Written by Brakken
October 2008

Introduction

Welcome to another ISO-420 Certified Review of supposedly another great product the Wiikey 2. Does the successor to the first generation of Nintendo Wii™'s modchip of choice live up to its past? I'll be putting this brand new chip to the test to see how it compares against the others I've had the pleasure of reviewing. Before I begin, lets take a closer look at what the "modchip" is actually for and what you can expect out of one.

A "modchip" (or in this case a drive chip) for video gaming consoles is a small chip once soldered onto the Nintendo Wii's DVD-ROM's motherboard. Once properly installed the chip will allow you to boot original, imported backed up Nintendo Wii games. Additionally, you can boot "homebrew" discs. Homebrew is the work coined for amateur unlicensed software made by hobbyist programmers that can extend the capabilities of your next generation gaming experience. Note that soldering isn't for the weak of heart and also that opening your Nintendo Wii will void it's manufacturer's warranty.

Sadly, some people use "modchips" to play back illegal copies of games they do not own. ISO-420 Reviews does not condone and/or endorse piracy. The information contained in this review is for educational purposes and is not to be affiliated with running illegal copies of games on your Nintendo Wii. Support the gaming industry by purchasing your games and then use the chip to protect your investment and to get more enjoyment out of the Nintendo Wii.

Features

Each modchip on the market for the current generation of Nintendo Wii consoles boasts it's own set of features. Most of them are "common" and are provided by each chip, but some are unique to your chip of choice. The Wiikey 2 features compatibility with every current Nintendo Wii DVD-ROM drive on the market. Ranging from the original DMS to the new D2E versions - you'll be guaranteed if you invest in this chip. Along with compatibility with all of the current consoles on the market the Wiikey 2 boasts a configuration disc that allows you to tweak the chips internal settings and advanced automatic region detection on DVD-ROM drives - so even if you put your drive in a different region console it will still work. The Wiikey 2 also features a recovery mode for bad flashes which is very useful and also some LED's to let you know what the chip is currently doing which is good during the installation process. Here is the complete feature list.

Compatible with DMS, D2A, D2B, D2C, D2C-2 and D2E chipsets
Compatible with all regions, USA, JAP, PAL and KOREA
Compatible with D2B "cut pin" drives (does not require the cut pins to be connected)
Fully configurable and updatable via DVD
Advanced automatic region detection with fallback (works even if a drive is changed to a different region Wii)
Region override for Wii and Gamecube™ games
Direct Boot of Wii original, import, and backup games
Direct Boot of Gamecube original, import, and backup games
Direct boot of homebrew in GC mode
Supports multi-disc games, DVD-R, +R, +RW (no bitsetting required)
Supports Dual Layer
Supports factory made 'silvers', even with incorrect header data
Supports, SMG, SSBB, Mario Kart™ and other 'problem' titles
Streaming audio-fix for Gamecube games
Diskspeed configurable via DVD, with separate settings for different media types
Recovery mode makes it impossible to brick the chip with a bad flash
8Mbit onboard flash for storing data and applications
Rock solid performance with 3.3V FPGA core and high quality components
Multifrequency Ringpiece Oscillators (MRO) for optimum performance, even with problem drives
Onboard status LEDs

Contents

Wiikey 2 Chip
Authentic Holographic Sticker

The Wiikey 2 chip uses the exact same board as the d2lite which I've also recently reviewed. The d2lite is also created by the Wiikey Team so this is not some cheap clone off of the street. Additionally, if you shine light on the Holographic Sticker you can tell if it's fake or not (clones might not include the Hologram or there might be differences in the stickers - look at the sticker photo for a reference. Along with a very thick PCB the chip is manufactured in quality factories and features high quality components.

Installation

Like I've already mentioned, but will again - opening your Nintendo Wii console voids your manufacturers warranty. From what I've heard very few people can return a Wii for repair with a damaged DVD-ROM drive and get it fixed. Again, from what I hear there is a charge to fix a console that's not under warranty. Yes, installation will require you to take apart your Nintendo Wii to get to it's DVD-ROM assembly (drive). Don't think you're just going to grab your normal set of screwdrivers and take it apart either. You're going to need a TriWing driver. So if this is your first modchip you'll need to pick one of those up. Most online shops, including the sponsor that sent us this sample have TriWing screwdrivers for sale. You're also going to need a micro mini Phillips head screwdriver which can be picked up at any hardware store.



Taking apart the Wii isn't too difficult. It requires you unscrew twenty one screws and while doing so remove the top of the Wii's case, a metal cover to the DVD-ROM drive and then the drive itself. The drive is connected to the Nintendo Wii using a small flex cable and a small power adapter. Use care when working with the flex cable and it's connector.

Once you have the drive out you can get to soldering. Soldering is a skill one must master to successfully install the modchip. The chip has some connectors on it which using wires will be soldered onto various points on the DVD-ROM drives motherboard. Some wires will go on sensitive pads and depending on what version of Nintendo Wii you have some wires might need to be soldered onto tiny IC legs. If you haven't a clue about what I'm talking about and would like to learn more about soldering check out this guide I wrote about the subject.

I mentioned versions, right? Well, there are seven different DVD-ROM motherboards and the newer ones from D2B (cut pins) to the D2E will require you to solder onto the IC legs - which means more wires to connect. Older installs take only five points none of which are on IC legs (DMS, D2A and D2B are included in this category). Newer consoles require the five points which are connected to pads and four more wires. Three of which are connected to IC legs. Once you identify your console via either physically looking at the DVD-ROM drive or using an online serial database (not always 100% accurate) you will know how many wires you need to solder.

Now it's time to solder the wires onto the DVD-ROM motherboard. Prepare your wire and tin the wires and pads and cover them with a small amount of flux. Next put the wire on top of the point according to the installation diagram and then apply the soldering iron on top of the wire. Wait a second or two until it bonds and then remove the iron. Once you're done soldering the wires onto the board then place the chip close to the solder points, affix it to the drive using some double sided foam tape or hot glue and then solder the wires onto the solder pads on the Wiikey 2. If you must, you can perform a continuity check between points. Next inspect the board for any stray solder and remove as necessary.

Now that you have the chip soldered in it's time to turn the Nintendo Wii on and test it out. You'll want to leave your Nintendo Wii's case off and just connect the DVD-ROM drive. You can pull out the power connector from the Wii's motherboard so you can lay the drive down on it's side. Next you'll want to grab an original game from the region you're currently in or the region the console is. The reason for this is you're going to power on the Wii with an original game from the region you want the console to run in - thus enabling Region Free game play.

Usage

So, it's time to use the Wiikey 2. Like I stated above, insert and original game from your region (or the region the console is for importers) and turn your Nintendo Wii on. The Wiikey's LED will turn RED then flash RED and BLUE around three times. Once this is done the Nintendo Wii disclaimer screen loads and your Wiikey 2 is setup for import play. The next thing to do is run the configuration disc which can be downloaded from Wiikey's Website. Download the one for your region and burn it using Nero or a similar DVD burning application. Remember, the slower you burn the better quality results you'll get. Note that even though the Nintendo Wii has great support for reading DVD's some cheap brands may not work. High grade Verbatim, Memorex and/or Ritek are recommended for burning homebrew and backups.

The Wiikey 2 Config Disc (v1.0 of this publication) allows you to configure certain aspects of the way the Wiikey 2 works including toggling the Region Patcher, GameCube Audio Fix, Original Read Speed, Original DL Read Speed, Backup Read Speed and DL Backup Read Speed. Toggling the Region Patcher will simply turn Region Free Gameplay off. The GameCube Audio Fix is used to correct sound issues in some audio streaming GameCube games (leave this on). The rest of the read speed options should be left at 6X, unless you're getting read errors then you can lower the speed. Lowering the speed will increase load times, but may make the Wii work with the media you're using. Like I said above - buy good media. Leave them all at 6x.

 

The first thing I tested was the playback of original games. All original games worked fine (as expected). Next, I tested a few original imports and they worked fine. Next came the backup tests in which I tested original and imported backups, both of which worked fine. As advertised, dual layer and problem titles such as Super Smash Bros Brawl™ and Mario Kart worked just fine.

I had two tests left to go. The first one was booting of homebrew DVD's which all of them worked fine. The last test was to boot "Trucha" signed games via Gecko OS (which is an operating system with a built in cheat engine, among lots of other interesting stuff). The game I tested was a custom version of Guitar Hero where a user had changed the music in the game with their own. It worked fine too.

Conclusion

So there you have it. The Wiikey 2 booted everything I threw at it. From originals, imports, legal backups, homebrew, GameCube discs (originals, imports, legal backups) and custom created games. Additionally, all of the advertised features worked including the GameCube Audio Fix, Dual Layer (DVD9) support and it was installed and worked flawlessly on a D2E DVD-ROM motherboard. I'd say if you're good at installing chips and are looking for a solid solution with no fuss that you can't go wrong with the Wiikey 2. With it's wide range of support for all of the current models of Nintendo Wii's on the market, high quality components, ease of installation and feature set you're looking at a real contender in the modchip market. A lot of chips are out there with a lot of advertised features, but no brand has been known to deliver like the Wiikey.

Negatives

Reset Issue on Select D2E Models
Moderate Installation for Newer Consoles
No Official Alternative Installation Diagram
No Externel Programmer for Future Updates (New DVD-ROM Drives)
Lack of Instructional Material Provided with the Product

Positives

Support for all Current Wii's
Advanced Automatic Region Detection
Setup Disc
Bad Flash Recovery Mode
Superior Compatibility & Features

Links

Wiikey's Website
FoundMy.com - Official Reseller / Review Sample Provider

-=[ Wiikey 2 Review Discussion Thread ]=-

Product(s) were received from the website above. ISO-420 will always link back to whomever sent the product(s) *respect*, but please remember that the reviews are independently written by our staff and are not subject to alteration by whomever supplies us with the review product(s).