Q: What is a locked save?
A: A locked save is a save file that can not be copied from a Wii's system memory to a SD card. In other words, a locked save can not be backed up.
Q: So a game uses a locked save. What's the big deal?
A: Let's say that you recently spent $50 on a new Wii game and invested 20-plus hours unlocking new levels, achievements, and bonus material. Wanting to make sure that you don't lose your progress to hardware failure, you back up as many save files as you can using the Wii's Data Management screens. You copy all available files to a SD card, but discover that the game in which you've invested 20-plus hours uses a locked save. You can't back up your save. Your Wii's drive fails a week later. You ship your Wii to Nintendo for repairs and get it back a few weeks later, only to find that your Wii's system memory has been wiped. The 20-plus hours you invested in that title are gone because there was no way to back up your save file.
Q: Why do developers use locked saves instead of unlocked saves?
A: I can't say for certain, but I would guess that they want to keep people from sharing save files online. It's a well-known fact that you can back up your save files for most Wii games to a SD card, pop your SD card into a computer, and upload your save files to the Internet. People sometimes use this to get past difficult portions of games, unlock levels otherwise unavailable "out of the box," or open multiplayer modes for games that otherwise force the player to finish the entire single-player game before allowing a second player to join in.
<offtopic>
Q: Why would I ever want to download a save file for a Wii game from the Internet?
A: Imagine that you're planning to have a few friends over to try out Rayman Raving Rabbids and Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. You've read the reviews and you're excited to try out the game with your friends. You pop in Rayman to check out the multiplayer options only to discover that you have to play through the entire single-player game to access the game's multiplayer mode. Your friends will be there in 15 minutes.
What will you do about Ubisoft's bad game design decision: Give up and play Wii Sports again or download a save file for Rayman and load it on your Wii's system memory using your SD card? Considering that the entire process, from sitting down at your computer to download the save file to loading Rayman after copying the downloaded save file from your SD card, takes about 5 minutes, I think most people would choose the second option.
Why Ubisoft and Intelligent Design (developers of Wario Ware) decided not to allow multiplayer play out of the box--especially when the games are touted as "party games"--is beyond me. But a quick five-minute download and file copy can circumvent this bad choice.
</offtopic>
Q: I really like a game that uses locked save. Can I unlock the save file somehow?
A: It depends on the game. Code Junkies sells a product called Powersaves that offers unlocked save files for at least one game that uses locked saves (Elebits). Unfortunately, the product costs $20 plus tax, which is a rather silly price to gain functionality that should have been included in the original $50 game in the first place. Also, individual programmers were able to create a program that converts Datel's Powersave files to the standard data.bin file format used by the Wii. The legality of the program is questionable, so I don't recommend it; I only mention it for academic purposes and to explain why some people looking exclusively for unlocked save files (and not save files unlocking every feature, achievement, and extra) wouldn't be willing to spend $20 on the product.
There may be another way to replace locked save files for unlocked save files without Datel's Powersaves in the future, but I'm not aware of any as of the time of posting.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone developed a utility to unlock locked save files within the next 6-12 months, considering that someone has already (allegedly) managed to run a homebrew version of Tetris using a save game exploit in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Barring exploits, someone will probably figure out how to do what, so far, only Datel has done: Create unlocked save files for games that use locked saves.
Q: How do I complain to the companies developing Wii games with locked saves or try to convince them to stop this nonsense?
A: I couldn't say. I doubt the developers will listen to a few people complaining and online petitions, in my experience, don't have very much impact.
If you have the time and are so inclined, I would recommend writing a brief letter or e-mail to developers who have released games that use locked save files and politely ask them to program their future games to use unlocked saves. Calmly explain why you don't want to purchase a game that uses locked saves and maybe it will influence someone in the company.
Alternatively, you could speak with your wallet and refuse to purchase games that use unlocked save files. That's what I plan to do.
I had originally planned to purchase Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 for $30 at a local retail store before I rented it and discovered the game uses locked save files. Now I refuse to buy the game, knowing that a corrupted save file or a situation that requires me to format my Wii system memory would erase all the effort I and my friends put into unlocking new features.
Q: I have a question to ask or something I want to say on this topic. Where can I post about this?
A: I've created this separate thread for discussion on the topic of locked save files for Wii games.
Q: I'm technically inclined and I'm interested in creating unlocked save files for games that use locked save files. Can you help?
A: I can tell you that hex editing a save file from the PAL version of Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 and replacing the game's four-character title code (RY2P) with RY2E (the title code for the USA/Canada version) wasn't sufficient to create an unlocked save file for RRR2's US/Canada release. Past that, I don't have much to offer.
If you have information to share or want to collaborate with others to create unlocked save files for games that use locked save files, please post in this thread.
