Gameboy Color DX Hacks (+GBC to GBA enhancement hacks)

[SegaMan89]

Some of those are already in progress:
- Donkey Kong ('94) DX (marc_max): https://twitter.com/marc_robledo/status/1610587640071393280?s=20&t=NBybDYLi6visPwHLOqcZVw
- Kirby's Dreamland 2 DX (kk_zero): https://twitter.com/kkzero2015/status/1611753090562015234
- Final Fantasy Adventure also has one in progress, but I can't remember where to find info about it, outside of earlier in this thread.

Operation C already has an autoboot hack:
- (Contra) Operation C (Autoboot hack): https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/3923/
- (You can also choose to use the 10 Lives Code hack on top of the above autoboot hack: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/3944/)

Hey that's really cool!  Thanks for letting me know!   

[MojoDodo]

I've started work on a very lazy hack for gargoyles quest that will turn on double speed, and a few other things needed to make the game run ok on the gbc.

It will be very rough, and the minimal work I can do to get it looking acceptable enough to release as a minimal gbc double speed hack for you.

Hopefully I should have something for you soon.

If so, the game Gargoyles Quest suffers from major slowdowns, which makes it almost unplayable by todays standards.
A colorization would be nice, for sure, but a speed fix would be the true "game changer" for this title.

Can anyone comment on this? Or does this speed fix mess with timers used (or potentially used) somewhere in the game?

[Jonathan H.]

Doublespeed mode will mess up clock timings and make tile writes fail if you don't account for the difference in timing but overall is just a parameter you need to set. It won't impact the frame rate or mess up for example timers counting down in game or once per frame or sound engines but it will mess up GB graphics modes and necessitate corrections to graphics writing routines.

The main thing though is that it is only available in GBC mode so it is a no brainer during colorization because you need to be messing with graphical routines (the thing most likely to break) anyway.

Thank you for the explanation.

I've started work on a very lazy hack for gargoyles quest that will turn on double speed, and a few other things needed to make the game run ok on the gbc.

It will be very rough, and the minimal work I can do to get it looking acceptable enough to release as a minimal gbc double speed hack for you.

Hopefully I should have something for you soon.

Wow, thank you. Very much appreciated

[Supergamerguy]

No problem! You can always check the first post in this thread for more info.

[Jonathan H.]

@MojoDodo
Just saw the patch for Gargoyle's Quest on the front page.
Thank you, that is incredibly nice of you
I'll let you know if I find some bugs caused by the patch.

edit:
Just played through the first Dungeon in original and you patch and the slowdowns are completely gone. The occur at the falling platforms, for example.
The sprite-flickering is, however, not affected by the speed hack.
But as I remember, the slowdowns were really annoying in the later game when more was going on. So this is a huge improvement

[Green Jerry]

I've found out FroggestSpirit (the author of Crazy Castle 2 DX) has submitted a noncompliant request to the original hack, along with another one to the level editor utility. If the noncompliant gets accepted, people will no longer be able to patch the Fluffy Repair Service addendum to the game, since it needs the original hack to be applied first.

[Supergamerguy]

I've found out FroggestSpirit (the author of Crazy Castle 2 DX) has submitted a noncompliant request to the original hack, along with another one to the level editor utility. If the noncompliant gets accepted, people will no longer be able to patch the Fluffy Repair Service addendum to the game, since it needs the original hack to be applied first.

That's a shame. I wonder why they submitted that request?

[kindlekat]

From the DX page, edited by FroggiestSpirit:

Edit: FroggestSpirit is no longer active in the hacking community, please do not email them

Maybe the author was unaware of the Fluffy patch though. Guess we better save the DX patch elsewhere.

[ShadowOne333]

There's still DX revised, and I believe the Fluffy Repair Service by minucce is compatible with it too, isn't it?

[kindlekat]

Crazy Castle II DX is affected
https://www.romhacking.net/?&page=hacks&genre=&platform=&game=1315&category=&perpage=20&order=&dir=&title=&author=&hacksearch=Go


not Kirby's Dream Land DX
https://www.romhacking.net/?&page=hacks&genre=&platform=&game=4279&category=&perpage=20&order=&dir=&title=&author=&hacksearch=Go

[Green Jerry]

The download links for Bugs Bunny's Crazy Castle II and Kirby's Dream Land DX fluffy repair service were removed. Their pages are still up, but you can no longer download them...

