Wiimmfi Guide
So you want to continue to play Nintendo Wi-fi Connection games online? Well, guess what, you can with our custom server!
Before you read this guide, you should see here if the game you want to play has been added to our server. If it isn’t, then the game cannot be played on the server. You are free to create a game definition files to enable games for testing, though.
Wii/WiiWare games:
Prerequisites:
A Wii/Wii U
The Homebrew Channel
Some games to play online(obviously!)
If you don’t have the HBC installed on your Wii, then don’t worry, because it is easy to hack into the Wii and install it.
Note: I do not take any responsibility for any damage you may cause to your Wii/Wii U during this process. If something really bad happens like a black brick, then it’s your fault. Modding your console this way will also void your warranty with Nintendo, if you care about that.
If you have a 4.3 Wii (You can check what version you’re on in the Wii system settings), then I recommend Letterbomb. It is extremely easy to use. Follow the steps on the Wiibrew wiki, and you should be good to go. If you’re on a lower version, then you could try Bannerbomb. I don’t have any experience with Bannerbomb however so I cannot give any support if you decide to use that exploit and if it doesn’t work.
However, if you only have a Wii U, then Letterbomb is a no go, because Nintendo patched it out. There are exploits for specific Wii games that still work on the Wii U, so you’ll have to use one of those. You can see here which games can be used to exploit the console. I have only had personal experience with Smash Stack so I know that 100% works but I don’t know about the other games since I do not own them.
So anyway, once you’ve picked an exploit and ran it, you should be in an installer menu thing. If you’re on a Wii then you should install the HBC and Bootmii(can be useful for recovery). However if you’re on a Wii U then you can’t use Bootmii, so I advise you to be very careful when doing stuff on your console.
After you’ve installed the HBC and exited out of the installer, there you go! Your console is now capable of running homebrew apps.
Now, you may ask: “What do I do now? How do I get online to Wiimmfi?”
Well, there’s quite a few ways. The simplest and fastest way, for physical Wii games, is to use MrBean35000vr's Wiimmfi patcher. The folder inside the zip should go into SD:/apps/. All this app does is patch the URL’s to connect to the Wiimmfi server instead of Gamespy’s, so it still says “Nintendo WFC.” It works, though. If you just want to play online and don’t really care about what the game says, then you should use this.
For ISO’s, if you don’t have a working disc drive, you can use this patcher. (If you want to patch MKW then use this one instead) When you have your patched ISO, you can run it in any USB loader app for the Wii/Wii U.
You can also try using USB Loader GX’s patching option. In it’s settings for each game it should have an option to patch for Wiimmfi. (note this does not work on WiiWare titles, at the time this guide was written. It’s also similar to MrBean’s patcher in the way that it only patches the URL’s, so it’ll still say Nintendo WFC.)
If you want to use Riivolution, then you have to use WiiScrubber on an already Wiimmfi patched ISO. Look for “main.dol” and extract it. Then, get/make a template for your game and use the patched main.dol.
If you’re a Dolphin user… Now I don’t really have much to say here considering how people have used Dolphin in the past, but if you own a real Wii and want to play on Dolphin, you can use this guide to get the emulator setup for online play.
One more thing, concerning Mario Kart Wii. If you want to play competitions, click this link and follow the instructions on how to download the competition from the server.
Now, let’s cover how to login with WiiWare titles.
Prerequisites:
WiiWare patcher
NDS decompressors (specifically lzx.exe)
ShowMiiWads
Bluedump
I’m sure your Wii/Wii U already has the HBC at this point. If it isn’t, go back in this tutorial and see how.
Anyway, run Bluedump on your console and extract the title that you want to play online. Then, take the WAD file and go onto your PC. Open ShowMiiWads, and add the directory where the WAD is. Then go to Tools > Create Common-Key and type in whatever it asks for. Right click the WAD, and extract it to a folder somewhere.
In this new folder, you should see a bunch of .app files. Drag the WiiWare patcher and lzx.exe into this folder, and run the WiiWare patcher. If your PC detects something wrong with the patcher, ignore it and run it anyway.
Now, for this part, you need to listen carefully to what the patcher says. When it opens it should ask to decompress or not. If you don’t know which one to choose then pick “yes.”
If it gives an error - DO NOT tell it to recompress the files after the URL patching is done.
If it progresses like normal - Tell it to recompress the file after it has patched the URL’s.
Now, it’s done. Go back to ShowMiiWads, Tools > Pack WAD. Select the folder with all the .app files and recompress it back into a WAD.
