Sega Mega CD ISO Hacks & Editors

[Markle666]

That's Great！Thank you~~^_^

[Tony H]

Hi Markle, I'm working on another editor right now, but may check that game out when I get caught up.

[Markle666]

Hi Tony:

Could you help to create a edit tool for the game <Seima Densetsu 3x3 Eyes (1993)(Sega)(NTSC)(Jp)[!]>?

The background story of this game from a very amazing Japan anime (about legend of a fantasic ghost world), which bring me a lot of fun in my childhood.

This is a RPG game simliar to <lunar>(unfortunatly not known by manay people), if possible, edit tool can include:
1. infinite money
2. one battle one level up(or level max)

I have located 4 roles'(player have max 4 roles to join the battle) EXP RAM address: 0023620E, 0023630E, 0023640E, 0023650E. Maybe it can help you.

Thank you very much indeed.

[Tony H]

Thanks. The main purpose of that tool was to give people an easy way to get Game Genie type cheats for their Sega CD games. The Sega CD doesn't get enough love. lol.

[Ramdemann]

Ah, Those pesky 00 Addresses. They tend to hang out at the far end of the RAM List when searching with an Emulator. If I am not mistaken I think Sonic CD's Bonus Stage Timer hangs out in there as well as The Health Meters for some other games. I am going to try the methods listed above and see if I can get some of my code ideas to work. It's an excellent program. Anything for The Sega CD is much appreciated. It's one of those consoles that really needed a cheat device back in the day. I figured they could have come up with a Cartridge that plugged into The Mega Drive but edited The Sega CD's RAM. Maybe a Pro Action Cart or Game Genie CD.

[Markle666]

Tony, now i can edit infinite bullet "000181A8" successfully!
Thank you for your work on the tool, wish the tool can support searching more types of RAM address~

[Tony H]

The program won't work on every RAM address, and this looks like it's one of them.

A couple things, if you have an odd numbered address, you should try searching for the odd address first and if you don't get any matches, then subtract 1 and try the even address.

In your example above, you are subtracting 0x200000 instead of 0x20000. It doesn't matter in this case since it looks like the RAM address for continues won't work with the program anyways, but you should remember that for future RAM addresses.

There is still a lot I'm not sure about when it comes to Sega CD RAM addresses. The part about subtracting 0x20000 may only apply to RAM addresses found with some emulators, and may not apply to all Sega CD RAM addresses. RAM addresses in the range of your continue address (00238402) may not need to have 0x20000 subtracted, but I'm not sure. Sega CD RAM addresses in the lower range (ie 000381A8) are the ones that I tested, and needed to have 0x20000 subtracted for the search process to work in the program. And of course RAM addresses in the "FFxxxx" range don't need to have anything subtracted.

The RAM address in the db for Lethal Enforcers (US, by Lee4) for bullets (000181A8) looks like it will work with the program (should give you infinite bullets), but not sure about the rest.

EDIT: The RAM addresses in the db for the US version will probably work on the JP version as well, since the code Lee4 found for continues is the same as the one you found.

EDIT 2: It looks like you were using the filtered search for number type matches. In general, you should use the regular, unfiltered search first since that will find every possible match. There are instructions in the program that will give you more info on this.

[Markle666]

Hi Tony:
I start test with "Lethal Enforcers (JP) [T-95014] [498-8602-61224-0] cue+bin", i use "gens_r57shell_mod_r665" to get "continue/credit" RAM address: 00238403



it is odd address, so i should fill in with "00238402" right?

i open the bin with the tool and fill in "00238402" first, i both search "for substract" and "Number types match (intial value should be 5 continues)", but failed to find any results.



I also tried "00008402"("00238402" - "00230000"), "00038402"("00238402" - "00200000"), still failed, nothing happened.

I suspect if the ram address is correct or not? so i use "funcion + artMoney" to check again, "00238402" is right.



Did i missed somthing?

[Markle666]

Tony, thank you for the work!
I am working overtime recently, i will spend time in this weekend to test the tool in some game and let you know if any problem.

[Tony H]

The Sega CD Search/Patch tool is now available on RHDN with a full description, and will have it on my site shortly: https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/1670/

[Tony H]

Markle, I've got the Sega CD program finished. I'm only going to post it here for now, and hopefully you can test it and let me know if you find any bugs. I tested it with Sonic CD and the RAM address for rings and it worked fine, but I may have missed something. Let me know if you have any problems. Thanks.

