Josh's Saturn PAR Codes

[josheh]

Hey guys,

I'm new to this scene, really. Thanks to these forums, stumbling across them, it got me to a point where I could actually start putting some codes together. The biggest help was reading through the post by Helder. So Helder, if you stumble across this, thanks to you I'm here today.

I have a few codes I've been working on, and wouldn't mind making a more complete set. I'm not so advanced as some of you guys though. There's been a few more obscure games that I wanted some codes for. I have a real Saturn to test 'em on too. Anyway, I'll post my codes up in here for others to stumble across, and possibly add to the database here.

Maybe one of you can give a quick gander at my codes and let me know if I'm doing it right! There's a few things I was confused on, so yeah. Nothing too fancy, but still. Here's a few I did for Tryrush Deppy, an underrated platformer. I've tested these partially on the real hardware, but I think I need to try them out further, especially the unlimited fuel. It was glitchy on the emulator, but the emulator in general is glitchy with that game.

Tryrush Deppy (J)

Unlimited Fuel
1607903A 0258

Unlimited Lives
16099250 0009

[josheh]

I made a modification to the above code, where the fuel can be added with a right shoulder button press. Oh, for the master code, I imagine it'd be the standard one. I can't test this out on real hardware right now. I'd like to though. I noticed with the above lives code activated, it seemed to cause things like the invincibility power up to stick until the level is over. That's on the emulator though, so if it acts the same on the real hardware, I'm not sure yet.

Question: The terms Joker, and reverse joker, could anyone give me a quick rundown of why it's called that, and what's different between the two?

Tryrush Deppy (J)

Top off Fuel w/Right shoulder press
D605732A FF7F <-- (Value can be modified for any button)
1607903A 0640

The buttons that can be used can be found here --> http://gamehacking.org/vb/threads/47...2560#post42560

[Helder]

Normal Jokers use button values like 0001 etc and Reverse Jokers use Negative values like 0000 is no button pressed and whatever button that normally is 0001 is now FFFF, using windows calculator in programmer mode you will see this happen and another example is normal 0008 and reverse FFF8.

Unfortunately the real hardware has issues with Joker codes, it seems to shut off alot of codes or even all of them until the button combo is pressed and this is especially true if you use multiple Jokers at once. I would love for someone to redo the GS/Action Replay firmware with better code support to fix these annoyances but I doubt it will happen. What emulator are you using these on? I tend to use MESS for cheat making whenever possible since it's very powerful for advanced code making but is a pain to setup initially, oh and welcome aboard it's always good to see more people hacking the Saturn.

If you have any questions just send me a PM and I'll try to help if I can.

Edit: Using your code I made an ASM version of the fuel code so no glitches.

Infinite Fuel (ASM)
16042D96 0009

[josheh]

Hey Helder,

I've seen you mention that a few times in your various post, about ASM. Is there a little more you could tell me about it? Or somewhere you can point me that explains it more?

I've been using Yabause with Artmoney. I looked into MESS a little, but couldn't understand that whole setup. Best I found out is that it was rolled into MAME, but looking around I couldn't find much information. I wasn't sure what to look for. My workflow has been to use Yabause/Artmoney to find the values, test it in yabause, and then testing on my saturn. I have the Pro Action Replay that is 4 in 1.

I'm curious to try my fuel top off code above then, if what you're saying about the jokers is true. I want to see how it is affected on the hardware.

I have an Action Replay Max coming for the gamecube, so hopefully I can get into that some too!

I have a few other games I've been working on. Mainly Lode Runner and Mobile Suit Gundam. I only just started messing with them though, so nothing I have is developed to a show-able state.

[Helder]

I can make a small tutorial I suppose on how to make simple ASM (assembly) codes which if you didn't know is like Game Genie codes for the older systems. I have a 4 in 1 also and an old Game Shark too but haven't touched it in many years. Please do test out your code and let me know the outcome. A few years ago my 4 in 1 shit the bed so I had to reflash the system and I'm starting to wonder if the version I flashed could be the problem and not all GS/AR.

[josheh]

That'd be really awesome, if you think it wouldn't be too difficult. I hadn't realized ASM stood for assembly, but after you mentioned that, it made a bit more sense.

