Highly addictive, great fun, and best done in a dark room. It sounds dirty, but this is the world of a Wii fan. Ever since Nintendo released its Wii console, the world of gaming has been turned upside down and even hardcore PlayStation fans like myself have made the leap to the lighter side of video gaming.
If you’re as passionate about Wii games as I am, you probably know how expensive this hobby can be. In addition to the console, games and accessories can cost thousands of dollars, and if you’re a parent, you better be careful what you unleash when buying that first Wii game. There will likely be 10 or more Wii games by this time next year.
One of the most controversial issues with console gaming is the whole issue of copying. It’s legal, isn’t it, should you, shouldn’t you? It’s a bit of a gray area because when you buy the game you should be entitled to a backup. Or not? Game makers are waging a constant battle against pirated copies flooding the black market at a fraction of the cost and that’s where the problem lies.
When I buy a music CD, I immediately transfer it to MP3 and transfer it to my iPod. I want the CD, because it’s part of my collection and having the original CD is much more valuable than just a direct download. With Wii and other console games this is even more relevant. Having the original “box” has all the booklets, instructions, and other great stuff avid gamers look for. Making a copy of the original Wii game is the smart thing to do.
These games are incredibly fragile and having to buy the same game twice is just plain stupid. Minor scratches and even just exposing Wii game discs to too much sun can damage them beyond repair. That’s why I’m a staunch supporter of backing up all my games and keeping them safe. Games have a fun way of going “walkie” and with all your friends and family borrowing games, before you know it, half your collection is somewhere else.
So how do you copy Wii games? There are many methods out there and many forum discussions go on and on about how to do it. The truth is, you don’t need to break your console to make or play backup games. Be careful. Cracking your console open will automatically void your warranty, and in the process, you may even break your console.
There are many software packages out there. Some free, others paid. Everyone has their faults and difficulties. The free ones are usually 3-4 different software packages that you have to use at different stages of the copy process and this can be a bit annoying. Most of the time something goes wrong somewhere in the process and you end up wasting a lot of time extracting massive files to your hard drive.
Paid software makes the process much easier and since the software is quite cheap, it is well worth the investment. I have tried most of these packages and only found one that is really worth it. It is the only package that is an all-in-one method of copying a Wii game. Point and click without the guesswork and without having to hack “unbreakable” copy protection.
Basically, all you have to do is remove the data from the disc, dump it onto your computer’s hard drive, and then use the software to copy it back to a blank disc using your computer’s DVD drive. The trick is to delete the data and then copy it back so that the Wii console reads the disc as “original.”
And that is. You can use the freeware, but in my experience, it’s not worth the time and effort. I have created a tutorial on my website to show you how to copy Wii games. Don’t open your console. Stay safe and legal, and most of all, enjoy your Wii.