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The 4th Annual Sonic "ROM Editing" Contest

Discussion in 'Engineering & Reverse Engineering' started by Ayla, Sep 1, 2005.

  1. Ayla

    Ayla

    I shat on your desk ^^ Oldbie
    1,759
    1
    16
    West Linn, OR
    Hacking Contest, StH Overlooked, Personal Indie game
    It's that time again already... because this year I'm acclerating the start of the contest to give more time to figure out what you want to focus on and so you have more time to procrastinate! =D You might be wondering about the name this year. "The 4th annual Sonic ROM Editing contest"... Well, this actually changed because of an argument with my fiancee, Candice. Candice is a computer "hacker" (you know... one of the EVIL people that breaks into your computer and steals your mhz). I went to the largest hacking convention in the world this year with her (called Defcon, for those who don't know of it) and she got pissy when I kept telling her I needed to finish the hacking contest. She claimed the term hacking was being used incorrectly, while I pointed out that originally we WERE reverse engineering the code by making random changes in the binary. Of course, she's right... we've progressed past hacking now. We have a lot of these games mapped out in binary information and 68K ASM... and ASM is the way of the future for this stuff. Of course, the real reason I'm doing this is so I don't have to listen to Candice nag me about it relentlessly =)

    I'm happy to say that after three years, I THINK I have the bugs ironed out on the contest. I've dropped trophies that I found bogged down things and have decided to simply write up the results from now on. If you desperately want to hear my voice, I'll give you some stupid little wave file of it and mock you relentlessly for being a freak =) Anyway, let's get down to business! =)


    PRIZES


    Just like every other year, there were no banners this past time <.< I'll just be straight up. I'm a lazy girl and my CGing skillz suck ASS. If ANYONE wants to help with this, e-mail me. Otherwise, you can feel special with a text trophy =D



    Hidden Palace Zone Trophy - Grand Prize Trophy
    Dust Hill Trophy ? Second place
    Wood Trophy ? third place
    Genocide City Trophy ? think you have a hard game or level? This award goes to the hardest game or level
    Amy Trophy ? this goes to the prettiest hack
    Rainbow Trophy ? this goes to the best palette hack
    Lava Reef Trophy ? this goes to the longest level hack
    Green Hill Trophy ? this goes to the level or game that plays most like a Sonic level or game
    Labyrinth Trophy ? most confusing level
    1337!!! Trophy ? worst Sonic hack
    1000101 Trophy ? best technical hack
    Windy Valley Trophy ? best art hack
    Mini Trophy - best handheld Sonic hack (SMS counts as it's portable to GG)
    Shadow Trophy ? best Hentai-based hack (that one's always going to stay. I lik teh pr0n)
    WTF?! Trophy ? most unique hack
    Piano Trophy - best musical hack
    The Sonic Hachelle-Bee Trophy - best level layout hack


    RULES


    1) You will have until 12:00 AM May 31st MST to get all of your hacks in to me.
    2) This time around, I will prefer an e-mailed ROM, however I will take IPS and savestates as well given THOROUGH documentation on the usage of the patch and/or savestate. In other words, I want to be able to fucking understand how to use the patch and what game you hacked. I would really, really like it, though, if you'd send me a ROM or the full program =)
    3) There are no limits on editors. Use as many as you want.
    4) New Trophies may be added on during the contest
    5) Entries may be sent in for any console, though you'll have to tell me what it is. REMEMBER THIS. I don't care if it's Atari, it counts ~.^
    6) You may reach me at [email protected]'lleatyourliver (if you can't tell what parts of that to get rid of, you're too stupid to send me a hack anyway) for questions and for sending hacks.
    7) The entry must be sent in as the following:

    Name / Alias:
    Name of Hack:
    Game of Origin:
    E-mail:

    If you provide me a link IN THIS TOPIC, I will download your entry? just make sure it ISN?T BROKEN. I will list the received hacks at the end of the contest. If you sent me one and have PROOF of it, you can send it after the contest is over. Late hacks will not be accepted unless there's a damn good reason.
    9) If you update your hack after you?ve sent me it, send me the new version. You will not be penalized.
    10) I may add new rules at any time. Check this often.


    OTHER


    So far I'm the only one judging this time around, though I hope that Mustapha will be cool with assisting with this again =)

    Start working on your hacks, kids... there're less trophies this time and I can't promise everyone will win a trophy this time around (I don't think everyone did last time either, for that matter). The end is May 31st at the zero hour.

    Good luck!

    ~Nayr
     
  2. Ultima

    Ultima

    Games Publisher Tech Member
    2,398
    1
    18
    London, England
    Publishing mobile games!
    <3
     
  3. TapamN

    TapamN

    Member
    101
    2
    18
    Alright! I'll get to test out my Sonic 1 level editor. I've put in one week of work (-hurricane), and it can edit palletes, level layout, and 16*16 mappings. All loaded from a split version of Sonic 1. At the rate I'm going, I'll probably have the basics of editing and saving 256*256 mappings done today. That leaves... a tile editor and... urg... object placement and collision editing. I want to have it load mapppings and tiles from the split, but my crappy VB6 coding would make it take forever to load and parse object table as well as debug. Maybe if just copy bits out and use include... And is mapping collision in S1 done the same way as S2B? I don't think I ever found any S1 explanations for it... Oh well, theres three bits in the 256*256 mapping format I don't know the purpose of. (In 16*16 mapping, they were priority and pallete.) That seems too few to really set anything... Ah, wait. The size of the files in the Collide directory match up with the number of 16*16 mapping for that level. (SBZ biggest, LZ smallest) I'll figure it out later. (Which I've done quite a bit of. My only source for mapping formats has been Nemesis' guides, which was great for a starting point, but I've discovered that I can't trust it too much on mappings. Then again, it is pretty old...)

