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For those who need help with their wii, Here Is a guide that took me pretty long to make.
Wii Set-up Guide
Pre-purchase
A Wii costs $250 USD or $280 CND and comes in a bundle with one Wii Remote (hereby referred to as Wiimote), one Nunchuk and a copy of Wii Sports, aside from the actual unit itself. Separate Wiimotes retail for $40 USD or $45 CND, and separate Nunchucks retail for $20 USD or $25 CND. There is also a Classic controller shell available for use with certain titles, retailing for $20 USD or $25 CND.
The Wii is also compatible with Nintendo Gamecube controllers (anywhere from $10 to $30) and Nintendo Gamecube memory cards ($10-$25). At least one Gamecube controller and at least one Memory card to play GameCube titles. WARNING: some specialty controllers, such as arcade sticks, are not compatible with the Wii. Retain your receipt and attempt to return the controller if this is the case.
Buying a Wii
At this point, you're out of luck. Watch The Tanooki's updates and check local stores continuously. Wiis are also available on eBay and similar sites.
WARNING:Scamming, bundling and bait-and-switch are common with auction sites and online retailers. Exercise caution when buying a Wii. You might also end up paying more than the MSRP, since the Wii is so hard to get. WARNING: When buying a Wii online, make sure it will work in your region, as Wii games are region locked.
Hardware Setup
So you got yourself a Wii and managed to get it home without being jumped by rabid fanboys. Open the box. What you should find inside is a Wii console,a stand for the Wii console, a stand for the stand of the Wii console (this is not a joke, the round transparent plastic thing is a stand for the stand) a Wiimote, a Nunchuk, an AV cable, a Sensor Bar, a stand for the Sensor bar, a power cable and a power transformer, commonly known as a power brick due to its brick-like shape. You will also find a sleeve with Wii Sports on a DVD and a manual for Wii Sports, along with a bunch of manuals. Make sure you read the manuals and keep them somewhere where you could access them.
Note: If you have a TV that supports 480p (just about everything flat screen), you can buy a Wii component cable to have it output at 480p. First party cables are $50-60 and third-party cables are $20-30.
Setup Procedure:
1) If you want to display your Wii horizontally, connect the stand to the stand for the stand and place your Wii on top of the stand. If you want to display your Wii horizontally, place it sideways. Make sure the Gamecube controller flaps open downwards, or you may risk damaging the disk.
2) Place the Sensor Bar on the center axis of your TV, above or on top of it. Plug in the Sensor Bar in the back of the Wii into the smallest slot labeled 'Sensor bar".
3) Plug one end of the AC cable into the wall. Plug the other end into the Wii's second largest port, labeled 12V. The Wii's power light, located on the Power button will glow red.
4) Plug the AV cable into the largest slot on the back of the Wii, labeled Video Out. Plug the other end into your VCR/DVD player/TV/RF modulator. Yellow is Video, White is Audio left and Red is Audio left. If you have one of those really old TVs, plugging in the red cable is optional. If this is the case, buy a new TV as soon as you can.
5)Your Wii is ready for turning on. Change to whatever channel is your TV's video in and turn on your Wii by pressing the power button once.
Software Setup
1) When you turn on your Wii, press the A button on a Wiimote. If the Wiimote has batteries in, it will sync with the Wii, and the first light will grow blue.
2) The Wii will ask you a few questions, regarding language, time, date and so on. Answer them. If you screw up, they can always be changed in the Options menu.
3) Update your Wii to the latest firmware. For this you need a Wi-Fi connection or a LAN adapter. This will be covered in the "Online" section.
Playing a game
Wii games typically cost around $50 USD or $60 CND new, or 10 bucks less used. Budget titles or "Wiimakes" generally cost less. Avoid most budget titles like the plague, regardless of a free plastic steering wheel.
1) Let's take Wii Sports as an example. Familiarize yourself with the manual prior to playing any game.
