Disc-swap allows PAL Wii owners to play import GC games

by David Hinkle { Feb 28th 2007 at 12:45PM }

A forum goer over at the Max Console forums figured out a neat little trick that allows a PAL Wii to play import GameCube games. It requires a bit of "pebble-snatching-speed" on the part of the young grasshopper (that's you), as upon inserting a PAL GameCube game and going to the Wii's disc channel, seeing the GameCube logo come up, you'll need to have your pointer over the start button. Once you do that, you'll have to eject the GameCube disc and quickly swap it out for your import game, immediately pressing the start button. This'll trick the Wii into thinking the import GameCube game is a PAL title, starting it up and allowing you to play it as normal.

We'd love to give this a try ourselves to confirm that the trick works on NTSC units (we're pretty sure it would anyway), but lack any import GameCube titles to try it on. Instead, we'll pose the challenge to our readers with NTSC consoles and ask them to give it a whirl. Let us know, won't you?

[via CVG]

Tags: discswap, gamecube, gc, nintendo, nintendowii, swap, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

dukemeiser @ Feb 28th 2007 1:02PM

That's great. I wonder if it works with Wii games too?

tofu @ Mar 1st 2007 1:33AM

It works but you need to be quite quick swaping the disks.

I wonder if it works with Wii games too.

Nmaster @ Feb 28th 2007 3:34PM

Confirmed! I just booted Naruto Gekitou Ninja Taisen 4 on my US Wii!

However...I got an error at the first menu...need to do some more testing...

rogue @ Nov 22nd 2007 5:23PM

I think I have the same problem...
So I just have load a regular game? than put in the freeloader and then naruto?

I really want to play this f'ing game

Croz @ Feb 28th 2007 3:39PM

From what PalGN claim it unfortunately currently doesn't allow out of region Wii titles to be played. http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=6816&rss=1&title=Wii%27s+GameCube+region+lock+busted

Nmaster @ Feb 28th 2007 3:53PM

Aha! Fear my genius!

If you swap with an out-of-region game (like Naruto GNT4) that just gives you an error once your in it, then all you have to do is swap with a GameCube Freeloader first.

So:
US Game -> Freeloader -> JP Game

I can play my Naruto again, hooray!

Cal @ Feb 28th 2007 4:57PM

@4: Don't GC Freeloaders already work on the Wii by themselves?

John Doe @ Feb 28th 2007 5:13PM

And I'm fairly sure it works for import Wii games too. Haven't tried it tho.

idioteraser @ Feb 28th 2007 5:29PM

Err some versions do. Awhile back a list of what versions work with the wii on what regions was posted.

Nmaster @ Feb 28th 2007 8:18PM

@5: As #7 mentioned, only certain versions of Freeloaders work (mine of course ended up NOT being one that worked). There's also a new version released made to work on Wii. Of course if you have one of those, then you don't need to worry about any of this...