I’m assuming at this point you also have an app which can install these WAD files. If you don’t, then download YAWMM. Delete the channel in the data settings(if you want to keep your save then don't erase that, obviously), launch YAWMM in the HBC, and install the patched wad.
WiiConnect24:
You might be wondering if Wiimmfi has some sort of WC24 replacement. Well, not exactly, but there are a team of people that have been working on a WC24 replacement called RiiConnect24. It’s been in development for quite a while now, and they need as much help and support as possible to get some channels working. If you have the desire to use WC24 again, click on the link and follow the instructions on how to use their services.
Note: RC24 is fully compatible with Wiimmfi, so you can set the RC24 DNS and still connect to Wiimmfi.
OPENHOST:
If you identify your console on the server, you get a special feature called OPENHOST. Basically, it allows people to join a host's game while the host doesn't have to add anyone. This is useful if your friend list is filled, you don't like clutter, or if you just want it on.
To identify your console, you need to have an account on this board. When you've registered, go and login to the Wiimmfi website(same username and password with Wii-Homebrew), click on identify a console, and while online with one of your profiles, enter in the friend code of that profile into the form.
Then, click on "OPENHOST," and set the profile you want to enable OPENHOST with to "Blacklist."
However, OPENHOST only works on certain games, it depends on if the game checks if the joining person is in the host's roster. It should say if it works or not. If it doesn't, then you shouldn't be able to enable it for that game. If a game's OPENHOST status is unknown, and you want to test it, then please tell us the results!
DS games:
Prerequisites:
An Action Replay/Flashcart
There are only two ways to play NDS games online, at the time this guide was written.
1. Use cheat codes.
Download WFCReplay. You also need the ROM of the game that you want to play online. I do not condone piracy however, so you’re on your own for finding it. When you have it, load the ROM into WFCReplay. It should give you a cheat code that you can use on an Action Replay to go online. So add the cheat code to the game, and when you’re in the game, go into your Nintendo WFC configuration and set your DNS settings to 46.4.79.141.
2. Directly patch the game for use on our servers.
Download WFCPatcher. You also need the ROM of the game (again) and I will not assist you in this matter (again). When you have the ROM, put it into the same folder as the patcher and name it something short and simple(ex. “MKDS.nds”). Hold down left shift and right click in the folder, then click on “Open command window here…”
Then, type in “WfcPatcher.exe -d wiimmfi.de (romname).nds” (without quotes) It should give you a patched ROM which you can run on a flashcart to play online.
DSiWare games:
There is no known way to patch DSiWare games at the time this guide was written. With 3DS homebrew evolving a way should be possible at some point.
There are a few error codes you may get when first connecting. Here they are:
23889/23887 - Your (Wii) console has been registered on our servers. However, there is a seven day waiting period before you can actually go online and play. It might suck at first, but please keep in mind that this system is in place to keep cheaters out. If we didn’t have this, then the server wouldn’t exactly be enjoyable with cheaters everywhere. Please note that this seven day wait is only for Mario Kart Wii, so if you’re waiting, you can go online for other games while you wait to play on MKW.
60000 - This one means “Friend code not recognized.” If you played online on the WFC, but didn’t retrieve your friend code information in time back in May 2014 for use on our servers, then you would get this on connect.
There are a few ways to solve this:
Some error codes you may get while connected to the server:
86420 - This error code means something along the lines of "failed to communicate properly with the other players." The solution for this would be to set a DMZ on your console. DMZ is a setting in (most) routers that can open all the ports on one device, to ensure that there are few connection problems. For help on setting this up, click here to see an official guide by Nintendo.
80430 - This error code is similar to 86420, in the way that the joining person is having some communication problems. You would get this error code when trying to join a friend room, but it fails.
For more error codes, click here to see a compiled list.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Is it legal to host a custom server like this?
A: Yes, in Germany at least, where Wiimmfi is being hosted.
Q: Riivolution flashes and goes back to the system menu when I try to use a patched main.dol. What’s wrong?
A: Riivolution can be a little weird with main.dol for some reason. It should work after a few tries. You can also use USB Loader GX to use the patched main.dol.
More may be added to this guide as time goes on.
So you want to continue to play Nintendo Wi-fi Connection games online? Well, guess what, you can with our custom server!
Before you read this guide, you should see here if the game you want to play has been added to our server. If it isn’t, then the game cannot be played on the server. You are free to create a game definition files to enable games for testing, though.
