Attention!: It has been brought to my attention by a fellow viewer, @Devnol, that if you install ANY of the IOS or System Menu from NUS shown in this video without a WiFi card properly attached, you WILL brick your Wii mini until such card is installed. If you're looking to just software mod your console, follow the Wii mini-specific instructions on wii.guide. If you're only installing the SD-RST mod, follow the noWiFi instructions linked in the packaging and the SD-RST's github page.
I did the steps you did and installed the kit without issues but no micro sd card due to being unavailable. When I installed the wads like you did, the Wii mini doesn’t display anything on the screen and appears bricked. Would not having an sd card or reset button be the reason it doesn’t work?
Would it be much better if you just remade the video with the updated information, because the algorythm only promotes this video without the vital updated information😢
Cool to see new breakthroughs in a bunch of consoles this year. First the WiiU with tiramisu allowing you to mod with out the Eshop, GameCube Piko boot which simplified and improved the process and possibilities, and now this. And that’s just with Nintendo consoles, I haven’t gotten around to the other brands yet lol.
@@nickwallette6201 Yeah, once online servers go down for the WiiU I’ll be kidding it. I’m gonna use Pico to dump my physical GameCube games and upload them to the modded WiiU so that I don’t need to worry as much about disc rot and it’s more convenient as a bonus. I do have one question I can’t seem to get an answer for though, what happens to my legally bought Eshop games after I mod the console? Will my digital copies of Metroid Prime Trilogy (or any of my digital purchases) be removed or cause problems?
@@Sacren365 I honestly don't know. That's part of why I hardly ever actually buy anything from a digital storefront unless I need it as a hack entry point. I have that same question for X360 and PS3/PS4 ... particularly whether it makes sense to purchase DLC, and if patches and content can be saved offline for reinstallation later.
This is a really cool mod but… man, you must really have to love the aesthetics of the Wii Mini to realistically implement this into your setup. Wiis are so easy to find yardsaling for so little (I think I’ve found 3 or 4 this year alone for less than $15 a pop), and with a bit of luck you can find a -40 or -60 revision with GameCube output.
Not only that how often do you find these models anyway, I would just see like one in the wild and before I knew it was a console thought it was a game cd holder...
Yes, not the most straight forward but it’s doable and I’m glad the folks that smarter than me are able to make it a reality. Incredibly awesome work by them!
I don't know, but I suspect that's a liability avoidance measure. Distributing Nintendo's firmware files is not wise, so leaving it up to you to download them keeps the modding community's hands clean.
I remember watching MVG’s video on this that it was only possible to hack with the BlueBomb method years ago, boy how time flies and we have come to this point! Amazing work to the modding community!
@@weegeenumberone2 I could be wrong, but I thought I remembered hearing that you needed to patch the Wii Menu to support those mods. That, of course, would require the Wii to be hacked already.
The regular Wii is still better, as it supports Component and RGB Scart cables, while the Wii Mini is AV only. Which makes quite a bit of difference, with or without an Upscaler.
@@MachoNachoProductions My mind immediately wondered if the inability to use component/SCART was a software limitation, since it seemed they just left components off the mainboard that they just didn't opt to source. This is impressive nonetheless. It means any and every Wii can be a complete device that can go online, access homebrew, WiiWare, and the Gamecube library. There's nothing wrong with that. And I agree with the sentiment, the look of the Wii Mini reminds me of retro machines like the Dreamcast or the PS2 Slim. Hopefully we'll see some impressive hacks done to the super slim PS3s that are on that level.
@@MachoNachoProductions I wonder what it is.😁 Here's hoping there's also a way to restore native Gamecube controller support to the Wii Mini, and if it's possible for the Wii U, too, even better. (Yes, I know about the Controller Adapter, but unfortunately this will not work with Wii games that have native GameCube controller support, like Mario Kart Wii and Sonic Colors)
I also think that Wii Mini is a beautiful and underrated console, it somewhat resembles the famicom aesthetics. Now they should restore the video component output and the ability to run Game Cube discs.
there are sofmods for the regular Wii that allow Gamecube games to be played with almost anny usb Controller or wii classic controller, i would suspect it would work on a moded wii mini to, the discrdrive might not read them so you would need to load them from SD or Harddrive to though
@@JoducusKwak Yeah! I have an early model and a "family edition" i can play Game Cube games normaly with Nintendon't software using Game Cube controllers nativally on the regular Wii and easily with an adapter on the "family edition", but original game discs only works on the first model. I think that since the CD drive on the Wii Mini is manual loading is possible to run the games from the discs, this is not possible on the "family edition".
GC disc support cannot be restored because the drive explicitly rejects any non-Wii discs and doesn't let the software read any data, and no means to replace the drive's discrete firmware have been found yet. But, Nintendont + soldering a controller port and/or BlueRetro modchip to the GC test pads on the Mini logic board + MiniRGBii will restore every other feature you asked for, including the ability to load and play Gamecube games via the SD card or USB with emulated GC memory cards. This allows you to connect the real GC controllers (or, if using the BlueRetro modchip, a wide array of Bluetooth wireless controllers) to the Mini, which also work for Wii games.
Awesome! I always thought the Wii mini was unhackable, but it was hacked, it was tedious using Linux, but it was done, and now it was fully modded! Now I'm looking for someone to mod the Xbox 360 E Limited Edition, the blue one with the infamous "Winchester" motherboard!
