WiiSX: Play PSone games on your Wii
by Chris Greenhough 
{ Oct 20th 2008 at 8:09PM }
Though it's been doing the rounds in the homebrew community for roughly six weeks, WiiSX is still very much a work-in-progress, but one with huge potential. As a PSone emulator for the GameCube and Wii that loads ISO files from an SD card (DVD and USB implementation is planned), WiiSX could eventually grant owners of Ninty's white box access to around 8,000 games, including titles that many regard as some of the best ever. The idea of playing Final Fantasy VII on a Nintendo-branded console would probably make a few people weak at the knees.
During an interview with tehskeen last month, co-creator Emu_Kidid (Sepp256 and TehPola are the other names behind this) admitted that sound still needs to be implemented and "numerous bugs" zapped, but it looks pretty playable to us in the video above! Indeed, interviewer brakken reports that "the emulator can handle some games and runs at a very playable speed." As for when it will be ready, Emu_Kidid is hoping to have an initial preview release out before the end of 2008.
Assuming this exciting project does come to fruition, which PS1 title (which we strongly advise you should already own, obviously) would you try out first?
[Thanks, Rengifo!]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mark @ Oct 20th 2008 8:25PM
halcyon and on and on by orbital...love that song.
bug frawg @ Oct 20th 2008 8:25PM
Encouraging piracy FTL.
Mr Khan @ Oct 20th 2008 9:14PM
Most of those games no longer bearing a profit to the rightful IP owners anyway...
bug frawg @ Oct 20th 2008 9:55PM
True, but that doesn't make it legal.
chuck farley @ Oct 20th 2008 11:42PM
if it weren't for pirates, like the kind this site repeatedly encourages with its pro-homebrew wink-wink articles, making a profit off old IP would be easy.
obviously it still has value or people would not pirate it. with virtual console and wiiware ACTUALLY MAKING MONEY it's difficult to argue this could in any way be okay.
the fact that this site is inundated with game ads and corporate product placement in blog posts just makes the nintendowiifanboy piracy stamp of approval that much more sickening. hypocrites.
Pixel-One @ Oct 21st 2008 2:37AM
I'd normally tend to agree with you, but if a game is currently unavailable under reasonable circumstances (i.e., rare in stores or prohibitively expensive used) then I say pirate away. Obviously, if a game is available for a service like the PSN or the WiiWare, then you should be getting it from there, but if it's like Chrono Cross here where most people aren't going to easily happen across a real copy and it's not available for legitmate download, then I don't see the harm in a ROM or ISO of it.
Rocketboy @ Oct 21st 2008 8:34AM
If a game is no longer in circulation, it's still piracy. For a real-world example, look at VC games. Granted, if the parent company abandoned the game, no harm will come, but who knows what their plans are?
That being said, it's still a cool way to be able to play your older games.
Haohmaru @ Oct 21st 2008 8:38AM
On the other hand, rampant piracy of old games that are no longer in circulation might actually serve to prod lazyass companies like Square Enix to actually focus on creating NEW games rather than simply rereleasing yesterday's games for today's prices. (I'm looking at you, Chrono Trigger.) Heh, I would HEARTILY support that.
Haohmaru @ Oct 21st 2008 8:52AM
Pixel-One said: "but if it's like Chrono Cross here where most people aren't going to easily happen across a real copy"
Actually, you can buy Chrono Cross brand spankin' new from Amazon.com right now. It's one of the easiest to find Greatest Hits games along with Final Fantasy 8 and 9.
Covarr @ Oct 21st 2008 4:58PM
Great thing about emulators of disc-based systems is that you DON'T need to pirate. Anybody who already has a library of PSX games can play them with this emulator; the same does not hold true with cartridge-based sytems, which pretty much require you either to pirate copies of games even if you already legally own them, or to spend upwards of a few hundred dollars on a cartridge copier just to make your own legal copy.
Though there's a good chance that at the very least people will probably need to pirate the bios, as it's very difficult to dump it on your own.
Thanatos @ Oct 20th 2008 8:29PM
Id try FF7 to see what all the fuss is about then most likely Chrono Cross as im a HUGE Trigger fan.
red13 @ Oct 26th 2008 7:19PM
Child, that wasn't a fuss, that was a lifestyle
It makes me tear up thinking I could play it once more (I sold my old Ps1 for a gamecube)
SoulBlade @ Oct 20th 2008 11:36PM
Don't go into Chrono Cross hoping for something as epic as Trigger. It's a good game, but it had some big shoes to fill.
Navarr @ Oct 20th 2008 8:43PM
It would be nice if when they finish it; it'll be able to load any PS1 game stuck in the Wii drive (retail discs, that is)
hellhammer @ Oct 21st 2008 12:52AM
I'll be interested if it plays retail titles.
Though I've got to say, if they successfully emulate ps1 ISOs then us Policenauts translation fans could have some serious fun with this. Also, I wonder if there would be a possibility of using the Wiimote pointer in games? (Similar to how the old NES Zapper titles would have to work.) And why hasn't that been done yet?
Zack @ Oct 20th 2008 8:47PM
Xenogears is the only game I will be playing on WiiSX. ;-)
JKAntwon @ Oct 21st 2008 3:41PM
same here!
Ethan @ Oct 20th 2008 9:09PM
Spyro.
Mr Khan @ Oct 20th 2008 9:17PM
I'll admit i'm tempted. Sony made some great stuff for PS1 (and for PS2, its only recently while they're trying to get all mature and dark on us that their awesomeness has gone south)
Spyro 1 & 2, Crash 2 & 3, Ape Escape.
I could really go for some of that action
Vidikron @ Oct 21st 2008 2:00AM
Well, the good Spyro gamers were developed by Insomniac, and they're still around producing R&C and Resistance. The good crash games were developed by Naughty Dog and they developed Uncharted. So, IMO, they're both still awesome.
ejamer @ Oct 20th 2008 9:32PM
Wow. Wii is already the best choice for retro games and backwards compatibility. How awesome would it be to play PSX games too?
Haohmaru @ Oct 20th 2008 9:29PM
Thousand Arms. I never did finish it back in the day. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete. Final Fantasy IX. Alundra. Brigandine.
Patius @ Oct 20th 2008 9:44PM
probably Castlevania: SOTN.
Gewurz Man got equipped with... free Wii points @ Oct 20th 2008 10:20PM
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo! Actually, how about just a WiiWare version of the updated one for the 360 and PS3?
Better yet, IQ (Intelligent Qube). Really wish I had held on to that one...blargh...
Dig @ Oct 20th 2008 10:28PM
I can see how this would make sense on a Classic controller, but I wonder how they plan to work with the shortage of shoulder buttons on all Nintendo products. At least it's good to know that most PS games don't make extensive use of all four shoulder buttons, but I wonder how the workaround would operate.
iofthestorm @ Oct 20th 2008 11:10PM
A lot of homebrew uses GC controllers, but I still don't know what they would do with the L2/R2.
Jono @ Oct 20th 2008 10:32PM
Jonah Lomu Rugby!
Lijik @ Oct 20th 2008 10:49PM
Might finally get around to finishing Jersey Devil. That game is way too hard to do without a memory card and I just cannot play it with a keyboard.
Same goes for Blasto.
DaisukeKiriyama @ Oct 20th 2008 11:00PM
Gonna get some Super Robot Wars Alpha or SD Gundam G Generation F working on there once it comes out.
jorge @ Oct 20th 2008 11:09PM
vagrant history!!!
Jato Jay @ Oct 21st 2008 12:28AM
SOTN is already on 360. Xbox FTW!
thesoiden @ Oct 21st 2008 1:06AM
I recommend Silent Hill. Although its battle system is awful, the story and atmosphere are superb.
CJLopez @ Oct 21st 2008 1:15AM
Legend of the Dragoon
Vagrant History
XenoGears
Valkirye Profile
Castelvania: SOTN
Rival Schools 1 & 2
Those are the ones that i'd play the most
Nigeria @ Oct 21st 2008 7:10AM
I loathe this console.
Melao @ Oct 21st 2008 8:23AM
Of course, every Final Fantasy game available for PSX. :)
cyan09 @ Oct 21st 2008 9:36AM
Final Fantasy VII!
Don Day @ Oct 21st 2008 10:33AM
Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style FTW!
Josh @ Oct 21st 2008 10:52AM
I think I can some this up with:
*fucking sweet!*
Josh @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:41PM
But first I should try to spell "sum" correctly.
DiRT @ Oct 21st 2008 11:04AM
No love for Punky Skunk or Blasto?
Adam @ Oct 21st 2008 11:48AM
i'm more excited about this than playing actual wii games.
Eric @ Oct 21st 2008 12:19PM
why do you care?
Eric @ Oct 21st 2008 4:20PM
this was a responce to chuck farley
WalkingCarpet @ Oct 21st 2008 1:39PM
Probably borrow FF VII from a friend how has it, if I can get this to work, that is. I tried to get the Homebrew channel on my system, and it refused to work, so I'm not sure how I'm going to do it. But it would be cool.
Covarr @ Oct 21st 2008 4:12PM
Obviously, the best Dual-Shock title ever made, only released in Japan: Ore no Ryouri. It's a cooking game that makes the modern ones look like crap, which has you cutting vegetables for soup, pouring beer, killing bugs that get into the kitchen, chasing down people who eat without paying, etc. It's the best PS1 game that you probably have never played.
Feba @ Oct 21st 2008 8:29PM
I'd much rather see a more professional emulator which would play PS2 games. Something for Wii like Bleem! could've been for Dreamcast (opening up the best console of its generation to the best library of the previous generation)
It's a long shot, but it would be nice to slide my MGS disks into my Wii, and be able to play it. It would be nicer still to be able to rid myself of my PS2.
tomer @ Oct 22nd 2008 5:05AM
If only it could play PS2 games. Katamari Damachi for the Wii. (:
anyway, I'll play all the Final Fanatsy games, probably.
jadenguy @ Nov 4th 2008 2:23PM
Tales of... anything. Hopefully Tales of Phantasia by Phantasian Productions will be released.
Jenn @ Jan 9th 2009 12:44AM
ok, my parents were sporting their original nintendo when i was just a baby... some of my first memories were when i was three or four and playing the super mario brothers on it... when we got older we got the playstation and we played tons of games like spyro, crash, and digimon... (loved all of the spyro games, only played crash bandicoot warped, and the second and third digimon games were the best of the series, in my opinion) and then the transition from psone to ps2 started and our games were getting more and more scratched up so they would stop running, and no more new games were coming out for the psone systems, so we "upgraded" to a nintendo game cube the games were ok, but limited... i liked the fact that we got the zelda collecters edition with the game cube, and sort of hoped that at one point someone would care enough to do that with the original spyro and crash or even digimon, they were all good games(*sniff* they're all in video game heaven) but i doubted that anyone would do that. currently we own a nintendo wii and i like that we can use our old game cube games on it... but sometimes you just get a craving to play one of those old games... then when you cant you rant and rave about it(srry about that btw) if this works, i'd go out and by all of my favorite old games again*starsineyes* go spyro! woot!!!