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I hear the newer ones do not play GCN games. How can one distinguish these consoles? (Date of manufacture? Console color? Bundled games? GameCube controller port panel? Something else?) For instance, what questions would I need to ask an eBay or Craigslist seller if the seller didn't have GCN games to try?

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One quick thing that you can remember: if it is a light blue Wii, it doesn't play GCN games. –  Kotsu May 2 '12 at 4:07

4 Answers 4

up vote 17 down vote accepted

Wii Classic

The original Wii supports GameCube games on disc, and has GameCube controller ports hidden under a plastic door.

Wii Family Edition

There is an "updated" Wii that goes by "Wii Family Edition" on the retail box. It is identical in many ways to the old style Wii, down to the form factor. However, it does not support GameCube discs or controllers.

The best way to tell them apart is the model number - the Family Edition is model number RVL-101, and the "classic" Wii is model number RVL-001. This number is printed on a label on the bottom of the unit when it is in the vertical orientation. If it's lying horizontally, this label is on the right side of the unit when looking at the front.

You can confirm this information on Nintendo's support website. Click to view the Wii manuals, and you'll see two sets, one for the RVL-001, and one for the RVL-101. The 001 manual mentions the GameCube ports, while the 101 does not.

In addition to the model number change, there are a couple of other telltale signs:

  • The plastic panel covering the GameCube ports on the Family Edition is screwed down, where on the older model it flipped open. Underneath, the holes are present for the controller ports, but the ports themselves are empty.
  • The serial numbers on the "classic" Wii tend to start with L, and the Family Edition serial numbers appear to start with K. However, since serial numbers are at the discretion of the manufacturer, I'd hesitate to act on that information alone.
  • The Family Edition Wii doesn't ship with the vertical stand, although since the case design is identical to the previous design it can be used horizontally or vertically.
  • The Family Editon's Wii logo is parallel to the disc drive slot, (making it correctly oriented when the unit is horizontal) whereas it was perpendicular to the drive slot on the original Wii.

Wii Mini/Wii U

Since introducing the Family edition, Nintendo has also released the Wii Mini in some markets, which does not support GameCube games at all. It is also missing network support, and has a top-loading disc drive rather than the front-loading drive of the original Wii design. It is essentially a bare-bones, stripped down version of the original Wii.

The new iteration of Nintendo gaming hardware is called the Wii U. Despite similar names, and cross-compatibility with certain Wii peripherals, the new Wii U does not support GameCube discs either.

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So from the sound of it, the most reliable way is to simply check if the ports for the gamecube controllers are actual controller-ports, and not just empty holes? –  BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft Jul 27 '12 at 3:20
If I recall correctly the family edition's Wii logo on the front is aligned to the horizontal Wii Vs. the "normal" Wii's logo which aligns when the Wii is placed vertically –  JohnoBoy Jul 27 '12 at 5:12

Xzibit is also disappointed by the news. There was not a definitive resource that I could find, but it seems a tell tale aspect of the new design is that it is "designed to sit horizontally". Each mention of the new design also includes a statement similar to this one:

...newly configured black Wii console sits horizontally rather than vertically.

It also seems consistent that the new consoles all include a Wii logo that is upright in the horizontal position as seen here:

Horizontal Wii

as compared to:

Old Wii

You might gain some confidence by checking for serial numbers mentioned in this article. Since those are older consoles that predate the shift to dropping GameCube support.

However, the best idea is to just get a picture of the GameCube controller ports. If it has ports, it has GameCube support.

Wii GC Controller Ports

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There's a way to put Gamecube ports back on the Wii Family Edition. You can switch the parts around so the Wii Family Edition will play Gamecube games and the original Wii can't. This is the only way to play Gamecube games on the new Wii. You should do this at your own risk.

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And how, exactly, would you go about doing that? –  Frank Apr 22 '13 at 20:08
@fbueckert If I understand the answer correctly, they're saying you can remove the case of an original Wii, put the hardware in the case for a Family Edition Wii, and call it a "Family Edition" Wii that can play GameCube games. Which is silly, but I suppose is technically true in the barest sense of "true." I suppose if you had a mostly-dead original and a working Family Edition you might be able to cannibalise just the ports and it might work, but the answer is not clear enough on what parts are minimally required to make it play GCN games. –  SevenSidedDie Apr 22 '13 at 20:30
@SevenSidedDie That's what I gathered as well. As it is, yeah, I suppose it's a valid solution, but actual usefulness of going, "Just replace parts, no biggie." is virtually zilch. We don't even get any directions on how to do so, so that makes it even more useless. –  Frank Apr 22 '13 at 20:42
@fbueckert Agreed! This answer needs more… answer… to be useful. Ah, wait. I see now that's exactly what your first comment meant. Ahem. Well. Sorry. –  SevenSidedDie Apr 22 '13 at 21:22
@SevenSidedDie That was what I was going after, yes. No worries, though! Understanding is important, and we're on the same page. –  Frank Apr 23 '13 at 0:44

Wii Family Edition can't play GCN games, but the old ones can.

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Welcome to Arqade! This answer brings nothing that have not already been said. Please avoid duplicating content and only provide answers that add something new. –  Jupotter Jul 27 '12 at 4:37
This is really a comment, not an answer to the question. You can always comment on your own posts, and once you have sufficient reputation you will be able to comment on any post. –  kalina Aug 16 '12 at 9:47

protected by Sean Nov 29 at 22:50


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