New Wii menu update 3.3 nullifies Twilight Princess hack

by Ross Miller { Jun 16th 2008 at 10:50PM }

We've got some good news and some bad news. Let's start with the bad news: Nintendo's latest Wii menu update (3.3) effectively plugs up the Twilight Princess hole that served to foster a homebrew community – or, perhaps more accurately, it casts the homebrew community into a realm of darkness. According to the update, "Beacuse unauthorized modifications to save files may impair game play or the Wii Console, updating to Wii Menu version 3.3 will also check for and automatically remove such save files."

As for the good news, the Wii menu update also lets you move a Mii from from the Mii Plaza to the Mii Parade, and really, isn't that awesome enough to make up for killing homebrew? The countdown has begun for someone to produce a Wii downgrader.

Update: According to various sources, the Homebrew Channel still work if it was installed before the menu update.

Tags: breakingnews, firmware, homebrew, wii-menu, wii-menu-update

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Jhongerkong @ Jun 16th 2008 10:56PM

Looks like im not updating.

And waninkoko (a huge part of the wii scene) has already started a downgrader. Its somewhere on youtube.

Jhongerkong @ Jun 16th 2008 10:58PM

Oh and also, since this only affects save files, this may mean the Homebrew Channel or Trucha isnt affected.

Deozaan @ Jun 17th 2008 2:31AM

How are you going to run the Firmware downgrader if you can't run homebrew to downgrade the firmware?

People who already have the Homebrew Channel installed are not affected (except for trucha signing). People who don't have the Homebrew Channel won't be able to use the twilight hack to install it or run any other homebrew firmware downgrader.

Cybertronic @ Jun 17th 2008 12:17PM

You can't make a "Downgrader" its not a PSP, Bushing the guy who first hacked the wii and banned waninkoko from wiibrew for making trucha signer public and allowing piracy to take place...already covered that possibility and its a no go.

Jhongerkong @ Jun 17th 2008 2:00PM

Yeah, this was before I knew trucha was affected. Anywho. you can install channels (like the hb channel) using a chipped wii and burning it onto a cd. But that wont work now.

UltimateQ @ Jun 17th 2008 8:01PM

There is a format option. Won't this downgrade?

Gavin @ Jun 16th 2008 10:57PM

Nintendo doesn't love you...they just love your money.

Fatass of Sarcasmness @ Jun 16th 2008 11:13PM

Um, duh. All corporations love the money. I'm not happy about this, but what company wouldn't react in such a way? Don't remember you trolling the PSP update posts half a year ago with 'Sony doesn't love you' (a statement that would have been just as dumb). Then again, your only purpose for being here seems to be the spreading of irrational hatred, especially towards Wii.

Solid Chief @ Jun 16th 2008 11:17PM

Well, it doesn't matter, I was just trying to get into their pants
Guess they were trying to get into my wallet

John McPoop (PSN:johnnynumber5) @ Jun 16th 2008 11:23PM

There is not enough stuff on the Wii I would want to merit hacking my console.

fischju @ Jun 17th 2008 12:04AM

You mean the media players, emulators, whiteboard application, ect, ect is not enough to warrant the transfering of a save file and pressing the reset button?

Nick Ritch @ Jun 17th 2008 12:39AM

Homebrew on the wii is probably looked at as a big threat because most of the people that hack their console do it for emulators. If you get a good emulator you never need to buy a virtual console game and nintendo loses out on that 5-10 bucks that is almost pure profit per game(especially for nintendo's first party games).

ScottG13 @ Jun 17th 2008 10:29AM

Nintendo and I have something in common.

nanu @ Jun 16th 2008 11:04PM

Why Nintendo? That was just mean.

I'm not upgrading. I like my twilight hack as it is.

Skippy @ Jun 16th 2008 11:53PM

It will eventually be pushed onto you through retail game discs.

John @ Jun 17th 2008 12:44AM

Skippy, the Wii Freeloader has a selective updater so we can always get around that too!

fischju @ Jun 16th 2008 11:03PM

Time to delete that internet profile incase Nintendo forces this

GBATEMP people put up your avatars here!

jakfoood @ Jun 16th 2008 11:06PM

i herd thar would b food

Jhongerkong @ Jun 16th 2008 11:59PM

me 2

fischju @ Jun 17th 2008 12:02AM

I said that because I saw you and recognized from the 'temp

tyetheczar @ Jun 18th 2008 3:36PM

The food is a lie.
The food is a lie.
The food is a lie.
The food is a lie.

