Anyone Interested in Doing "SMB Special" for NES?

[Karatorian]

Well, if you read the legal info in the README, you'd see that the permissions granted are pretty broad. Most of the code is copyright Nintendo, of course. New code is (mostly) written by me and LGPL'd. So feel free to release it if you want. Although, I'd really appreciate it if the RHDN credit was restored. Me and frantic decided to use that in lieu of a group name or individual credits, and it's a little disappointing to see it stripped out.

Also, at some point I want to hack in scrolling end credits like the original SMBS. There's lots of PRG space to do it in, so it's just a matter of translating and stuff. I suppose your hacks where done the old fashioned way (hex editors, etc.)? I'd be interested in converting you and Messatu's changes over to ASM, so then I could integrate them cleanly into the full source releases (as compile time options perhaps).

[Vanya]

I fully support integration of the changes Messatu did (Except the palettes) and the restoration of the RHDN credit.

[TRIFORCE89]

Well, if you read the legal info in the README, you'd see that the permissions granted are pretty broad. Most of the code is copyright Nintendo, of course. New code is (mostly) written by me and LGPL'd. So feel free to release it if you want. Although, I'd really appreciate it if the RHDN credit was restored. Me and frantic decided to use that in lieu of a group name or individual credits, and it's a little disappointing to see it stripped out.

Also, at some point I want to hack in scrolling end credits like the original SMBS. There's lots of PRG space to do it in, so it's just a matter of translating and stuff. I suppose your hacks where done the old fashioned way (hex editors, etc.)? I'd be interested in converting you and Messatu's changes over to ASM, so then I could integrate them cleanly into the full source releases (as compile time options perhaps).

Yeah, hex editor for palette restoration and the TileLayerPro and YY-Chr for the graphics restoration (and eventual conversion to SMB2j-tiles and the smiling Starman).

I've played your hack in full (thoroughly enjoyed it). Mine... I've only play-tested the first world. So, I should probably play the whole thing to make sure no graphics look out of place.

I fully support integration of the changes Messatu did (Except the palettes) and the restoration of the RHDN credit.

Palettes and graphics. Everything also looks "dotted" in his version.

[Vanya]

Palettes and graphics. Everything also looks "dotted" in his version.

Yeah, drop that too.

[Karatorian]

What's "dotted"?

I'm thinking that with a little creativity, I could include both palettes and provide some means of switching between them. This would probably have to be at the title screen, but it might be possible on the pause screen or level start screens as well.

What are the actual graphics differences between SMB and SMB2 (JP, of course)?

[Vanya]

By dotted it is meant that some of the graphics have two dithered colors instead of a third color.

Here's a map of the Sharp X1 version:
http://vgmaps.com/Atlas/X1/SuperMarioBrosSpecial-World1-1.png

Look at the pipes & mountains

[Karatorian]

Oh. If he'd have said dithered in the first place, I'd known what that was. While dithering has it's uses, if it's not necessary, it's use serves no real function. And the map you linked to is an example of how it can look particularly bad.

[TRIFORCE89]

Fine, "dithered". Like on the hill here:



As for SMB2j Here's a sprite sheet:


I went for a hybrid-approach based on All-Night Nippon Super Mario Bros., but without the night-time setting and DJs. So, some SMB2j tiles but not the full set. Like the hill and bricks are still from SMB for instance. http://www.mfgg.net/index.php?act=resdb&param=02&c=1&id=12125 Plus the Peach from SMB2j because it looks like her DJ replacement in All-Night Nippon was based on that version

Also, Smiling Starman:

[dudekindjack]

isnt their a older hack that has the mario special levels in it?  not sure on pallets

im pretty sure i have the older hack of this somewhere if anyone needs a ips of it

[MathUser2929]

I submitted messatsus hack to the main site as it is superior to the 1.0 version. I hope it is accepted I understand it will be it's own thing once and obsolete if a new version of the original hack is released. I made a new ips patch that can be applied without first using the SMB Special patch.

Good work on the hacks you guys! I love them!

[TRIFORCE89]

I finally got around to play-testing my palette restoration and graphics improvement for Messatu's version. To reiterate, it restores the original NES colours and borrows graphics from "All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros." (essentially, whatever was used there that was taken from SMB2j) and gives the Starman a smile like in the Sharp games.

