KartPad

Mario Kart Wii and Retro Rewind, native for Android, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
Native static recompilation through Vulkan on Android and Metal on Apple platforms, with touch controls, motion steering, controllers, and optional Retro Rewind content. tvOS is currently an experimental preview.

KartPad builds on WiiCompiled, the original Mario Kart Wii static recompilation project created by patchzyy. WiiCompiled provides the foundational translator and runtime; KartPad maintains the Apple and Android integration, native controls, game chooser, game-data management, packaging, and releases. The projects are independently maintained.

Important

Bring your own game data. KartPad requires a legally obtained supported PAL RMCP01 revision 0 Mario Kart Wii image. tvOS remains experimental.

AI disclosure: KartPad uses substantial AI assistance for code, tests, documentation, debugging and maintenance. Some support replies and maintenance tasks are automated. There is no audited percentage of AI-generated code. Build, test and device records describe what was checked. This disclosure concerns KartPad's workflow, not the authorship of its upstream projects.

Get KartPad

KartPad is free. On Android, download it from the releases page. On iPhone, iPad and Mac, PadMint builds it on your own computer from your own disc. Either way, you add your own Mario Kart Wii game data the first time you open it. The Android download includes KartPad's translated game code but no game files: no disc image, no courses, music or textures, and no console keys. You supply those from your own disc.

You want KartPad on	Get it	Then
Android	KartPad-v…-android.apk from the releases page	Android
iPhone or iPad	Build it with PadMint	iPhone and iPad
Mac (Apple Silicon)	Build it with PadMint	Mac

You need your own Mario Kart Wii: PAL (Europe) RMCP01 revision 0 (other regions are not supported), and:

• Android: an ARM64 phone or tablet with Vulkan and Android 9 or newer, with about 6 GB free.
• iPhone and iPad: iOS or iPadOS 16 or newer, and Sideloadly, AltStore or SideStore with your own Apple ID, plus a computer to run PadMint: Windows, Linux or a Mac. On an Intel Mac this is experimental and needs PadMint 0.5.1 or newer.
• Mac: an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 14 or newer, to run PadMint and play.

Your game data

KartPad needs your game's files once. Either:

• An extracted folder (easiest). In Dolphin, right-click Mario Kart Wii → Properties → Filesystem, right-click the disc, choose Extract Entire Disc and keep the DATA folder it makes (KartPad doesn't need UPDATE or CHANNEL). PadMint also saves one, named KartPad game data, for iPhone, iPad and Android. For Mac, you can reuse the files PadMint prepared.
• Your disc image (iPhone, iPad and Android). KartPad can import an ISO or WBFS directly (Android also accepts RVZ). This needs your own Wii's 16-byte common key saved as common-key.bin, for example from a BootMii NAND backup of your console. KartPad does not include it and we cannot provide it.

If KartPad says Game Data Import Failed and asks for a Wii common key, you selected a disc image. You do not need that key. Use the extracted folder above instead.

Android

1. Install KartPad-v…-android.apk. It updates an older KartPad and keeps your saves; don't uninstall first.
2. Copy your game data folder to the phone. It's about 2,000 files and all of them must arrive: a USB cable is most reliable, or zip the folder, send the zip any way you like and extract it with Files by Google. KartPad can't pick a folder inside Google Drive.
3. Open KartPad and tap Import Game on the Mario Kart Wii card. At Game Data & Saves, tap Import from Extracted Game Data Folder…, pick the folder, tap Use this folder and Allow, then Done. If you played before, your game data is already there: tap Play Game.
4. For Retro Rewind, tap Set Up Game on its card and KartPad downloads the official pack.

Coming from a PadMint game pack? Install the new APK over it. KartPad no longer needs the pack and frees the space it took.