I never had the remote interest in Wii minis, because if I couldn't mod a console, it provided no value for me. Now, I am curious about them because of your efforts. Thank you
The only real advantage the Wii Mini has, apart from it's subjective looks, is the top-loading disc mechanism, which will hold up better and is easier to repair long-term than the auto-ejecting mechanism of the other Wii models. That's not much of an advantage though when you have to do all this modding just to get it to the state of the already cut-down original Wii models, and even then you only get AV. I suppose one advantage is that, since this is kind of the "Wii model no one likes" there is an argument of keeping your original GC Wii stock and preserved, while modding the Wii Mini to your heart's content, since it's less-likely someone will be upset with you modifying this red-headed stepchild over the original beloved console. On another note, considering the ODE mods and everything that's already being upgraded / removed from the original Wii, it would be interesting to see a "Wii Slim" that makes the original Wii motherboard as small as possible, while still incorporating all of the mods for the Wii and without doing full cut-down like the portable do. Would be sick to see a slim, sleek Wii Slim with a custom 3D-printed case that you can drop the Wii motherboard into to make it a lot smaller and more modern for homebrew. Perhaps you could give that a shot one of these days :D
Yeah I have a Wii with a broken slot loading mechanism. The motors still function and the laser (presumably) does. The actual part that's supposed to catch and hold the disc in place has broken pieces though so it doesn't work at all. Wouldn't be an issue in the first place if it was a top loader.
@@xPLAYnOfficial if you are good enough in electronics you can do it, i think it's possible but i can't do that personally, you can use the portable wii project as a starting point
This video just popped up after watching MVG's Wii Mini video and I can agree that he said this is the most unhackable console ever at that time. But it changes today. I love your modding videos since I watched your PS2 PicFix mod.
@@MachoNachoProductions speaking of which, did you ever get the original board working? I'll see if I can DM you on Twitter to give you updates on the latest qsb for the v9.
When you use the desolder braid you may add new solder to the pads and some flux to the area, after that, just use the braid as normal but without applying any pressure, I say that because I had to learn after making the same mistakes lol
Older solder starts to oxidize which adds a layer that is more heat resistant. Adding new solder to existing solder is a technique many use when working on older consoles so that the solder can be removed more easily as it will respond to heat better. (I might be slightly wrong about the oxidation, but that what I understand is happening.) Technically adding more solder and setting to a higher heat can do essentially the same, but if you set your iron too high, you can cause more problems than not depending on the components. And some solder may have a recommended temperatures as well.
@@RuxUnderscore Usually people use Plumbum containing solder (marked as 60/40 or 63/37) that has lower melting point and was banned in mass produced electronics long time ago. It's easy to buy from China, can't say about local shops.
What I’ve always liked about the mini (not where I will buy it as I can’t just spend it on this when I have the wii) is how it feels like an old fashioned console. Super basic. No online, just game and storage system. 2 buttons on it for turning on the system and opening the disc tray. The way it’s designed seems more classic than modern.
Been a quiet subscriber for a very long time and just wanted to say that your videos are always so enjoyable to watch - Love your editing style and intro every time! Keep up the good work :)
I love seeing that wii mods are still growing. I used to have every version of custom firmware files saved on a hard drive. That system has sadly died and those files lost, i wish i had made more copies because the modmii setup was so simple and building a custom rom was as easy as copy/paste. If these files still exist I would love to find them again, but any time I have tried to use the internet installer to acquire them during a softmod the connection fails.
It's worth noting that I was the first person to discover and do the SD card mod, the reset button mod, the GC controller mod, the wifi mod, and the Component video mod, and on live stream.
I always liked the looks of the Wii Mini and these mods are really awesome to give these consoles a bit more appeal. Sadly here in Germany Wii Minis usually go for around 40€+ when at the same time I can sometimes grab a normal Wii for 10€-20€!
The thing about being from.Canada is it's still the NTSC region, so before anyone from the US could go to the store to get one, if they really wanted, they can have it imported and it would still work out of the box.
Oh my gosh. I remember I bought it at Walmart and after keeping the console for a few days without opening the box I decided to returned. Because I was looking for the one that was backwards compatible with the game cube. You has done a great job.. but you know is kind of high risk when it comes the moment of the soldering. But very nice and interested tutorial.
Once you have the Wii Mini hacked with Homebrew channel, you can run homebrew called “Wii Mini Ethernet Enable” to make it work the the USB to Ethernet adapter. This is a safer, cheaper, reversible option for those who are not able to do the Wifi mod.
The Wii Mini was released in Canada in Dec 2012, Europe in March 2013, and US in Nov 2013. Nintendo ended support for the Nintendo Channel and a bunch of other channels and WiiConnect24 in June 2013, hence no WiFi module.
Yo! good video! I've always had a deep love for the wii mini, You should look into doing the gamecube ports on it too! Not sure if the test points for the SD mod would prevent it but i do remember seeing someone do it with the points years ago, would be a fun addition to see!
Good to know we're almost at the point of making the Wii Mini perfect. Now I wanna see someone make a version of the GCVideo mod for the Wii Mini, or atleast restore YPbPr functionality to the port for crystal clear video out of the console, and not crappy 480i.
This is... quite a flex, Tito. It reminds me of that episode of The Simpsons where the American embassy in Australia had a toilet equipped with millions of dollars in technology, that forced the water to swirl clockwise. At some point, it's just more practical to accept that your turds are going down counter-clockwise.
Knowing the wii mini did actually have the ports for the sd card and wifi still there (it's virtually the same pcb as the original) i always wondered if it could be done. Great job for doing it!
@@MachoNachoProductions It absolutely does. Every true professional I've seen work does this. Every one. It's just proper practice. Flux added to solder and wick, etc I feel is a great idea on paper, when it comes to using them. Not so much, yeah. I find if flux is exposed to air completely, it lessens the effectiveness for sure. Love your videos bro. No misinformation, concise, and knowledgeable.
The Wii Mini is such a beautiful version of the console. I hated how much Nintendo effectively kneecapped it, so it's great seeing stuff like this. The Wii is amazing for classic titles thanks to the preservationist community that has kept all the virtual console games, and even the composite video from the mini looks very nice on a CRT still.