In the case of BBCC II, people can't play the fluffy repair service addendum because you can't download the original hack anymore.

And in the case of KDL, it says the reason RHDN is not allowed to host it anymore, and must've been caused by the recent policy changes. Because of this, people will be forced to play the original hack, with or without ShadowOne333's Revised addendum, with the flaws present in the original hack, such as the removed fade transitions.

[atpstudios]

Wait... so are you talking about that Bugs Bunny 2 GB hack that makes the DX version run on the real gameboy color? Because if thats gone then thats huge, if thats the case no one will be able to play it on a real gameboy color anymore! I have this so if anyone finds this post message me

[Green Jerry]

Wait... so are you talking about that Bugs Bunny 2 GB hack that makes the DX version run on the real gameboy color?

No, it's the original hack that had its download link removed. The fluffy repair service addedum link is still up, but I'm 100% sure it'll be removed soon, along with the download links of all his other hacks. The addendum is now useless because without the original hack, you can't play it with the addendum anymore.

[Supergamerguy]

The download links for Bugs Bunny's Crazy Castle II and Kirby's Dream Land DX fluffy repair service were removed. Their pages are still up, but you can no longer download them...

In the case of BBCC II, people can't play the fluffy repair service addendum because you can't download the original hack anymore.

And in the case of KDL, it says the reason RHDN is not allowed to host it anymore, and must've been caused by the recent policy changes. Because of this, people will be forced to play the original hack, with or without ShadowOne333's Revised addendum, with the flaws present in the original hack, such as the removed fade transitions.

I can't address the Crazy Castle 2 DX hack issue as of now, but I have updated the list and provided a way for people to play the complete edition, albeit without any way to have the Kirby's Adventure HUD, unfortunately.

[EvilJagaGenius]

Well, that's... frustrating.  Urg.  It looks like Minucce's Github page is also gone, so unless someone has clones of his repos before they went down, the source code for his hacks is also gone.  I have his Kirby and Crazy Castle hacks, but it appears uploading them would go against Minucce's wishes.  Just... frustrating.

Part of me is wondering if the best course of action here is to start new colorizations unbound by anyone else's permissions and release them under a GPL or MIT license so they can't be taken down.

[kindlekat]

Part of me is wondering if the best course of action here is to start new colorizations unbound by anyone else's permissions and release them under a GPL or MIT license so they can't be taken down.

Probably yes. But who has that much knowledge to restart something new?


An off-forum user (Pelkia) has the complete Minucce Github collection.
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Kirbys_Dream_Land_GB-Service_Repair_DX.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Ys_NES-Service_Repair.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Bugs_Bunny_Crazy_Castle_2_GB-Service_Repair_DX.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Legend_of_Zelda_NES-Service_Repair.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Road_Rash_GB-Service_Repair.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Legend_of_Xerd_GB-GBC_Compatible.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Dinothawr-2013-Walkthrough-main.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Konami_GB_Collection-autoboot_hacks.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/ys3_wip0.7z
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/ys2_wip0.7z
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/kirby_wip0.7z


And radimerry's (Radiant_Nighte) Github collection, before that went private (?)
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/boxxle2-gb-game-fixes.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/boxxle2-gb-hacks-catalog.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/snoopy-magic-show-gb-game-fixes.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/snoopy-magic-show-gb-hacks-catalog.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/space-invasion-gbc-game-fixes.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/mole-mania-game-fixes.zip


But not stratoform's Github for SMAS patches before that went dead.


Aside, that makes 15+ hackers now who seem to hate this place more than Satan.

I challenge you haters to takedown these source repos! I'll find someone to clone them to 1000 more places and waste your time! :Muahahaha:

I have his Kirby and Crazy Castle hacks, but it appears uploading them would go against Minucce's wishes.

Why hackers seem to stubbornly tilt anti-social without warning is beyond me atm. But peace to them - we'll move forward.


EDIT: Wait. Minucce released a Konami GBC autoboot collection?? Added that one above.


EDIT2: The Crazy Castle II DX hack. Thanks Pelkia!! for your help.  
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/BBCC2DX.zip
(provided until someone figures out what to do with this)


EDIT3: And if somehow they're not the true (100%-proof) authors of their works, we'll find out someday if someone stakes ownership.


