Imagine yourself in a situation where you have a rare retro game, say super Mario Bros, but your NES is not working because it’s broken. You would feel like throwing the game away because if you can’t play, there is no other use for it … right?
But the good news is that you’ve got a Nintendo Wii sitting on your desk, and now you’re wondering how can you combine both & still enjoy retro games — got you, didn’t we? Well, worry not, because we are here to answer all your questions. In this blog, we will walk you through how to play retro games on Wii, what resources are required, and how to install emulators on Wii.
Let’s get into it!
Requirements: Everything You Need to Play Retro Games on Wii
If you are going to make a salad, you will start with buying vegetables. Similarly, if you have made up your mind to play retro games on Wii, you will need some resources for that. Let’s talk one by one about these resources.
1. Wii Console
The first key requirement for playing retro games on Wii is obviously a good condition Wii. Your Wii should be capable of running Homebrew software. For this purpose, you can check out the Nintendo Wii Unit here.
2. SD Card
For Installing applications, you will require an SD Card. A simple SD card will do just fine for you.
3. External Storage
Depending on your gaming library’s size, you should select a good flash drive or, preferably, an external hard drive. We recommend you get a 128GB or 256GB hard drive.
4. Emulator
Last but not least, you will need an emulator in this guide of how to play classic Nintendo games on Wii. Just decide what emulator can best work with your game system and stick with it.
Must read: How to set up your Wii?
How to Play Retro Games on Wii: A Step-by-Step Guide of What You Need to Do
After getting a good idea of all the necessary things in our guide of how to play retro games on Wii, let’s move forward to the step-by-step procedure.
1. Download Letter Bomb Letter
First, copy the MAC address and System Menu Version of your Wii from settings. Here’s what to do next:
- Visit pleasecheckme.com and out the MAC address and System Menu Version there.
- Download the file and put it on your SD card.
- Insert the SD card into the Wii, keeping the console off.
2. Install the Homebrew Channel
Once you insert the SD card into your Wii, turn it on, go to the home screen, and follow the below-given steps.
- Click on the red letter with a bomb on it.
- Install the page and then click on “Continue”.
- Proceed with installing the Homebrew channel.
- Then install Bootmii as an IOS and return to the main menu.
Warning: you might get scammer alerts on the screen, or your screen can go black for a few minutes. You shouldn’t panic about it, it’s totally normal.
3. Installing Apps to SD Card
You will also need to install the Homebrew browser to install all other apps once you complete installing the Homebrew channel. You can download the emulator from the browser directly. And also, you will have the option to download the ROM of the game you want to play. That’s how to play classic Nintendo games on Wii.
4. How to Install Emulator on Wii: A complete guideline
It might be the most difficult task for you: installing emulators on Wii and putting ROMs in it, but let us make this the simplest one of all. You can download and install the emulator from the Homebrew browser easily. After that, you can copy the ROM file to the folder in the emulator. Now you are all good to enjoy your favorite retro games.
Why You Must Play Retro Games on Wii
Following are some pros of playing retro games on Wii.
1. Affordable Option
While many people are ready to spend some extra bucks to play their favorite retro games, money is still a problem for most of us. If you try to explore the market, you can find good condition Wii consoles at very reasonable prices.
Here is another thing for your encouragement, you don’t even need fully functional consoles. For example, if the disc drive of the console is faulty, it will still work fine for you. SD cards and external hard drives are going to do the job for you. This way, you can save even more. After all, who doesn’t like to save money? You can check out Retro vGames for it.
2. Easy to Hack
You will be aware of the fact that Nintendo is no longer providing support to the Wii consoles. So, no matter how old the system is or what firmware version it has in it, it’s very easy to hack the Wii. The simple above-mentioned steps would be enough to help you to softmod your Wii and install the Homebrew channel.
3. Availability of Retro Gaming Controllers
A good gaming controller can double your retro gaming experience. To your surprise, Wii doesn’t only support the GameCube controller, and there are a whole lot of options for you to select. You have all the liberty in the world to select a controller according to your preference or the type of game. It is the perfect way to play classic Nintendo games on Wii with such ease.
4. Amazing Visual Experience
One thing that you don’t get in modern retro gaming consoles is the option to play retro games on CRT TV. Thanks to the Wii for using composite/component cables that make it compatible with old TVs. You can enjoy retro gaming on them with zero latency. Isn’t it the type of gaming experience all the gamers die for?
Looking for the best Wii games to play with your family? Check here.
Why You May Not Play Retro Games on Wii
Above we have seen some pros of playing retro games on Wii, but there are some cons too. Let’s discuss them below.
1. Time Consuming
Working every day for several hours to configure the system isn’t everyone’s piece of cake. Until now, you will have a good idea that softmodding isn’t something to worry about; it’s setting up the emulator and installing Homebrew apps that take too much time. So you will have to invest a lot of time in these tasks first to enjoy your favorite retro games.
2. Does Not Support All Retro Games
Imagine yourself putting all your efforts into setting up an emulator and installing Homebrew. After all that, you find out that you can not play the game. Because the game that you want to play so badly isn’t supported by the emulator. While the emulator does support most of the retro games, there are still some games which it doesn’t support. It is a drawback you should keep in mind.
Bottom Line
How to play retro games on Wii: It is a question that might still be covert for many people out there. But if you have come this long in our blog, we are sure you will not be one of those people. Just follow the step-wise guide we have prepared, and you are all good to enjoy your retro games with an even better experience than the NES.
Furthermore, if you feel any difficulty getting the resources, we recommend you visit Retro vGames. From here, you will be getting guaranteed original products, and that too at very reasonable prices.
Must read:
