FF IV,V,VI SNES - Adding GBA/PSP remakes bonus content...

[8.bit.fan]

Hi Everyone!
Recently I've been playing lots of FF4/5/6 hacks and just right now doing a Perfect-Game run on FF5. I am having a blast with these and I marvel at the extent to some of these hacks and the capabilities of some of the editors for these games.

So I was wondering, would it be feasible or even possible to hack these games to add the extra/bonus content from their GBA/PSP counterparts back to their original SNES versions? I know pinkpuff's FF4 editor ff4kster is capable of some incredible things but would it be possible to add all that bonus content from the GBA version and cram it all in the SNES rom?

Thanks in advance!

8-bit fan

[Squall_FF8]

Isn't easier to just play GBA versions? They are superior to SNES and have not only bonus content but extra features like bestiality. 

[KingMike]

Issues like bugs in FF4 and awful ported music.

I think you mean "Beastiary".
Bestiality is... something VERY different.

[Kiyoshi Aman]

Disagree on the GBA ports being superior. This is only true of FFV--the bonus content in IV Advance is garbage and the graphics and audio are inferior in all three GBA ports.

[Kallisto]

I really hated how fragmented the extra content is from revision to revision when it came to FF6, and I still hope that one day there will be a hacker or team out there that will unify it all to one superior version.

SNES version being used as the base ever since MSU-1 became a thing.

1) FMVs turned into MSU-1 motion videos.
2) Extra Bosses and Dungeons from the GBA version
3) Upgraded Music
4) The Added Monster Book and extras
5) Changing FFIII Title to it's more appropriate Title as FFVI
6) Using the PS1 translation (I'm sorry but I'm not a fan of Ted Woolseyisms)
7) Uncensor the graphics and dialog

The other way being transferring the content from the GBA to the PS1 version which just saves all the trouble except I don't think it's possible to upgrade the music, and I don't know the circumstances of adding content to disc based game formats and what methods have to be used to do that. I mean I suppose it can be possible given that there was a team out there that upgraded the character models in FF7.

[Midna]

I think you mean the GBA translation, because the PS1 translation is more or less 1:1 with the SNES one, censorship and all. It's the only version of the game with 100% uncensored graphics, though; even the GBA port still has Siren's butt covered up and Chadarnook's woman form having more mist. (Don't ask me why the flasher in the pub is acceptable, but a little bare skin isn't.)

[Gemini]

Disagree on the GBA ports being superior. This is only true of FFV--the bonus content in IV Advance is garbage and the graphics and audio are inferior in all three GBA ports.

Well, it it kinda true with FF4 and 5, since they have updated graphics for the ugly-ass backgrounds and 16 colors for everything on 4. With sound patches and reduced lag they are pretty decent, despite FF4 having the worst extras ever.

[Xaliphe]

Well, it it kinda true with FF4 and 5, since they have updated graphics for the ugly-ass backgrounds and 16 colors for everything on 4. With sound patches and reduced lag they are pretty decent, despite FF4 having the worst extras ever.

Yea. 6 is the only one that really suffers and even with the sound patch the sound is subpar and it's still laggy compared to the SNES version. And with 5 I actually like the GBA soundtrack (and I think the battle backgrounds are way better) but use the sound restoration for it's lag fixes. If only there was a fix for just the lag. lol

[Squall_FF8]

I think you mean "Beastiary".
Bestiality is... something VERY different.

Sorry, yes, I mean bestiary. I shouldn't right answers at 3 a.m 

[Kallisto]

Personally I think the best route to take is simply stick with the SNES version, but with the cool recent patches. Have the FMVs in your HD just to watch before and after you finish the game.

Though I wouldn't think modding the game is strictly limited if Tomato herself could pull off a huge game of her own, so maybe one day someone will try to throw in the GBA stuff later. As immensely popular that game is to be romhacked I'm surprised it has not been done at all, and I'm starting to wonder if there was another reason that isn't a technological one.

