Zelda II Redux

[ShadowOne333]

I've been following this project with keen interest, thanks for all the work that has gone into it 

I'd like to ask if a patch to keep the NES battle theme is still on the to-do list?

That's one thing I completely forgot about tbh.
I'll see what can be done for that one, probably an optional patch for sure.
Maybe one for only-NES battle theme and one for only-FDS battle theme.

EDIT:
My guess was right, only a single byte change was needed.
Could you try these and let me know if they work?

Only FDS Battle Theme:
https://github.com/ShadowOne333/Zelda2-Redux/raw/master/patches/optional/Only%20FDS%20Battle%20Theme.ips

Only NES Battle Theme:
https://github.com/ShadowOne333/Zelda2-Redux/raw/master/patches/optional/Only%20NES%20Battle%20Theme.ips

They do as they describe, Only FDS should make it so that all encounters/battles have the FDS battle theme throughout all the game, while the Only NES should be the same but for the NES theme instead.
Let me know if you encounter anything funny

[Memorex]

Wow, that's great! At the moment I have no saves for Zelda 2 and would be starting over from the beginning, so takes a while to east Hyrule. But I'll check it, and perhaps someone beats me to it 

[ultimaweapon]

It's pretty much done, but what did you have in mind?

I dusted off the 2nd Zelda 2 hack I had planned on doing, and I started working on it again. I like what you've done with the Redux, so I'm using it as a base. I don't remember if it was you or Dark Samus that was working on changing the Jump spell to do a mid air jump instead of just a high jump. That's something I would love to include in mine and that would also been cool to see in the Redux. 

[ShadowOne333]

Wow, that's great! At the moment I have no saves for Zelda 2 and would be starting over from the beginning, so takes a while to east Hyrule. But I'll check it, and perhaps someone beats me to it 

Awesome, let me know how it went!

I dusted off the 2nd Zelda 2 hack I had planned on doing, and I started working on it again. I like what you've done with the Redux, so I'm using it as a base. I don't remember if it was you or Dark Samus that was working on changing the Jump spell to do a mid air jump instead of just a high jump. That's something I would love to include in mine and that would also been cool to see in the Redux. 

I do remember mentions of a Double Jump for the Jump Spell.
Iirc that was with DarkSamus, since that's when he was working on the Copy save file system and the rework of the Fairy and Jump spell.
Minucce ended up doing the Copy/Erase system (for both NES Zeldas), while I ended up doing the Fairy cancel hack. However, the Jump stuff you mention seems quite ASM heavy for me to attempt, so I will most likely not be able to be of much help there.

[Memorex]

New game initiated! Just made it to the first palace.

A couple of thoughts I wanted to share (perhaps beyond the scope of this hack):

When Moblins spawn from the left side of the screen in battle, part of their sprite wraps around the right side of the screen.

Kobold enemies in the first palace spawns a bit into the screen instead of outside of it.

Would it be possible to add a signpost at the entrance of a palace to show the name of the palace, just like in towns? Or perhaps just a text on top of the screen?

Great work so far!

[ultimaweapon]

New game initiated! Just made it to the first palace.

A couple of thoughts I wanted to share (perhaps beyond the scope of this hack):

When Moblins spawn from the left side of the screen in battle, part of their sprite wraps around the right side of the screen.

Kobold enemies in the first palace spawns a bit into the screen instead of outside of it.

Would it be possible to add a signpost at the entrance of a palace to show the name of the palace, just like in towns? Or perhaps just a text on top of the screen?

Great work so far!

The temple entrances behave just like caves and the rest of the temple, so I'm not certain a signpost indicating the name of the temple can be incorporated. It probably would involve ASM which is currently out of my league. Do you think it's possible(ShadowOne333, Trax)?

[Ok Impala!]

Would it be possible to add a signpost at the entrance of a palace to show the name of the palace, just like in towns? Or perhaps just a text on top of the screen?

Great work so far!

This is a great suggestion. I wanted to incorporate this too in Amida's Curse, but the dialogue system is currently only present in the "town" sections. Zelda II is very restrictive in how it teleports the player from scene to scene. So, for example in sideview it's impossible to walk from a town scene right into a Temple scene. You'd always have to return to the overworld first. The town scenes have very different mechanics. They function completely different from Temples and are located in a different location of the ROM too. I haven't seen any hacks pull this off yet, but it would be great to see it realized. Though, if I might guess, I think it's pretty hard to create this in Zelda II.

[ShadowOne333]

While the idea itself is nice, it's such a small thing for what seems to be such great effort to pull out.
Sure it would be possible, but it might require a hefty amount of ASM to accomplish, and for such small thing, it might not be worth the effort imo.

Does Zelda 2 even have any kind of text prompt during a battle sideview scene?
Meaning in temples, overworld encounters or such?
(Outside of the usual Pause/Exp menu stuff of course)

[Ok Impala!]

While the idea itself is nice, it's such a small thing for what seems to be such great effort to pull out.
Sure it would be possible, but it might require a hefty amount of ASM to accomplish, and for such small thing, it might not be worth the effort imo.

Does Zelda 2 even have any kind of text prompt during a battle sideview scene?
Meaning in temples, overworld encounters or such?
(Outside of the usual Pause/Exp menu stuff of course)

As far as I know, it doesn't...

[ultimaweapon]

While the idea itself is nice, it's such a small thing for what seems to be such great effort to pull out.
Sure it would be possible, but it might require a hefty amount of ASM to accomplish, and for such small thing, it might not be worth the effort imo.