Wii/WiiWare games:
Prerequisites:
A Wii/Wii U
The Homebrew Channel
Some games to play online(obviously!)
If you don’t have the HBC installed on your Wii, then don’t worry, because it is easy to hack into the Wii and install it.
Note: I do not take any responsibility for any damage you may cause to your Wii/Wii U during this process. If something really bad happens like a black brick, then it’s your fault. Modding your console this way will also void your warranty with Nintendo, if you care about that.
If you have a 4.3 Wii (You can check what version you’re on in the Wii system settings), then I recommend Letterbomb. It is extremely easy to use. Follow the steps on the Wiibrew wiki, and you should be good to go. If you’re on a lower version, then you could try Bannerbomb. I don’t have any experience with Bannerbomb however so I cannot give any support if you decide to use that exploit and if it doesn’t work.
However, if you only have a Wii U, then Letterbomb is a no go, because Nintendo patched it out. There are exploits for specific Wii games that still work on the Wii U, so you’ll have to use one of those. You can see here which games can be used to exploit the console. I have only had personal experience with Smash Stack so I know that 100% works but I don’t know about the other games since I do not own them.
So anyway, once you’ve picked an exploit and ran it, you should be in an installer menu thing. If you’re on a Wii then you should install the HBC and Bootmii(can be useful for recovery). However if you’re on a Wii U then you can’t use Bootmii, so I advise you to be very careful when doing stuff on your console.
After you’ve installed the HBC and exited out of the installer, there you go! Your console is now capable of running homebrew apps.
Now, you may ask: “What do I do now? How do I get online to Wiimmfi?”
Well, there’s quite a few ways. The simplest and fastest way, for physical Wii games, is to use MrBean35000vr's Wiimmfi patcher. The folder inside the zip should go into SD:/apps/. All this app does is patch the URL’s to connect to the Wiimmfi server instead of Gamespy’s, so it still says “Nintendo WFC.” It works, though. If you just want to play online and don’t really care about what the game says, then you should use this.
For ISO’s, if you don’t have a working disc drive, you can use this patcher. (If you want to patch MKW then use this one instead) When you have your patched ISO, you can run it in any USB loader app for the Wii/Wii U.
You can also try using USB Loader GX’s patching option. In it’s settings for each game it should have an option to patch for Wiimmfi. (note this does not work on WiiWare titles, at the time this guide was written. It’s also similar to MrBean’s patcher in the way that it only patches the URL’s, so it’ll still say Nintendo WFC.)
If you want to use Riivolution, then you have to use WiiScrubber on an already Wiimmfi patched ISO. Look for “main.dol” and extract it. Then, get/make a template for your game and use the patched main.dol.
If you’re a Dolphin user… Now I don’t really have much to say here considering how people have used Dolphin in the past, but if you own a real Wii and want to play on Dolphin, you can use this guide to get the emulator setup for online play.
One more thing, concerning Mario Kart Wii. If you want to play competitions, click this link and follow the instructions on how to download the competition from the server.
Now, let’s cover how to login with WiiWare titles.
Prerequisites:
WiiWare patcher
NDS decompressors (specifically lzx.exe)
ShowMiiWads
Bluedump
I’m sure your Wii/Wii U already has the HBC at this point. If it isn’t, go back in this tutorial and see how.
Anyway, run Bluedump on your console and extract the title that you want to play online. Then, take the WAD file and go onto your PC. Open ShowMiiWads, and add the directory where the WAD is. Then go to Tools > Create Common-Key and type in whatever it asks for. Right click the WAD, and extract it to a folder somewhere.
In this new folder, you should see a bunch of .app files. Drag the WiiWare patcher and lzx.exe into this folder, and run the WiiWare patcher. If your PC detects something wrong with the patcher, ignore it and run it anyway.
Now, for this part, you need to listen carefully to what the patcher says. When it opens it should ask to decompress or not. If you don’t know which one to choose then pick “yes.”
If it gives an error - DO NOT tell it to recompress the files after the URL patching is done.
If it progresses like normal - Tell it to recompress the file after it has patched the URL’s.
Now, it’s done. Go back to ShowMiiWads, Tools > Pack WAD. Select the folder with all the .app files and recompress it back into a WAD.
I’m assuming at this point you also have an app which can install these WAD files. If you don’t, then download YAWMM. Delete the channel in the data settings(if you want to keep your save then don't erase that, obviously), launch YAWMM in the HBC, and install the patched wad.