EDIT4:
@Supergamerguy.

Snoopy's Magic Show DX by marc_max
- Addendum was created by the Radiant_Nighte (radimerry) but was recently delisted.
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/7093/
(see above repo list for recovered files)

It fixes tiny pixel color problems with a few cutscenes, micro-stutter and more importantly the ending color cycling from DMG's ending.

(I'm assuming that's the correct cycling but who knows.)

[SuperStarFox]

Probably yes. But who has that much knowledge to restart something new?


An off-forum user (Pelkia) has the complete Minucce Github collection.
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Kirbys_Dream_Land_GB-Service_Repair_DX.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Ys_NES-Service_Repair.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Bugs_Bunny_Crazy_Castle_2_GB-Service_Repair_DX.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Legend_of_Zelda_NES-Service_Repair.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Road_Rash_GB-Service_Repair.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Legend_of_Xerd_GB-GBC_Compatible.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Dinothawr-2013-Walkthrough-main.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/Konami_GB_Collection-autoboot_hacks.zip


And radimerry's (Radiant_Nighte) Github collection, before that went private (?)
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/boxxle2-gb-game-fixes.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/boxxle2-gb-hacks-catalog.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/snoopy-magic-show-gb-game-fixes.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/snoopy-magic-show-gb-hacks-catalog.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/space-invasion-gbc-game-fixes.zip
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/mole-mania-game-fixes.zip


But not stratoform's Github for SMAS patches before that went dead.


Aside, that makes 15+ hackers now who seem to hate this place more than Satan.

I challenge you haters to takedown these source repos! I'll find someone to clone them to 1000 more places and waste your time! :Muahahaha:


Why hackers seem to stubbornly tilt anti-social without warning is beyond me atm. But peace to them - we'll move forward.


EDIT: Wait. Minucce released a Konami GBC autoboot collection?? Added that one above.


EDIT2: The Crazy Castle II DX hack. Thanks Pelkia!! for your help.  
http://www.bwass.org/bucket/BBCC2DX.zip
(provided until someone figures out what to do with this)


EDIT3: And if somehow they're not the true (100%-proof) authors of their works, we'll find out someday if someone stakes ownership.


EDIT4:
@Supergamerguy.

Snoopy's Magic Show DX by marc_max
- Addendum was created by the Radiant_Nighte (radimerry) but was recently delisted.
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/7093/
(see above repo list for recovered files)

It fixes tiny pixel color problems with a few cutscenes, micro-stutter and more importantly the ending color cycling from DMG's ending.

(I'm assuming that's the correct cycling but who knows.)

Good thing you guys were able to download all those fluffy repair service hacks. Hopefully the creator of those hacks will understand about this.

[kindlekat]

Good thing you guys were able to download all those fluffy repair service hacks. Hopefully the creator of those hacks will understand about this.

Hoarders are good people.
(Despite my intentionally raucous vomit-inducing behavior, I haven't been flamed yet; so for now I take it that the turbulence is over)


Some more "The Minucce Yard" files were recovered by others - the wip Ys 2/3 and Kirby's Adventure files. Added to above post.

[EvilJagaGenius]

All things considered I would rather stay on Minucce's good side; he was very helpful and contributed some crucial fixes to Jagoomba.  I'd be more than happy to download his works from wherever else he decides to host them, but it looks like he's nigh-vanished from the Internet.

It looks like the source code survived in those backups though, which is what I was most concerned about.  IPS patches can be recreated, source code can't.  I saw this comment in the KDL folder:

Code Select Expand

Code should be used only for educational, documentation and modding purposesHopefully it can still continue to serve in that capacity.  I certainly learned from Minucce's code.

[tc]

Well, that's... frustrating.  Urg.  It looks like Minucce's Github page is also gone, so unless someone has clones of his repos before they went down, the source code for his hacks is also gone.  I have his Kirby and Crazy Castle hacks, but it appears uploading them would go against Minucce's wishes.  Just... frustrating.

Part of me is wondering if the best course of action here is to start new colorizations unbound by anyone else's permissions and release them under a GPL or MIT license so they can't be taken down.

How puzzling. The readmes for most of these hacks don't specify any license or permissions, not even whether redistribution is allowed.

But it can be argued if the author disapproves of the new policy, taking the patches down is their recourse.