Does Zelda 2 even have any kind of text prompt during a battle sideview scene?
Meaning in temples, overworld encounters or such?
(Outside of the usual Pause/Exp menu stuff of course)

No, it doesn't! One would think it would at least happen prior to the Dark Link battle or Barba, but there's none at all. Incorporating that seem like it would be ASM heavy.

[Memorex]

Ok, I see! Pity it would be so complicated, would have been a handy feature 

[agrimes0]

That's one thing I completely forgot about tbh.
I'll see what can be done for that one, probably an optional patch for sure.
Maybe one for only-NES battle theme and one for only-FDS battle theme.

EDIT:
My guess was right, only a single byte change was needed.
Could you try these and let me know if they work?

Only FDS Battle Theme:
https://github.com/ShadowOne333/Zelda2-Redux/raw/master/patches/optional/Only%20FDS%20Battle%20Theme.ips

Only NES Battle Theme:
https://github.com/ShadowOne333/Zelda2-Redux/raw/master/patches/optional/Only%20NES%20Battle%20Theme.ips

They do as they describe, Only FDS should make it so that all encounters/battles have the FDS battle theme throughout all the game, while the Only NES should be the same but for the NES theme instead.
Let me know if you encounter anything funny

I just tried the NES battle music patch over on the second continent on a few battles. The battles are still playing the FDS version. Likewise, when I tried using a FDS patch on some battles on the first continent, it still played the NES battle music. I also tried using the patch on the original ROM and still got only the NES music.

I also got another sound suggestion: Whenever a player gets a game over in the FDS version, they get a black screen with a roaring sound. Could that sound be added to the NES game over screen instead of Ganon's cackle? 

[ShadowOne333]

I just tried the NES battle music patch over on the second continent on a few battles. The battles are still playing the FDS version. Likewise, when I tried using a FDS patch on some battles on the first continent, it still played the NES battle music. I also tried using the patch on the original ROM and still got only the NES music.

I also got another sound suggestion: Whenever a player gets a game over in the FDS version, they get a black screen with a roaring sound. Could that sound be added to the NES game over screen instead of Ganon's cackle?

These patches do nothing on an original ROM, since the theme code is exclusive to Redux.
Also, I forgot to mention, these patches are only for original Redux, they can't be combined with any of the other optional music patches in Redux since those modify the music code quite a bit.

[agrimes0]

These patches do nothing on an original ROM, since the theme code is exclusive to Redux.
Also, I forgot to mention, these patches are only for original Redux, they can't be combined with any of the other optional music patches in Redux since those modify the music code quite a bit.

I just took the original ROM, applied the most recent version of the Redux patch from your Github page, then applied the NES battle music patch, and nothing else. I went over to the second continent and went into a battle, and it's still playing the FDS version.

[ShadowOne333]

I just took the original ROM, applied the most recent version of the Redux patch from your Github page, then applied the NES battle music patch, and nothing else. I went over to the second continent and went into a battle, and it's still playing the FDS version.

Do you know how to Hex edit a ROM?
You can do it inside FCEUX itself if you use that.

So, I need the following changes done and tested in-game:
* At 0x02922 - A9 04 (For NES) / A9 08 (For FDS)
* At 0x19DD7 - A9 04 (For NES) / A9 08 (For FDS)
* At 0x19DDC - A9 04 (For NES) / A9 08 (For FDS)
* At 0x1FECB - A9 04 (For NES) / A9 08 (For FDS)
* At 0x1FED1 - A9 04 (For NES) / A9 08 (For FDS)

If anyone can do these changes and test them out, please let me know.
I simply need to know if changing all of those addresses to A9 04 makes the NES Theme play at all times, and if changing all of them to A9 08 makes the FDS Theme play at all times.

I only modified the ones in 0x19DD7 and 0x19DDC for the patches, but probably ignoring the other addresses is what's still making the other track play.

[agrimes0]

Do you know how to Hex edit a ROM?
You can do it inside FCEUX itself if you use that.

So, I need the following changes done and tested in-game:
* At 0x02922 - A9 04 (For NES) / A9 08 (For FDS)
* At 0x19DD7 - A9 04 (For NES) / A9 08 (For FDS)
* At 0x19DDC - A9 04 (For NES) / A9 08 (For FDS)
* At 0x1FECB - A9 04 (For NES) / A9 08 (For FDS)
* At 0x1FED1 - A9 04 (For NES) / A9 08 (For FDS)

If anyone can do these changes and test them out, please let me know.
I simply need to know if changing all of those addresses to A9 04 makes the NES Theme play at all times, and if changing all of them to A9 08 makes the FDS Theme play at all times.

I only modified the ones in 0x19DD7 and 0x19DDC for the patches, but probably ignoring the other addresses is what's still making the other track play.

Truthfully, I don't know the first thing about hex editing or even where to begin. I'm a player, but not a hacker or programmer myself.
Sorry I can't be of more help. But if you or someone else makes those changes, I'll test it out.

[Cyneprepou4uk]

Use any free hex editor, HxD for example
https://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd/

Open your ROM file in it, then go to an address (usually Ctrl+G is a hotkey for GoTo)

At 0x02922 - A9 04 (For NES) / A9 08 (For FDS)

Put 0x02922 (or better 2922) in GoTo box, press Enter, and type necessary values at this offset. Do this for all the addresses list. Save the file and try to play it.

[agrimes0]

IT WORKED!

Thanks guys!

[ShadowOne333]

IT WORKED!

Thanks guys!

Which addresses did you end up changing?

[agrimes0]

Which addresses did you end up changing?

0x02922
0x19DDC
0x1FED1