SMB2 - Super Beatles - Pepperland

[NesDraug]

So, this is my dream for many years. I already mentioned it in the Hack Ideas thread but I thought I'd give it a go.

This is how far i've got. The character select screen is ok... but gosh. Those graphics. Such a hard game to hack!






UPDATE (2019-02-21):
Unfinished DEMO 01:
REMOVED Rom: Super Mario Bros. 2 (U) (PRG0) [!]

UPDATE (2020-03-16):
No new levels, music test:
Unfinished DEMO 02:
REMOVED

UPDATE (2021-10-12):
The game is pretty much finished and will be released any day now.

UPDATE (2021-11-03)

LINK: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/6311/

[Orochi Kusanagi]

Such a charming idea. I never thought I'd see a Beatles NES hack. 

[Teeporage777]

lmao so cool

[NesDraug]

What are my chances of changing all the music into beatles tunes?

I guess I have to hex edit (a lot). Will this rom map help?

https://datacrystal.romhacking.net/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros._2:ROM_map

I've never done music hacking before. But I always wanted to learn. All I know is that it's very time consuming and almost impossible.

Would I be better off hacking Super Mario All Stars? I heard music hacking is easier on the SNES.
January 15, 2019, 04:16:10 PM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
Ok. So thanks to the ROM map I managed to corrupt the music in the selection screen, main theme and subspace. I just went to the music adress and changes a bunch of numbers.

I didn't sound like The Beatles but now I know WHERE the music is!

I guess I have to compose 8bit renditions of Beatles songs in Famitracker and somehow put in the code. Seem like a lot of work... like... months.

Anyways what songs should I try to put in?


Yellow Submarine is a must. Perhaps I'll stick to some of the songs from The Yellow Submarine Soundtrack Album.

Yellow Submarine - Main Theme
Hey Bulldog - Underground.
All you need is love - Ending.

What else?

[jimstrom]

"Eleanor Rigby" would be a good boss song.

And maybe "Get Back" as the choose your character song?

[Jorpho]

All I know is that it's very time consuming and almost impossible.

Would I be better off hacking Super Mario All Stars? I heard music hacking is easier on the SNES.

The Super Mario World music engine specifically is very well-documented at this point, but that's the only thing that makes it easier.  I think I read something once about how it's possible to force other games in SMAS+SMW to use the SMW engine instead, but that might have been random speculation.

As is often the case, if you can't find any indication that anyone has ever done this kind of music-hacking before, it is indeed going to be almost impossible.  You might want to look into that some more before you get too deep into Famitracker.

(On that note, there are surely MIDI versions of most Beetles songs floating around out there that could be adapted with some ease.)

[chillyfeez]

I think you have to go with the Sgt. Pepper title track for the character select screen.

Personally, I'm partial to Magical Mystery Tour. Fool on the Hill, Your Mother Should Know, Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane all seem like solid choices for videogame music.

[NesDraug]

Ok, I've taken your suggestions into account and I think this will be a good soundtrack.

Intro - Magical Mystery Tour
Selection - Sgt. Pepper's...
Overworld - Yellow Submarine
Subspace - Penny Lane
Underworld - Hey Bulldog
Bonus Game Start - It's all too much 1
Death - It's all too much 2
Bonus Game Win - It's all too much 3
Game Over - Strawberry Fields
Star - Sgt. Pepper (Reprise)
Boss - Eleanor Rigby
Wart - Fool on the hill
Boss Beaten - Fool on the hill Outro
Ending - All You Need Is Love

[jimstrom]

That is an awesome soundtrack if it can be pulled off.

[Jorpho]

I forgot to mention that it is also reasonably easy to make an "MSU-1" hack in a SNES game.  Instead of reverse-engineering the whole sound engine, you just cut out the existing music entirely and insert a single instruction that says "start playing this external sound file".  (Or that's my understanding, at least.)  In fact, you could even use the original Beatles music!

But I have to admit fighting something resembling Birdo while an 8-bit version of Eleanor Rigby burbles in the background it quite appealing.

[NesDraug]

I found a 8-bit version of the Yellow Submarine soundtrack. Could be used for reference or inspiration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbMDby5PMRA


Yeah, I think I want to try this on the NES.
I'm having second thoughts about the tracklist. Perhaps I should stick to the Yellow Submarine soundtrack...

Alternative 2:
Intro - With a little help from my friends
Selection - Sgt. Pepper's...
Overworld - Yellow Submarine
Subspace - Nowhere Man
Underworld - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Chorus)
Bonus Game Start - It's all too much 1
Death - It's all too much 2
Bonus Game Win - It's All Too Much 3
Game Over - All Together now
Star - Sgt. Pepper (Reprise)
Boss - Eleanor Rigby
Wart - Hey Bulldog
Boss Beaten - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds  (intro)
Ending - All You Need Is Love

[chillyfeez]

Any plans to change the enemy sprites, too? Seems only fitting for them to be fighting Blue Meanies.

[NesDraug]

Any plans to change the enemy sprites, too? Seems only fitting for them to be fighting Blue Meanies.

And lawyers. 

Perhaps even the Taxman.

But in all seriousness, there should be blue meanies and perhaps... Octopuses? Submarines? 

[chillyfeez]

Yoko?

[jimstrom]

Maybe Fryguy could be edited into the Flying Glove.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5e/82/7c/5e827c83ac265492dc4c9bb09c96f3c6.png

Also the Blue Meanie had a really weird army

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e3wnSX7Ev7g/UHddN7r5BcI/AAAAAAAALtY/g9btYrJGKVU/s1600/Blue+Meanies+Vexilloids+from+the+Yellow+Submarine+intro+1986.jpg

https://www.slanted.de/sites/default/files/beitraege/941/Yellow_submarine_adventure_meanies.jpg

[Avicalendriya]

.

[RetroGameFan]

Please don't!

Why not? Because Yoko married John Lennon?

[Avicalendriya]

.

[chillyfeez]

No, I meant as one of the bosses (but I was kind of joking)

[Avicalendriya]

.