From 0.7.14, KartPad updates itself: when Update available shows on the game chooser, tap it and Update Now. The first time, Android asks you to allow KartPad to install apps.

iPhone and iPad

1. In PadMint, choose Mario Kart Wii, your disc image and iPhone/iPad. Install the IPA it makes with Sideloadly, AltStore or SideStore. To keep your saves, install it over your KartPad with the same tool and Apple ID. PadMint also makes your KartPad game data folder.
2. First time only: get your game data folder onto the device (AirDrop from a Mac, a zip you unzip in the Files app, iCloud Drive once it has fully downloaded, or a USB drive). In KartPad, tap Import Game on the Mario Kart Wii card, then Import from Extracted Folder…, and pick the folder in the Files window that opens. If a dialog says Game Data Import Failed and tells you to save common-key.bin in On My iPhone/iPad → KartPad, you picked an ISO or WBFS. Tap OK and import the extracted folder instead.

See iPhone/iPad setup for more.

Mac

1. In PadMint 0.5.1 or newer, choose Mario Kart Wii, your disc image and This Mac under Where will you play?, then move the KartPad app it makes to Applications.
2. If macOS says it can't check the app, choose Done, then System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.
3. Choose your extracted game data folder when KartPad asks for it. You can reuse the files PadMint prepared or extract them with Dolphin.

Only seeing iPhone/iPad and Android? Open the latest PadMint from its newly extracted folder. KartPad for Mac needs Apple Silicon; PadMint 0.5.2 can also hide the option when running under Rosetta. See the Mac option troubleshooting steps.

PadMint

PadMint builds KartPad from your own disc on your own computer: choose Mario Kart Wii, your disc image and where you'll play. For iPhone, iPad and Android, it also exports a KartPad game data folder. The Mac build saves an app ZIP; its extracted game files can be reused with the Mac setup steps. From 0.7.14, PadMint is how iPhone, iPad and Mac get KartPad, and it still works for Android.

Which file is which

File on the release page	What it is
KartPad-v…-android.apk	Android: install this. Ready to play with your game data
KartPad-v…-ios-for-padmint.ipa	The iPhone app without game code. PadMint uses it; don't install it by itself
KartPad-v…-padmint.json, SHA256SUMS	Used by PadMint and for checking downloads
KartPad-v…-source.tar.gz, KartPad-v…-notices.zip	Source code and license notices

0.7.9 to 0.7.13 also had ready-to-play iPhone/iPad and Mac downloads. They stay on those release pages but won't get updates; build newer versions with PadMint.

Updating KartPad

• Android: from 0.7.14, KartPad updates itself (Update available → Update Now). You can also install the new APK over your current KartPad.
• iPhone, iPad and Mac: build the new version with PadMint and install it over your current KartPad. From 0.8.0, KartPad tells you when a new version is out: Update available on the iPhone/iPad game chooser, or Help → Check for Updates… on Mac.

Your saves and game data stay.

Current release

KartPad 0.8.5 (build 267) updates Retro Rewind to 6.13.4, adds Android rumble strength and L3/R3 controller mappings for tricks, and shortens the optional touch item hold to 0.67 seconds on Android and iPhone/iPad. See the release notes. The latest published files are on the releases page. What changed and what remains open are in status and known issues. The earlier move onto maintained WiiCompiled source is recorded in source maintenance.

Playing

Need help or found a bug? Where to report and follow up. Suspected runtime bugs can go directly to WiiCompiled; identify your KartPad build. Use KartPad for app/platform problems or when the cause is unclear.

Frequently asked questions · Controls · Save transfer and troubleshooting

• Choose Mario Kart Wii or Retro Rewind when KartPad opens. Retro Rewind 6.13.4 content installs separately; KartPad requires a matching native profile when the mod updates. Follow your platform's setup guide above.
• Touch controls, motion steering and controllers are available on mobile; Mac also supports keyboard input. Touch layouts can be moved, resized and hidden. See controls and multiplayer.
• On iPhone/iPad, ••• → Return to KartPad Menu pauses the current game. Resume continues it; switching games or applying license edits requires fully closing and reopening the app. See iPhone/iPad setup.
• For save transfer, player identity, display settings or diagnostics, see the support guide and known issues.

