ROM Hack Playing with Pokemon Platinum

[Rykin]

When the Japanese version of Emerald and Fire Red came out, I wasted no time and made myself an ugly hack of each game to make them more playable. What did I do? Well, for those games I primarily knew the story, so I figured I could play without
That. However, I would constantly forget what Japanese name for what Pokemon/attack/item I needed. As such, I set out to translate these bases pieces to make the game more enjoyable for myself.

And once again, I have done so with Platinum. However, hacking a DS game has proven itself to be more difficult than GBA games. Extracting the text was a chore in itself, but it’s still encrypted.

If anyone has a way to decrypt the text, I’d like it if they shared some resources with me. At the moment, I am comparing the encrypted files of the English Pearl to the Japanese Platinum. If it’s a match, I splice the code via Hex and have some things translated.

As stated above, I’d like to have Pokemon Names, Items, and Attacks translated. However, comparing encrypted files is rather slow as I’m translating more than I want/need to because I’m not sure where to look.

I did manage to translate the items, attacks, and some of the menus, though.


Some images hosted on LJ if you want to peek.
http://pics.livejournal.com/rychu/pic/00007fag
http://pics.livejournal.com/rychu/pic/00008q17
http://pics.livejournal.com/rychu/pic/00009rts
http://pics.livejournal.com/rychu/pic/0000acae

 

[rockbmi]

anyway those translations could be added to the game for the rest of us.

 

[gjac1]

Its looking very nice

, keep up the good work......

 

[signz]

Nice work tho. Like the post before me I can only say... Keep it up

 

[playallday]

Good work (with the idea by me

) But can you tell us how to do what you've done so far?!?

 

[JPdensetsu]

good work

I think it's very difficult to do the translating in wifi !

 

[JPdensetsu]

good work

I think it's very difficult to do the translating in wifi !

EDIT; Sorry double post;
Here a video! Not in eglish

 

[eliter1]

Nice work so far, keep it up. Wish I could help but unfortunately I don't know how too

 

[Rykin]

If I get the Pokemon names translated, I may release something.

However, there is a slight problem with the way I'm translating the game.

For example, since I'm copying data directly from Pearl into Platinum, something things are left blank. If there are any new items, attacks, names, and so on they will show up completely blank on the game. So, for example, I have the battle recorder, but the BR has no name or desc in my bag. It only shows an icon for it (still useable though).

Also, strangely enough, while the names for the attacks are translated in the items/Pokemon Sum/Battle menu- the script the battles use seems to be in English still.

 

[Tragoedia181]

If I get the Pokemon names translated, I may release something.

However, there is a slight problem with the way I'm translating the game.

For example, since I'm copying data directly from Pearl into Platinum, something things are left blank. If there are any new items, attacks, names, and so on they will show up completely blank on the game. So, for example, I have the battle recorder, but the BR has no name or desc in my bag. It only shows an icon for it (still useable though).

Also, strangely enough, while the names for the attacks are translated in the items/Pokemon Sum/Battle menu- the script the battles use seems to be in English still.

LOL and they said no one will translate platinum are you gonna release this for other to download later on?

 

[Rykin]

For those who are curious- this is how it's done.

You must extract msg.narc from Pearl, and pl_msg.narc from Platinum. While Platinum has a msg.narc file itself- it isn't used. Rather the developers simply added new files with new content rather than rewriting the old ones in DP.

You'll need a program to split the narc file into individual files. If you can't find one, use a program called Tahaxen. It will extract only some of the files,but for the files it doesn't it will give you the header offset and the byte size in hex. If you know how to hex, you can manually extract the info.

The trick is to find the matching file in each game. Oddly, the japanese game (even the original DP) seems to use more data than the English game, so that makes this somewhat easier.

Most of the files are around the same size, and same location, but that distance changes in Platinum. In English Pearl vs Japanese Pearl, you'll notice all the files are the same (but off by one) from 000-to-300some. In DP to Platinum, this number is greater.

For example, msg-341 in English Pearl is the intro.
Msg-387 is the Intro for Jap Platinum.

If you view the hex, the first thing you'll notice is that the file sizes are vary close (jap slightly bigger), and the 8 byte header (2D00D0F2FC969097) is exactly the same.

Copy and paste the contents of the English file over the Japanese file.

Normally, I'd want to simply replace the Japanese File with the English file, but the game didn't like that because in some areas the game has more data (such as the Battle Recorder being added to the items list), so I copied the English data over the Japanese data, leaving a few japanese bits at the end. This causes an error with the text encryption, and any japanese text left in the file is blanked out- but allows the game to run smoothly anyway.

From there, you view each and every file for their header and copy as you wish. Not knowing what are in each file (because of lack of decrypters) will make it take much longer because you don't know what you're aiming for.

There are 624 files in Engish Pearl's msg.narc, and 709 for Platinum. I played around with it for hours yesterday and have barely skimmed the surface.

Ps. Some files, while having the same headers, I won't copy over if the size is drastically different- I assume these files to be alternate storylines.

PSS. Am I allowed the post the msg.narc file here? It's only text, but I'm not sure if that hits copyright issues or not.

 

[Rykin]

LOL and they said no one will translate platinum are you gonna release this for other to download later on?

After the names are finished, I'm probably not doing any more. The english copy will be out, so I have no desire to attempt to translate any of the script. I'm just making the game easier to play without holding a translation sheet for the basics. (Atk/Items/ect)

 

[Tragoedia181]

LOL and they said no one will translate platinum are you gonna release this for other to download later on?

After the names are finished, I'm probably not doing any more. The english copy will be out, so I have no desire to attempt to translate any of the script. I'm just making the game easier to play without holding a translation sheet for the basics. (Atk/Items/ect)

thats fine with me thats all i need anyway moves translated for sure

 

[Frederica Bernkastel]

I'm hoping that you'll release a patch for this.
Its cause... Nintendo are spending most of their time producing shovelware.
So I think that 1 Person will finish a full translation BEFORE nintendo does.

Although... Anything will help.
Just finished the first gym!

Posts merged

I'm hoping that you'll release a patch for this.
Its cause... Nintendo are spending most of their time producing shovelware.
So I think that 1 Person will finish a full translation BEFORE nintendo does.

Although... Anything will help.
Just finished the first gym!

 

[Law]

Its cause... Nintendo are spending most of their time producing shovelware.

Wut? Nintendo are the ones producing shovelware?
No, they aren't. Third parties are the ones producing most of the shovelware. Nintendo aren't the only company that can make games for the DS. Nintendo aren't the ones translating Platinum into English, either.

Spoiler

*headdesk*

 

[Dark]

what programs do i use to extract and can i use pokemon diamonds files snice i have diamond dled

 

[Rykin]

Tahaxen and a hex editor.
Diamond should work fine.

 

[dgwillia]

Are you gonna do natures by chance? I have a nice little chart that translates them, just curious if you need or not.

 

[megawalk]

a small text translation hmm handy. yes! i prefer it over a full dialogue translation which doesn't work out mostly.
the current hitlist of what i want is the attack names translated to english as first so i wont do a wrong thing and go saying GOOOOOOOLLLDDDIIOOOONNNN CCRRRRUUUUUSSSHHHEEERRRR!!!!!
*you get the joke

*
anyways at the pics to see nice job

 

[beefymeatloaf420]

Well, so far based on how long you've had to work on the translations already, I'd say you've done pretty decent. Keep it up.