Splatterhouse 3 - finding the time limits, and map data

[Penta Penguin]

The one thing I have been struggling to find in Splatterhouse 3, is the time limits for each stage, as well as the map data for each stage. I have gotten the Monster Data for each room in the stage, as well as the Misc/Nuisance Data, and the powerups you find on the floor. Because, I'd love to make the levels longer so that you pass by almost every room to get to the boss. Turns out that each room uses its own Monster RAM so I don't think you can have many combinations of monsters in there.

I do know that the Japanese version is different in attack strength and time limits too.

This is what I have done so far:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qYMqxTXl34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guQjNRDpRQY

[FAST6191]

If time limits are not obvious somewhere in level data (and many games do have things elsewhere entirely, some even using a pattern with level numbers rather than anything in the level data that is otherwise all encompassing) then make an infinite time cheat and work backwards from there with a debugger-- the value that seeds the initial value will at some level be related to what the ROM has in it somewhere.

Longer levels may or may not be tricky to accomplish and you might want to go for a secondary option of more bonus stages or teleports between aspects of the level depending upon how the game is coded (streaming level is one thing, whole level in RAM is another).

I have not played this in a long time so can't speak much to monster ram, however unique per area stuff can pose a problem in games like this.

For map data have you found it in RAM? Can you search for said same data in ROM?

[Penta Penguin]

I ended up deciding to load the RAM and went through a bit to find where the clock was. It didn't take long, turns out that the data was Hexadecimal (00 B4) being 3:00, for example. It also turns out that the timers to trigger the cutscenes for different levels is very close by, but there is such a gap between Stage 1's cutscene timers then stages 2,3,4,5. The reason why the Strange Zones don't have timers is because the data is FF FF FF FF, which disables it. Stage 1's starting timer data is 01 68 00 3C, to which 01 68 is a 6 minute timer.

I'll have a look tomorrow to see if I can find the map data, could be tricky, but the more data I find, the easier it'll be that I come across it.