ROM Hack Metroid: Other M Redux (Based on Maxximum Edition)

[ShadowOne333]

IRC, the main redux.dol was causing a freeze at the loading screen of the very first intro movie. So one could not even reach the first save point to register a save file and thus enabling the Redux features upon reset.

In post #359 I made this summer, I didn't mention the prerequisite of having a save file, but I now think it was the key to make it work.

The freeze on the first intro movie back then was when I didn't exactly knew how to create SFDs so they worked properly with the game, since I did struggle with movie glitches and freezes with cutscenes I specifically modified for Redux.

I have since fixed that and standardized the SFD creation process, alongside the AIX audio too, so that might have been the problem with that specific screen.

 

[Rick328]

The freeze on the first intro movie back then was when I didn't exactly knew how to create SFDs so they worked properly with the game, since I did struggle with movie glitches and freezes with cutscenes I specifically modified for Redux.

I have since fixed that and standardized the SFD creation process, alongside the AIX audio too, so that might have been the problem with that specific screen.

Yet, all the tries I did last July were precisely for updating my Redux ISO to the latest version 1.0 you had just released a month prior in June.

I just checked the files on Archives.org and it seems like the Movies directory was updated on 13-Jul-2024, so maybe you made some more modifications to the movie files and I didn't quite had the latest assests as I though if I downloaded them late June. Will try to do some more testing soon about both the DOL and savefile scenarios...

 

[ShadowOne333]

Yet, all the tries I did last July were precisely for updating my Redux ISO to the latest version 1.0 you had just released a month prior in June.

I just checked the files on Archives.org and it seems like the Movies directory was updated on 13-Jul-2024, so maybe you made some more modifications to the movie files and I didn't quite had the latest assests as I though if I downloaded them late June. Will try to do some more testing soon about both the DOL and savefile scenarios...

I see.
The dates were close for sure, but to be honest I make changes so often and in such quick haste that I tend to forget exactly what I changed, and the lack of proper documentation in terms of changelogs and such doesn't help haha. At least I documented the conversion processes, which were in dire need of a proper tutorial.

Your testing will be of great help, hopefully we can find a way to have the latest redux.dol playing in a proper ISO on real hardware.

 

[Rick328]

@ShadowOne333

I went to archive.org to download the latest Redux files but found out that if I either click on the 339 files or 209 originals, it opens up a page saying item not available. I know that may be related to the October security breach.

The torrent link seems still functional, but can you confirm that all the torrent files are the same up-to-date/latest versions than those from the regular links? Just to be sure for testing correctly with the latest assets.

 

[ShadowOne333]

@ShadowOne333

I went to archive.org to download the latest Redux files but found out that if I either click on the 339 files or 209 originals, it opens up a page saying item not available. I know that may be related to the October security breach.

The torrent link seems still functional, but can you confirm that all the torrent files are the same up-to-date/latest versions than those from the regular links? Just to be sure for testing correctly with the latest assets.

Yeah a lot of things in Archive are still under maintenance and unavailable.
I've been waiting for like two weeks already to properly edit some of my uploads but I can't since it also says item is not available, it's all related to the hacking attack from October, so we'd have to wait until more features are enabled properly to use that.

The torrent should be fine though, it should give you all the latest files.

 

[ShadowOne333]

A bit out of topic, but look what I found today:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/new-classic-controller-hacks.659837/page-2#post-10491796

A Nunchuck/Classic Controller Gecko code for Other M, which makes it playable with Classic Controller or Wiimote+Nunchuck configurations

 

[Rick328]

Alright, some test results for the various DOL and save file scenarios.

-Save file used: a simple new game started on normal difficulty and saved on the 1st occasion (on real wii nand)

-Redux Features:
Hard Mode right from the start
Skip cutscenes
3rd Person Missiles
Concentration changes
Fixed glitched door in Sector 3
(All hardcoded as intended, no use of ocarina/gecko codes whatsoever)

-File creation
WiiBackupFusion_2.0>>full and clean iso>>extract files>>replace files with latest assests and latest redux.dol (or redux-no-unlock.dol)>>reassembled to ISO>>then using WiiBackupManager>>convert to wbfs (4Gb parts) and installed to SDcard in wbfs folder.

-Test environment
Real hardware using USBLoaderGX


4 test situations:

1) redux.dol & no save file:
game loads, theather & gallery menus unlocked, hardmode available from the start, but when starting a new game, it freezes at the loading screen of the intro movie.

2) redux.dol & save file already on wii memory:
same behaviour, game loads, theather & gallery menus unlocked, hardmode available from the start, but still freezes at intro movie loading screen when starting a new game.
When loading the savefile, game plays fine with all redux features

3) redux-no-unlock.dol & no save file:
game loads, galleries menus are not unlocked (as expected by the DOL name), no hardmode available, but a new game plays fine with all other in-game features (3rd person missiles, concentration changes) and no freeze problem at the intro movie loading screen.

4) redux-no-unlock.dol & save file already on wii memory:
game loads, theather & galleries menu unlocked, hardmode available from the start and a new game plays fine with all features and no freeze problem at 1st the movie loading screen.

Conclusions:
-Only situation #4 allows starting a new game flawlessly with the complete set of features unlocked from the start and without freezing at 1st cutscene, only prerequisite is having a basic save file already on memory (not even loading it).

-The redux.dol file definitely has something going on, preventing the intro cutscene to load correctly, so it's unusable in its current state, at least on real hardware.

