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Jester's Challenge

Discussion in 'Engineering & Reverse Engineering' started by MarkeyJester, Dec 7, 2010.

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  1. MarkeyJester

    MarkeyJester

    Original, No substitute Resident Jester
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    <div align='center'>[​IMG]</div>

    Sometime early this year, SonicVaan kept complaining about his boredom, it got to a point where he mentioned it every 2 minutes, so I started a small rom hack that would feature a maze like level for him to play around with, it began as a simple rom which extended into one of several proof of concepts, mainly graphical stuff you don't see in many hacks of today (yet?).

    Rather than sit here talking about it, I'll just leave a download link and that'll be it, enjoy!

    Code (Text):
    1.  Credits (As written in game too)
    2.  
    3. Concept/Ideas:
    4.  
    5. SonicVaan
    6. Irixion
    7. Selbi
    8.  
    9. Bug Testing:
    10.  
    11. SonicVaan
    12. DalekSam
    13. theocas
    14. SOTI
    15.  
    16. Special Music Thanks:
    17.  
    18. Tweaker
    If you notice any bugs, then you'll be right in guessing that this was partly rushed =P
     
  2. Spanner

    Spanner

    The Tool Member
    This is a very innovative and unique hack which is very different than your usual running through loop-de-loop stuff. A lot of great implementations and the music is beautiful. Enjoy playing it! By the way, I do like the end...
     
  3. Hanoch

    Hanoch

    Also known as TheKnock, Birashot Member
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    I was waiting for a maplestory patch to finish (they seriously suck at scheduling their times) so I played this for a while. My leg went nom.

    + - Also "Just Fucking with ya?" Fuck you! :(  
     
  4. Hayate

    Hayate

    Tech Member
    Argh ;_;

    I got to a corridor with a sign below saying "You're almost there, gogogo" but then I spent the next 10 minutes running round in circles so I gave up :\

    My fingers and eyes hurt...

    ...Having said that, I do love this hack, especially in a technical sense. <3
     
  5. Sonic 65

    Sonic 65

    Tech Member
    I'm awed. At, well, almost every single thing in this hack. From the level design itself, to the technical effects (layout changes, multi-layer background parallax, different deformations and tilesets for different parts of the level, etc.), to the new objects and object modifications (Markey, the new monitors, Ice Sonic, etc.), and the PCM music, this is ingenious even if it's just a proof of concept. Only thing that's really lacking is the tileset itself (and even then it's not an eyesore or anything, just a bit bland).

    Nice work! :D
     
  6. Hayate

    Hayate

    Tech Member
    Essentially what I would have said if my mind wasn't completely blank from being "OMG HACKING RESULTS COMING OUT ANY MINUTE NOW" :v:
     
  7. nineko

    nineko

    I am the Holy Cat Tech Member
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    + - So I'm "far far from the exit" but apparently all the paths are closed. I guess I should restart and trigger different switches.  

    Edit:

    + - FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU I found the exit, but I died.  

    But seriously this is awesome.
     
  8. Ollie

    Ollie

    DIGGY DIGGY HOLE Member
    Just completed it, in some parts it's frustrating but the art and music was every enjoyable to keep me going trying to crack the maze. I'm glad that the boss wasn't too difficult and in fact very enjoyable to beat!

    I enjoyed that for sure, awesome stuff as always MarkeyJester!
     
  9. Andlabs

    Andlabs

    「いっきまーす」 Wiki Sysop
    2,175
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    Writing my own MD/Genesis sound driver :D
    This is actually pretty nice and distracting; good job! Though I do have one question: is the music just a series of DAC samples played together? I know some more archaic emulators (read: PowerPC Macs; people like me with Intel Macs can just run Kega or Gens/GS II but people who are stuck on PPC Land...) don't play DAC samples properly so there might be timing issues (I've run across a few). You'd probably be better off using a long string of raw PCM like with Sonic 65's drivers (or I could write one up quick; which would just require removing all the Z80 locking from the game and the DAC channel playback routine from the SMPS code).
     
