One of the great things the Homebrew Channel opened up for me was the ability to play Wii game backups. It can play full ISOs burnt to a DVD-R without the need for a Modchip or anything. It is completely a software solution. The process of getting this on is just as easy and simple as installing the Homebrew Channel. Here are the instructions for if you want your Wii to run backups of your games. This only works on Wii System Software 3.3 and below.

1. Install the Homebrew Channel if you haven’t already.
2. Download Wiigator’s Backup Launcher.
3. Copy Backup_Launcher and cIOS Installer to the app directory on your SD card.
4. Launch cIOS_Installer from the Homebrew Channel. This works better if you have Wifi, but if you don’t, read the readme included for the links to get the 20 or so files manually.
5. Follow the instructions. The Wii will reboot once completed.
6. You can delete cIOS_Installer from the SD card.
7. Put your Backup Disc in the Wii Console.
8. Launch Backup Launcher from the Homebrew Channel.
9. Either go to Launch Game and press A to launch game from the Backup Launcher or Press B to reboot the Wii and launch the game as usual from the Disc Channel.

It is as simple as that. Now you can run most game backups in case of an accident with the original game disc. For backing up your games, you can find a tutorial with apps for backing up or you can find the disc image on the internet. And there you have it, without any modchipping, soldering or even opening up your console. A purely software solution.

After realizing that the Wii had been sitting under the TV for half a year without being touched, I decided that I would try and give console a bit of live by soft-modding the Wii. This would give it the ability to run homebrew apps and some other things. I borrowed a copy of Zelda and used the Twilight Hack to install the Homebrew channel, the gateway to most homebrew apps for the Wii. Here is a tutorial to get you going and giving your Wii a second life.

For the hack, you require a SD card formatted in FAT (16 or 32,) a copy of The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess and SD card reader (or a device that can give you access to the SD card via a computer.) You will also need The Homebrew Channel and the appropriate Twilight Hack for your disc version. If you want to keep your Zelda game save, back it up and keep it somewhere safe.

1. If your System Menu is 3.4, download this Twilight Hack. If it is 3.3 or earlier, download this Twilight Hack.
2. Download the Homebrew Channel.
3. Copy the “private” directory from the Twilight Hack download to your SD card.
4. Navigate to /private/wii/title/. If you are using a USA disc, keep the rzde directory. If you are using a JAP disc, keep the rzdj directory. If you are using a PAL disc, keep the rzdp directory.
5. Copy the boot.dol file from the Homebrew Channel download to the root of the SD card.
6. Put your SD card in your Wii and turn it on.
7. Go into Wii Options > Data Management > Save Data > Wii.
8. Find the Zelda save and delete it.
9. Open the SD card and select the “Twilight Hack” save and copy it. Exit to the menu.
10. If you are using a USA disc, check the serial on the inner disc circle. If it is RVL-RZDE-0A-2 USA, you will be using “TwilightHack2″.
11. Insert The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess game disc and run the game.
12. If you have the RVL-RZDE-0A-2 USA version of the game load the “TwilightHack2″ otherwise load “TwilightHack0.”
13. Once in the game, either walk backwards or talk to the man standing in front of you.
14. Follow the instructions listed on the screen.

After you’ve followed the instructions and rebooted your Wii, you should now see a new channel on your system called The Homebrew Channel. This is where you will access all your homebrew apps. You can now delete the Twilight Hack and the Homebrew Channel files from your SD card. You can download homebrew apps for the Homebrew Channel on the internet. These will go in the /apps/ directory so they can be seen by the Homebrew Channel. Now you have a soft-modded Wii that is capable of running homebrew applications.

For everyone’s homebrew needs, I recommend a application called Homebrew Browser. What this app does it provides an easy graphical user interface for downloading, installing,  uninstalling and updating homebrew applications in it’s database. They have a huge selection in their database so there will be plenty of apps you’ll want. To get this, download the Homebrew Browser and copy the homebrew_browser directory to the app directory on your SD card. From there, just launch the app from The Homebrew Channel and you’re good to go. This will make it extremely simple for you to get apps on and off your Wii, without having to use a computer.

With the announcement last week of a few big titles coming to the PlayStation Portable over the next 12 month, including Little Big Planet, Motorstorm, Assassins Creed and Rock Band, it will soon be time to dust off the old PSP living at the bottom of your closet. If it’s been there for a while, the firmware may be out of date. Like most PSP owners I know, you’re probably running custom firmware like Dark_AleX’s OE or M33 firmwares. Here is a short tutorial on updating your PSP to the most recent custom firmware release.

1. Turn on your PSP and navigate to Settings >System Settings > System Information.
2. If your System Software is 3.52 M33-3 or higher, skip to step 13.
3. First you have to update your firmware to 3.52 M33. This will allow you to update to any of the later M33 releases.
4. Download the 1.50 Official Firmware, 3.52 Official Firmware and 3.52 M33.
5. Rename the 1.50 and 3.52 Official Firmwares to 150.pbp and 3.52.pbp if they aren’t already.
6. Copy the M33CREATOR directory from the 3.52 M33 zip to the PSP/GAME directory of your Memory Stick.
7. Put the 2 Official Firmware files onto the M33CREATOR directory on the Memory Stick.
8. On your PSP navigate to Game > Memory Stick and launch 3.52 M33 CREATOR.
9. Accept any prompts that appear. Once the program is finished, it will return to the XMB.
10. Navigate to Game > Memory Stick and launch 3.52 M33 UPDATE.
11. Accept any prompts that appear. Once the program is finished, it will prompt you to press ‘x’ to shut down PSP.
12. Start up your PSP.
13. Download the 3.52 M33-3 update.
14. Copy the M33Update3 directory from the m33-333.zip to the PSP/GAME directory of your Memory Stick.
15. On your PSP navigate to Game > Memory Stick and launch 3.52 M33-3 UPDATE.
16. Go to dark-alex.org and download the latest M33 release. Also download the associated Official Firmware. (As of writing this, the most current M33 release is 5.00 M33-6 so download that along with 5.00 Official Firmware.)
17. Rename the Official Firmware to <versionnumber>.pbp (eg. 500.pbp) if they aren’t already.
18. Copy the M33CREATOR directory from the M33 zip to the PSP/GAME directory of your Memory Stick.
19. Put the Official Firmware file onto the M33CREATOR directory on the Memory Stick.
20. On your PSP navigate to Game > Memory Stick and launch M33 CREATOR.
21. Accept any prompts that appear. Once the program is finished, it will return to the XMB.
22. Navigate to Game > Memory Stick and launch M33 UPDATE.
23. Accept any prompts that appear. Once the program is finished, it will prompt you to press ‘x’ to shut down PSP.
24. Start up your PSP.

Now you will have a fully updated, custom firmware PlayStation Portable. Luckily, they have made the updating process in the most recent M33 custom firmware much simpler and can be done from the Network Update menu under Settings so you should have no issues keeping up with new custom firmware now and have no trouble installing it. I hope this helps all my PSP friends with outdated systems who cannot wait for some Little Big Planet PSP action. This is especially for you!