ROM Hack Game Center CX : Arino no Chosenjo 2 (New Start?)

Aaron Chmielowiec · Jun 25, 2014

Hrm, I'm in the middle of making a new patch so I don't have those values handy, but ... oh, wait a second.

If you patch with 1.2:

Filesize: 58,869,392 bytes
MD5: 93186A5CCEA06E49A2082DB878A6822E

RadioShadow · Jun 25, 2014

DMNBT said:
I got a question about the patch: what should be the filesize and the md5 of the patched rom? I have a feeling I'm doing something wrong, but I want to confirm first.

If your using xdelta, it should create a separate .nds file that is smaller than the original file.

Aaron Chmielowiec · Jun 26, 2014

Okay, it has been almost 24 hours and the 2nd patch after 1.2 (1.2.2 or whatever anyone wants to call it; Version 1.2 Plus+ Gold) seems to be sitting pretty well with the handful of people testing it so I'm crossing my fingers.

Oh, btw this project hit Retro Gaming Magazine:
http://retrogamingmagazine.com/2014...game-challenge-2-finally-playable-in-english/

Mars_x · Jun 26, 2014

Congratulations, RCG2 has been in almost all major gaming sites now.
And there's another surprise coming for the fans too...
awesome!

Edit: Fixed a typo :/

RadioShadow · Jun 26, 2014

On the Game Select, top right hand graphics of the game name, didn't you figure out how to adjust the width? Mind mention where the graphics are stored, and I'll take a look? Also, which overlay is the text stored for the RPG and Adventure game? I'm curious to find out why it won't read the 1 byte font.

Unless these have been fixed for the next patch, there are a few Shift-Jis ! ? and : being used in the game descriptions. I can easily point them out if it helps.

The game description of Wiz-Man, "in this dot eating arcade action classic!". Hard to explain, but making simpler like "in this classic dot eating game from the arcades!".

The game description of Triotos, the last sentence "With 2P mode, too!". It's fine, but I would go with something like "Plus a 2P mode!".

For both the Adventure games, you don't really need to put the game's full name in the desperation, when it is on the top right hand corner. Something like:
"In this first part of the Ace Detective adventure game, help Arino solve the mysteries at CX Industry!"
"In this second part of the Ace Detective adventure game, unravel the mysteries that have occurred at CX Industry!"

Aaron Chmielowiec · Jun 27, 2014

For any description or anything in the manuals/magazines, they can be changed, but I have no control over maximum lengths or anything. If something is too long, I can't add more room to try and make it fit. If it fits, fine.

The double byte punctuation in the descriptions was already pointed out and fixed AFAIK in the patches-in-progress since 1.2.

If you want to rip apart the ROM and look, be my guest:

* Anything related the the Game Select screens (graphics-wise) should be in \data\scene\gameselect\gameselect
* For the Adventure Games, text *not* stored in the billion files in \data\retro\km\spt are stored in overlay_0004.bin
* The RPG game text is stored in LBS and DAT files in\data\retro\gqs\spt and \data\retro\gqs\dat respectively
* RPG text not in those folders are in overlay_0018.bin and some in arm9.bin I think.
* Game Descriptions and Magazine descriptions are generally in overlay_0018.bin and overlay_0012.bin
* The Adventure/RPG font is in \data\font\

RadioShadow · Jun 27, 2014

Okay, resizing the Game Select names is possible. They seem to be grouped together into files:
- gs_room_tag_softname
- gs_shop_tag_softname

The .NCER files basically control which tiles to load from the .NCGR. All we need to worry about is the data that tells the game the size of the tiles and the offset. So let's look at the Demon Returns softname graphic. At hex address 40 (gs_room_tag_softname.NCER), we should see these bytes:
0400 2900 1E00 0000

- The first two bytes is basically the size. Each section is set up as 32 x 24, in the gs_room_tag_softname .NCGR, which means the Demon Returns graphic loads 4 sections.
- The second two bytes, do nothing. I've set them to 00 and file loads fine.
-The third fourth bytes, is the offset. Basically, where the tiles start.