Android Original gameplay with a Razer Kishi was accepted on Pixel 9 Pro XL; earlier Android testing confirmed Retro WFC login and worldwide lobby entry on that device. Frame drops, stutter, complete results and reconnect remain open. The iPad release candidate has owner-accepted controller gameplay and menu checks. These results do not establish every device, complete online results or reconnect behavior. Native private-room hosting and Wiimmfi support for Original remain unfinished. Online status records the limits.

Startup shader compilation, track-dependent dips and warm slowdown remain known issues. Android's suggested starting point is 1x Native. Sustained 60 FPS and external-display output are not generally verified.

Frequently asked questions

Can I download an IPA or playable app?

On Android, yes: the APK on the releases page is ready to play, and you add your own game data the first time. On iPhone, iPad and Mac, build KartPad with PadMint from your own disc (from 0.7.14; 0.7.9 to 0.7.13 had ready-to-play downloads that won't get updates). See Get KartPad.

It says "Game Data Import Failed" or asks for a Wii common key. What does that mean?

You selected a disc image (an ISO or WBFS file) instead of the extracted game folder. KartPad can read a disc image only with a key from your own Wii, and it cannot give you one.

On iPhone and iPad the dialog is titled Game Data Import Failed. It tells you to save your own 16-byte common-key.bin in On My iPhone/iPad → KartPad, then import the disc image again. From KartPad 0.7.11 it also says to use Dolphin's Extract Entire Disc. On Android the same choice is titled Disc Images Need Your Wii's Key, with a Use Extracted Folder… button.

You do not need the key. Use the extracted folder instead:

1. On a computer, open Dolphin. Right-click Mario Kart Wii, choose Properties → Filesystem, right-click the disc, and choose Extract Entire Disc.
2. Copy the DATA folder it makes onto the device. On iPhone or iPad, use AirDrop, a zip you unzip in Files, or a USB drive. On Android, a USB cable or one zip is the reliable way. A folder that is still downloading from iCloud or Google Drive will be missing files.
3. In KartPad, tap Import Game on the Mario Kart Wii card, then Import from Extracted Folder… (on Android, Import from Extracted Game Data Folder…). Pick DATA.

Only if you already have your own key: on iPhone or iPad, put common-key.bin in Files → On My iPhone/iPad → KartPad, then import the disc image again. On Android, choose common-key.bin from the dialog. The extracted folder is still the easier path. See Your game data.

Dolphin made DATA, UPDATE and CHANNEL folders. Which one do I use?

DATA. You can also pick the folder that contains all three; KartPad finds DATA inside it.

It says "Ready to play" but the game goes black or crashes on start

Usually some game files didn't copy, often from a cloud drive that hadn't finished downloading. KartPad 0.7.10 and newer check every file and tell you which are missing. Copy the folder again (a USB cable, or one zip file) and import it again. See Android or iPhone/iPad.

PadForge says "KartPad cannot be built for android yet"

PadForge is PadMint's old name. From KartPad 0.7.1, only PadMint can read KartPad's build recipe. Download PadMint and run it instead: it moves your PadForge folder over and reuses the tools it already downloaded.

Are Android and Apple TV supported?

Android targets ARM64/Vulkan on Android 9+. Device-specific graphics corruption, freezes and slowdowns remain unresolved; a successful Pixel run does not certify other phones. Apple TV is an experimental tvOS 17+ preview with separate controller and hardware acceptance. See Android setup and Apple TV setup.

Does online multiplayer work?

Retro WFC works with Retro Rewind 6.13.1. KartPad 0.8.0 signed in on a Pixel 9 Pro XL. On the Android emulator, 0.7.15 signed in, joined a worldwide room and raced against other players; the room disconnected twice during a race, and each time the app returned to the menu and could sign in again. It isn't verified on every device or network. Native room hosting and Original Wiimmfi compatibility remain unfinished. See online status and friend-room guidance.