You ever thought of removing the drive and seeing how small a Wii console you could make through trimming the board down and such? Not a handheld but a tiny Wii you could hook up to your TV?
It's not just about the pressure when you lifted the pad. The temperature on the iron must be high enough for the braid to slide smoothly, but not so high and not applied so long as to delaminate the pads from the substrate, it can be a balancing act. Hot and quick works better I feel. Anyway that's an indication that the pad has soldered itself to the braid and the braid didn't stay warm enough to keep the solder molten. What definitely helps is just taking a short section of braid and running it with your tweezers rather than right off the spool. Also coat the braid with tacky flux from the top so the iron has a good thermal transfer to it. There are a lot of difficult to control circumstances here so sometimes it just goes wrong.
I've been playing phantasy star online using the Wii and its been a blessing, I'm hoping I can get a retrotink5X-pro soon so it'll look perfect on my TV.
Great to see this! I soft modded my Wii mini with linux with the Bluetooth softmod also really easy! I miss the sd Card slot a little so thinking of adding this. Also the big elephant in the room is the HDMI mod Thats missing on the mini and the GameCube connectors
I think I would've preferred a Full size SD card Slot in the front or side of the console for this mod. I'm not a fan of the reset and SD cards being in the disc drive since you can't access them when a disc is inserted. I'm also not really a fan of using a micro SD card Slot since it prevents you from using full size SD cards, whereas a full size slot still lets you use micro SD cards with the adapter.
@@aaronderossett3998 I mean it makes sense for small things that can't fit Full size SD cards (Phones, Handheld games, and micro computers) but for something like this it just feels like they're trying to be trendy. Oh and yes Full size SD cards are priced much better.
@@draconic5129 Could it be pricing or availability? Also I think most people who have a cell phone, have a microSD. But SD seems to be more versatile while taking up more room. Who knows the exact reason he chose one over the other.
@@aaronderossett3998 I'm thinking it was a combination between everybody else is doing it and wanting the SD card slot to fit in that little section on the edge of the inside Drive bay. Edit: should be noted that the first reason isn't exactly a conscious decision, it's likely not even something they really think about too much.
I own a wii mini and have wanted to install homebrew FOREVER. I was bummed out when I realized that it did not have wifi capability. I am a bit nervous abou the soldering skills but I think I am going to take a gamble. Nice video :) Thank you.
since you asked i have to say i prefer the original white wii, the wii mini looks like a hamburger box you get from Uber eats at 4:20 in the morning haha
If I were given a Wii mini, I’d mod it. I wouldn’t go out and purposefully seek one out just because it looks cool and is now mod-able. It’s still not as capable as the OG.
Great vid and great work... That said, I think the one thing I'd add back in would be component video. I still use my modded Wii, but WiFi isn't something I use anymore. And while I do use the SD card, you can mod a Wii to do mostly everything from the USB port. And once modded, Gamecube games will work, especially if you use the classic controller. But without the component mod, you are composite only. The component mod will allow you to do 480p AND I would bet allow you to use one of the inexpensive Wii2HDMI adapters... That said, those are still great mods you did! Thanx!
A wide grin on my face when you sad "because we can" 😁❤. Love this mod. Now i will look for a Wii Mini, if i run i to one. Thanks as always for the Video, Bro. 🤗
I cannot believe that I've never even heard of the Wii mini before. At the start of the video I thought it was a fan-made mod of the original console until I looked it up.
The Wii mini has the pins to solder two GameCube controller ports and a GameCube memory, will you make a video on how to solder the ports? or some kit?
I own a wii U already, but I've been thinking of getting a wii mini on the side as a travel system. I like the idea of taking it to a friend's and introducing them to the world of Custom Tracks in Mario Kart Wii.. To be able to demonstrate their online capabilities on a hands on experience that isnt emulated and there for truthful to the experience most people get is exciting. I may or may not do both of these mods at some point in my life
The Wii Mini was such a nerfed system at launch, apparently Nintendo had bigger plans but decided cost cutting was more important. Thanks for this great tutorial, if I ever get hold of one I'll be sure to try this out, but if you're in the market for a Wii I would just recommend you try to find a regular one!
Towards the end where you talk about most homebrew requiring the Sd card and wifi, in my opinion perfectly explains why Nintendo removed those features, while it can be a cost cutting maneuver and for the most part was a reason, the true reason i believe was to fight moding the system so you couldn't homebrew it. That would also explain why it's still has the ports but are missing the components, I likely was intended to have them, but Nintendo decided to remove it to combat homebrewing
I got a Wii mini and hacked it shortly after BlueBomb was released. Got it working on the internet with a USB Ethernet adaptor and a USB hub to load homebrew off of it. Unfortunately, I tried installing WC24 and one of the files bricked my unit because it didn’t have a WiFi card. Great to see that there’s some kits available now.
I have a Nintendo Wii so I don't need a Nintendo Wii Mini but still it's pretty cool how it's modded to bring back all those removed features like wi-fi, even 480p resolution. I'm sure it would suck to play GameCube games on that though since there's no native GameCube support. I'm sure a Wii Classic Controller would work just fine.
I have a GameCube, backwards compatible Wii, Wii U and a Steamdeck, but I chose to get the Wii Mini because it’s absolutely adorable. Also, retro games are super expensive, so it’s good to have “back up” consoles before the prices shoot up.
This looks like fun...except those smd components. Imma have to nope out on that. I just built a null2 a few weeks ago and soldering 1 tiny smd resistor was enough for me lol.
I use large SD cards in all of my mods. I use GUI Format on Windows and format to Fat 32 for my 128 GB SD card. I love Nintendont and the Resident Evil series.
Just discovered this video and it's something I'd consider doing. Not because it's better than the regular wii but because I can sling it in my backpack and head to a mates
I must say I've had a modded Wii for well over 10 years now and I have a mod at Wii U but I never thought about doing a mini... I think you did a great job and you've inspired me to do one now and maybe take it up or not lol.. thanks for the inspiration great channel you just got a new subscriber!
