Post-Modded Life

After many hundreds of hours in front of your modded Wii, suddenly you stop in mid-swing and stare with new eyes at your skillfully-modded Wii. Something seems off. Hmmm, mods all working, your power levels are sky high…hmmm, what could it be? Aha, the plain off-the-shelf mono-colored Wii no longer suits your persona of gaming magnificence. You are in the mood for a case mod. How fortunate for you that there are a number of options to indulge that new desire to have the Wii's appearance reflect your gaming prowess.

Change Wii DVD LED Drive Slot Color

This is one of the cheapest and easiest of the case mods. This option involves a replacement for the Wii’s front faceplate by a device such as the DVD Gate also known as Wii Gate. One simply removes the 4 screws securing the front faceplate of the Wii and snaps in the DVD Gate. The DVD Gate sells in the range of USD $10.00 and is available in red or green:

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Wii Console Skin

Skins are applied directly to the Wii console to change its appearance. Good quality skin kits use high-resolution art-quality designs or solid colors that are printed on premium adhesive-backed vinyl that is then sealed with either a glossy or matte (low-gloss) protective enamel coating. Good quality skins can also be removed without leaving any harmful residue on the console. Application of a skin will also cover any scratches or minor dings that have occurred during your exuberant Wii game playing and provide some protection against future scratches or nicks. Do not buy any paper-based skins as these are not durable and are thicker than the good quality vinyl skins. The good quality vinyl skins will last longer and also not obstruct DVD insertion or plugs.

Most skins can be easily removed after application so one can change the Wii's appearance according to one's whim, the season, a new playing partner, or dumping an old playmate. One added benefit is that matching skins for the Wiimote, nunchuck, and even the classic controller are available for many designs. Some Wii skin vendors also offer customized service in the event that no stock design tickles your fancy. The Wii console skin will cost about USD $15.00 and about $5.00 for each Wiimote/nunchuck add-on.

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Replace the Wii Console Case

There are several choices to consider when replacing the Wii case; among these are single solid color case or a clear case with LED light display.

Single Solid Color: One can opt for a solid single-color case replacement. Color choices include blue, silver, black, clear, chrome, green, pink, red, and yellow:

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The Ronin series of case replacements also allows for such options as changing the DVD drive slot LED color, removable doors, and a special rear access panel that eases exit of cables and provides access for future modifications.

LED Color Display: There are also case replacements with either a clear case or with cutouts to allow LEDs to shine out and dazzle your friends and family with either a single- or multi-color show. The ii Chameleon Case rotates between more than 6 colors. Other single color versions of LED light-display Wii console cases include light blue, blue, yellow, orange, green, purple, pink, and red.

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A new variation of the ii Case is the Hot Rock Case that has a built-in LED thermometer. Color changes signal the temperature of the Wii console in 5 degree increments. When the internal temperature of the Wii console exceeds 55 degrees Celsius or 131 degrees Fahrenheit, the LED will be RED and start flashing to alert the Wii owner to turn off the Wii and check for a problem that might have caused the heating issue. The color gradients progression is light blue, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and then flashing red as described previously.

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The replacement cases range in price from about USD $30.00 to $65.00, depending on the options chosen and most come preassembled with online instructions on disassembling your Wii console and replacing it with your new pride-n-joy console.

Specialty or Custom Painting

One can also look for a local vendor that specializes in painting PC desktops and laptops; these folks will also paint your Wii console to either your own design or one of their shop stock designs.

Vendor

For skins, just Google and you will see a number of sites that specialize in skins for every kind of device, including the Wii console. Wii console skins are also available through Amazon and eBay, albeit with more limited selections available than by going to a vendor site directly.

A vendor carrying the DVD Gate and the various console case replacements described in this Blog is GameStuff.ca.