If finding a room fails on mobile data but works on Wi-Fi, your carrier is blocking the direct player-to-player connections the game uses. Use Wi-Fi or a VPN (#405).

Does KartPad support Retro Rewind, and what if it updates?

Yes, with the separately installed 6.13.4 content and matching compiled profile. Almost every Retro Rewind update changes the mod's game code (Code.pul): 22 of its last 24 updates did. KartPad compiles that code into the app ahead of time, so a Retro Rewind update needs a new KartPad build; replacing files alone does not update the compiled game code. On Android the new build arrives through Update available → Update Now. On iPhone, iPad and Mac, build it with PadMint and install it over your current KartPad; iOS doesn't let a sideloaded app compile new code on the device. Apple checks the version before launch; Android checks the official version during installation and validates installed content at launch.

How do I switch between Mario Kart Wii and Retro Rewind?

Choose the game when KartPad opens. On iPhone/iPad, ••• → Return to KartPad Menu pauses the session; Resume continues it. Choose Use on Next Launch for the other game, fully close the app, then reopen it. Returning to the chooser alone does not apply pending license edits. Mac game selection also applies after reopening. See the platform installation guides for their distinct flows.

How do touch controls, acceleration lock and motion steering work?

On iPhone/iPad, hold A for one uninterrupted second to lock acceleration; tap A again to release it. Touch settings let you move, resize, hide and restore controls, including the normally hidden D-pad for tricks. Motion steering is optional and offers recenter, inversion and sensitivity. See the mobile controls guide for floating-stick behavior and controller handoff. Android has its own controls/settings guide.

Can I use controllers or local split-screen?

Yes. Pair controllers in the operating system, choose Multiplayer in the game and press each pad’s mapped A button to register. On iPhone/iPad, the first controller shares Player 1 with touch; the other players keep stable slots. Full three/four-player and reconnect acceptance remains incomplete. See controller setup and adapter limits.

Can KartPad set my player name or import a custom Mii?

On iPhone/iPad, ••• → Game Data & Saves → Player Identity… manages names and exact license slots. Restart to apply edits. Standard 74-byte .mii appearance import is experimental, not a full Wii Mii editor. Renaming a Mii and renaming one license are different actions. See identity instructions. Android save/rating transfer does not include the Mii database.

Can I connect a Wii Remote and Nunchuk without a DolphinBar?

Experimentally, on macOS only, using the direct Bluetooth pairing flow. It still needs broader original-hardware, reconnect and long-session testing; it is not an iPhone/iPad feature. See pairing instructions and hardware limits.

How much storage does KartPad use?

Package size varies by platform and version; the iPhone/iPad app is about 65 MB. Extracted base-game data is roughly 2.5 GiB, and Retro content, the original image and temporary installation files require more. Android setup recommends at least 6 GiB free. Check the platform guide and leave room for updates; the app size is not the installed-data footprint.

Does this repository include Mario Kart Wii?

No disc image or extracted retail assets are included. Supply your own legally obtained supported PAL RMCP01 revision 0 image. Public packages contain compiled translated logic, so software licensing and game-content rights are separate; see rights and provenance. Do not request or attach game data in issues.

Is KartPad a general Wii emulator?

No. It is a game-specific static recompilation for supported Mario Kart Wii and Retro Rewind profiles, not a loader for arbitrary Wii games.

Is KartPad using Dolphin or streaming from a Mac?

The game runs locally as native ARM64 code translated by WiiCompiled, with Vulkan on Android and Metal on Apple platforms. It is not streamed from another computer or run inside the Dolphin emulator. KartPad does use Dolphin-derived components, including game-data handling; third-party notices preserve that attribution.

Does KartPad use a PowerPC JIT on iPhone or iPad?

No. PowerPC code is translated ahead of time and compiled into the app. The iPhone/iPad app does not JIT-compile PowerPC or execute a newly downloaded PowerPC patch. New executable profiles require a compatible app build.