    Ah, well, no real worries about not getting my level editor finished. I just have to make something good with it.
     
  4. Quickman

    Quickman

    be attitude for gains Tech Member
    5,595
    18
    18
    :x
    omg porjcet
    Of course, you know what will happen. The big names will throw in their work and the rest of us don't really have a chance.

    Doesn't stop me trying though.
     
  5. Ambil

    Ambil

    I want that heinous hedgehog hammered! Member
    I might join this one, lol. <- OMG PUN
     
  6. Kles

    Kles

    Member
    Quick Man, you're a big name. :(

    Either way, Samantha, two things:

    1) I didn't know you were a lesbian
    2) If I can figure out how the hell to do the hack I wanted to, I'll submit it before the deadline

    "The Super Duper Amazing Level Trophy - best level layout hack"

    This should be renamed to the "Sonic Hachelle-Bee" trophy.
     
  7. Ultima

    Ultima

    Games Publisher Tech Member
    2,398
    1
    18
    London, England
    Publishing mobile games!
    ... Seems I've lost my rep. Shit.
     
  8. Heran Bago

    Heran Bago

    Ah! It's Puyo battle then. Tech Member
    This time around there'll be competition for few trophies? I just might enter.
     
  9. Diabound

    Diabound

    Member
    10
    0
    0
    When I heard about this. I had to say this: I want to enter also. As much as I may be a trialist member, It would be nice to see my hack get online finally. I still have alot of bugs to fry on my rom.
     
  10. Quickman

    Quickman

    be attitude for gains Tech Member
    5,595
    18
    18
    :x
    omg porjcet
    Not particularly outside here.

    Hey, the more the merrier.

    I'll help you out, if you need it. (Is that allowed?)

    Secondeded.
     
  11. Sonic Hachelle-Bee

    Sonic Hachelle-Bee

    Taking a Sand Shower Tech Member
    806
    200
    43
    Lyon, France
    Sonic 2 Long Version
    Nice idea to start the contest now. We have all the time now.
    BTW, everybody here is a "big name". We have all a chance.

    *rolling on floor laughing* :D
    What can I say now? I will just run away...
    *runs*
     
  12. Diabound

    Diabound

    Member
    10
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    0
    I'm not a big name. I'm pretty much a newbie when it comes to this sort of thing. I mean... I can't even put Batbots from S2B into S2. (I'm only gonna try for the Genocide City trophy. Hardest level, here I come.)

    And even my level hacks are unoriginal. My Genocide City is just a recolouration of Chemical Plant, with a very different layout and different boss. (I'm trying to change my boss so I can have it as Silver Sonic, instead of Metropolis Zone 3 boss.)

    And last of all, my other level hack doesn't even have any data. =/ But I thought I'll try and enter for the fun of it. (I do need help. I'm still trying to grasp Hex.)
     
  13. Tweaker

    Tweaker

    Banned
    12,387
    2
    0
    I'm hoping to win something more than the piano trophy this time around.

    S3K Megamix WILL win the piano trophy, and title as the best music hack ever. I assure you of this. :(
     
  14. StephenUK

    StephenUK

    Liquor in the front, poker in the rear Tech Member
    1,678
    0
    16
    Manchester, UK
    Quackshot Disassembly
    I'll definately be entering in this one. Hopefully, I should have most of my hack done by the time this day comes, coz I've been moving along at quite a speed recently.
     
  15. Rika Chou

    Rika Chou

    Tech Member
    5,276
    169
    43
    I should be able to enter release 3 of my hack into this.
     
  16. Hivebrain

    Hivebrain

    Administrator
    3,047
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    53.4N, 1.5W
    Github
    I don't edit ROMs, I create ROMs :P

    I'm going to enter Sonic 1 Plus v0.2 this time.
     
  17. Heran Bago

    Heran Bago

    Ah! It's Puyo battle then. Tech Member
    I'm still calling it ROM hacking.

    Hey, do I count as a big name? =P
     
  18. Ultima

    Ultima

    Games Publisher Tech Member
    2,398
    1
    18
    London, England
    Publishing mobile games!
    Heran_Bago's 9 characters, so I guess so, if "Quick Man" does.

    EDIT: I can't count. *gets calculator out* 10.
     
  19. stormislandgal

    stormislandgal

    It's not a phase! Tech Member
    4,534
    10
    18
    Married life <3
    Well, Maybe my Sonic 3 hack will be fat and juicy, waiting to win a trophy. Maybe I'll start a topic about it soon.
    *fried*
    Or maybe I should submit my Sonic 1 ASM hack, where the big ring show's up and gives you 50 rings.
     
  20. Ayla

    Ayla

    I shat on your desk ^^ Oldbie
    1,759
    1
    16
    West Linn, OR
    Hacking Contest, StH Overlooked, Personal Indie game
    Actually, we're both bisexual and have an open relationship, although, yes, we're in a lesbian relationship. =P

    As for the best level layout trophy deal, I think I will rename it to the Sonic Hachelle-Bee Trophy. He fucking OWNED the level layouts last time. Your levels seriously kick ass, hun.