Brawl Mod: Project M (Doesn't require hacking your Wii/Wii U!)

SonicMario

SonicMario

Star Spirit
I only just got it working this morning. But let me give a brief summary of Project M.

Project M is a mod of Super Smash Bros. Brawl that makes the gameplay alot closer to Melee. As someone that likes Brawl the best still, I still wanted to spread the word about this. As I know there are some people who were disappointed with the slower speed Brawl had, and some imbalance in the character roster. As of this post I've only played it for a few minutes. But I'll be sure to play more of it. (It may as well be Super Smash Bros 3.5 at this point ^^) But for those who wish Brawl was alot more like Melee, this mod is something you might appreciate alot.

Because it's so easy to install, I thought I'd give it a try. It just basically gives another version of Brawl to try out and even brings some awesome content by bringing back some past stages along with some neat character changes that even include new animations. If I want to play normal Brawl again I can simply just not have the SD Card in. So it's not like the mod completely eats up the original game.

The mod provides additonal content like some of the classic stages from both SSB64 and Melee replacing stages within the game and/or changes to some stages. Here's a list:

Castle Siege (The 2nd part with the breakable statues no longer appears)
Dracula's Castle from Castlevania (Replaces Luigi's Mansion)
Dreamland from Super Smash Bros. 64 (Replaces Green Greens)
Final Destination (Changed to the Melee Final Destination)
Fountain of Dreams (Replaces Mario Bros.)
Fourside (Replaces New Pork City)
Green Hill Zone (Changed to a neutral stage with one rotating platform
Hyrule Castle from Super Smash Bros. 64 (Replaces Bridge of Eldin)
Kongo Jungle (Replaces 75m)
Metal Cavern [The place you fight Metal Mario in SSB64] (Replaces Mushroomy Kingdom)
Norfair (Hazards removed, different layout of the platforms)
Pokemon Stadium 2 (No Stage transformations)
Rumble Falls (Autoscrolling removed, made a neutral stage with a bridge and 3 platforms)
Saffron City from Super Smash Bros. 64 (Replaces Spear Pillar)
Skyloft (Replaces Hanenbow)
Skyworld (Platforms no longer break)
SSE Jungle (Final stage of The Lake level from SSE, replaces Distant Planet)
WarioWare (No microgames)
Yoshi's Story (Replaces Yoshi's Island (SSBM))

There's also character changes. But I won't list them here, instead I'll link to a wiki article that details them all. There's some really awesome notable changes to some of the characters that alot of you may like. Note that not all characters from Brawl are playable yet in Project M. Ice Climbers, Kirby, Olimar, Samus (But Zero Suit Samus is playable in the current version), and Yoshi are not there because the team hasn't finished work with them yet. Rest assured, every single character in Brawl will be playable eventually.

What's notable however that in Version 3.0 that comes out this Winter. Will include two characters in Melee that didn't make it into Brawl. Those being Roy and Mewtwo.

You may be thinking this is all awesome and all. But you may not know how it's possible to apply this mod without any sort of hacking as I noted in the title of this thread. It's actually quite simple. Here are the only requirements:

You must have:
1. A Wii or Wii U console
2. A copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl
3. About 360-400 MB of space on a 2GB SD Card
4. And a way to put files on your SD Card from your computer

Seriously, that's it!

Now Download the Hackless Wii version from here And listen to these following steps:

1. Unzip the Zip file on your computer.

1a. Almost for got to mention, make sure you delete all Custom Stages you currently have in Brawl. Project M won't load if you have any Custom Stages at all.

2. If you're using Windows you either use the installer or you can also simply drag the files to the SD card (Do not drag the folder nohomebrew to the SD Card. It doesn't work that way, drag the contents of that folder to your SD Card) Make sure that background.png, boot.elf, a folder named codes, gameconfig.txt, and another folder called private are all on the card. I use a Mac to it was the only possible choice for me to get it working.

Basically make sure that it looks like this:
SD_Root.jpg
when you open the SD Card (This doesn't mean you can't have other files on the SD Card. I used the SD Card that I use for my 3DS Memory card with saves of some of my games and it still worked)

3. Insert the SD Card in your Wii/Wii U
TIP FOR WII U USERS: If you're using a Wii U. Make sure to insert the SD Card when you're in Wii Mode. The Wii U menu might delete some key files of Project M if the SD Card is inserted while in that mode. Ignore this if you're using a normal Wii.
Delete any custom stages you currently have. Project M will not load if you have any Custom Stages up

4. Then just go into Brawl. And go into the stage builder. A black screen with white text should pop up loading Project M and take you to another menu. All you have to do now is press "Launch Game" and Project M will now work. This doesn't do anything permanent to your Brawl filesize. It's completely reversible and will not do any damage the Wii/Wii U or Brawl files. Mistakes in the directories might freeze your console, and you'll have to reset or pull out the power and plug it back in when that happens. But otherwise, loading Project M is completely safe.
NOTE: If something's wrong, it will freeze on the Black screen with White text and tell you it couldn't find the Boot.elf. If this happens they may require a forced reset (Plugging out the power cord, putting it back in). I overthinked some things and spent an hour or two wondering about this. But it's really easier then it looks to get Project M working.