A: A locked save is a save file that can not be copied from a Wii's system memory to a SD card. In other words, a locked save can not be backed up.
Q: So a game uses a locked save. What's the big deal?
A: Let's say that you recently spent $50 on a new Wii game and invested 20-plus hours unlocking new levels, achievements, and bonus material. Wanting to make sure that you don't lose your progress to hardware failure, you back up as many save files as you can using the Wii's Data Management screens. You copy all available files to a SD card, but discover that the game in which you've invested 20-plus hours uses a locked save. You can't back up your save. Your Wii's drive fails a week later. You ship your Wii to Nintendo for repairs and get it back a few weeks later, only to find that your Wii's system memory has been wiped. The 20-plus hours you invested in that title are gone because there was no way to back up your save file.
Q: Why do developers use locked saves instead of unlocked saves?
A: I can't say for certain, but I would guess that they want to keep people from sharing save files online. It's a well-known fact that you can back up your save files for most Wii games to a SD card, pop your SD card into a computer, and upload your save files to the Internet. People sometimes use this to get past difficult portions of games, unlock levels otherwise unavailable "out of the box," or open multiplayer modes for games that otherwise force the player to finish the entire single-player game before allowing a second player to join in.
<offtopic>
Q: Why would I ever want to download a save file for a Wii game from the Internet?
A: Imagine that you're planning to have a few friends over to try out Rayman Raving Rabbids and Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. You've read the reviews and you're excited to try out the game with your friends. You pop in Rayman to check out the multiplayer options only to discover that you have to play through the entire single-player game to access the game's multiplayer mode. Your friends will be there in 15 minutes.
What will you do about Ubisoft's bad game design decision: Give up and play Wii Sports again or download a save file for Rayman and load it on your Wii's system memory using your SD card? Considering that the entire process, from sitting down at your computer to download the save file to loading Rayman after copying the downloaded save file from your SD card, takes about 5 minutes, I think most people would choose the second option.
Why Ubisoft and Intelligent Design (developers of Wario Ware) decided not to allow multiplayer play out of the box--especially when the games are touted as "party games"--is beyond me. But a quick five-minute download and file copy can circumvent this bad choice.
</offtopic>
Q: I really like a game that uses locked save. Can I unlock the save file somehow?
A: It depends on the game. Code Junkies sells a product called Powersaves that offers unlocked save files for at least one game that uses locked saves (Elebits). Unfortunately, the product costs $20 plus tax, which is a rather silly price to gain functionality that should have been included in the original $50 game in the first place. Also, individual programmers were able to create a program that converts Datel's Powersave files to the standard data.bin file format used by the Wii. The legality of the program is questionable, so I don't recommend it; I only mention it for academic purposes and to explain why some people looking exclusively for unlocked save files (and not save files unlocking every feature, achievement, and extra) wouldn't be willing to spend $20 on the product.
There may be another way to replace locked save files for unlocked save files without Datel's Powersaves in the future, but I'm not aware of any as of the time of posting.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone developed a utility to unlock locked save files within the next 6-12 months, considering that someone has already (allegedly) managed to run a homebrew version of Tetris using a save game exploit in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Barring exploits, someone will probably figure out how to do what, so far, only Datel has done: Create unlocked save files for games that use locked saves.
Q: How do I complain to the companies developing Wii games with locked saves or try to convince them to stop this nonsense?
A: I couldn't say. I doubt the developers will listen to a few people complaining and online petitions, in my experience, don't have very much impact.
If you have the time and are so inclined, I would recommend writing a brief letter or e-mail to developers who have released games that use locked save files and politely ask them to program their future games to use unlocked saves. Calmly explain why you don't want to purchase a game that uses locked saves and maybe it will influence someone in the company.
Alternatively, you could speak with your wallet and refuse to purchase games that use unlocked save files. That's what I plan to do.
I had originally planned to purchase Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 for $30 at a local retail store before I rented it and discovered the game uses locked save files. Now I refuse to buy the game, knowing that a corrupted save file or a situation that requires me to format my Wii system memory would erase all the effort I and my friends put into unlocking new features.
Q: I have a question to ask or something I want to say on this topic. Where can I post about this?
A: I've created this separate thread for discussion on the topic of locked save files for Wii games.
Q: I'm technically inclined and I'm interested in creating unlocked save files for games that use locked save files. Can you help?
A: I can tell you that hex editing a save file from the PAL version of Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 and replacing the game's four-character title code (RY2P) with RY2E (the title code for the USA/Canada version) wasn't sufficient to create an unlocked save file for RRR2's US/Canada release. Past that, I don't have much to offer.
If you have information to share or want to collaborate with others to create unlocked save files for games that use locked save files, please post in this thread.
Last edited: