This is going to very annoying if you want to make it works.
And here we go:
First of all it is worth a mention that Batocera has its own way try to solve this problem, but I think it create more problem than it solve. You basically need to set your controller using Emulated Wiimote under controller setting in Emulation Station. THEN, you need to add a special ending to your iso/rom, in order for it to know which setting you want to do. Change these setting under Dolphin from the GUI wouldn’t work, sense Batocera will override it when you start your game from Emulation Station. See link below for details:
https://wiki.batocera.org/emulators:wii
I don’t like their solution because, first Dolphin already got a built-in solution for this issue. Secondly, you got to go F1, and do it per game anyway, which make it not ideal for the Batocera ideal. And lastly, the part that I dislike the most is that you have to change the file name of the iso, this is unacceptable for me because I got my own way to manage my game collection, and often enough, they will be use by other system. Renaming them to work with Batocera don’t make a lot of sense to me. And it is not perfect solution neither, for game like Castlevania: Judgement, which have controller conflict, because it can use the GameCube controller, you are out of option from the Batocera way, (as far as I know.)
OK, here we go really:
What you need to do is to setup some control scheme profiles, and save them under Dolphin controller configuration GUI. Then for each game that you want to play, that required anything special thing like extension, like the nun-chuk or classic controller, or gamecube controller:
1.) You need to right click on the game (of course you need to load their path first),
2.) Then click properties.
3.) Then on the bottom half , you will see a field where you can enter some text, with a XXXXXXX.ini tab on top.
4.) There is where you enter which profile you want to use like shown below:
[Controls]
WiimoteProfile1 = Sideways1 => You can put any profile name you want to put here instead.
WiimoteProfile2 = Sideways2 => You can put any profile name you want to put here instead.
WiimoteProfile3 = Sideways3 => You can put any profile name you want to put here instead.
WiimoteProfile4 = Sideways4 => You can put any profile name you want to put here instead.
#For gamecube controller profiles you should put:
[Controls]
PadProfile1 = Your profile name here.
PadProfile2 = Your profile name here.
PadProfile3 = Your profile name here.
PadProfile4 = Your profile name here.
Detail reference here:
https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-unofficial-howto-using-gameini-settings-per-game
I know this is annoying, in fact very annoying, but it is the only reliable way that you get the control scheme you wanted. And like I mention before, Batocera got its own solution for this problem. someone may find it useful, but it is not for me. And I hope that they don’t do anything to remove this generic workaround or make it not functional, like keep override any setting that’s outside of Emulation Station.
I don’t want to said this, but really, the best way to play emulated Wii games are with an actual Wiimote + extension, and mayflash’ DolphinBar.
Hope this would help people with similar issues.