5. Go and enjoy the mod! When you put up Brawl again Project M will only load again if you have the SD Card with the files in your Wii/Wii U and you go into Stage Builder. Otherwise if you want to just play normal Brawl just either don't go into Stage builder when playing your game or just don't have the SD Card in your Wii/Wii U.

If my explanation how to install it wasn't good enough. Try this site that might explain it much better

THINGS TO NOTE: If you're using a PAL Wii, I'm sorry but Project M doesn't work for those kind yet. A version is planned eventually, but as of now it only works with NTSC-U and NTSC-J Wiis/Wii U's
The default match in Versus mode is a 4-stock with an 8-minute time limit.



Additional Information noted by other Users

Baby Luigi said:
Add the fact that you CAN'T use SDHC cards for this, because although the Wii offers support, Brawl does not and will refuse to read it. Also, I have Homebrew and Riivolution and Project M gets pretty effed up with an SDHC card (many characters can't dash, Wario occasionally freezes the game, etc.)
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Timmy said:
Posting through phone so excuse any typos I make.

Albeit obvious but you CANNOT play on wifi UNLESS BOTH PLAYERS HAVE THE SAME PACK OF THE WIFI VERSION. Even if both players have the exact same standard version of Project M wifi will cause DESYNCS. I don't fully understand this but between the wifi safe and the regular any inputs with the C Stick are a bit different between the 2 versions (well something about the C Stick is affected between the 2 versions xD) but regardless, do make sure both players use the wifi safe set and you're using the same version.

Also another thing to note is that REPLAYS CAN ONLY BE SAVED IN THE WIFI SAFE VERSION. Also, viewing a Project M replay in Brawl will not show the same thing. Why? Well the thing is a replay file isn't a video file or anything of that sort. It tells the game what inputs were given at what time from each player gain. So, if you look at a Project M replay in Brawl, it'll do the same inputs but show different actions due to movesets/physics being different.

Oh and also this is an error that carried on from Brawl but as Toon Link if you Up B and you hold a bomb but without using your double jump (by disabling Tap Jump) and the bomb explodes during or after his Up B, you will NOT have a Double Jump. Not sure if it applies to Link as well though. :p
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I've played this at the school's gaming club.

I may suck at it, but it's fun and amazing.

It also has Roy and Mewtwo coming soon, along with five other new characters that can be added.
 
Add the fact that you CAN'T use SDHC cards for this, because although the Wii offers support, Brawl does not and will refuse to read it. Also, I have Homebrew and Riivolution and Project M gets pretty effed up with an SDHC card (many characters can't dash, Wario occasionally freezes the game, etc.)

I like Brawl - though.
 
Baby Luigi said:
Add the fact that you CAN'T use SDHC cards for this, because although the Wii offers support, Brawl does not and will refuse to read it. Also, I have Homebrew and Riivolution and Project M gets pretty effed up with an SDHC card (many characters can't dash, Wario occasionally freezes the game, etc.)

I like Brawl - though.
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Quoted your post in a new section in the OP. If there's something I really missed, I'll quote it if any of you guys have something else about it.
 
Posting through phone so excuse any typos I make.

Albeit obvious but you CANNOT play on wifi UNLESS BOTH PLAYERS HAVE THE SAME PACK OF THE WIFI VERSION. Even if both players have the exact same standard version of Project M wifi will cause DESYNCS. I don't fully understand this but between the wifi safe and the regular any inputs with the C Stick are a bit different between the 2 versions (well something about the C Stick is affected between the 2 versions xD) but regardless, do make sure both players use the wifi safe set and you're using the same version.

Also another thing to note is that REPLAYS CAN ONLY BE SAVED IN THE WIFI SAFE VERSION. Also, viewing a Project M replay in Brawl will not show the same thing. Why? Well the thing is a replay file isn't a video file or anything of that sort. It tells the game what inputs were given at what time from each player gain. So, if you look at a Project M replay in Brawl, it'll do the same inputs but show different actions due to movesets/physics being different.