2) Make sure there is no disc inserted. Insert the disc into the Wii Slot, the colored side facing up, if you put your Wii horizontally, or right, if you put your Wii vertically.
3) Before you start, it is a good idea to make a Mii to track your progress. Go to the Mii channel in the Wii menu and create a digital fascimilie of yourself, a family member, a historical figure or some insane alien monster. You may make up to 100 Miis per system. You may also allow your Miis to "mingle" and participate in your friends' Mii parades. Miis are used in several games, so make sure to make at least one. You can carry up to 10 Miis in your Wii remote, if you decide to visit someone and share your Miis with them.
4) Go back to the Wii Menu and select the disc channel. The system will take a while to determine what game is inserted. After it does, press the Play button, or the Back button to return to the main menu.
5) Certain games might not let you play until you connect a Nunchuk controller. Do so by plugging it into the port in the bottom of the Wiimote and hooking in the Wrist Strap.
6) Wii games save data to the systems internal RAM, so there is no need for memory cards.
Playing a GameCube game
The Wii can play nearly any GameCube game, since it is considered by "experts" to be "two GameCubes duct taped together".
1) Make sure there is no disc inserted. Insert the game disc in the slot as you would a normal Wii disc. The Wii will automatically position the disc correctly.
2) Plug on at least one GameCube controller and at least one Memory card.
3) Go to the disc channel and start the game in the same way you would a Wii game.
Setting up the Wii's connection
The Wii can connect the the Internet, in order to communicate with other Wii consoles and surf websites. This step is entirely optional but highly recommended.
WARNING: The Wii's Wi-Fi antenna isn't very strong. If your Wii is more than a few rooms away from the router, the connection may not work. Purchase a connection booster or a bridging kit, or move your Wii closer to your router.
1) Set up a Wi-Fi connection by purchasing a Nintendo Wi-Fi connector or a Wireless router. The latter is recommended, but the former is easier. You may also set up a wired connection, by purchasing a Wired LAN adapter for the Wii.
2) If you have a Wireless router, set the connection type to Mixed, enable maximum power, and set the signal to channel 11.
3) If you have a Wired LAN adapter, plug one end into the Wii's USB port and the other into an Ethernet jack.
4) Power on your Wii and go to options->Internet->Configure Connections.
5) Select "New Connection".
6) Select your connection type. If you have a wired connection, skip to step 9.
7) If you choose Wi-Fi, the Wii will scan for all networks in range. Select your network from the list. If your router does not broadcast SSID, you may also enter the SSID manually.
8 ) Enter your WEP or WPA code, if any is enabled on your router.
9) The Wii will test your connection. If the connection succeeds, it will prompt you to update the system. Press "Yes" and wait for the update to download.
10) You may now have your Miis mingle with other and use the Virtual Console shop, as well as play games online. When you turn off your console, the light will glow yellow instead of red, indicating there is a connection available.
Note: If you get an error code, write it down and look it up in Nintendo's database. Odds are that the connection is just too weak for it to connect.
Wii Channels
All the buttons in the Main Menu are called channels. Wouldn't you like more? For free? Of course you would. Note: You may tie in your My Nintendo account with your Wii Console to track purchases.
1) Make sure you have an Internet connection that works and that your firmware is updated.
2) Click on the Wii Shop channel.
3) Select Wii Ware.
4) Several channels are available for free download as of now:
-Opera Channel: Browse the Web on your TV! WARNING: buy this one fast, since it will cost 500 Wii Points after June 31st!
-Weather Channel: Look up 5-day forecasts for anywhere on the planet and spin the globe around with your Wiimote! Wheeeeeeee!
-Everybody Votes Channel: Vote on various user-submitted questions and see if you can predict the winning result! Rumor has it that this channel is a ploy for Nintendo to test an online high score system.
-News Channel: Get news sorted by region and field of interest.
Channels you should already have are:
-Photo Channel: Display slideshows or doodle on your face! Capture the cat for secret information.
-Mii Channel: Described in Games section
5) If you have money to spend, go into the Virtual Console store to buy Super Mario Brothers for the 15th time, as well as other Nintendo, Genesis and Turbographx games. You can buy Wii points with a credit card or through cards in stores.
6) After you download your channel, you may re-download the software for free to the same unit, or update it, if one is available.
7) Launch the channel by clicking on its button in the main menu. Press + or - to cycle between pages.
8 ) If you run out of room, you may move channels onto an SD card, but you can't play them off of it.
9) Holding A+B in the main menu allows you to drag all channels except the Disc Channel around to reposition them as you see fit.
Keeping track of your Wii
Clicking on the messages tab allows you to write or receive messages, as well as keep track of how long you played which game. Some games, such as Wii Sports, notify everyone through the message board of your achievements. Nintendo may sometimes contact you through the message board about updates to software.
Wii Notifiers
The Wii is so amazing, it doesn't need a TV to talk to you. The following are some of the ways the Wii can inform you of goings-on.
Blue light pulsing around disc slot: You have a new message. View it by going to the messages tab in the main menu.
No light: Power is unplugged.
Red light: No wireless connection. You don't have to reconfigure the connection if you already did. Simply turning the Wii on should re-synch the connection.
Yellow light: The Wii is off, but receiving a wireless signal.
Green light: The Wii is on.
Wiimote Controls
By pressing the blue Home button on the Wiimote, not only do you pause your current game, but you can reconfigure you Wiimote settings, such as vibration, sound, or reconnect them, in order to change player order. You can also see the battery meter of each individual remote. The battery is also displayed when you sync up a Wiimote, by flashing 1-4 of its lights, depending on how much battery you have left.
SD Cards
The Wii supports SD cards up to 2GB. The cards can be used to store photos from the photo channel and to store games and channels. Games cannot be played off an SD card and you cannot use the SD card to transfer the game to another Wii console.
Phew, that took a while. Post if you have any questions, comments or something to add to the guide.
Wii Set-up Guide
Pre-purchase
A Wii costs $250 USD or $280 CND and comes in a bundle with one Wii Remote (hereby referred to as Wiimote), one Nunchuk and a copy of Wii Sports, aside from the actual unit itself. Separate Wiimotes retail for $40 USD or $45 CND, and separate Nunchucks retail for $20 USD or $25 CND. There is also a Classic controller shell available for use with certain titles, retailing for $20 USD or $25 CND.
The Wii is also compatible with Nintendo Gamecube controllers (anywhere from $10 to $30) and Nintendo Gamecube memory cards ($10-$25). At least one Gamecube controller and at least one Memory card to play GameCube titles. WARNING: some specialty controllers, such as arcade sticks, are not compatible with the Wii. Retain your receipt and attempt to return the controller if this is the case.
Buying a Wii
At this point, you're out of luck. Watch The Tanooki's updates and check local stores continuously. Wiis are also available on eBay and similar sites.
WARNING:Scamming, bundling and bait-and-switch are common with auction sites and online retailers. Exercise caution when buying a Wii. You might also end up paying more than the MSRP, since the Wii is so hard to get. WARNING: When buying a Wii online, make sure it will work in your region, as Wii games are region locked.
Hardware Setup
So you got yourself a Wii and managed to get it home without being jumped by rabid fanboys. Open the box. What you should find inside is a Wii console,a stand for the Wii console, a stand for the stand of the Wii console (this is not a joke, the round transparent plastic thing is a stand for the stand) a Wiimote, a Nunchuk, an AV cable, a Sensor Bar, a stand for the Sensor bar, a power cable and a power transformer, commonly known as a power brick due to its brick-like shape. You will also find a sleeve with Wii Sports on a DVD and a manual for Wii Sports, along with a bunch of manuals. Make sure you read the manuals and keep them somewhere where you could access them.
Note: If you have a TV that supports 480p (just about everything flat screen), you can buy a Wii component cable to have it output at 480p. First party cables are $50-60 and third-party cables are $20-30.
Setup Procedure:
1) If you want to display your Wii horizontally, connect the stand to the stand for the stand and place your Wii on top of the stand. If you want to display your Wii horizontally, place it sideways. Make sure the Gamecube controller flaps open downwards, or you may risk damaging the disk.
2) Place the Sensor Bar on the center axis of your TV, above or on top of it. Plug in the Sensor Bar in the back of the Wii into the smallest slot labeled 'Sensor bar".
3) Plug one end of the AC cable into the wall. Plug the other end into the Wii's second largest port, labeled 12V. The Wii's power light, located on the Power button will glow red.
4) Plug the AV cable into the largest slot on the back of the Wii, labeled Video Out. Plug the other end into your VCR/DVD player/TV/RF modulator. Yellow is Video, White is Audio left and Red is Audio left. If you have one of those really old TVs, plugging in the red cable is optional. If this is the case, buy a new TV as soon as you can.
5)Your Wii is ready for turning on. Change to whatever channel is your TV's video in and turn on your Wii by pressing the power button once.
Software Setup
1) When you turn on your Wii, press the A button on a Wiimote. If the Wiimote has batteries in, it will sync with the Wii, and the first light will grow blue.
2) The Wii will ask you a few questions, regarding language, time, date and so on. Answer them. If you screw up, they can always be changed in the Options menu.
3) Update your Wii to the latest firmware. For this you need a Wi-Fi connection or a LAN adapter. This will be covered in the "Online" section.
Playing a game
Wii games typically cost around $50 USD or $60 CND new, or 10 bucks less used. Budget titles or "Wiimakes" generally cost less. Avoid most budget titles like the plague, regardless of a free plastic steering wheel.
1) Let's take Wii Sports as an example. Familiarize yourself with the manual prior to playing any game.
2) Make sure there is no disc inserted. Insert the disc into the Wii Slot, the colored side facing up, if you put your Wii horizontally, or right, if you put your Wii vertically.
3) Before you start, it is a good idea to make a Mii to track your progress. Go to the Mii channel in the Wii menu and create a digital fascimilie of yourself, a family member, a historical figure or some insane alien monster. You may make up to 100 Miis per system. You may also allow your Miis to "mingle" and participate in your friends' Mii parades. Miis are used in several games, so make sure to make at least one. You can carry up to 10 Miis in your Wii remote, if you decide to visit someone and share your Miis with them.
4) Go back to the Wii Menu and select the disc channel. The system will take a while to determine what game is inserted. After it does, press the Play button, or the Back button to return to the main menu.
5) Certain games might not let you play until you connect a Nunchuk controller. Do so by plugging it into the port in the bottom of the Wiimote and hooking in the Wrist Strap.
6) Wii games save data to the systems internal RAM, so there is no need for memory cards.
Playing a GameCube game
The Wii can play nearly any GameCube game, since it is considered by "experts" to be "two GameCubes duct taped together".
1) Make sure there is no disc inserted. Insert the game disc in the slot as you would a normal Wii disc. The Wii will automatically position the disc correctly.
2) Plug on at least one GameCube controller and at least one Memory card.
3) Go to the disc channel and start the game in the same way you would a Wii game.
Setting up the Wii's connection
The Wii can connect the the Internet, in order to communicate with other Wii consoles and surf websites. This step is entirely optional but highly recommended.
WARNING: The Wii's Wi-Fi antenna isn't very strong. If your Wii is more than a few rooms away from the router, the connection may not work. Purchase a connection booster or a bridging kit, or move your Wii closer to your router.
1) Set up a Wi-Fi connection by purchasing a Nintendo Wi-Fi connector or a Wireless router. The latter is recommended, but the former is easier. You may also set up a wired connection, by purchasing a Wired LAN adapter for the Wii.
2) If you have a Wireless router, set the connection type to Mixed, enable maximum power, and set the signal to channel 11.