Holy Grail mods Wii Mini + Wifi + Reset + MicroSD + GCN Support (with full controller and memory support) + GBA Player support + Expanded USB Support. bonus points for reshelling the GBA player into complimentary formfactor ala the Famicom disk system stacker, or bonus bonus points if done to keep nearly the same footprint of the Wii Mini if adding as little height to the overall system. better cooling would also be welcome. and maybe change out that button cell battery for the clock with a rechargeable internal battery that can charge off the incoming system power. ambiguous, sure, impossible, I don't think so, no body thought we'd have the level of mods for this unit that are in this video.
Thank you this is cool now I don't mind finding a cheap Wii mini I always had a mindset to sell them and keep the Wii original with GameCube ports, but if anyone really wants all that in one the Wii u is best option my opinion you can buy controller hubs for GameCube for cheap.
I have a wii mini. I did softmod it but it stopped reading my USB drive so I can't use any homebrew stuff. That mod is so cool! Someday when I'm better at soldering I might try this.
If you use masking tape on the areas where you drill out the plastic you should be able to get a cleaner cut without as much rigid edges. Using a cheap new bit or a quality one helps too
Attention!: It has been brought to my attention by a fellow viewer, @Devnol, that if you install ANY of the IOS or System Menu from NUS shown in this video without a WiFi card properly attached, you WILL brick your Wii mini until such card is installed. If you're looking to just software mod your console, follow the Wii mini-specific instructions on wii.guide. If you're only installing the SD-RST mod, follow the noWiFi instructions linked in the packaging and the SD-RST's github page.
Thanks for the info, awesome guide!
I did the steps you did and installed the kit without issues but no micro sd card due to being unavailable. When I installed the wads like you did, the Wii mini doesn’t display anything on the screen and appears bricked. Would not having an sd card or reset button be the reason it doesn’t work?
Would it be much better if you just remade the video with the updated information, because the algorythm only promotes this video without the vital updated information😢
MNP has the most professional videos and comments. You’re the man.
Noticed WebHDX’s wifi kit is out of stock. Does it require specifically their kit to work with the script or can I use someone’s kit with it?
"because we can"
That is basically the best modder life motto out there
Absolutely agree 😁
@@MachoNachoProductions Pst blur the wifi names so you don't dox your self.
@@Isaac-X113 you do realize he lives in a area with hundreds of residences? good luck trying to pinpoint it with a Wifi name.
@@kanggoo57 THIS
*because wii can
Cool to see new breakthroughs in a bunch of consoles this year. First the WiiU with tiramisu allowing you to mod with out the Eshop, GameCube Piko boot which simplified and improved the process and possibilities, and now this. And that’s just with Nintendo consoles, I haven’t gotten around to the other brands yet lol.
Totally agree! The modding scene has been moving at lighting speed! Tough to keep up 😅
Thanks for letting me know about Tiramisu. I have my Wii U Modded but it's that weird bootstrapped version.
Nice! I softmodded all of my Wii Us in preparation for the day the E-Shop would be gone, but it's reassuring to know there's a backup plan now.
@@nickwallette6201 Yeah, once online servers go down for the WiiU I’ll be kidding it. I’m gonna use Pico to dump my physical GameCube games and upload them to the modded WiiU so that I don’t need to worry as much about disc rot and it’s more convenient as a bonus.
I do have one question I can’t seem to get an answer for though, what happens to my legally bought Eshop games after I mod the console? Will my digital copies of Metroid Prime Trilogy (or any of my digital purchases) be removed or cause problems?
@@Sacren365 I honestly don't know. That's part of why I hardly ever actually buy anything from a digital storefront unless I need it as a hack entry point.
I have that same question for X360 and PS3/PS4 ... particularly whether it makes sense to purchase DLC, and if patches and content can be saved offline for reinstallation later.
This is a really cool mod but… man, you must really have to love the aesthetics of the Wii Mini to realistically implement this into your setup. Wiis are so easy to find yardsaling for so little (I think I’ve found 3 or 4 this year alone for less than $15 a pop), and with a bit of luck you can find a -40 or -60 revision with GameCube output.
This is true! One must really love the Wii mini to dedicate the time and resources to mod it.
I was thinking that with the new GameCube mod. But to be fair the GameCube is a nice looking console
Not only that how often do you find these models anyway, I would just see like one in the wild and before I knew it was a console thought it was a game cd holder...
I'd love to do this, and for me, it's not about the aesthetics at all, it's just because it's cool and I find this stuff fun
I was given one that got sledge hammered by an adhd brat with an addiction to destroying things.
It still works.
Getting access to those wad files is the most convoluted thing ever. Gotta love the homebrew community.
Yes, not the most straight forward but it’s doable and I’m glad the folks that smarter than me are able to make it a reality. Incredibly awesome work by them!
I don't know, but I suspect that's a liability avoidance measure. Distributing Nintendo's firmware files is not wise, so leaving it up to you to download them keeps the modding community's hands clean.
I agree but NUS downloader downloads from Nintendo servers as if the computer was a Wii updating.
@@WarrenKingDudeface ah that makes more sense
I remember watching MVG’s video on this that it was only possible to hack with the BlueBomb method years ago, boy how time flies and we have come to this point! Amazing work to the modding community!
Same here. That's how i modded mine. It's a hard process
Totally agree! The modding scene is simply amazing!
It still is the only way, AFAIK.
@@nickwallette6201 With Wi-Fi and SD card mods?
@@weegeenumberone2 I could be wrong, but I thought I remembered hearing that you needed to patch the Wii Menu to support those mods. That, of course, would require the Wii to be hacked already.
The regular Wii is still better, as it supports Component and RGB Scart cables, while the Wii Mini is AV only. Which makes quite a bit of difference, with or without an Upscaler.
There’s some really cool coming to the Wii mini soon that could put it more on par with the original. Stay tuned 😁
@@MachoNachoProductions at some point you might just try to fit a regular Wii into a Wii Mini case to make things simpler 😀
@@MachoNachoProductions My mind immediately wondered if the inability to use component/SCART was a software limitation, since it seemed they just left components off the mainboard that they just didn't opt to source. This is impressive nonetheless. It means any and every Wii can be a complete device that can go online, access homebrew, WiiWare, and the Gamecube library. There's nothing wrong with that. And I agree with the sentiment, the look of the Wii Mini reminds me of retro machines like the Dreamcast or the PS2 Slim.
Hopefully we'll see some impressive hacks done to the super slim PS3s that are on that level.
@@MachoNachoProductions I wonder what it is.😁 Here's hoping there's also a way to restore native Gamecube controller support to the Wii Mini, and if it's possible for the Wii U, too, even better.
(Yes, I know about the Controller Adapter, but unfortunately this will not work with Wii games that have native GameCube controller support, like Mario Kart Wii and Sonic Colors)
@@AguFungus Fix this with homebrew?
I also think that Wii Mini is a beautiful and underrated console, it somewhat resembles the famicom aesthetics. Now they should restore the video component output and the ability to run Game Cube discs.
Should be possible considering the drive can already physically accept the smaller discs.
there are sofmods for the regular Wii that allow Gamecube games to be played with almost anny usb Controller or wii classic controller, i would suspect it would work on a moded wii mini to, the discrdrive might not read them so you would need to load them from SD or Harddrive to though
@@JoducusKwak Yeah! I have an early model and a "family edition" i can play Game Cube games normaly with Nintendon't software using Game Cube controllers nativally on the regular Wii and easily with an adapter on the "family edition", but original game discs only works on the first model. I think that since the CD drive on the Wii Mini is manual loading is possible to run the games from the discs, this is not possible on the "family edition".
GC disc support cannot be restored because the drive explicitly rejects any non-Wii discs and doesn't let the software read any data, and no means to replace the drive's discrete firmware have been found yet.
But, Nintendont + soldering a controller port and/or BlueRetro modchip to the GC test pads on the Mini logic board + MiniRGBii will restore every other feature you asked for, including the ability to load and play Gamecube games via the SD card or USB with emulated GC memory cards.
This allows you to connect the real GC controllers (or, if using the BlueRetro modchip, a wide array of Bluetooth wireless controllers) to the Mini, which also work for Wii games.
"How small can they possibly be?" *Tito holds connector in hand* "Oh yeah that is pretty small...."
Awesome! I always thought the Wii mini was unhackable, but it was hacked, it was tedious using Linux, but it was done, and now it was fully modded! Now I'm looking for someone to mod the Xbox 360 E Limited Edition, the blue one with the infamous "Winchester" motherboard!
It is amazing to see that these old consoles are still being maintained and modded by some talented technical people. Maybe a HDMI mod next?
I never had the remote interest in Wii minis, because if I couldn't mod a console, it provided no value for me.
Now, I am curious about them because of your efforts. Thank you
The only real advantage the Wii Mini has, apart from it's subjective looks, is the top-loading disc mechanism, which will hold up better and is easier to repair long-term than the auto-ejecting mechanism of the other Wii models. That's not much of an advantage though when you have to do all this modding just to get it to the state of the already cut-down original Wii models, and even then you only get AV.
I suppose one advantage is that, since this is kind of the "Wii model no one likes" there is an argument of keeping your original GC Wii stock and preserved, while modding the Wii Mini to your heart's content, since it's less-likely someone will be upset with you modifying this red-headed stepchild over the original beloved console.
On another note, considering the ODE mods and everything that's already being upgraded / removed from the original Wii, it would be interesting to see a "Wii Slim" that makes the original Wii motherboard as small as possible, while still incorporating all of the mods for the Wii and without doing full cut-down like the portable do. Would be sick to see a slim, sleek Wii Slim with a custom 3D-printed case that you can drop the Wii motherboard into to make it a lot smaller and more modern for homebrew. Perhaps you could give that a shot one of these days :D
Sounds like a good idea 😁
it already exists, someone made a portable wii with cut board, using later revisions without gc support is reccomended
Yeah I have a Wii with a broken slot loading mechanism. The motors still function and the laser (presumably) does. The actual part that's supposed to catch and hold the disc in place has broken pieces though so it doesn't work at all.
Wouldn't be an issue in the first place if it was a top loader.
@@namesurname4666 I said I didn't want a cut board, and I also said I didn't want it to be portable. I wanted a Wii Slim
@@xPLAYnOfficial if you are good enough in electronics you can do it, i think it's possible but i can't do that personally, you can use the portable wii project as a starting point
This video just popped up after watching MVG's Wii Mini video and I can agree that he said this is the most unhackable console ever at that time. But it changes today.
I love your modding videos since I watched your PS2 PicFix mod.
Awesome! So glad you’re enjoying the videos 😁
@@MachoNachoProductions speaking of which, did you ever get the original board working? I'll see if I can DM you on Twitter to give you updates on the latest qsb for the v9.
Heck ya! I've been waiting so patiently for this...my Wii mini is ready!
Nice! Hope you enjoy the video!
When you use the desolder braid you may add new solder to the pads and some flux to the area, after that, just use the braid as normal but without applying any pressure, I say that because I had to learn after making the same mistakes lol
I think my heat may have been too low when using the braid
Older solder starts to oxidize which adds a layer that is more heat resistant. Adding new solder to existing solder is a technique many use when working on older consoles so that the solder can be removed more easily as it will respond to heat better. (I might be slightly wrong about the oxidation, but that what I understand is happening.) Technically adding more solder and setting to a higher heat can do essentially the same, but if you set your iron too high, you can cause more problems than not depending on the components. And some solder may have a recommended temperatures as well.
@@RuxUnderscore Usually people use Plumbum containing solder (marked as 60/40 or 63/37) that has lower melting point and was banned in mass produced electronics long time ago. It's easy to buy from China, can't say about local shops.
What I’ve always liked about the mini (not where I will buy it as I can’t just spend it on this when I have the wii) is how it feels like an old fashioned console. Super basic. No online, just game and storage system. 2 buttons on it for turning on the system and opening the disc tray. The way it’s designed seems more classic than modern.
Been a quiet subscriber for a very long time and just wanted to say that your videos are always so enjoyable to watch - Love your editing style and intro every time! Keep up the good work :)
I love seeing that wii mods are still growing. I used to have every version of custom firmware files saved on a hard drive. That system has sadly died and those files lost, i wish i had made more copies because the modmii setup was so simple and building a custom rom was as easy as copy/paste.
If these files still exist I would love to find them again, but any time I have tried to use the internet installer to acquire them during a softmod the connection fails.
It's worth noting that I was the first person to discover and do the SD card mod, the reset button mod, the GC controller mod, the wifi mod, and the Component video mod, and on live stream.
I always liked the looks of the Wii Mini and these mods are really awesome to give these consoles a bit more appeal.
Sadly here in Germany Wii Minis usually go for around 40€+ when at the same time I can sometimes grab a normal Wii for 10€-20€!
Scheiß drauf wii mini unterstützt nicht mal rgb nur composite..
Oh wow that’s a pretty big price difference
spending another $50 for the mods is not worth it
The thing about being from.Canada is it's still the NTSC region, so before anyone from the US could go to the store to get one, if they really wanted, they can have it imported and it would still work out of the box.
Oh my gosh. I remember I bought it at Walmart and after keeping the console for a few days without opening the box I decided to returned. Because I was looking for the one that was backwards compatible with the game cube.
You has done a great job.. but you know is kind of high risk when it comes the moment of the soldering. But very nice and interested tutorial.
Once you have the Wii Mini hacked with Homebrew channel, you can run homebrew called “Wii Mini Ethernet Enable” to make it work the the USB to Ethernet adapter. This is a safer, cheaper, reversible option for those who are not able to do the Wifi mod.
That sounds very practical, but it takes up the only external storage port :/
@@deadmetalbr Get a powered USB hub and thrive!
Damn brother that background track is straight smack made this episode mad chill on a hot day thanks champ
Thank you John! Glad you enjoyed it 😁
@@MachoNachoProductions I always do champ thanks for the help with mods
The Wii Mini was released in Canada in Dec 2012, Europe in March 2013, and US in Nov 2013.
Nintendo ended support for the Nintendo Channel and a bunch of other channels and WiiConnect24 in June 2013, hence no WiFi module.
Yo! good video! I've always had a deep love for the wii mini, You should look into doing the gamecube ports on it too! Not sure if the test points for the SD mod would prevent it but i do remember seeing someone do it with the points years ago, would be a fun addition to see!
That would be awesome!
My goodness. This is such an advanced soldering job. Well done my man!
Thank you!
@@MachoNachoProductions would help if you told us the iron tip size and shape and what iron you are using
As a Vermonter who lives about 20 minutes from Hinesburg, I had a good chuckle with the news article you displayed.
Haha, yeah it was from the obscurity section. I thought it was pretty funny too 😁
Good to know we're almost at the point of making the Wii Mini perfect. Now I wanna see someone make a version of the GCVideo mod for the Wii Mini, or atleast restore YPbPr functionality to the port for crystal clear video out of the console, and not crappy 480i.
It already exists. Component video can be restored and you can do a direct HDMI mod to it.
This is... quite a flex, Tito. It reminds me of that episode of The Simpsons where the American embassy in Australia had a toilet equipped with millions of dollars in technology, that forced the water to swirl clockwise. At some point, it's just more practical to accept that your turds are going down counter-clockwise.
Haha, true! An easier route would be getting an original Wii. But macho nacho productions doesn’t like the easy route 😅
Knowing the wii mini did actually have the ports for the sd card and wifi still there (it's virtually the same pcb as the original) i always wondered if it could be done. Great job for doing it!
I like how you completely omit the fact they also stripped them of both 480p and Component support.
Wow, this is really impressive, you are still giving the great content as when you had 5000 subs, and were making vids of the Gameboy Macro
Thank you Ell!! Really appreciate it 🙏😁
I love the because we can reasoning. You’ve become Bender from Futrama.
“We’ll make our own Wii Mini with blackjack and hookers.”
Keep at it Tito!
Haha, thank you xxzannexx 🙏
I like how you're not an idiot and actually use flux with solder wick.
I swear, MOST people I see don't do this.
It makes it much easier to suck up the solder for sure 😁 some wicks already have flux on it but I still like to use it
@@MachoNachoProductions It absolutely does.
Every true professional I've seen work does this. Every one. It's just proper practice.
Flux added to solder and wick, etc I feel is a great idea on paper, when it comes to using them. Not so much, yeah. I find if flux is exposed to air completely, it lessens the effectiveness for sure.
Love your videos bro. No misinformation, concise, and knowledgeable.
If the Wii mini had wifi, SD, AND HDMI it would have been a respectable system
The Wii Mini is such a beautiful version of the console. I hated how much Nintendo effectively kneecapped it, so it's great seeing stuff like this. The Wii is amazing for classic titles thanks to the preservationist community that has kept all the virtual console games, and even the composite video from the mini looks very nice on a CRT still.
I totally agree! A very neat looking console indeed!