I tried it on my Saturn, and it gives me the same troubles as you described. I used the Unlimited lives code I have in conjunction with the one that refuels when you hit the shoulder button. The lives one was activated when the level started, but not active through it. I set it so it gave me 99 lives, which it did, but if I died it'd drop down to 98. When I hit the shoulder button to top the fuel up, it'd pop back up to 99 lives too. In theory it should never drop like that. That's unfortunate.

I was looking at some of the commands you can do on the PSX side of things, and got a little jealous. I think if this trigger worked right it'd be cool; there's certainly some neat stuff you would have been able to do with it.

[Helder]

Yes the Saturn got dicked badly in code support and the code types that exist being the only type D which is a conditional type is broken so best bet is to do ASM whenever possible.

Charge Meters Fills Faster (ASM)
160438D6 7103

Super Jump (ASM)
160435E0 E52C

Mega Jump (ASM)
160435E0 E53C

[josheh]

I have to tip my hat to you Helder; as one of my clients once said to me... you've got skillz!

I tried to look up a little more information about ASM and how it relates to these sorts of things, but I didn't come across much. You've got me curious what sort of tools you use, what approach you take. It's curious, since what you did with the fuel meter, it stops it from depleting, but if you pick up gas cans it'll still fill it.

[josheh]

For Lode Runner

Lode Runner: The Legend Returns (J)

Unlimited Lives P1
1600DED8 0005

Unlimited Lives P2
1600DEEC 0005

[josheh]

Hey Helder,

I've been digging in a little more. I broke out the debugger on Yabause and it has given me a clearer idea of what you're doing with your codes.

So like with this code > 16042D96 0009 < You're changing the assembly routine from Sub r4. r1 to NOP, or essentially a null instruction. In theory you could follow it a little further down the line and adjust the value of r4 so it takes fewer points off, to slow it or speed it up. With a little fiddling you could conceivably adjust it so that the fuel meter doesn't automatically deplete, but you could still take damage from enemies hitting you..? You're just killing the routine though that takes value away from the fuel meter.

For your jumps, you're essentially just modifying the value given for the jump?

My question is, how do you find these values?

I've been reading through the programming manual for the SH2, and that has been helping me to figure out how things are structured, how to edit lines for the assembly code. Finding variables in memory is easy enough, since you can search for them by their value, or twiddle it down. How you found where the code for the jump was though? I'm not sure. I could see it for the fuel meter though, since I'm guessing you can trace back to what had changed the value for the fuel bar? If that makes sense.

[Helder]

Well Like I said above about a simple tutorial I was going to use the fuel as a good example but you figured it out. You simply find the ram code for whatever it is your looking for then you set a memory breakpoint on it (usually on write) and in the case of the fuel it caused a break when it decreased the fuel. You can do alot of things once you find the routine but often times to do creative things you will need to do some backtracing but in order to do it properly you need a trace log which is only done on the Saturn on the MESS emulator.

Jump codes usually take time to properly do it right since you generally have to follow the routine many times to understand the math behind it or just observe what is being loaded and then follow what's in the registers and trace that till you find where the value loaded into the routine(s) which is then used in a calculation at the end to do the jumping.

This game has that Sub instruction but many games and I mean many will use the Add instruction with negative numbers like I explained above in the reverse jokers to do subtractions. I can go into more detail if you have specific questions or need examples.

[ReyVGM]

Psst, the Bizhawk emu plays Saturn, and it has RAM search, RAM watch, debugger and trace logger :P

Oh, and it's a lot more user friendly than MESS. Of course, if you are used to MESS, then there's no reason to change. But for josheh here, it could be best if he used that one.

[Helder]

Hmm I'll give it a shot, should I go get the EmuCR releases or is there a specific version your using? Also any documentation on how to use it's debugger?

[ReyVGM]

Any info and downloads can be found here:
http://tasvideos.org/BizHawk.html

The devs are very active on the tasvideos forums in case you have questions or requests.

It's from the same people that made FCEUX, SNES9X, PSXJin, VBA-RR. If you've used the search engines on those emus, then you should know how they go.

[Helder]

God damn emulator won't load any saturn games, it just goes to the bios screen and reads the image (bin & cue) as an audio cd.