Monkeys Suck @ Jun 16th 2008 11:04PM

According to people on Wii Fanboy, they say if you have the channels installed BEFORE you update, they are unaffected. Good news, I'll just never update OR delete the homebrew channel. I

Monkeys Suck @ Jun 16th 2008 11:05PM

Gah, I love writing wii code. Stupid heart didn't come out.

WiiFTW @ Jun 16th 2008 11:06PM

No thanks, I'll pass on the offer. Tell me when you actually update with something useful (Bluetooth voice chat, USB Hard drive compatibility, etc.)

...Jan... @ Jun 16th 2008 11:07PM

It feels like it was just a warning from Nintendo. I mean, they even specifically said save files just so those who used the hack would know.
I think if they really wanted to, they'd just brick their systems. There's even homebrew installers to play VC and WiiWare games without paying, so Nintendo has a reason now.
Though I do feel sorry for those who used it for legit reasons.

Wii60 @ Jun 16th 2008 11:50PM

All Nintendo can do is remove the hacks. If they intentionally and maliciously bricked consoles, they'd have a Class Action suit on their hands so big that they'd be paying to replace every Wii sold. Why would they brick them though? The PR would be so bad they'd never recover.

BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ Jun 17th 2008 1:56AM

Unfortunately, I don't think they could get into legal trouble for bricking consoles.

I think when you purchase a console (any console), you involitarily "sign" an agreement that you will not modify the console beyond their approval. Any sort of breech of this "contact" means they aren't responsible if your console is screwed up.

Noshino @ Jun 17th 2008 3:52AM

uh, not only with the console itself, every time you do an update, they will have some sort of way to protect themselves on their Terms of Service, almost every company does it...

BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ Jun 17th 2008 5:53AM

Ah, ToS. That's the term I was looking for. Thanks, Noshino. :)

Sir Fidlious Wong (Justin T. McElroy Memorial Burn of the Day Award) @ Jun 17th 2008 7:47AM

Actually, no. Now we are bouncing into a legal grey area.

If the bricking happened "on accident," they can't be held responsible. If they intentionally destroyed modified hardware, they can definately be held legally responsible. IE: Sony Rootkit Fiasco.

Maliciously damaging consoles is illegal no matter what someone did to it. Most Nintendo can do is cut off access to their services. Anything beyond that is illegal.

Noshino @ Jun 17th 2008 11:32AM

uh, I thought that the whole rootkit fiasco was more about how the malware affected the computers in multiple ways even when using official CDs

Not only that, but the removal tools only aggravated the privacy and security concerns...

In this case, Im pretty sure they could just claim that this update is to increase the security and "performance" of their system, can't they?

Wes @ Jun 18th 2008 1:43AM

@Fidilous Wong
"Maliciously damaging consoles is illegal no matter what someone did to it."

I'm not sure about that due to the excessively long terms of use agreements and legal jargon included with most products now days.

It usually has a line like 'Nintendo shall not be held liable due to [insert 100 conditions covering almost everything possible] whether direct or indirect caused by [insert product defect, whether by accident or on purpose by first party or third party, etc etc].

Hiro @ Jun 16th 2008 11:21PM

So... what exactly does move your Miis to Mii Parade even mean?

John McPoop (PSN:johnnynumber5) @ Jun 16th 2008 11:24PM

Its actually yiddish for Pwned

John McPoop (PSN:johnnynumber5) @ Jun 16th 2008 11:21PM

As much as I would love to rail on the Wii & Nintendo for this I know the truth of the matter is that Sony & Microsoft would do the same exact thing if their consoles were as easily breached. It seems that people are now stealing VC and WW games which will nip this in the bud rather quickly. I am going to assume you can't play games online without updating. If that were the case I would just update even though I hardly play my Wii. I hacked my iphone & PSP but just ended going back to the normal feature set after sifting through what was good and what was crap became cumbersome. I am down for some levels of piracy but after a while it just makes these manufacturers take more and more draconian methods to ensure security is not breached I.E. Apple bricking hacked iPhones.

Solid Chief @ Jun 16th 2008 11:30PM

ie Microsoft bricking modded 360's ;p
Yeah the only homebrew I know that is available for the 360 allows playing burnt games. There's been a fair amount of updates which I swear one bricked a lot of consoles at one stage.

However, I may be wrong as I'm not interested in that kind of modding.