WiiConnect24:
You might be wondering if Wiimmfi has some sort of WC24 replacement. Well, not exactly, but there are a team of people that have been working on a WC24 replacement called RiiConnect24. It’s been in development for quite a while now, and they need as much help and support as possible to get some channels working. If you have the desire to use WC24 again, click on the link and follow the instructions on how to use their services.
Note: RC24 is fully compatible with Wiimmfi, so you can set the RC24 DNS and still connect to Wiimmfi.
OPENHOST:
If you identify your console on the server, you get a special feature called OPENHOST. Basically, it allows people to join a host's game while the host doesn't have to add anyone. This is useful if your friend list is filled, you don't like clutter, or if you just want it on.
To identify your console, you need to have an account on this board. When you've registered, go and login to the Wiimmfi website(same username and password with Wii-Homebrew), click on identify a console, and while online with one of your profiles, enter in the friend code of that profile into the form.
Then, click on "OPENHOST," and set the profile you want to enable OPENHOST with to "Blacklist."
However, OPENHOST only works on certain games, it depends on if the game checks if the joining person is in the host's roster. It should say if it works or not. If it doesn't, then you shouldn't be able to enable it for that game. If a game's OPENHOST status is unknown, and you want to test it, then please tell us the results!
DS games:
Prerequisites:
An Action Replay/Flashcart
There are only two ways to play NDS games online, at the time this guide was written.
1. Use cheat codes.
Download WFCReplay. You also need the ROM of the game that you want to play online. I do not condone piracy however, so you’re on your own for finding it. When you have it, load the ROM into WFCReplay. It should give you a cheat code that you can use on an Action Replay to go online. So add the cheat code to the game, and when you’re in the game, go into your Nintendo WFC configuration and set your DNS settings to 46.4.79.141.
2. Directly patch the game for use on our servers.
Download WFCPatcher. You also need the ROM of the game (again) and I will not assist you in this matter (again). When you have the ROM, put it into the same folder as the patcher and name it something short and simple(ex. “MKDS.nds”). Hold down left shift and right click in the folder, then click on “Open command window here…”
Then, type in “WfcPatcher.exe -d wiimmfi.de (romname).nds” (without quotes) It should give you a patched ROM which you can run on a flashcart to play online.
DSiWare games:
There is no known way to patch DSiWare games at the time this guide was written. With 3DS homebrew evolving a way should be possible at some point.
There are a few error codes you may get when first connecting. Here they are:
23889/23887 - Your (Wii) console has been registered on our servers. However, there is a seven day waiting period before you can actually go online and play. It might suck at first, but please keep in mind that this system is in place to keep cheaters out. If we didn’t have this, then the server wouldn’t exactly be enjoyable with cheaters everywhere. Please note that this seven day wait is only for Mario Kart Wii, so if you’re waiting, you can go online for other games while you wait to play on MKW.
60000 - This one means “Friend code not recognized.” If you played online on the WFC, but didn’t retrieve your friend code information in time back in May 2014 for use on our servers, then you would get this on connect.
There are a few ways to solve this:
- Get a new friend code by creating a new save/deleting your old one. I’m sure that this way isn’t exactly preferable for anyone, though.
- Identify your console. When your console is identified, the server will read all of your friend code information and add it to the server. To do this, you have to create an account on the Wii-Homebrew Board, login onto the Wiimmfi website with the same credentials, click on “Identify a console,” go online on any game with a new friend code, and enter in that friend code into the form.
- Use Pidtool. This is a homebrew app that can upload your friend code data to the server within 24 hours. However, it only supports few games, so check the forum post to see what games are actually supported before running it!
Some error codes you may get while connected to the server:
86420 - This error code means something along the lines of "failed to communicate properly with the other players." The solution for this would be to set a DMZ on your console. DMZ is a setting in (most) routers that can open all the ports on one device, to ensure that there are few connection problems. For help on setting this up, click here to see an official guide by Nintendo.
80430 - This error code is similar to 86420, in the way that the joining person is having some communication problems. You would get this error code when trying to join a friend room, but it fails.
For more error codes, click here to see a compiled list.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Is it legal to host a custom server like this?
A: Yes, in Germany at least, where Wiimmfi is being hosted.
Q: Riivolution flashes and goes back to the system menu when I try to use a patched main.dol. What’s wrong?
A: Riivolution can be a little weird with main.dol for some reason. It should work after a few tries. You can also use USB Loader GX to use the patched main.dol.
More may be added to this guide as time goes on.