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Posted
I read that the shop channel needs an update, does anybody know if this update has any influence on the FreeLoader?

 

It doesn't affect it. Myself and jordan have both done it. Brawl still works

Posted

Everytime there's an update, we;re all going to be rather tentitive about installing it! Look well if one of Nintendo's major channels - My Nintendo Channel - has a Freeloader block!

 

I've actually bitten the bullet and got myself a freeloader after lots of too-ing and throwing. Deliciously gory No More Heroes shall be mine!

Posted

I hope that when wiiware launches we know some concrete information about the expending of your memory ( sd card, hard drive or a usb stick) and stream it right of there and not copy it to your Wii memory. They have to with virtual console games growing in size and most wiiware games of 40mb. I don’t see that having a bright future if we cant expend our Wii memory.

 

And the stuff that the Wii is a refrigerator is BS. I cant see casual people or even hardcore gamers downloading the game every time they want to play that is so lame.

Posted

I have 120 odd blocks left, so I need space so I don't need to re-download all the games again. Would be troublesome. But why the update for the US and EU when May is ages off.

Posted
I have 120 odd blocks left, so I need space so I don't need to re-download all the games again. Would be troublesome. But why the update for the US and EU when May is ages off.

 

Probably so that there's fewer teething problems. They might want to start testing the compression of WiiWare games.

Posted
Definitely recommend 365games. DEFINITELY. I ordered saturday, was posted monday under their super saver 3-5 day delivery, and it's just dropped through the door JUST as I'm on my way out. That's like...2 and a half days, I guess. I can't believe this happened as I'm going to uni. Thank you 365games, but from me, this is very positive praise for the company. For £40, this is quality service.

 

Definitely recommend http://www.365games.co.uk/

 

QFT

 

I ordered same day and the game was delivered at 9am on Tuesday (i paid extra for delivery).

 

Great site, will be using them again in the future.

Posted

Right, I wrote this for the main site and asked Iun to put it up. Nothing. So it must be shi!e lol. Joking aside, here is my review of the Freeloader. Potentially interesting for those who are on the fence:

 

 

Wii Freeloader Review

 

In the electronic entertainment industry Nintendo were the originator of regional lockouts so seeing gamers over the pond playing the latest and greatest Nintendo titles months, even years before us, has become an expected norm for European gamers. Bar owning a region-specific console or modding your console (thus voiding your warranty) it has always been difficult, even impossible to play games intended for Japanese/US gamers. With that simple truth, there lay a money-making opportunity for third party developers.

Ever since the Super Nintendo housed the epic Street Fighter 2 there have been those titles that everyone had to get their hands on. Evidently, third party developers have always timed their releases carefully.

Go back to August 2002 and the internet gasped with delight as Datel’s Freeloader enabled gamers to play Mario Sunshine and the seminal Animal Crossing months, and years before they would see release in the US/EU. The freeloader was simple and cheap. A device which enabled gamers to play import games on their console – Through nothing more than a swapping of disks procedure.

 

Unsurprisingly it sold well.

 

So here we are again three years later and as futuristic as 2008 sounds, Nintendo still seem as archaic as ever when it comes to region coding games. At this moment in time the main Nintendo game on everyone’s brain is Super Smash Bros. Brawl. With Nintendo (again) not giving us a release date for a major first-party title, Nintendo fans all over Europe are left wishing, wondering, wanting.

Datel promised ease-of-use with the GameCube Freeloader and (after revised versions) delivered. Will the new Wii-specific version offer gamers the same pros?

 

The Freeloader comes in a standard DVD case with a simple one-sheet manual detailing how to use it, disclaimers and contact details. The presentation and packaging reflects the £10 price point with an 8-cm miniDVD (GameCube disk) inside. The disk is easily inserted into the Wii disk drive and, as expected, upon insertion will begin to load. After a few seconds the screen will then mildly smudge colours from right to left - twice. This is accompanied by an emitted “crash” tone not too dissimilar to loading an old Commadore64 game. After this the import game can then be inserted. The game will then load as normal with all features intact (yes, online too). However, any games that come with an update on them (Smash Bros/Super Paper Mario) will only work after the Freeloader has been inserted twice. The updates are then accepted by the user yet ignored by the console. This is explained clearly on the included instruction sheet.

So can you play any import game on your Wii console?

 

Not quite.

 

As effortless as the Freeloader is, there were always going to be some issues - and firmware is the biggest. Firmware is essentially a computer instruction stored in ROM (as in a game disk), this means Nintendo could incorporate an instruction on future game disks that combats the Freeloader. Furthermore a console update could also render existing titles unplayable. The current Wii firmware (as noted in your Wii Settings) is version 3.2 and so everything equal to/below that should work fine. As mentioned though – Any future update from Nintendo could change everything.

Furthermore, those looking to play their imported GameCube games via the Wii Freeloader are in for a lottery. While the Freeloader makes no mention of GameCube compatibility, it does work with some titles. Yet to those that own imported GC titles: Don’t expect any/all of your games to work.

And finally, your console must be set to 60 Hz (or EDTV/HDTV mode) which is what a US/Japanese GameCube or Wii would play in. Without these modes enabled games may play colourless, messed-up or not at all. It goes without saying then that your TV must be able to emit 60 Hz.

 

Pros

+ Import titles are generally cheaper to buy

+ Purchase unreleased, uncut games

+ Simple disk-swapping process

+ Play Smash Bros brawl now!

 

Cons

- Future games could include updates which render it useless

- Nintendo could release updates rendering it useless

 

So is it worth the risk? As mentioned before, the Freeloader for Wii is £10 (make sure you get the Euro version) and a US/JAP title can set you back £25-35 pounds. The opportunity to play games such as Smash Bros brawl and No More Heroes (uncut thank you very much) means the Freeloader is already an EU gamers dream come true. The choice is yours, and whilst you decide, I'll be brawling.

Posted

Am I the only person not tempted to get one? I just don't wanna run the risk of getting a necessary system update that disables it and being stuck without Brawl or having to buy a new freeloader. The newer Gamecube's had firmware installed that disabled the first few versions of the freeloader, so it is possible that at some point they will disable it...

 

I'm gonna hang fire see how long we have to wait for a release date....Pro Evo out next week, GTA IV is out next month to so there is plenty to play.

Posted
Can I just ask why you would want to import them? The only reason to import that I can see is for a faster release (Brawl) or extra/different content (NMH). What is it thats stopping you getting the Euro versions of SMG and MP3?

 

If there is a chance of saving much money, I take it

Posted
I already have downloaded it and the Freeloader still works. Or is this another one next to the Shop Channel update?

 

It's another one. I'm not even sure if this update is out already for Pal consoles, but I sure as hell won't check.

Posted
Thanks for the warning then, guess I won't be updating for a while.

 

It means you can't update ever again surely? Because to download the next version after this it will surely update them all...

Posted
It means you can't update ever again surely? Because to download the next version after this it will surely update them all...

 

Yeah, you're right but I'm not updating till Brawl's released in Europe at least if this does block the Freeloader.

Posted

I wonder what Datels reaction will be. Give everyone a free copy of a new version... They can't expect people to keep buying new versions after every week.

Posted
Yeah, you're right but I'm not updating till Brawl's released in Europe at least if this does block the Freeloader.

Lets just hope Mario kart doesnt come with this update :(

Posted
Lets just hope Mario kart doesnt come with this update :(

 

I wasn't planning on getting it anyway but there's a chance it will have the update. We could hope NoE delays this update for Europe as well. :heh:


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