  10. Cinossu

    Cinossu

    Administrator
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    Sonic the Hedgehog Extended Edition
    fffFFFFFFFFFFFFF why didn't I savestate when I got to the boss. D:

    Awesome stuff. Where are the musics from?
     
  11. Alriightyman

    Alriightyman

    I am back... from the dead! Tech Member
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    Somewhere in hot, death Florida
    0101001101101111011011100110100101100011 00000010: 0101001100000011 01000101011001000110100101110100011010010110111101101110
    I'd like to know this as well.

    Very cool! I really like the backgrounds!
    Great job! :thumbsup:
     
  12. Jaseman

    Jaseman

    The programmer has a nap! Hold out! Programmer! Member
    954
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    That was difficult but fun. Could have been slightly more challenging, but if it were I'd be ripping my hair out!
     
  13. Banoon

    Banoon

    yes Member
    577
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    Auckland, New Zealand
    Yeth (hack)
    This is the greatest hack ever made.

    Too bad it's so hard I can't beat it ;_;
     
  14. Rika Chou

    Rika Chou

    Tech Member
    5,276
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    I really love this. Everything about it is wonderful. Seriously, everything about this is amazing to me. The music, art, background effects, dynamic layout, that new monitor, the palette effects...everything. It has kind of an Ecco feel to me.

    You're horrible for making me play this and getting me so mad.


    :D
     
  15. Beat the maze. Died at the boss.


    D:
     
  16. Mercury

    Mercury

    His Name Is Sonic Tech Member
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    This is the greatest thing ever!

    Something about how the music, art, graphical effects, and confusing layout all come together creates a great mood. Mood is something I miss in most hacks - they usually feel like hacks, with bits from here and there that don't really add up. But I got "lost" in this (pardon the expression!) and actually reeled in surprise when I first went low enough to enter the "hellish" area. I could almost feel the heat!

    I know that the extent of my hacking achievements is taking some rings out of Sonic 1, so just about anything seems amazing to me, but the technical prowess here is astounding.

    Anyway, I had a lot of fun. :thumbsup:

    Oh, and the Jesters are sooo cute! I want to hug them!
     
  17. E-122-Psi

    E-122-Psi

    Member
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    Yay you got it finished. Quality project with a unique concept (how'd ya get that music on the MD soundchip?).

    Also hard as sin. I will foil this maze, Markey, mark my words.
     
  18. MarkeyJester

    MarkeyJester

    Original, No substitute Resident Jester
    2,200
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    Indeed it is yes, well spotted!

    The reason for this is insted of having an entire PCM track in the rom taking up space, they're in small samples that can be repeated and reused to make the tracks feel longer while keeping rom size down. Of course, if you would create a sounddriver that could do a better job of this (which knowing your work on sounddrivers, I think you could) then I'd certainly use it for future projects if any =)

    They're written in the credits screen at the end of the game, but I'll post them here anyway:

    Param Zone = By DJ Ron - Dangerous (Cannan Land)
    Param Zone ICE = By Toshio Shimizu and Tate Norio (Yasuo Yamate) - Last Resort (The Melting Pot)
    Invincible = By Ultraworld - Northern Piano (Hardcore Piano Mix) but "sorta" remixed by myself.
    Boss Theme = By Tweaker - created for the hack.
    Credits Theme = By Unknown - Fantazia 1992
     
  19. Overlord

    Overlord

    Now playable in Smash Bros Ultimate Moderator
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    Long-term happiness
    A very nice technical achievement, but I stopped finding it fun after the row of about 4 or 5 monitors switching the layers in a row cheated me out of what was likely the way to the boss. Another hour's play has failed to turn up the same spot, at which point I've given up. =| Haven't seen any of these signs people are talking about, either.

    Do the ice monitors actually DO anything apart from turn the level to ice? I'm guessing the B hint things just point to the nearest layer switch monitor rather than offer path hints, as well.
     
  20. neonsynth

    neonsynth

    Previously 'SonicVaan' Member
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    No, not really. Like Markey said, it's one of the proof of concept things. =P
     
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