Oh and also this is an error that carried on from Brawl but as Toon Link if you Up B and you hold a bomb but without using your double jump (by disabling Tap Jump) and the bomb explodes during or after his Up B, you will NOT have a Double Jump. Not sure if it applies to Link as well though. :p
 
After having alot more time with. I must say:

I'm really having a blast with this. Maybe it's just the fact it makes Sonic a better fighter. But I may in fact be saying this mod really does make Brawl a much better game with the improvements in Speed. That's not to say that means I'm turning my back in that the gameplay being more like Melee means I like Melee more then Brawl. Perhaps it makes Brawl look bad in alot of ways, but otherwise I just feel like it's a mod to the game. Much like how I could get gameplay mods for Star Wars Battlefront that change the gameplay in some way or add new maps.

I do however applaud the bringing back of old maps of past games. I love that I can go to Hyrule Castle, Saffron City, and more with Sonic and the rest of the Brawl newcomers without having to make a half-assed Stage builder version of it (Most of my stage builder stages were remakes of N64 stages, and having them in the actual game just showed how crappy of an attempt they were xD). It feels like this is Smash Bros. 3.5 and I wonder with the fact that SSB4 will be faster then Brawl will be anything like this at all though still slower. This mod is seriously so awesome and it's just even better that it's able to be played without having to hack the Wii. It astounds me that the stage builder is able to be exploited to completely change the gameplay of the entire game and add changes to all the characters and replace stages with better ones.

I'm seriously probably going to play this alot more in my free time. It feels like I made Brawl into an entirely new game. And it's excellent to play as I wait for some of the next games I'm waiting for. Like Sonic Lost World at the end of this month and also SSB4 eventually next year. There's just alot I like this from this.

P.S. Meteor smashing with Sonic's Axe kick from Sonic Battle = Win
 
キノピオ八十五 said:
why would someone play melee with a brawl disc when they can just play melee with a melee disc
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Cause it's not an exact port of Melee, it's more like a remake and plus the stages and characters are better balanced. =P
 
so i read the whole big post, and i thought "huh this is pretty cool, i might try this out"

then i read this:
THINGS TO NOTE: If you're using a PAL Wii, I'm sorry but Project M doesn't work for those kind yet. A version is planned eventually, but as of now it only works with NTSC-U and NTSC-J Wiis/Wii U's
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i think i'll just take my pal wii and go cry in the corner over there
 
Ness said:
Sonic is not balanced in this game, my friend spam b smash all times
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Meh, that's akin to Kirby rock spamming
 
Pearl said:
i think i'll just take my pal wii and go cry in the corner over there
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lol

Ness said:
Sonic is not balanced in this game, my friend spam b smash all times
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all n00bs spam B sonic all the time, and that really sucks. they have to make a charge time or something like that
 
Oh man, I love how this is essentially like hacking Brawl but it doesn't require getting some application like Homebrew. I was even able to add some music from Brawl Custom Music by "replacing" (Though they're only replaced if you go into Project M) some of the songs.

Going to try a few other things too. Like Character portrait replacements and even at least one temporary full character replacement.
 
Northern Verve said:
Oh man, I love how this is essentially like hacking Brawl but it doesn't require getting some application like Homebrew. I was even able to add some music from Brawl Custom Music by "replacing" (Though they're only replaced if you go into Project M) some of the songs.

Going to try a few other things too. Like Character portrait replacements and even at least one temporary full character replacement.
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If you download BrawBox 0.68d and above, it will even let you create workable .brstms from any sort of .wavs!

Does even adding hacked characters work? Like, for example, adding a custom FitMarioXX or something? It appears the Project M mod puts files the same way we homebrew/riivolution users make hacks. But remember for CSPs, you have to be careful: too big files can crash the game.
 
Baby Luigi said:
Ness said:
Sonic is not balanced in this game, my friend spam b smash all times
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Meh, that's akin to Kirby rock spamming
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It is easy to dodge, when kirby let go of rock form, grab him. Also I use King Dedede's hammer charge to kill kirby easily
 
Same with Sonic spin-dashing. Predictable opponents are easy. Which is why Melee's Level 9 computers are fun to kill
 
Looks like I got a little too excited after being able to add my own music. The other stuff is proving to be difficult. Or I guess it would be less so if I didn't use Mac computers because then I could easily get one of the certain applications. I tried to do a sound replacement kind of thing by giving Sonic a Ryan Drummond voice pack I found on Brawl Vault. But it turns out you can't do that as easily as replacing music files.

And if that's too complicated, I don't think I'm going to try full-blown characters xP
 
Northern Verve said:
Looks like I got a little too excited after being able to add my own music. The other stuff is proving to be difficult. Or I guess it would be less so if I didn't use Mac computers because then I could easily get one of the certain applications. I tried to do a sound replacement kind of thing by giving Sonic a Ryan Drummond voice pack I found on Brawl Vault. But it turns out you can't do that as easily as replacing music files.
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Sound replacement via voice pack is mighty hard. I prefer to do it myself manually and replace files in the smash_sound.brsar, and making sure it doesn't exceed filesize limit (or it will silence voices).
 
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