I like that the Wii mini is taller and takes up even more table space than a regular vertical wii
You ever thought of removing the drive and seeing how small a Wii console you could make through trimming the board down and such? Not a handheld but a tiny Wii you could hook up to your TV?
That’s a good point! I’m sure it can become very small. People trim down a regular Wii to fit in a handheld formfactor for the Wii portable builds.
This
Yes . With the gamecube ports and usb c powered.
Shankmods has a video where he was able to get it to fit in an Altoids can.
There should be a video about making the Wii mini even smaller.
I would personally use the USB port for the Mayflash Gamecube adapter that only has one cord. It may only have two ports though.
It's not just about the pressure when you lifted the pad. The temperature on the iron must be high enough for the braid to slide smoothly, but not so high and not applied so long as to delaminate the pads from the substrate, it can be a balancing act. Hot and quick works better I feel. Anyway that's an indication that the pad has soldered itself to the braid and the braid didn't stay warm enough to keep the solder molten. What definitely helps is just taking a short section of braid and running it with your tweezers rather than right off the spool. Also coat the braid with tacky flux from the top so the iron has a good thermal transfer to it. There are a lot of difficult to control circumstances here so sometimes it just goes wrong.
Alternate Title: "Making the Wii Mini into a better looking Wii"
Can't wait for this Tito- I've always liked the form factor of the Wii Mini let's see what you can cook up
I hope you enjoy this one! I totally agree! The Wii mini has more of that classic Retro Nintendo look 👍
I've been playing phantasy star online using the Wii and its been a blessing, I'm hoping I can get a retrotink5X-pro soon so it'll look perfect on my TV.
Nice!
Great to see this! I soft modded my Wii mini with linux with the Bluetooth softmod also really easy! I miss the sd Card slot a little so thinking of adding this.
Also the big elephant in the room is the HDMI mod Thats missing on the mini and the GameCube connectors
Hdmi mod coming soon!
Great video. I love the look of the Wii mini. I saw a TH-cam video of the pico boot installed on the bottom of the gamecube on the plastic clip cover.
Thank you!!🙏
I started watching this channel by looking up some tutorials on gameboys/DS systems... nowadays Im mostly here for the product intro shots =P
Awesome video. I don't think I've really seen many people talking about homebrewing a Wii Mini though, so this is unique!
Thank you! Totally agree! The Wii mini modding scene isn’t too big
@@MachoNachoProductions Thanks for replying, most people ignore me when I comment!
Your soldering skill is advancing !! 👍 You should try the hot air soldering iron.
I think I would've preferred a Full size SD card Slot in the front or side of the console for this mod. I'm not a fan of the reset and SD cards being in the disc drive since you can't access them when a disc is inserted. I'm also not really a fan of using a micro SD card Slot since it prevents you from using full size SD cards, whereas a full size slot still lets you use micro SD cards with the adapter.
Most things are going MicroSD, but regular SD cards seem to be priced more reasonably.
@@aaronderossett3998 I mean it makes sense for small things that can't fit Full size SD cards (Phones, Handheld games, and micro computers) but for something like this it just feels like they're trying to be trendy. Oh and yes Full size SD cards are priced much better.
@@draconic5129 Could it be pricing or availability? Also I think most people who have a cell phone, have a microSD. But SD seems to be more versatile while taking up more room. Who knows the exact reason he chose one over the other.
@@aaronderossett3998 I'm thinking it was a combination between everybody else is doing it and wanting the SD card slot to fit in that little section on the edge of the inside Drive bay.
Edit: should be noted that the first reason isn't exactly a conscious decision, it's likely not even something they really think about too much.
This is probably something I will do when im older 😁
I expected to see a hot air station. Tito, you are a magician with a solder iron.
Thank you Daniel! I definitely plan on improving my hot air skills too 😁
Just finished the install. Great video. Wasn't too hard, but I enjoyed how easy you made it look, the camera work is great in this video.
I own a wii mini and have wanted to install homebrew FOREVER. I was bummed out when I realized that it did not have wifi capability. I am a bit nervous abou the soldering skills but I think I am going to take a gamble. Nice video :) Thank you.
Bluebomb exploit:
since you asked i have to say i prefer the original white wii, the wii mini looks like a hamburger box you get from Uber eats at 4:20 in the morning haha
I don’t even going to do this but your videos are actually entertaining that’s is rare this days
I like the wii mini because it reminds me of the gamecube, gotta love the modding community for making it good.
Totally agree!
If I were given a Wii mini, I’d mod it. I wouldn’t go out and purposefully seek one out just because it looks cool and is now mod-able. It’s still not as capable as the OG.
I love your background music, it reminds me of my childhood, watching the videos Mr. Rogers would show on Picture Picture.
The most overlooked thing about the wii mini was that it was exclusive to canada when it launched
The 480p mod would be an essential part this project for me
Great vid and great work...
That said, I think the one thing I'd add back in would be component video. I still use my modded Wii, but WiFi isn't something I use anymore. And while I do use the SD card, you can mod a Wii to do mostly everything from the USB port.
And once modded, Gamecube games will work, especially if you use the classic controller.
But without the component mod, you are composite only. The component mod will allow you to do 480p AND I would bet allow you to use one of the inexpensive Wii2HDMI adapters...
That said, those are still great mods you did! Thanx!
A wide grin on my face when you sad "because we can" 😁❤.
Love this mod. Now i will look for a Wii Mini, if i run i to one.
Thanks as always for the Video, Bro. 🤗
So glad you enjoyed this video Diego! Cheers buddy!
I cannot believe that I've never even heard of the Wii mini before. At the start of the video I thought it was a fan-made mod of the original console until I looked it up.
Haha, yeah it’s a pretty uncommon console that doesn’t get much attention since it had a lot of feature removed compared to the original Wii.
@Macho Nacho Productions Also, I'm in Australia. I think I read that it was released in just about every region except mine.