Why is it slow or freezing, and are distorted graphics fixed?

The first time a menu or course appears, KartPad prepares its graphics, which causes short pauses; heat and higher render resolutions make things slower. Start at 1×. Broken characters on Android depend on the GPU: Snapdragon 8 Elite (Adreno 8xx) is fixed by Automatic in 0.7.10. 0.8.0's automatic change for older Adreno GPUs hid characters on some phones, so 0.8.1 puts Automatic back. The Galaxy S24 Ultra and some other Adreno phones still have invisible bodies, and PowerVR is still open. Known issues lists what's open for each device family.

Why are the inherited experimental modes absent?

Those settings applied to Sunshine-specific CPU-clock and 60 FPS behavior and did not affect KartPad’s Mario Kart Wii runtime. They were removed because they were misleading no-ops. Use actual display controls and the performance guidance.

Do saves survive an update, and can I transfer Retro ratings?

Supported in-place updates preserve saves; do not uninstall or clear app data. Keep backups and the same signing identity/bundle ID. Android private previews have a different signer and need a planned migration. Raw save backups do not include every companion file: Android preview 1 adds matched offline Retro rating restore, and the reporter confirmed that workflow succeeded. Mii transfer and online/server synchronization remain separate unfinished work. See save and rating transfer.

Is everything finished? How do I report a problem?

No. Check current platform acceptance, known issues and technical debt. Report your exact build, device/OS, selected game, settings and reproducible steps using the reporting guide to choose KartPad or WiiCompiled. Export a problem report using the support guide, review it before sharing, and keep saves, identities and game data private.

Build and contribute

Maintainers and automated support agents: start at the support-agent hub for priorities, replies, diagnostics and build-test handoffs.

WiiCompiled translates PowerPC game code ahead of time; KartPad compiles it for ARM64 and renders through Vulkan on Android or Metal on Apple platforms.

• Apple builds: prerequisites, Mac self-build and iOS workflows.
• Android builds: the current APK, plus a historical full-app recipe.
• Source maintenance: editable WiiCompiled source, upstream comparison, and migration status.
• Documentation: user guides, architecture and release evidence.
• Current status and maintenance board: accepted results, active work and outstanding tests.

For a bug report, include the exact app/build, device, OS, game, settings and reproduction steps. Review diagnostics before sharing; never attach game data, saves, account identifiers or signing material. Choose the relevant tracker in the reporting guide.

Community and support

Join the Discord for help and news. It is one community for KartPad and its sibling projects, such as BlueWake, MeleePad and SunPad: ask about setup, installing, and building with PadMint, share how it runs on your device, and hear about new releases first.

Found a bug? Open an issue with your device, its OS version, and the steps that led to it.

Credits and license

KartPad builds on WiiCompiled, Aurora/Dawn, SDL and Dolphin-derived work. SunPad supplies the pinned mobile touch/menu component; its provenance and third-party notices record attribution and licenses. Original artwork provenance is recorded separately.

Aedan Pilkington contributed the native macOS controller and settings enhancements, including controller assignment and remapping, persistent profiles, keyboard remapping, settings shortcuts, and fullscreen/notch integration. See the macOS controller and settings guide for implementation details and source-build testing instructions. These are source-build enhancements; they should not be read as features of the published Mac release until a corresponding release is published.

KartPad is free software under GPLv3, including its WiiCompiled modifications and the integrated application where GPLv3 requires. GPL rights to use, modify and redistribute the software are separate from game-content rights. See rights, licenses and Corresponding Source. Mario Kart, Wii and game imagery belong to their respective rights holders. KartPad is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo.

Legal

KartPad is an unofficial, fan-made project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo. Mario Kart Wii and related names and marks are trademarks of Nintendo (and their respective owners). The source code in this repository contains no game data, disc images, or extracted assets. To use it, you need your own legally obtained copy of the game. On iPhone, iPad and Mac, you build it yourself on your own machine. Please don't share game files or builds made from them.