fran
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:46 am

Hack Ninja Gaiden Arcade (1988 Original) for MAME

Hello,
I wanted to learn how to hack the Ninja Gaiden Arcade game (the original from 1988) for MAME. I'm trying it with the shadoww.zip version (Shadow Warriors (World, set 1).
My intention is to modify the graphics of the game.
Can you help me to know what programs I need and how to do it?
I am testing with Tile Molester and I have managed to visualize some sprites, but not complete ones. Like for example the sprite sequence of when he walks, jumps, runs, etc.
The palette in Tile Molester also looks bad. I have seen in some tutorial how from the Palette> Import from> This file option, the Offset and Size options make the color palette look good.
I extracted some tiles with mame0172b_64bit but they are divided and I don't know how to see Ryu Hayabusa in full to edit those tiles. I also don't know how to insert them back into the rom.
I have no knowledge of how to hack a rom.
I appreciate the help in advance.
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Tafoid
Posts: 351
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2014 12:50 pm
Location: USA
Contact: Website

Re: Hack Ninja Gaiden Arcade (1988 Original) for MAME

fran wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 3:42 pm Hello,
I wanted to learn how to hack the Ninja Gaiden Arcade game (the original from 1988) for MAME. I'm trying it with the shadoww.zip version (Shadow Warriors (World, set 1).
My intention is to modify the graphics of the game.
Can you help me to know what programs I need and how to do it?
I am testing with Tile Molester and I have managed to visualize some sprites, but not complete ones. Like for example the sprite sequence of when he walks, jumps, runs, etc.
The palette in Tile Molester also looks bad. I have seen in some tutorial how from the Palette> Import from> This file option, the Offset and Size options make the color palette look good.
I extracted some tiles with mame0172b_64bit but they are divided and I don't know how to see Ryu Hayabusa in full to edit those tiles. I also don't know how to insert them back into the rom.
I have no knowledge of how to hack a rom.
I appreciate the help in advance.

I can only suggest you attempt to use the latest version released if you intend to use MAME's tools at all as the latest will include the most knowledge of the original game. The tasks you mention are beyond something that someone can simply teach via a forum. It sounds like you have discovered the F4 (Decoded Graphics View) option in MAME which many machines utilize to display graphic decode, tilemap and palette loaded into graphics memory. You have an integrated debugger (-debug) which also may help, provided you know how machines function. Beyond that, you need to examine the source files to determine what location in memory these graphics resides and what files in the romset are used for graphics and further details on how they are displayed/presented. Hacking graphics is not a trivial task, in the end. Google may be your best friend in searching for rom hacking howto information.
fran
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:46 am

Re: Hack Ninja Gaiden Arcade (1988 Original) for MAME

Which debbug version of MAME do you advise me?

Do you know how I can export and create a palette from MAME?

Thanks!
fran
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:46 am

Re: Hack Ninja Gaiden Arcade (1988 Original) for MAME

How is it possible that with how big the internet is, no one has made a tutorial to hack MAME roms with Ninja Gaiden?
This game was hacked a long time ago. The result was Dragon Bowl:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxuIKgEVmCY
Doesn't anyone really have the knowledge to help me?
Forgive for my despair.
mhoes
Posts: 186
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2016 12:26 pm

Re: Hack Ninja Gaiden Arcade (1988 Original) for MAME

fran wrote: Tue Dec 14, 2021 10:14 am Which debbug version of MAME do you advise me?

Do you know how I can export and create a palette from MAME?

Thanks!
It is advised you use the latest version of MAME available at : https://www.mamedev.org/

You can launch the the debugger by starting MAME like this:

Code: Select all

mame -debug pacman
mhoes
Posts: 186
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2016 12:26 pm

Re: Hack Ninja Gaiden Arcade (1988 Original) for MAME

fran wrote: Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:49 pm How is it possible that with how big the internet is, no one has made a tutorial to hack MAME roms with Ninja Gaiden?
This game was hacked a long time ago. The result was Dragon Bowl:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxuIKgEVmCY
Doesn't anyone really have the knowledge to help me?
Forgive for my despair.
There used to be a website that had some articles on how to learn the basics of the MAME debugger. Luckily it's archived by the Internet Wayback Machine / archive.org over here.

https://web.archive.org/web/20161106154 ... com/?p=338
fran
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:46 am

Re: Hack Ninja Gaiden Arcade (1988 Original) for MAME

Hello,
I would like to ask one more question about Ninja Gaiden Arcade for MAME.
The data for the Ninja Gaiden paddle is located somewhere in the program's ROM and is written to WorkRAM before being later copied to the paddle's RAM.
Could you explain to me how all this happens and be able to work backwards? And how to use the MAME debugger to find out where the palette data is located in the ROM?
Thanks!

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