I love the C64 Emulator and Sam's Journey.
The Wii mini has the pins to solder two GameCube controller ports and a GameCube memory, will you make a video on how to solder the ports? or some kit?
YOU DID A WII VIDEO THANK YOU SO MUCH ITS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING!
I hope you enjoyed! More Wii videos to come 😁
Ok this mod Is the coolest of this channel for me, It restores dignity to the wii mini.
YT has taught us so much
just yesterday a video showed a DIY flagship killer gaming phone
haha keep it coming dudes I will be a mobile nerd machine
Why are your videos so pretty. What kind of sorcery do you hold!
You're like the Bob Vila of retro game consoles, Hello and welcome to This Old Console I'm Bo-I mean I'm Tito!
Haha I love it!! 😂
I own a wii U already, but I've been thinking of getting a wii mini on the side as a travel system. I like the idea of taking it to a friend's and introducing them to the world of Custom Tracks in Mario Kart Wii.. To be able to demonstrate their online capabilities on a hands on experience that isnt emulated and there for truthful to the experience most people get is exciting. I may or may not do both of these mods at some point in my life
The Wii Mini was such a nerfed system at launch, apparently Nintendo had bigger plans but decided cost cutting was more important. Thanks for this great tutorial, if I ever get hold of one I'll be sure to try this out, but if you're in the market for a Wii I would just recommend you try to find a regular one!
I will build one of these Wii Minis aka Wii Top Loader. Thanks for another amazing vid.
Towards the end where you talk about most homebrew requiring the Sd card and wifi, in my opinion perfectly explains why Nintendo removed those features, while it can be a cost cutting maneuver and for the most part was a reason, the true reason i believe was to fight moding the system so you couldn't homebrew it.
That would also explain why it's still has the ports but are missing the components, I likely was intended to have them, but Nintendo decided to remove it to combat homebrewing
This makes me glad I bought my Wii back when it still included the game cube ports.
Totally geeked out over this. I really enjoy when you make videos.of moding something just because you can.
Thank you Kill 9🙏☺️
You make soldering look so easy. It's a thing of beauty! Great video!
Thank you so much Billy 🙏
I got a Wii mini and hacked it shortly after BlueBomb was released. Got it working on the internet with a USB Ethernet adaptor and a USB hub to load homebrew off of it. Unfortunately, I tried installing WC24 and one of the files bricked my unit because it didn’t have a WiFi card. Great to see that there’s some kits available now.
congratualtions, the best and most clearly videos of some mods i ever seen. Continue like this please!!!!!!
I have to say, those drill guides are genius!
Totally agree, makes the mod 1000 times easier and better looking
I have a Nintendo Wii so I don't need a Nintendo Wii Mini but still it's pretty cool how it's modded to bring back all those removed features like wi-fi, even 480p resolution. I'm sure it would suck to play GameCube games on that though since there's no native GameCube support. I'm sure a Wii Classic Controller would work just fine.
I have a GameCube, backwards compatible Wii, Wii U and a Steamdeck, but I chose to get the Wii Mini because it’s absolutely adorable.
Also, retro games are super expensive, so it’s good to have “back up” consoles before the prices shoot up.
Homebrew BEAST - for checking weather and News....well. :D
Mississippi Embassy? You in my neck of the woods?
This looks like fun...except those smd components. Imma have to nope out on that. I just built a null2 a few weeks ago and soldering 1 tiny smd resistor was enough for me lol.
I use large SD cards in all of my mods. I use GUI Format on Windows and format to Fat 32 for my 128 GB SD card. I love Nintendont and the Resident Evil series.
Resident evil is one of my favorite franchises of all time!
Dope. Exactly why I didn’t get rid of my Wii Mini. I was confused r someone would crack the code on this beauty
Just discovered this video and it's something I'd consider doing. Not because it's better than the regular wii but because I can sling it in my backpack and head to a mates
I must say I've had a modded Wii for well over 10 years now and I have a mod at Wii U but I never thought about doing a mini... I think you did a great job and you've inspired me to do one now and maybe take it up or not lol.. thanks for the inspiration great channel you just got a new subscriber!
Awesome modding information and showing it is really helps for modding myself if I ever do in the future.
Holy Grail mods
Wii Mini + Wifi + Reset + MicroSD + GCN Support (with full controller and memory support) + GBA Player support + Expanded USB Support. bonus points for reshelling the GBA player into complimentary formfactor ala the Famicom disk system stacker, or bonus bonus points if done to keep nearly the same footprint of the Wii Mini if adding as little height to the overall system. better cooling would also be welcome. and maybe change out that button cell battery for the clock with a rechargeable internal battery that can charge off the incoming system power. ambiguous, sure, impossible, I don't think so, no body thought we'd have the level of mods for this unit that are in this video.
Those would awesome mods to include in this build for sure!
Thank you this is cool now I don't mind finding a cheap Wii mini I always had a mindset to sell them and keep the Wii original with GameCube ports, but if anyone really wants all that in one the Wii u is best option my opinion you can buy controller hubs for GameCube for cheap.
Will you ever be revisiting this topic to show off the miniRGBii mod? Adding component video is the cherry on top.
I think the two antennas are best kept perpendicular to each other for diversity. And now we need a HDMI mod for this!
I have a wii mini. I did softmod it but it stopped reading my USB drive so I can't use any homebrew stuff. That mod is so cool! Someday when I'm better at soldering I might try this.
Oh man sorry to hear that. That’s strange the usb stopped working.
@@MachoNachoProductions I'm thinking of trying again with a different usb drive. The old usb drive...drowned in a cup of water. 😅
Very intriguing, probably gonna have a guy that has done motherboard work do it since I have never done any of that.
If you use masking tape on the areas where you drill out the plastic you should be able to get a cleaner cut without as much rigid edges.
Using a cheap new bit or a quality one helps too