended purpose of this feature is in fact only explained in the developer documentation: it overrides dynamic banners (as seen on Weather and News channels, the Photo Channel 1.1 custom image, or the Mario Kart Channel ghost/competition notifications) in case of trouble with their content (but has no power over the conventional "banner brick", caused by a defective banner/icon).

Stub Channels

See also: Prerelease:Forecast Channel, Prerelease:News Channel, and Prerelease:Wii Shop Channel

Wii-SysMenuVer1-WithChannels.png
Wii Forecast Channel Pre-Relase Update Banner.png

The Wii Menu has special handling for the titleIDs associated with the "region free" Forecast and News Channel stubs (00010002-HAFA and HAGA). It will replace the Start button with an Update button pointing directly to the Wii System Update feature (part of the Wii Menu), as well as hide said stubs if the matching region-specific actual Channel is also installed.

While the stub channels appear to be unnecessary for the functionality of those applications, they are still installed on every regular Wii released. They can be seen again by uninstalling the functional channels using homebrew.

Neither the actual channels nor the stubs are present on the Wii Mini or Wii U, as the WiiConnect24 service was not offered on those systems. If manually installed on a Wii U, the Update button not only remains functional but also provides access to the normally hidden Wii System Settings via canceling the update.

The nonfunctional v0 version of the Wii Shop Channel (00010002-HABA) preinstalled on 1.0 Wiis also has a banner and icon in the same style, but it is built into the channel itself instead of a stub.

Version Differences

System Menu 1.0 System Menu 2.x System Menu 3.x and Wii Mini System Menu 4.x and vWii
Wii-SysMenuVer1.png Wii-SysMenuVer2.png Wii-SysMenuVer3.png Wii-SysMenuVer4.png
Wii Menu 1.0 Mainline versions Wii Mini
Wii-1.0-MainOptions.png Wii-MainOptions.png Wii-Mini-MainOptions.png
1.0 (NA) Mainline versions (NA/EU) Wii Mini (NA/EU)
Wii-1.0-USASettingsPage3.png Wii-EURSettingsPage3.png Wii-Mini-EURSettingsPage3.png
  • Shortly before the release of 1.0, IOS was modified to not verify installed titles at runtime, to improve performance. This is the primary reason unsigned digital titles are viable on the Wii without further modifications once some method of installing them to internal storage is achieved.
  • System Menu 1.0 does not feature the Wii Menu text or slope present in 2.0 onward.
  • System Menu 1.0 does not display a version number in the top-right corner of System Settings.
  • Channels cannot be moved around or uninstalled on System Menu 1.0, which doesn't include SD Card support either.
  • The US version of System Menu 1.0 loads channels faster than any other System Menu, as it lacks the fade out animation.
  • The warning text displayed by Wii Menu 1.0 just before a disc update is, confusingly, just the same string displayed during the update itself.
  • Wii Menu 1.0 lacks a button in network settings to access the EULA hidden channel (which, along with the Region Select hidden channel, is not preinstalled on 1.0 systems).
1.0 1.0 2.0+
Wii-1.0-ConnectionTest.png Wii Forecast Channel Pre-Relase Update Banner-1.0.png Wii Forecast Channel Pre-Relase Update Banner.png
  • Wii Menu 1.0 lacks an update button in the last page of the settings: online updates can only be accessed through the connection test feature.
    • For this reason, the "Update" button used in Stub channels is replaced by an "Enter Settings" button when on Firmware 1.0.
(Source: Wii Startup Disc demo, Wii Menu 1.0 in action)
  • The country of residence is not an option in 1.0.
  • The Disc Channel icon in 1.0 and 2.x has the Wii logo appear every few seconds. In 3.0, it was changed to have the Disc spin. The Wii logo also never appears.
  • System Menu 1.0 and 2.x do not feature the clock which was added in 3.0 and onward.
    • The Wii Menu text still appears in 3.0 and onward, but is then faded out to show the clock.
    • The slope in the bottom UI meant for the clock was made deeper to fit the clock. The gradient was also made more noticeable.
  • Despite having always been possible in the main screen with the available channels, the three pages of settings could not be scrolled with the -/+ buttons until this feature was added in a certain version of the System Menu.
Wii Menu 1.0 2.x and 3.x System Menu 4.x 4.3 for Wii Mini
Wii-1.0-SaveManager.png Wii-2.0-SaveManager.png Wii-4.0-SaveManager.png Wii-Mini-SaveManager.png
  • System Menu 4.0 added the infamous option to run software exported to the SD card from the main menu (which requires automatically copying them back to NAND for technical reasons).
  • Unprotected saves and channels can now be moved between different storage devices, complementing the existing copy and delete features.
  • Protected saves can easily be identified by the greyed out copy/move options.
  • Wii Menu 4.0 was the first licensed Wii title to support SDHC cards.

Wii U

  • The Wii U adaptation of the Wii Menu is not a valid Wii application anymore (as the executable has to be in native WiiU "ancast" format).
  • A third common key (2) was added, allowing for vWii-exclusive software.
  • The destination of the bottom-left button was changed to hide the settings pages (as vWii configuration is synchronized from and to that of WiiU mode when switching between them).
  • Like the Wii Mini, the messaging features and address book were removed from the message board.

Wii Mini

  • As shown above, SD- and GameCube-related features were removed from the Wii Menu.
  • On the other hand, contrary to common intuition, the iconic disc ring light was not removed: it is now implemented by pulling down the power light (which is now blue instead of green).
Wii (Europe) Wii Mini (Europe)
Wii-MessageBoard.png Wii-Mini-MessageBoard.png
  • The message composing and address book submenu was removed from the Wii Message Board. Curiously, this also affected the local Memo feature.
Hmmm...
To do:
Screenshot of equivalent (presumably, total removal of option) on 60Hz-only region
Wii (Europe) Wii Mini (Europe)
Wii-EURVideoModes.png Wii-Mini-EURVideoModes.png
  • As the Wii only supports the 480p mode when using YPbPr cables, but the Wii Mini omits components required for any video cable beyond the plain composite one (despite using the same DAC as the fully featured models), the 480p option was removed.
Wii (Europe) Wii Mini (Europe)
Wii-EURSettingsPage2.png Wii-Mini-EURSettingsPage2.png
  • The Wii Mini famously dropped any official support for networking, going as far as recompiling every IOS to disable and fake Wi-Fi card support (which would otherwise be required for operation).
    • As part of this, all internet related options were removed from sight, leaving USB/Ethernet adapters unable to be configured despite being still supported in IOS.
  • A special crippled version of the Mii Channel and a digital substitute of the formerly 2nd enclosed instruction book ("Channels and Settings") completes the user-facing preinstalled software. BC and MIOS are present despite the unmodified console having no way to read, start, control, or save GameCube software, however EULA and Region Select aren't.
    • Full support for digital title management is still present, as a handful of disc titles (like Mario Kart Wii and the Wii Fit series) offer companion apps installable directly from the disc. A comparable argument about some titles being able to save screenshots and achievement images to the Wii Message Board wasn't enough to keep the otherwise unusable Photo Channel, though.
Wii-Mini-EURAutoPowerOff.png
  • A one-hour inactivity poweroff timer (already implemented on the first Xbox, the PlayStation 3, and the Wii U) was added, presumably for legal conformity reasons.
Wii (Europe) Wii Mini (Europe)
Wii-EURSettingsPage3.png Wii-Mini-EURSettingsPage3.png
  • The Wii Mini, therefore, can't be updated over the internet. Disc updates are also blocked, presumably since - despite the risk of incompatible Wii system titles being installed having been averted by the use of inflated version numbers on Wii Mini software - some disc updates (such as the one bundled with Xenoblade Chronicles) also include advertisement channels for online services.

Regional Differences

Hmmm...
To do:
There are more regional differences. Add the images.

Health and Safety Screen

US Europe (English) Japan Korea
Wii-USHealthSafety.png Wii-HealthSafetyEurope.png Wii-HealthSafetyJapan.png Wii-HealthSafetyKorea.png

For unknown reasons, the American splash screen was decolorized: the warning symbol and URL for further information are white instead of, respectively, yellow and blue. The Japanese and Korean versions point directly to a localized website instead of a language selector.

Home Menu

US/Europe Japan Korea
Wii-RegionDifferences-USHomeMenu.png Wii-RegionDifferences-JapaneseHomeMenu.png Wii-RegionDifferences-KoreanHomeMenu.png

In the home menus of each officially-released game, the text showing each player and their number differ. In addition, the menu itself is known as the "HOME Button Menu" in Japan and Korea rather than just the "HOME Menu" in the US, and the "Wii Remote" is known as the "Wii RemoCon" in Japan (or "Wii Remote Control").

Note that (just like the network configuration tool in DS and PlayStation 2 games), the "Wii's" HOME Menu is in fact individually compiled in every licensed title, resulting in differences across them depending on the version of the HOME library used in the title.

Disc Channel

International Korea
Wii DiscChannel.png Wii DiscChannel-Korea.png

While the international versions contain support for GameCube compatibility, the Korean version of the system menu does not, possibly due to the GameCube having ceased to be a mainstream console by the time of the Korean launch, and/or due to Korea being switched from Japan to a segregated region in the transition to the Wii. This change was also reflected in the Wii Mini and the Wii U's Virtual Wii (but not the Wii Family Edition, which runs the same software as the original models). Korean Wiis do in fact still contain the BC and MIOS system titles, respectively responsible for starting and running GameCube backwards compatibility.

Video Modes

Europe Other
Wii-EURVideoModes.png Wii-USAVideoModes.png

As only European Wiis offer 50Hz modes, not only is the matching option missing in other versions, but the other ones received a slight name change.

Technically, the DAC used in any Wii can output any video mode, but (as a holdover from the GameCube with separate PAL and NTSC video encoders), RGB and S-Video formats remain exclusive to the respective two video standards, nullifying the former's advantage as a universal format.

In Japan, where D-Terminal was popular, such a cable was released for the Wii: it is the only official video cable to use status bits (progressive scan and aspect ratio) available in the Wii's video connector.

Wi-Fi Simple Start

International Japan
Wii WiFi-Connection settings U.png Wii WiFi-Connection settings J.png

The Japanese version of the System Menu has a Simple Start option in the connection setup menu, allowing you to easily connect your Wii to a Simple Start compatible router. Since such routers are exclusive to Japan, the button got removed in the other regional System Menu versions.

(Source: RGDWiki)

Language Selection

A so-called semi-brick: on an incompletely region-changed console, the Wii Menu fails to load settings pages embedded into it from a nonexistant region- and language-specific path. This screen is always displayed in English.

The European Wii Menu allows the user to select between English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Dutch; the American version only offers English, French, and Spanish, while the Asian variants are monolingual and therefore completely lack this option from the third page of settings.

Note that, while there is only one kind of English/French/Spanish, a program may also read the console's "AREA" region and discriminate on its basis to provide separate American and European localizations - or, equally as likely, fail to do so as in the case of the Wii Menu itself (pictured).

Korean Key

Tickets (licenses) for Wii titles primarily contain a title key for decrypting the title at installation time. That is itself encrypted through a common key, but the ticket can specify which of the common keys should be used.

Most Wiis only have the 0th key, which is sourced from the integrated OTP PROM (ebe42a225e8593e448d9c5457381aaf7 on retail systems) and therefore used on all software. But Korean consoles have a second key (number 1) in EEPROM, which is used by Korean software; while obviously resulting in supplementary regional segregation, the true motive has been debated since its discovery.

(Source: Team Twiizers)

For unclear reasons, non-negligible numbers of Korean consoles were sold on the gray market after being converted to American. Nintendo attempted to destructively stop this with IOS70 and higher (i.e. Wii Menu 4.2+), which added to this combination the ability to read out the Korean Key and halt with an "Error 003" if detected on a non-Korean system. Workarounds, apart from abstaining from use of Wii Menu 4.2 and higher, include copying IOS60 over IOS70/80 (in which case the detection will fail safe) and/or actively removing common key 1 with the KoreanKii homebrew.

DVDHome.bmg

DVDHome.bmg is a message file containing strings related to the removed DVD playback feature in the Japanese version of Wii Menu 1.0 (it is also present and identical in 1.0 RC1). Several of the strings resemble those in the retail HOME Menu, though with less clear wording.

Japanese Translation Notes
各種設定 Settings
MENU MENU
チャンネル一覧へ Go to Channel List This likely refers to the Wii Menu.
停止 Stop
TOP MENU TOP MENU This likely refers to the top menu of the DVD being played back.
リモコンのリンクが切れました。参加される順番にボタンを押してください。 The link to the remote has been interrupted. Please press the buttons in the desired participation order.
リモコンの振動をOFFにしました。 Turned off the vibration of the remote.
リモコンの振動をONにしました。 Turned on the vibration of the remote.
リモコンのスピーカーをOFFにしました。 Turned off the speakers of the remote.
リモコンのスピーカーをONにしました。 Turned on the speakers of the remote.