Topic: What can you do on a Wii console?

I decided to start looking for a Wii console.

I read that the first model is the best because of compatibility stuff. is that true?

I want to know what can you do on a moded Wii?

The thought of putting discs inside is awful. I want to play everything from an SD card. So what is the deal with that? Can you play everything from the SD card? GC, Wii, Retro games (GB, GBA, NES, SNES etc.)?

@Zuljaras Yeah, I believe the gen 1 model is the only version that could play gamecube games. Metal Jesus addresses that part at 1:41 in his Wii buying guide video.

@Zuljaras Yeah, early models could play GC games, so get one of those. Unfortunately, you dont have a lot of legal options when it comes to using an SD card. Since the Wii shop channel is shut down, you will only be able to play games the previous owner already downloaded to the system. You can't transfer games from another Wii. Any new games you want will have to be on a disc. Unless you are looking into alternative methods...

@judaspete Yes I am looking exclusively to mod it and play games ONLY from an SD card.

I was just wondering if that is enough. One large SD card after the mod.

Why? lol

@Zuljaras I’m not sure if you can use larger but I use 16gb sd card and a 128gb usb stick at the back.

@Octane I can already hear the grinding noises. And I do not want to have to change DVD Drive one day as I had to do with my PS3. Cheap disc drive and constant spinning is not a good combination. Also noise and prolonged disc usage can cause damage.

Lets not forget that the first Wii model is 2005 as I read. It is quite old.

Constant spinning discs is idiotic. The consoles should have been with the option to install the disc data on some kind of internal storage like on Xbox 360.

@1UP_MARIO that would work just fine.

@Zuljaras I've never heard a griding noise in my Wii. It's super quiet. My ps2 made sounds like that, but not the wii. Granted my scenario is only a sample of one, not a large scientific sample.

Seeing as nobody answered the topic title's question, I'll do it: play games.

@Zuljaras I haven't kept up-to-date with Wii modding, but so far as I'm aware the SD card in the front of the console has to be an older style 2gb or smaller I think. You put the homebrew software on that, and then you run the games from some form of usb drive in the back. That's how I've done it anyway.

Once it's modded you can install the usual raft of emulators for older systems if you want.

The difficulty I've had with Wii modding is in how to rip my discs to my usb drive. I think I've worn out my Wii U's ability to read Wii discs by ripping so many, and my Wii's drive is already knackered from playing discs I've burnt myself. I do have backup consoles but I'm loathe to jeopardize their longevity with more ripping. So I'm stuck with downloading ROMs, which I'd prefer not to do ideally.

Well, you can play wii games on it.

Seriously though, I don’t like putting disks in consoles either. Everytime, it makes me feel like my disk is being scratched to death. This is rarely the case, but it always feels like it.

You can play unique games wii sports resort (you need a motion plus controller) & Tatsumoko vs Capcom. I name those two as you will almost definitely not see them remastered for other consoles. They're also dang good games.

@Zuljaras Never have I ever had a disc drive fail in an older console outside of the Fat PS2's blue disc read error. I've been using my Wii's disc drive for years and same for my slim PS2, Xbox, Saturn, and even Dreamcast and the drives are just fine. You say the system should have had a HDD but that would have made the Wii's cost less competitive and drive the cost way up. Even to this day, Nintendo hasn't gotten serious about internal storage.

@Zuljaras True, Nintendo did cheap out on storage space with only 512MB of user storage, but that is what Nintendo does, they look for a cost advantage when they can, which is why no HDD (they even squeezed their way out of including DVD support for the Wii, first announcing it then retracting it with the statement "we think people have enough DVD devices already" or something). Especially considering they largely succeeded in their goal to sell Wiis to almost every people in the human race.
(even the Xbox 360 originally with a no-HDD option as well as at least one flash-only version called the Arcade Edition or something)

I'm sure there is something in the land of gray legality mods which would allow the Wii to load games off a HDD, but I'm not sure if we would be permitted to speak of anything specific. (I think there was some bit of leniency on discontinued consoles, especially one that is 2+ generations old now.)