How Can I Save GameCube Data to an SD Card on My Wii?
By David Weinberg
Updated September 22, 2017
Items you will need
Empty SD card
SD card reader for PC
The Nintendo Wii was designed to have full backward compatibility with the GameCube. The Wii accepts GameCube games, controllers and memory cards. However, the GameCube system within the Wii is largely isolated from the rest of the Wii and there are no native options to allow the transfer of files from the GameCube's memory cards to a Wii SD card. Due to the lack of native options, homebrew developers have created programs to allow the transfer of data from SD Cards to GameCube memory and vice-versa. Keep in mind, however, that these programs run non-native code that will void your Wii's warranty and can potentially cause serious damage to your console.
Instructions for Wii System Menu Version 4.2 or Above
Determine what system menu your Wii is running. Select the "Wii" icon in the lower left corner of the main menu, then select "Wii Settings." The menu version will be written in the upper right corner of the screen. If the version is 4.2 or above, continue on. If the version is 4.1 or below, skip to the section entitled "Instructions for Wii System Menu Version 4.1 or Older."
Download BannerBomb v2 from the download link in the resources section. Unzip the contents of the archive to your SD card.
Download GCMM from the download link in the resources section of this article. Open the archive and copy the file "boot.dol" to the root of your SD card.
Insert your GameCube memory card into slot B. Turn on the Wii. Select the SD card icon on the main menu and insert your SD card. The screen should go black and display a dialog; if it does not, go back to Step 2 and download one of the alternate versions from the download page and repeat Steps 3 and 4.
Follow the controls on the screen to back up or restore saved data from your GameCube memory card. Turn off the Wii and remove the memory card until you want to restore your data.
Instructions for Wii System Menu Version 4.1 or Older
Download BannerBomb v1 from the download link in the resources section. Unzip the contents of the archive to your SD card.
Download GCMM from the download link in the resources section. Open the archive and copy the file "boot.dol" to the root of your SD card.
Insert your GameCube memory card into slot B. Turn on the Wii. Select the Wii icon in the lower left hand corner, then "Data Management," then "SD." Insert the SD Card into the Wii. The screen should go black and display a dialog; if it does not, go back to Step 1 and download one of the alternate versions from the download page, then repeat Steps 2 and 3.
Follow the controls on the screen to backup or restore saved data from your GameCube memory card. Turn off the Wii and remove the memory card until you want to restore your data.
Warnings
Running homebrew code will void your Wii's warranty and can potentially render your Wii completely unusable. This method will only allow you to transfer data from third-party GameCube memory cards. Several GameCube games, including Medal of Honor: Frontline, F-Zero GX, Pokemon Coloseum and Fire Emblem, use a protected save-game system. They will only work when transferred back to the original memory card they were copied from.
References
Writer Bio
David Weinberg began writing in 2005 at New College of Florida, composing articles on history and political science for publication within the school and for online circulation. Weinberg has been a professional outdoor educator for more than five years with experience throughout the United States.