3) If you have a Wired LAN adapter, plug one end into the Wii's USB port and the other into an Ethernet jack.
4) Power on your Wii and go to options->Internet->Configure Connections.
5) Select "New Connection".
6) Select your connection type. If you have a wired connection, skip to step 9.
7) If you choose Wi-Fi, the Wii will scan for all networks in range. Select your network from the list. If your router does not broadcast SSID, you may also enter the SSID manually.
8 ) Enter your WEP or WPA code, if any is enabled on your router.
9) The Wii will test your connection. If the connection succeeds, it will prompt you to update the system. Press "Yes" and wait for the update to download.
10) You may now have your Miis mingle with other and use the Virtual Console shop, as well as play games online. When you turn off your console, the light will glow yellow instead of red, indicating there is a connection available.
Note: If you get an error code, write it down and look it up in Nintendo's database. Odds are that the connection is just too weak for it to connect.
Wii Channels
All the buttons in the Main Menu are called channels. Wouldn't you like more? For free? Of course you would. Note: You may tie in your My Nintendo account with your Wii Console to track purchases.
1) Make sure you have an Internet connection that works and that your firmware is updated.
2) Click on the Wii Shop channel.
3) Select Wii Ware.
4) Several channels are available for free download as of now:
-Opera Channel: Browse the Web on your TV! WARNING: buy this one fast, since it will cost 500 Wii Points after June 31st!
-Weather Channel: Look up 5-day forecasts for anywhere on the planet and spin the globe around with your Wiimote! Wheeeeeeee!
-Everybody Votes Channel: Vote on various user-submitted questions and see if you can predict the winning result! Rumor has it that this channel is a ploy for Nintendo to test an online high score system.
-News Channel: Get news sorted by region and field of interest.
Channels you should already have are:
-Photo Channel: Display slideshows or doodle on your face! Capture the cat for secret information.
-Mii Channel: Described in Games section
5) If you have money to spend, go into the Virtual Console store to buy Super Mario Brothers for the 15th time, as well as other Nintendo, Genesis and Turbographx games. You can buy Wii points with a credit card or through cards in stores.
6) After you download your channel, you may re-download the software for free to the same unit, or update it, if one is available.
7) Launch the channel by clicking on its button in the main menu. Press + or - to cycle between pages.
8 ) If you run out of room, you may move channels onto an SD card, but you can't play them off of it.
9) Holding A+B in the main menu allows you to drag all channels except the Disc Channel around to reposition them as you see fit.
Keeping track of your Wii
Clicking on the messages tab allows you to write or receive messages, as well as keep track of how long you played which game. Some games, such as Wii Sports, notify everyone through the message board of your achievements. Nintendo may sometimes contact you through the message board about updates to software.
Wii Notifiers
The Wii is so amazing, it doesn't need a TV to talk to you. The following are some of the ways the Wii can inform you of goings-on.
Blue light pulsing around disc slot: You have a new message. View it by going to the messages tab in the main menu.
No light: Power is unplugged.
Red light: No wireless connection. You don't have to reconfigure the connection if you already did. Simply turning the Wii on should re-synch the connection.
Yellow light: The Wii is off, but receiving a wireless signal.
Green light: The Wii is on.
Wiimote Controls
By pressing the blue Home button on the Wiimote, not only do you pause your current game, but you can reconfigure you Wiimote settings, such as vibration, sound, or reconnect them, in order to change player order. You can also see the battery meter of each individual remote. The battery is also displayed when you sync up a Wiimote, by flashing 1-4 of its lights, depending on how much battery you have left.
SD Cards
The Wii supports SD cards up to 2GB. The cards can be used to store photos from the photo channel and to store games and channels. Games cannot be played off an SD card and you cannot use the SD card to transfer the game to another Wii console.
Phew, that took a while. Post if you have any questions, comments or something to add to the guide.
Last edited by a moderator:
