Retro-Replay.com Retro gaming reviews, news, emulation, geek stuff and more!
November 11, 2022, 12:17:10 AMI started working on making a ROM hack called “Sesame Streets of Rage” over 6 months ago. Since then my focus shifted to being able to modify the SOR2 ROM as much as possible.
I’ve conversed with Eskayelle on how he made the modifications that created his ROM hacks. He lead me to a thread where someone by the alias of Sharpnull, wrote a python script with a compression algorithm that mimicked the one used to decrypt various tiles in the ROM. I converted the script into an EXE and built a GUI for it. I also added information on the locations of the compressed tiles. My goal with the tool is to make it easier to modify/replace tiles such as the title and story screens.
SOR2 Compression Utility: https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/1706/
I have 2 videos on my YouTube channel if that helps. If you have any questions let me know.
Here’s a preview of a new tool I’m releasing soon. It’s basically the compression utility, but it inserts the tiles, palette and mapping for you. All you have to do is edit a 16 color BMP, and click the button that corresponds to the screen you want to modify.
Just as an update to my progress, I’ve redirected the routines to load mapping for End screens 2 – 6 to point to the mapping for End Screen 1. The mapping for End Screen 1 is more straight forward and will make it so no tiles need be repeated. Here’s a copy of my notes:
@22DF0 – MOVE.L routine moving end screen 2 mapping from 2F07C into RAM
change to 2EEC6, Mapping in End Screen 1 is more user friendly.
HEX : @22DF0 – 23 FC 00 02 EE C6
End Screen 2 Mapping To Change:
22DF3 – 02 EE C6
End Screen 3 Mapping To change:
22E1B – 02 EE C6
End Screen 4 Mapping To Change:
22E43 – 02 EE C6
End Screen 5 Mapping To Change:
22E6B – 02 EE C6
End Screen 6 Mapping To Change:
22E93 – 02 EE C6
For the first release of the new utility I’ll include templates for all screens except Story Screen 2. That one’s a bit more tricky, simply redirecting to another mapping routine may not be acceptable, the code there may have to be rewritten. Also if anyone wants me to add either version of Syndicate wars let me know and I’ll add them to either the first or second release. No need to worry about having to change any HEX values with this tool, it’ll do it for you.
If anyone wants to use the screen replacer you can download it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L9qSKN0Tmt6GWyM16UzQFIiJ_SCvXrbJ/view?usp=share_link
I’m going to continue to post updates to the compression utility here, but I’m also going to Host it and the screen replacer on retro-replay.com.
I bare no hard feelings about the utility being rejected I was just confused as to why there’s already a utility hosted here with copyrighted images but mine was rejected.
Just as an update, I’m currently writing a routine for reorganizing the tiles for the Face and Hands on Story Screen 2. I’m having it match the in game mapping. It’s easier than rewriting the mapping in the ROM, though it is a bit tedious.
Looking towards the future, I plan to place both the Compression Utility and the Screen Replacer into an MDI container, along with an in game text editor I’m planning on making. Along with hopefully a utility that replaces the stage music.
I have the next version complete. I’m going to make a video on how to use it before I upload it to RHDN. I will however link to my GDrive so anyone that wants to can use it. I’ll also link to a zip with palettes of rage with a guide to modify palettes for the screens the tool replaces. This is just in case you want to tweak the colors or change the shimmer palette on the title screen.
Palettes of rage: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DcJCXLZptvn-Q01nDpMZtr1YlFKc-8u9/view?usp=share_link
SOR2 Screen Replacer 2.46: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uIbdEzNBW0PGtvzweuToQ6rA8jpf_9SJ/view?usp=share_link
I’ve combined the template for Mr. X face and hands on story screen 2. Reason being they use the same palette, so if you replace both individually the colors would be off. I’ve labeled each section (Face + Hand) in the template image. The black areas must stay as is, just draw in the parts specified in the image.
If you have any question feel free to post them here or on my YouTube Channel.
Be careful with modifying the images, If you use more than 16 colors the palette generated will only use the colors most common in the image in order to get it down to 16 colors.
Though this one came out better than I intended.
An update on music in the SOR2 ROM:
I’ve been using Mucom 88 to create music for the ROM (It was designed by Yuzo Koshiro and is an updated version of the tool he used to make the in game music.) He also released some of the source files for the Music which I’ve been using/studying (I was able to Rick Roll my son with it. 
) I found where the game points to the offsets for the music at 0x0429CE, It appears to be a table of values, which when the values are added to 429CE, equal the address of the music. Ex. the first value is 0x0200, so 200 + 429CE = 042BCE which is the address where BGM 00 is located.
(429CE – Table of values used to load tracks in ROM (429CE + Table Value = Track Offset))
The only issue I see is making it easier to create the music, it’s coded in MML, and you have to use the Voices.dat file that Yuzo created for the ROM.
Mucom88 – https://onitama.tv/mucom88/index_en.html
SOR2(And others) music source – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TFuuvyzlTIaeUMQUmn2tK0mUOET-0e7a/view?usp=share_link
Must begin with 00 C2 XX XX
==================================================================================
=========================================================================
I also made a few quality of life fixes like I added a routine to fix the shimmer effect on the Title Screen and Story Screen 2.I’ll have it uploaded once I finish the guide for Syndicate Wars V 0.9.
If you want to download it now, there’s a link in the video description that also includes a few extras.
So the way I modify the Music in the ROM, is I start with a Midi and use ConvFMML to convert it to a Mucom88 .Muc File. I then use Mucom88 in conjunction with the files Yuzo Koshiro shared (bare2voice.dat & bare2pcm.bin) to first edit the .muc if necessary and compile it to a .Mub (Mucom Binary.)
I’ve added a file converter to the ROM Editor which takes the .mub and converts it to a format the ROM can read. The two types are very similar but just copying the raw .mub into the ROM will not work. I’ve also added to the ROM Editor, a means to place the properly formatted music binary into the ROM over which ever BGM you want.
I’m going to make a video showing both how to use ConvFMML and Mucom88 to make music for your ROM hacks. I’m also going to show how to use the Music Replacer/Inserter in the ROM Editor. Once the video is uploaded, I will update the blog with links and the new version ROM Editor will be placed in the queue.