[Chronosplit]

I kinda feel like the FFIV content would be the hardest to put in.  Whereas the other postgame dungeons are based off of concepts already used in the game, IV's does this random dungeon floor setup which isn't present anywhere.  There also tend to be harder limits in IV (luckily, not as much text resides in the ruins) so on top of adding in everything you'd probably have to bypass those somehow.

[Madsiur]

I kinda feel like the FFIV content would be the hardest to put in.  Whereas the other postgame dungeons are based off of concepts already used in the game, IV's does this random dungeon floor setup which isn't present anywhere.  There also tend to be harder limits in IV (luckily, not as much text resides in the ruins) so on top of adding in everything you'd probably have to bypass those somehow.

I think FF4T Edition implemented the existing 16bpp overhaul, a new dungeon and end game / post-game recruit options among other things. The readme is all in Japanese but this is what I remember from someone telling he had read it.

[Swordmaster]

   I had no idea there was an FF4 T-Edition.  If it's anything like FF6 T-Edition... I really wish someone could translate these wonderful mods.  ::sigh::

[Squall_FF8]

Sorry what is this T-edition?

[ShadowOne333]

The point about the GBA ports having inferior music is mute at this point.
Bregalad made sound restoration patches to all FF GBA ports, from IV to VI, so that shouldn't be an excuse anymore.

FF IV: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/969/
FF V: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/563/
FF VI: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/657/

[Swordmaster]

Sorry what is this T-edition?

FF4 T-Edition and FF6 T-Edition are extensive mods to their respective games by a Japanese ROM hacker known as tsushiy.  The games' plots are kept mostly (if not all) intact.  But there are many, many additions (side quests, extra equipment, extra music, etc.) along with bug fixes and rebalancing.  In the case of FF4, the monster sprites were updated to the 16-color palette of the GBA version.

https://ux.getuploader.com/tsushiy/

[8.bit.fan]

Thanks Everyone for your replies and pitching in ideas!

Also, I believe for 'FF5: The Ancient Cave', the hacker already added the extra weapons, armors, items etc. to the game. I think their original intent was to also include the 4 extra classes from the GBA version as well but ran out of time or something. So for FF5, all the hacker has to do is to add the bonus dungeons! And as mentioned, the dungeons use assets that area already part of the vanilla game so it shouldn't be too hard for an experienced hacker.

[Squall_FF8]

So for FF5, all the hacker has to do is to add the bonus dungeons! And as mentioned, the dungeons use assets that area already part of the vanilla game so it shouldn't be too hard for an experienced hacker.

Actually it is not that simple ... at all!

FF5 for SNES has many hard-coded limitations that are not visible to the player and probably are know only by few dedicated researchers:
- 512 possible battles (aka enemy formation) (vs 768 in GBA)
- only 7 monsters per formation and more: max 6 visible at the same time
- ONLY 256 normal enemies!
- total of 384 monsters (vs 728 in GBA)
- Damage formulas: 127, while GBA has 20 more. GBA damage formulas are not well researched.
- evasion only on shields
and so on ...

If I scratch my head a little I could probably multiply this list, but the points is: it is so hard, the change is so huge, so why even bother? There is nothing in SNES worth doing it!

On the contrary - if the legend is true (that FF5 Steam version contain and emulate GBA ROM) then its worth to improve GBA version 

[Rodimus Primal]

The only thing I'd really like to see added to the SNES Final Fantasy games is a Bestiary. Especially with VI where having it would be an extreme help in hunting for Rages.

[Swordmaster]

The only thing I'd really like to see added to the SNES Final Fantasy games is a Bestiary. Especially with VI where having it would be an extreme help in hunting for Rages.

That... would be epic.  Every Final Fantasy hack should contain this, if it is at all possible.  Also, I really like what they did with Final Fantasy Origins for Sony Playstation: showing the treasures found for each area, and how many there are remaining (depicted by "????").