As for the .NCGR files, we can easily adjust the length of the file. Plus edit the tiles, making them longer. It looks like the longest length we can have is 160 x 24 pixels, 5 sections max.

Hope that has made sense. The only thing I could not find was the palette.

EDIT:

The image below shows the max length the names can be. The rectangles will help in telling us how many sections are to be used.

Below is an example of how to set it up:

At least we can make the font look consistent with out making certain parts squashed.

The list of names:
Wiz-Man
Mutekiken Kung-Fu
Demon Returns
Ace Detective (Part 1)
GunDuel
Ace Detective (Part 2)
Triotos
Guadia Quest Saga
Super Demon Returns
Further Challenges

Cosmic Gate MASA-X
Haggleman: Koume Edition
Rally King ex
Star Prince SA
Triotos DX

Mars_x · Jun 28, 2014

I'm not sure if I understand correctly, but I did try anyway.

Like this?

Aaron Chmielowiec · Jun 29, 2014

Okay, thanks for that, but couldn't people just go into "Sound Test Mode" in the real game and play any music/sound they wanted?

Okay, the RPG, Adventure and main dialogue is going under a few revisions but everything is looking good so far.

There is one part in particular in the Adventure that may need a rewrite. It involves goroawase (play on numbers) and it only works in Japanese. In the game (2nd part of the adventure) it plays a part in revealing the code to a door but I ended up basically giving away the answer anyway and since there is a finite number of choices it shouldn't have totally stumped players in the end anyway; maybe a minor annoyance. Still, there is talk about how to rewrite that "puzzle". It's tricky since references to it are elsewhere in the game and I don't quite like the idea of rewriting large chunks of the adventure game.

Oh, those titles are looking good though and I'll see about trying to get those in the game. I am quite busy over the next few days but I'll see what I can do.

EDIT> Here are the titles I have in-game before touching anything. I purposely made them 32 pixels wide when exporting so you could actually see the titles. I can extent the source image to make more room if a title goes on too long but remember that the image must be 16 colors *MAX* so be mindful if you are trying to use anti-aliasing. Also, there is no guarantee what is going to happen when I actually do try to put in an extraordinarily long title in place...but enough of that. If anyone wants to modify the below images to include the new proposed titles I'll slip them in the game as soon as I can. If I have to do that it could take a bit.

Aaron Chmielowiec · Jun 30, 2014

Small update but I got a massive list of small things to touch up with the RPG to make everything consistent, flow nicely, etc. It will take a bit to finish since there is so much to do. With this and the adventure game touch ups I should be in good shape for another patch.

The optional graphic changes to the game selection screens and the demon returns monsters may be nice but they are a but lower priority to me than text/context/consistency errors and general dialogue fixes. I'll look at those when I'm finished with everything else.

Oh, I scanned in the manual but it is quite dense and long so it may take a while to have a fully translated (printable) one.

Rothiseph · Jul 1, 2014

Aaron Chmielowiec said:
Oh, I scanned in the manual but it is quite dense and long so it may take a while to have a fully translated (printable) one.

The fact you guys are even looking at it and have it scanned is amazing in itself.

Also incidentally, I printed out Mars' localized boxart the other day at the recommended size, and it looks fantastic! I'll need to get a photo when I get back home, as it's great next to my copy of RGC1 on the shelf.

Aaron Chmielowiec · Jul 1, 2014

Okay, what's up?

I made a new patch with what I changed in the RPG/Adventure games in particular as well as small fixes to the main dialogue and some fixes elsewhere in the optional chats. I'm currently trying to get those game titles in-game. I think I have it figured out but I'm not any great artist so I'm finding working with images and specific palettes very slow and frustrating.

Basically, the image I need *must* match the palette of the original; all other colors have to be remapped to the 16-color palette of the original for the game titles in the game selection screen. I did the whole Indexed Color thing in Photoshop and imported a palette that I exported from the original image. It almost worked except it stuck some transparent entry in there and it's messing up part of the titles. I can fix it by hand, however.

