Wii:WiiFlow Lite

This application can easily be used for piracy. Its creators and contributors do not condone such actions.

WiiFlow Lite is a homebrew USB loader for the Nintendo Wii. It itself is a 'fork' of the original WiiFlow by FIX94.

Besides USB Loader GX, it is the most popular USB loader in use today.

This specific loader has many features, including customization to the loader itself, cheats, games management, a “source menu” and even a file browser.

Installation

Install this app as you would any other application. Find the latest version at its GitHub page.

Unpack what is in the wiiflow_v[version number].zip file and extract it to your storage device(s), allowing the files to merge.

If you use a Chromebook, you will have to extract the files of /apps to the folder of the same name on your storage device, as attempting to merge files will give you another apps folder named /apps (1).

This application can also be installed using the Homebrew Browser/Open Shop Channel.

Features

• Obviously, loading games from a USB or SD storage device. It also has support for not only FAT32, but NTFS, EXT2, and WBFS file systems.
• A ‘source menu’; a menu with different shortcuts to emulators in the /wiiflow/emulators folder.
• Custom themes.
• Cheats, a.k.a. “Ocarina” or “Gecko”. These come in .txt and .gct files in a /wiiflow/codes/wii folder on your storage device’s root.

Cheats can also be downloaded on the Wii without having to use a computer. Unfortunately, you will have to use WiiFlow version 5.4.3 or later, as the versions preceding it have lost that ability due to the shutdown of GeckoCodes.org.

• Different languages. They come in .ini files, which are easily editable when renamed to .txt or imported into a text editor. That means that people who like WiiFlow that much can translate it into any language.
• A self-hosted FTP server for easy file transfer without even having to touch your Wii.
• A customizable 3D/2D ‘coverflow’ system that makes it easy to choose the game you would like to play.
• WiiFlow Lite provides tools on extracting the contents of the currently inserted Gamecube/Wii disc, and choosing where to extract.

Documentation on how to navigate throughout WiiFlow is in the Controls section of the home menu, in case you need help.

Running Games

To run a game, it is preferred that you first extract the contents of the game’s disc, or “dump” it. It is very simple yet important to do this, as piracy is not intended by the creator of the project.

All versions of WiiFlow have a built-in option to back up your game discs. They will be extracted to the /wbfs folder on the root of your storage device, and they will be saved as a [Game Name].wbfs archive file.

GameCube discs will be saved as a [Game Name].iso archive.

Extracting Your Game Discs with WiiFlow

As said before, it is a very simple process.

• Reveal WiiFlow’s main menu using the HOME Button.
• Navigate to “Install Game”
• After you click the button, you will be tasked with inserting the game you would like to back up. If a disc is already inserted, it will be extracted without asking you.
• After the extracting process has completed, you now have a game you can run with WiiFlow. It will show up in the coverflow.

Running Said Games

In order to run the game(s) you have previously extracted, you need make for definite sure they are in a folder labeled /wbfs. WiiFlow is hard-coded to search for .wbfs files in this folder.

Running games is as simple as clicking on the cover of the game you would like to play, and then clicking Play.

Though, you can adjust what settings to start the game with in the options menu....

The Game Options Menu

The game options menu can be accessed by clicking once the cover of the game you would like to play and subsequently clicking the button with the two gears on it.

Here, you can set:

• The CIOS used to load the game
• What cheats are enabled from the downloaded cheats file for your respective game
• If cheats are enabled at all
• Video modes
• Custom banners and cover art for your game(s)
• What language the game is played in
• Aspect ratio the game is rendered in

And many more features.