Posts by Ben Boldt

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Please chime in on a proposed restructuring of the ROM hacking sections.

05-06-24 11:56 AM

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Ben Boldt

Posted on 03-12-17 05:31 PM, in Zelda - The Legend of Link (v3-12-20) Released (rev. 2 of 03-12-17 08:47 PM)

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Hello, I have a Just Breed cartridge that is in not so great cosmetic condition. This contains MMC5 hardware and I don't feel so bad to mod it in its condition. Also, Just Breed is quite unusual because it is held together with screws instead of plastic clips!

I am looking at putting in Legend of Link, along with the English translation of Just Breed, and also Metal Slader Glory (and maybe someday if Metal Slader Glory gets translated I can reflash it; I'm planning to reserve 1024k PRG and CHR just in case the patch is bigger.)

I am looking at putting in a bigger SRAM chip and assigning a section of it to each game so that they can all save. I have some 32kbyte hm62256blp chips that would be perfect, but I'm not exactly sure how much SRAM The Legend of Link needs.

In the 7-18-2016 Read-Me file that comes with the patch, it says it needs 8kbytes SRAM, but on romhacking.net, it says it needs 32kbytes:

http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/2136/

How much SRAM does this game actually use? Is there any particular portion of SRAM that needs to be nonvolatile while maybe a different section can be lost each time? (Not sure if that helps me anyway, but it would be interesting to know.)

Edit
Sorry I didn't read much in this thread before posting. It is a fairly huge thread and I didn't even try. I see now that 32k is required and that the instructions just hadn't been updated.

Could you post a memory map of the SRAM chip? It would be awesome to see what sections are nonvolatile, which parts are volatile W-RAM-only, and which parts (if any) are unused.

Do you have your game on a cartridge yet infidelity? I think we owe you an actual cart for this awesome game.

Ben Boldt

Posted on 03-15-17 01:05 AM, in Zelda - The Legend of Link (v3-12-20) Released (rev. 4 of 03-18-17 04:43 PM)

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That's okay, I just need a bigger RAM chip, or just 2 RAM chips if I want to do an MMC5 multicart. No problem.

I would seriously build a famicom cart for you with 4x AT49F040 in PLCC-32 sockets sticking out the back of the cart. (2 for PRG (total 1024kbytes), 2 for CHR (total 1024kbytes)) Of course I would program it with the latest version but it would be nice if you can update/modify it yourself later.

- Do you have an EEPROM programmer that you can reflash AT49F040 with? I use a cheap Willem.
- Do you have a Famicom? If not, do you have a Famicom to NES adapter + Game Genie? Just Breed is too long to work on its own with a Famicom to NES adapter in a front loader, it would need to hang out via Game Genie.
- Other people could pitch in an adapter and game genie for you if/when I provide a Legend of Link cart if you want it.
- The cartridge will automatically support expansion audio should you want to experiment or swap in a different game on the ROM chips. If you have an NES, it would need the capacitor + resistor added to use the expansion audio.

I think we need to be pretty serious about giving back to someone who does what you have done for the Famicom / NES here. You made our Nintendos do something totally new and that is awesome. I have done a number of cartridge mods, see some of my very first ones here:

http://www.d.umn.edu/~bold0070/projects/nes_carts/

Also:
http://www.d.umn.edu/~bold0070/projects/sunsoft_5b_fme7_audio/

I am good at it, and I will do it, I have all the parts and pieces. Just let me know if you are willing to accept it and allow me mail it to you.

Edit:
Not sure if/how PMs work here, but I have an account by the same name at romhacking.net. You can send me a PM there if you want. I would start another thread for progress updates on your cart so you and others could follow along and learn how to make their own.

Edit:
Looks like romhacking.net is having major problems and won't be back soon...

Ben Boldt

Posted on 04-07-17 01:36 AM, in Zelda - The Legend of Link (v3-12-20) Released

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I just wanted to share the pictures from when I made an MMC5 cartridge for infidelity for this, out of Just Breed. I put the latest version of the game onto this cartridge and it appears to run properly on a real NES and a real Famicom.

Infidelity still needs a Game Genie. He also needs a ROM burner that can burn AT49F040 in PLCC-32, if anyone would be willing to provide these things for him. And lastly, infidelity has only an NES, if anyone would be willing to provide a true Famicom.