Sneak peek:

Alchemilla · Jul 3, 2014

That small change looks very good, but why is Wiz-Man's expression happy? Localizations usually give the cutesy character a mad/determined face.

Aaron Chmielowiec · Jul 3, 2014

Ha! That's a good point, but I'll have to leave it to the art guys if they really want to go so far as to make that subtle change. I've always wondered why the US characters have to be so damned angry; it actually bugs me. Ratchet and Clank is a big culprit. Kirby, too. Oh, Crash Bandicoot as well to a degree.

I'd be tempted to have the manual covers made with floating heads, too. I'm not mocking you or anything; I just wondered why these trends tend to exist.

In RGC2 patch land, I've finished the Game Select titles and they are now in the game along with all of the fixes to the RPG and Adventure. I've tested a big chunk of the RPG now (Kobalos has as well) and I just need to check those two sections in the Adventure I ended up changing.

I've labeled it as patch 1.2.4 but it may become 1.3 anyway.

Alchemilla · Jul 3, 2014

Aaron Chmielowiec said:
I've always wondered why the US characters have to be so damned angry; it actually bugs me. Ratchet and Clank is a big culprit. Kirby, too. Oh, Crash Bandicoot as well to a degree.

I think it has something to do with appealing to casuals who think it's a baby game if the characters are happy and fighting evil at the same time.

Aaron Chmielowiec · Jul 3, 2014

Even so, I don't think that trend of the "angry western box art with the floating heads" took off until at least the 90s which would make the games in this...game predate that stereotype. Fighting games has characters with serious or determined looks to them but cartoony characters were still silly and innocent in the west at that time anyway. (That or more abstract/artistic)

Alchemilla · Jul 3, 2014

There were also games that got weird hyperrealistic art when localized, like Mega Man. You can't forget that shit. It pervades your mind and gives you nightmares for years. Well, not me, but it did it to people I know.

GHANMI · Jul 3, 2014

Aaron Chmielowiec said:
Ha! That's a good point, but I'll have to leave it to the art guys if they really want to go so far as to make that subtle change. I've always wondered why the US characters have to be so damned angry; it actually bugs me. Ratchet and Clank is a big culprit. Kirby, too. Oh, Crash Bandicoot as well to a degree.

Ratchet & Clank, and Crash Bandicoot are special cases to be fair: they were developed first for the Western market, then the cutesy details were added in the Japanese version.
But (with a few exceptions like Ristar and some licensed games) while the American cover would redraw the cover art to include angry eyebrows, or... this...

They almost never alter the in-game graphics.
Doing that to Wiz-Man's in-game appearance would be ... unforgivable. Please keep in mind that European covers,and even American ones at times, did retain the cutesy anime-esque art style.

Aaron Chmielowiec · Jul 4, 2014

Okay, I have Version 1.3 for you all to try out. (It isn't on romhacking.net yet so you can consider this a sneak peek, if you will) It all seems okay now but there have been a boat load of changes so I don't want to leave it so long between patches unless there really haven't been many changes, but in this case the RPG went through a major overhaul since 1.2 (see: Kobalos). This was labeled 1.2.4 but I just made it 1.3. There was one tiny change from 1.2.4 to 1.3 but it is a single message in the RPG and I already tested it and confirmed it worked fine in-game.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/13kf363g5ckfvpc/rgc2eng_v13.rar

Changes:
- Fixed several (hundred) inconsistencies with items names, skills and spells in the RPG
- Reworded some of the dialogue in the Adventure games.
- Updated Magazines to reflect changes in RPG and Adventure
- Fixes to the optional Chat and Phone conversations.
- Rewording of main game text that ran over the border of the window.
- Changed the Game Select screen game title graphics (room and shop)

Alchemilla · Jul 4, 2014

Aaron Chmielowiec said:
(see: Kobalos)

Who or what is a Kobalos?

ROM Hack Game Center CX : Arino no Chosenjo 2 (New Start?)

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