-I didn't test for the 3rd sector door glitch, so I cannot confirm about this one. This was of second order for me, the important part being capable of starting a new game with all Redux features. But since everything else work, I presume the glitched is also fixed.


At least there's a working solution to play this mod

Thank you again @ShadowOne333, great work!

 

[ShadowOne333]

@Rick328 thank you for all your tests, I really appreciate it!
So it seems like indeed the current redux.dol has no way of working as a rebuilt ISO, only the older 2023 DOL works when rebuilt as ISO and that's with Backup Fusion as the rebuild software.
One possibility as to why the main Redux DOL doesn't work could be a difference in size, which could be shifting the whole filetable around. It's surely possible but have to test it out properly.

I think the 2023 DOL alongside the Gecko codes to unlock the theater+Hard mode should be sufficient for the best Redux experience.
I'll keep things like they are at the moment, since Archive is still somewhat finicky with editing items, but when I get the time, I'll delete the duplicated DOL and mention that those having issues creating an issue should try the 2023 DOL, with the downside of not having Hard Mode nor Skipping cutscenes, but with the option of doing so through cheat codes.

Thanks again for all your help, I'll still continue checking for options for the main Redux DOL, but this pretty much covers everything about the DOL

 

[Nintendo Maniac]

Should I still test the full ISO on NTFS and such, basically doing the following?

WiiBackupFusion_2.0>>full and clean iso>>extract files>>replace files with latest assests and latest redux.dol (or redux-no-unlock.dol)>>reassembled to ISO

 

[ShadowOne333]

Should I still test the full ISO on NTFS and such, basically doing the following?

You mean running the full ISO and not WBFS, right?
If possible, yes please. That could help as well.
Throw in an ISO made with Dolphin alongside the one from Backup Fusion just in case.

 

[Nintendo Maniac]

I'm guessing you were too instantaneous to see that I edited in the quote like all of one or two minutes afterwards.

Throw in an ISO made with Dolphin

I already tested that with a different game, simply extracting and reassembling it (Link's Crossbow Training which is small enough to easily fit within FAT32's 4GB file size limit).

 

[Rick328]

@Rick328 thank you for all your tests, I really appreciate it!

Glad I could help!

I think the 2023 DOL alongside the Gecko codes to unlock the theater+Hard mode should be sufficient for the best Redux experience.

I think the same. This is how I'll setup my final installation. This would avoid the hassle of creating a save file to allow beginning a new game directly on hard mode.

 

[ShadowOne333]

I'm guessing you were too instantaneous to see that I edited in the quote like all of one or two minutes afterwards.

I already tested that with a different game, simply extracting and reassembling it (Link's Crossbow Training which is small enough to easily fit within FAT32's 4GB file size limit.

Oh okay then yeah, the way you wrote in the edit sounds good too
Thanks!

 

[ShadowOne333]

Does anyone, by any chance, have the link or a backup of the description from Archive when I still had Wii Backup Fusion listed in the Create ISO section?
I want to track down the original video and text I used back then but I can't seem to find it anymore.

 

[Hu555h]

I came looking for a fix on the game not loading on original hardware, and I've had no luck so far lol, it would be a great help if someone could send me the already patched wbfs file, as the ones I've patched work w Dolphin only

btw I found the link where wii backup fusion is mentioned, it's on the wiibrew site, I can't post links yet tho

 

[ShadowOne333]

I came looking for a fix on the game not loading on original hardware, and I've had no luck so far lol, it would be a great help if someone could send me the already patched wbfs file, as the ones I've patched work w Dolphin only

btw I found the link where wii backup fusion is mentioned, it's on the wiibrew site, I can't post links yet tho

I did find one but it's on GameBrew.org
https://www.gamebrew.org/wiki/Metroid_-_Other_M_Redux_Wii

However, while the Wii Backup Fusion instructions seem to be there, the actual video I used for reference isn't linked in it, and that's the one I was looking for.
I'll keep searching, hopefully I can find it.

 

[Rick328]

if someone could send me the already patched wbfs file

Not allowed by GBAtemp rules...

I came looking for a fix on the game not loading on original hardware

Not loading at all? or past a certain point? What the process you used to build the patched wbfs?

Here's the process I used to get it working on real hardware:

WiiBackupFusion_2.0>>full and clean iso>>extract files>>replace files with latest assests and latest redux-no-unlock.dol>>reassembled to ISO>>then using WiiBackupManager>>convert to wbfs (4Gb parts) and install to SDcard (or USB)

I had to use the redux-no-unlock.dol because the redux.dol always made the game freeze at the cutscenes loading screen (see above posts). There is a workaround to have the same unlocked features: having a savefile in memory and/or using gecko/ocarina codes. I'm still doing some tests about this...

 

[Hu555h]

not loading at all, not even the wii mote strap warning lol, but on dolphin every .dol file worked

I used dolphin to extract the ISO files, replaced w no unlocks.dol, redux.dol and 2023.dol, none of them worked, I will try wiiBaFu now and see if it works, as well as installing a random internet save file

 

[OgroGamer]

WiiBackupFusion_2.0>>full and clean iso>>extract files>>replace files with latest assests and latest redux-no-unlock.dol>>reassembled to ISO>>then using WiiBackupManager>>convert to wbfs (4Gb parts) and install to SDcard (or USB)

you can skip reassembled to ISO and convert directly to wbfs with WiiBackupFusion

 

[Rick328]

you can skip reassembled to ISO and convert directly to wbfs with WiiBackupFusion

I know, just didn't want to take any chance in a test situation.