Mario Kart Wii Custom Tracks (USB Loading AND Backup Discs)

I'll start by saying this is some really cool stuff. An app has been developed that lets you customize and alter the textures in MarioKartWii, to the point that new tracks are being developed. This project started in December 2008 but has only just been gaining popularity. Rather than go into a bunch of detail about the end result, check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeUHDyCC-cg

The way this works is you extract the track file, patch it, and replace it back in your ISO. Because the patch files contain no original game content, distributing these is completely legal. On the patch-server you'll find everything from brand new tracks to texture-hacks for existing tracks. There are even textures for "new" characters like Baby Waluigi (baby Mario in disguise).

So now I'm going to show you how to patch and apply the first track in that video: Mushroom Peaks

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Requirements
===========

A Wii-console that plays backups (USB or disc)
Mario Kart ISO - Don't ask how to acquire a download for this, Wiihacks does NOT support piracy! :)
Wiiscrubber v1.4
SZS Modifier

Apparently SZS Servers are down, but thatfloorguy was kind enough to upload many of the patches.
Go here, download the files you need, and click Thanks on his post!

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Track Patching
===========
Following these instructions will replace any Single Player instance of Mushroom Gorge with a new track, Mushroom Peaks (seen above).

Spoiler

Load your Mario Kart ISO in Wiiscrubber 1.4 and navigate to Partition 1 - DATA > Race > Course. (Partition 0 if your iso is scrubbed)

You should see a long list of .szs files. Like this:

http://i49.tinypic.com/2h30cpg.jpg

Scroll down and right click on kinoko_course.szs (NOT kinoko_course_d.szs) - Select Extract and save it to a folder you'll remember.

http://i50.tinypic.com/2zg4sq1.jpg

Now that we've extracted the original track from the ISO, we need to modify it!

Leave Wiiscrubber open for the time being and, if you haven't already, run the setup.exe for SZS Modifier to install it.

Load SZS Modifier. You'll see a short splash screen then a window which should look something like this:

http://i49.tinypic.com/1zg3syp.jpg

Select File > Open and load kinoko_course.szs - We'll come back to this in a minute.

Now we need to download the modified track patch. Select Patches > Browse Patches on Server.

http://i45.tinypic.com/rswhdv.jpg

You'll see the above window appear. Scroll down until you find Mushroom Peaks. Download it.
Note - The server may spout an error here. Just try again until the download completes.

Once the download is finished, close the browsing window and you should be left with this:

http://i50.tinypic.com/2hckemf.jpg

Select Patches > Import Netsafe Patch and a new window will appear.

http://i47.tinypic.com/234p5k.jpg

Select the Mushroom Peaks file you just downloaded and a small window will appear with the patch details.

http://i47.tinypic.com/fk2x05.jpg

Press OK to apply the patch. Select File > Save As and save this file where you won't mix it up with the original svs.

Note - If you receive an error trying to apply the patch, try re-downloading the file from the SZS server.

Now we need to put the patched track into our ISO. Still got Wiiscrubber open? Good.

http://i50.tinypic.com/2zg4sq1.jpg

Scroll back down to DATA > Race > Courses and right-click on kinoko_course.szs - Select Replace and navigate to the patched kinoko_course.szs file.

That's it, we're done. Add your ISO back to your HDD or burn your disc. Play the game and when you run Mushroom Gorge in any Single Player
mode it will now be replaced with Mushroom Peaks.

This was just an example of replacing a single track with a patched one in Single Player modes. You may want to modify some more tracks in the
future, so to avoid having to burn your disc or load your ISO multiple times try to download and patch all the tracks you think you'll want at one time.

=======================
Single/Multi Player Patching
=======================

If you had wanted to replace your Multi Player version of Mushroom Gorge, just replace kinoko_course_d.szs with the same hacked szs file you made using the tutorial above. This same process works for all tracks which end in _d.

Spoiler

So in other words, in Wiiscrubber replace kinoko_course.szs and Mushroom Gorge gets replaced in

Single Player - Grand Prix, TT, VS.
Single Player Online - WW, Country, Friends

Replace kinoko_course_d.szs and Mushroom Gorge gets replaced in

Multiplayer (2/3/4 players) - Grand Prix, TT, VS.
Multiplayer Online (2 players) - WW, Country, Friends

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Online Play
==========

The nature of texture hacks in online play is that any modified information on your iso will not be transferred to anyone you're playing with. In other words, if you're using a completely modified track like the one above, and you go into online WW or Regional to play against other people who haven't modified their tracks the same way, they aren't going to see the same thing you're seeing.

In all likelihood, what they will see is you driving all over the place, through the air, into and out of walls and such. If the people you hook up online with happen to be official N racers and they see your kart/bike exhibiting this really strange behavior, it is possible you could get banned.

On the flip side, if you go online with a texture modified version of one of the original tracks (ie- NOT a brand new track), only you will see the changes but you'll still be able to race like normal with people who have unmodified iso's.

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Custom Tracks
=============
Here is the list of designer-encouraged tracks to replace in your iso. The goal being that anyone who used this app to customize their tracks can get together online knowing that they are using the same tracks. I've organized these by Cup and the number slot of the track they replace. So the first modified track, Mushroom Peaks, is in the 3rd slot of the Mushroom Cup and replaces the original corresponding track, Mushroom Gorge.

Remember to replace courses with _d if you want to play having more than one person on your console.

This list is based on the tracks the szs track-designers use to run their Custom Grand Prix events. I'll continue to update this list as those tracks get released.

Updated: 6/29 (23 Tracks Total - Latest: Rezway, Kartwood Creek, Haunted Woods)

-------------------------------------------------------

Spoiler

MarioKart Wii-Cups

Mushroom Cup

Luigi's Island (Patch old_falls_ds_d.szs then replace beginner_course.szs)
Sunset Forest (Patch kinoko_course.szs then replace farm_course.szs)
Mushroom Peaks (Patch and replace kinoko_course.szs)
GBA Sky Garden (Patch and replace factory_course.szs)

Flower Cup

Rezway (Replaces Mario Circuit)
*
Haunted Woods (Replaces DK's Snowboard Cross)
Guilleh's Course: asdf_course (Patch old_mario_64.szs then replace truck_course.szs)

Star Cup

Penguin Canyon (Patch old_sherbet_64.szs then replace senior_course.szs)
*
*
Incendia Castle ( Patch and replace old_volcano.szs)

Special Cup

GBA Rainbow Road (Patch rainbow_course.szs then replace desert_course.szs)
Space Road (Patch ridgehighway_course_d.szs then replace ridgehighway_course.szs)
SNES Bowser Castle 2 (Patch and replace koopa_course.szs)
SNES Rainbow Road (Patch and replace rainbow_course.szs)

---------------

MarioKart Retro Cups

Shell Cup

Green Hill Zone (Patch old_peach_gc.szs)
Codename:BIGBOX (Patch beginner_course.szs then replace old_falls_ds.szs)
*
*

Banana Cup

Northpole Slide (Patch and replace old_sherbert_64.szs)
GBA Cheep Cheep Island (Patch and replace old_heyho_gba.szs)
*
N64 Wario Stadium (Patch and replace old_waluigi_gc.szs)

Leaf Cup

*
Thwomp Cave (Patch and replace old_koopa_64.szs)
Jungle Safari (Patch and replace old_donkey_64.szs)
Kartwood Creek (Replaces GCN Mario Circuit)

Lightning Cup

SNES Mario Circuit 1 (Patch and replace old_mario_sfc.szs)
Chomp Valley (Patch and replace old_garden_ds.szs)
*
*

=================
Renaming Your ISO
=================

This is for USB Loaders.

Download WIIISORenamerv3.exe
Use WiiISORenamer.exe to open your Mario Kart Wii iso
Change your GAMEID and Game Title to any of your choosing -- For instance I changed my custom iso to VOLE01 and Mario Kart Wii Custom

Those were just my examples, you can change them to whatever you want, just make sure not to use the same GAMEID as the other games on your drive.

=========
Riivolution
=========

If you don't mind using your original disc you can avoid having to replace files in your ISO and load all your custom tracks with your SD card using Riivolution. For more on this go here.

----------------
Credits

Chadderz (SVS Modifier's coder)
MrBean35000vr (Designed Mushroom Peaks + more)
UgotHacked35000vr
EC2zigzag
MKDasher
NinArm1
Khacker35000vr (Thwomp Cave - brutal course, very awesome)
Anyone who designed and uploaded a patch to the SVS server

-----------------------------
This app and everything involved is still really new, so don't expect perfection. Not all but some tracks may be buggy, slow down, etc. They're being updated and revised pretty often, so check the szs-servers for the latest versions. Most tracks play exceptionally well. Enjoy! :D

That is bada$$, I am going to do it this weekend and suprise the wife with it. Is it possible to have both the original and hacked version on my HDD, or will they still have the same game code? If not I'll just burn the hack to disc. Thanks Ithian!

You can have both but you'd need to rename the gameid on one of them. Here's a tool that lets you do that: WIIISORenamerv3.exe

I haven't put the iso I renamed with that app on my hdd yet but it looks like it'll work fine.

Pretty sick man, I just saw the video for Mushroom Peaks and wanted to play on that course. Really, nothing more to say lol

Oh yea, just to be safe, I know I'm not using Ocarina codes for this, but can you get banned for playing online with these courses?

Thanks again, I am abt to start it if wiiscrubber will load my iso, this time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by anumizter

Oh yea, just to be safe, I know I'm not using Ocarina codes for this, but can you get banned for playing online with these courses?

I'm not sure what other people see from their end if it does pair you up, probably just your kart running into a wall or something, but from what I heard it won't let you play with anyone who doesn't have the same courses. So besides from Friend matches you can't really play online in a way that would get you banned.

K, friend matches don't cause a ban. just creating an ISO right now, thanks a lot again man :D

Thanks Ithian, this is great. I am waiting on a DL now tho of a legit rip. I borrowed one from a buddy and didn't back it up Grrrr:mad:. I successfully patched a few tracks but somehow deleted moo moo meadows and a cpl others. They are now gone for good I assume, just a black screen when I try to load them. This time I will take my time and do them one at a time. I was in too big of a hurry and had too many files saved at once, LMAO:eek:. That'll learn me.I will be sure to make a backup also before I screw up the next one,(as recommended by someone here) LOL. Thanks again!

@thatfloorguy - Well difficulties aside I'm glad you're enjoying it. :D Out of all the new tracks I've tried out Mushroom Peaks is my favorite, but it's a beast of a track. I still haven't made it across that patch of mushrooms without falling at least once lol.

It appears "someone" made a backup of the original, knowing my impatience and anxiety. My wife ROX:D. I simply installed onto my HD extracted it with GUI and I am Back in business. Woooo Hooo. Mushroom Peaks kicks my butt, it is pretty challenging to say the least. LOL(there may be children present). I love the option of customizing the tracks/characters/karts and bikes though. I was stuck on Disater, Day of Crisis but have somehow been sidetracked the last cpl days.:rolleyes: Back to work if it can even be called that.

It does work fine from HDD by the way.