HELP! Newbie in ROM Hacking

greatveemon · Post by **greatveemon** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:53 pm

can someone point me where can I start in Genesis ROM Hacking? There is a lot of Tool in Regen 0.97D but have no idea how to use this.

Post by **KanedaFr** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:17 pm

Hi,

it depends on what you want to do ...
extract/replace sprites ?
translate ?
add features ?

greatveemon · Post by **greatveemon** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:28 pm

i think I will go in extract/replace sprite and add features. so any idea where should I start? I really need to modify the rom, instead of keep using a memory scanner and editor.

Hello!!! anyone?

Post by **KanedaFr** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 4:23 pm

so, first, read this
http://www.romhacking.net/start/

then learn 68k asm if you didn't know it yet

then read http://gendev.spritesmind.net/page-nhl94.html for information on how I added features on a game

you'll need a 68k disasm, like IDA (and the M.IDA script) for ex
then a 68k asm to add your new code

but, from all the things you need, the most wanted is PATIENCE

greatveemon · Post by **greatveemon** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:34 am

okay, thanks for this. I will read all this tutorials. I think c++ knowledge can also help too.

Chilly Willy · Post by **Chilly Willy** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:12 am

greatveemon wrote:I think c++ knowledge can also help too.

Not for Genesis rom hacking.

greatveemon · Post by **greatveemon** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:06 pm

strange, there is no documentation for Game/Level Editing, only utils. what do you suggest? I want to make my own editor for the game that I want to edit. I want to change the character looks and add more game modes. and edit some level's enemies and stage.

Post by **KanedaFr** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:41 pm

EVERY game (apart EA games perhaps) is different.
the way the level is coded on the ROM is so for this game only.

It's why you have to disasm the game, find where it loads a level, understand the optional compression algorith they use and make the reverse
then you could start to edit the levels

greatveemon · Post by **greatveemon** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 2:05 pm

should I also need to learn IDA? and 68k asm is a code, right? and is 68k and IDA different? so it also to me to add a new image animation?

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:13 pm

IDA is a disassembler, which will turn the ROM file into gibberish called 68K ASM disassembly

greatveemon · Post by **greatveemon** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:15 am

I'm using TLP in the rom that I want to hack, but all I can see is a noisy tiles. I change it in different format, but I cannot see any tiles that I may edit. So I think it is compressed, right? then How do I make the relative search work? it says an error in xp when I'm using it. Is there any equivalent of this RS Application?

TmEE co.(TM) · Post by **TmEE co.(TM)** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 11:10 am

Nearly all MD games have majority of their data in compressed form, so regular tools are mostly useless.

greatveemon · Post by **greatveemon** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 11:15 am

so I really need to diassemble them? but when I'm using RegenD with VDP debugger, I can see the sprites that I want to modify.

Pascal · Post by **Pascal** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 11:34 am

You're seeing a volatile area. You need to find in rom where those tiles are stored and if they are compressed or not. Your best friends is the dma spy

greatveemon · Post by **greatveemon** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:13 pm

Okay, maybe I really need to start reading assembler and disassembler documents(in other words, I don't know how will i'm going to uncompress and recompress the rom) and read more rom hacking tutorial, because I really a noob and I don't understand what are you guys talking about. I know DMA but I don't know DMA Spy. And I've also have experience in finding a code via memory scanner/editor.