There are three tabs to choose from, so I've included a screen shot for each one.




SegaCDPatchToolV10.zip

[Markle666]

I had it right the first time. lol. When you click on the "Patch and make a backup copy" button, the program lets you select a new name for the copy it's going to make of your original file. So let's say your original (unmodified) ROM is called "SonicCD.bin", you could re-name it to something like "SonicCDunmodified.bin". When you click the Save button, the file you just renamed is actually your original ROM, and will be safe. The file/ROM that remains open in the program after saving, is the one that was just patched. If you're trying to patch all 73 matches into the Sonic CD ROM, just go back to the Search Menu and click "Search" again, since all the information you entered before (RAM address, etc) is still there. It won't find the 10 ROM addresses you just patched, because they have been changed and won't match the search string. It will only find 63 matches the second time. When you go back to patch the next 10 matches/ROM addresses, you should use the "Patch without making a backup copy" button, since you already have your original ROM safe and sound. As I mentioned before, the whole process of patching all 73 addresses for Sonic CD should take less than one minute. And remember that most games will have way less than 73 matches.

Good, this method is very clear !
When the tool is release, don't forget attach a tutorial doc

[Tony H]

I had it right the first time. lol. When you click on the "Patch and make a backup copy" button, the program lets you select a new name for the copy it's going to make of your original file. So let's say your original (unmodified) ROM is called "SonicCD.bin", you could re-name it to something like "SonicCDunmodified.bin". When you click the Save button, the file you just renamed is actually your original ROM, and will be safe. The file/ROM that remains open in the program after saving, is the one that was just patched. If you're trying to patch all 73 matches into the Sonic CD ROM, just go back to the Search Menu and click "Search" again, since all the information you entered before (RAM address, etc) is still there. It won't find the 10 ROM addresses you just patched, because they have been changed and won't match the search string. It will only find 63 matches the second time. When you go back to patch the next 10 matches/ROM addresses, you should use the "Patch without making a backup copy" button, since you already have your original ROM safe and sound. As I mentioned before, the whole process of patching all 73 addresses for Sonic CD should take less than one minute. And remember that most games will have way less than 73 matches.

[Tony H]

Qustion1: clearly understood ! we can ignore the difference.
Qustoin2: Just a little confusing, as you mentioned methodology, if there is 73 matches, it sounds even withtout "filtering search", i still can patch 73 matches with following steps:
1) normal searching: find 10 results
2) patch the rom, then close the tool(this time 10 matching results are patched, left 63 results not patched)
3) since rom file has been updated, i reopen to tool and load the patehed rom again.
4) normal searching: find next 10 results, go back to step 2), repeat until not find any results
Maybe the "filtering search" can bring more convenient operations(don't need to reload rom again)?

That's a good point so I just checked to make sure, and you don't need to close and reopen the program for it to see the newly modified ROM. Every time you click on any of the search buttons, it loads the ROM from scratch, so any changes that it just made will show up in the new search. You can leave all of the info you entered (RAM address, values, etc) as it is so you don't have to re-enter it. It should take less than one minute to patch all 73 matches in the Sonic CD ROM. I'm including a "patch without making a backup copy" option to make this even easier. No need to make a backup copy every time. You can just make a backup copy on the first patching (to keep you original ROM safe), then use the newly modified copy to continue patching without making a backup copy. In short, you can leave the program open for the entire process.

EDIT: I take that back, the best way to do that is to manually make your own backup copy, and make changes to that. I forgot that when the program opens a new file, it resets all of your info you entered. But once you start patching the backup copy you made, the info you entered will stay intact. I will look at this some a bit later and see if I can improve on this.

EDIT2: Had it right the first time. No need to manually make a backup copy. See post below.

[Markle666]

Qustion1: clearly understood ! we can ignore the difference.
Qustoin2: Just a little confusing, as you mentioned methodology, if there is 73 matches, it sounds even withtout "filtering search", i still can patch 73 matches with following steps:
1) normal searching: find 10 results
2) patch the rom, then close the tool(this time 10 matching results are patched, left 63 results not patched)
3) since rom file has been updated, i reopen to tool and load the patehed rom again.
4) normal searching: find next 10 results, go back to step 2), repeat until not find any results
Maybe the "filtering search" can bring more convenient operations(don't need to reload rom again)?