Happy to report that I didn't screw anything up. However, I do have a few issues. Basically, I'm having problems with the underwater stages. Namely:
- The sky and water are the same color blue. They should be different. This only applies when underwater. In overworld stages, the sky and waves are different colours and displaying correctly
- Underwater blocks (like in World 7-2) are either blue or transparent. I think they're supposed to be their usual yellow/orange?
- Strange floor pattern in underwater area of World 8-2. Kinda looks like the castle stage tile, but green.

Not sure if these are errors on my part or if they were in the original patch or Messatu's. So, if anyone would like to finish this patch off, I'd be much obliged.

Other than the above, I encountered no issues. Nothing looked out of place. I didn't glitch anything up. Played through every level in the game.

(If you're wondering why the IPS filename is "Mario's Adventure", it's just keeping within how the theme of special yet obscure. Levels from Special, graphics from ANNSMB, name from the original subtitle of VS. Super Mario Bros.. But this doesn't show up on the title screen or anywhere. It's just differentiate it as a file from the other two versions)

EDIT... I was using this resource to restore the palettes: http://www.freewebs.com/insectduel/Smb1PAL.htm

[MathUser2929]

http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/1011/

The hack was accepted on the site. I didn't understand this part in messatsus post "Ending message. The Hudson soft was dispersed. It corrected to the message for which HUDSON is appreciated." and haven't played all the way through the game yet so left what he said as is. If anyone knows what he really meant please edit the hack page. Thanks.

[TRIFORCE89]

Having just played through 8-4 yesterday as I playtested my variation of the hack, I think he's referring to how the ending screen how reads:

"THANK YOU MARIO!

YOU CLEARED EVERY WORLD
YOU ARE THE GREATEST PLAYER

2012.3.1 BYE BYE HUDSON
THANK YOU FOREVER"

So, Hudson is mentioned there at the ending. Don't know what 2012.3.1 is though

Also, I had no idea he added a level select. Would love to see that on the actual SMB game

[KingMike]

Was that the day Konami officially dissolved Hudson?

[MathUser2929]

Yes it was.
November 29, 2012, 10:20:12 AM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
http://www.thenesdump.com/screen%20shot%20pages/Hacked/super%20mario%20bros%20special.htm

Don't know if this was mentioned but your ROM hack is a repro. Maybe you should buy yourself a copy.

[TRIFORCE89]

Tried exploring the underwater issues in my version. I'm still stumped with my newbie skills. Did anyone explore it?

EDIT: Nevermind. Apparently, not an issue on my part. Looked a YouTube playthrough of Karatorian's original patch and all those underwater "issues" are the same. So, I'm just going to leave them

[Superjustinbros]

The NES-X1 version is not perfect, but a much closer representation. It still misses the palettes for underground and castle levels, and in the actual SMBS, the tips of the upside-down pipes use the same graphics as the ones facing upwards (something that would be done in all the main Mario games up to Super Mario World).

Memory expanding and proper ASM hacking and we'll have all the SMBS exclusives in this ROM hack.

[Jorpho]

The NES-X1 version is not perfect, but a much closer representation. It still misses the palettes for underground and castle levels, and in the actual SMBS, the tips of the upside-down pipes use the same graphics as the ones facing upwards (something that would be done in all the main Mario games up to Super Mario World).

Memory expanding and proper ASM hacking and we'll have all the SMBS exclusives in this ROM hack.

Features like the crabs, hammer, and barrels are a long way off, I think.

[SMB2J-2Q]

I feel I must resurrect this thread as to ask you about this:

Regarding World 8-2 in SMBS, the intro screen has a short gap that you must jump over (unlike the pipe intro screens for Worlds 1-2, 2-2, 3-1, 4-2 and 8-3) to get to the pipe leading to the water stage.

I'm wondering: how can you folks change the code as to trigger Mario to automatically jump over that small gap in this intro screen while he walks to the pipe?

Thank you,



Ben

[SMB2J-2Q]

BUMP (1-25-2015)

I am resurrecting this thread yet again for a possible re-updating of the NES hack.

The reason I am resurrecting this post is because on YouTube, a user named "Kevin Smith" has uploaded an entire (world-by-world) playthrough of the Sharp X1 version of SMB Special.

Here's World 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F89pAGVYe90

I'm hoping you can pay attention to all these videos so that people like Karatorian and Frantik can learn from them for future programming updates to the NES hack.

Thank you,



Benjamin Edge (SMB2J-2Q)