I saw the words "CHARACTER EDITOR" in the ROM after curiously looking through it, so I did a little tweaking and discovered a way to hack the game to access it. This PAR code with enable it from anywhere in the game: 004C0A:4E71 Now to get to it, hold buttons B and C, and press A. You'll see a bunch of crap appear on the screen and the words "CHARACTER EDITOR 3.52" under everything. The character editor allows you to modify the VRAM. You can redraw individual sprites, and you can change the color palettes too. Press start to restart the game and ignore the changes, or hold B and press start to save the changes and proceed. Nothing too major, but I thought it was an interesting find.
I recall reading something about this somewhere on a Shinobi-specific site, but I think it was something that they only found in the beta version of the game. Cool that it's hidden away in the final like that as well.
Oh really? I didn't realize there was a Shinobi 3 beta. I'd be interested to see how it is access in that. I only downloaded the game a few days ago and played it for the first time, so I don't know about anything anyone may have already found. EDIT: Yep, a quick search led me to this page. Our very own IceKnight even wrote out how to use the editor! I thought for sure I found something new. Oh well.
<!--quoteo(post=270300:date=Jan 20 2009, 12:39 AM:name=muteKi)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (muteKi @ Jan 20 2009, 12:39 AM)
I'm sketchy on that idea, because you'd think they would have removed the character editor too. I have a feeling the other editors are in there too -- the memory editor at the very least.
Tee-hee. I remember posting that stuff at the Cult forums, back in 2005 or so. Nice to see I'm not the only one interested in this game. EDIT: Here's some music and sfx comparisons I made back then, too, with hex values, names and stuff that can't be normally accessed: Code (Text): Music ===== FF00 MUSIC STOP ->E3 SOUND OFF 8100 HE RUNS 8200 NINJA SOUL 8300 SHADOWS ->SHADOW#S ->BOSS!BOSS! 8500 HASSOU! ->HASSOU!!! 8700 INNER DARKSIDE FC01 FADE OUT ->E3 ??? 8800 SHINOBI WALK 8900 RUSH AND BEAT ->RUSH & BEAT#EM ->RUSH @ BEAT#ME 8A00 STORM WIND ->BEFORE STORM ->MAP DA! 9100 ROUND CLEAR 8C00 WABI ->NINJA LULUBAY 8D00 SABI ->SAKURA 8F00 SHINOBI ->GETSUFU ->90 YAYOI 8B00 GETUFU ->JU GOYA 8600 SAKURA ->THE END 8400 IDATEN * 9200 GAME OVER * 9300 JAPONESQUE * 9400 SOLITARY ->SOLITALY * 9500 IZAYOI * 9700 MY DEAR D * 9800 STAGE CLEAR * 9000 TRAP BOOGIE ->TRAP BOGGIE * 8E01 UMA ->8E00 * 9900 MANDARA * 9B00 SHADOW MASTER ->JOMMAR MUTADO * 9A00 GROUND ZERO * 9600 WHIRLWIND ->OGIMAN Z * Music 9C (final boss) is missing in both versions. In the earliest build, specifying the value 90 gives an unused tune. Special effects =============== FD00 SE STOP ->E1 SE OFF A700 BOOM A ->ZAKO YARARE ->NINJITSU B000 SHURIKIN ->KUNAI NAGE ->KUNAI B100 MUSASHI KUNAI ->KUNAI FURI ->KIRU B200 8SOU SHURIKIN ->8SOU SYURIKIN ->8SOU B300 JUMP B500 SHIELD DAMAGE ->P_DAMAGE ->B4 A500 WARNING ->B5 E_DAMAGE B600 KUNAI BOUGYO ->BOUGYO B700 GUN ->ENM GUN ->E_GUN B800 ENEMY SHURIKIN->ENM SYURIKIN ->E_SYURI B900 ! ->PI! ->O.M.A.K.E 1 BA00 KARIU ->HIBASHIRA BB00 ENEMY KATANA ->KATANA ->KATANA 1 BC01 PAUSE ->BC00 ->O.M.A.K.E 2 BD00 HAND GRENADE ->TENAGE DAN BE00 1UP ->ENM ENMAKU ->ENM MIJINTEN BF00 LOBSTER ATTACK->BOSS1 ATTACK ->BAKUTEN C000 BOOM B ->BOOM ->BOOM 2 B400 MASAO MISSILE ->MASAO MISILE ->C1 KAMINARI JITSU C200 FLUTTER ->HABATAKI ->SHUTTER C300 YAJIMA VOICE ->ICE C401 57 ->C400 ->MACHINN GUN C500 GLASS ->GACYARIN ->DENKI C600 SPEAR ->YARI ->GA.RA.SU C700 FUSHIN ->FUSHIN NO JITU ->FUSHIN JUMP B100 MUSASHI KATANA->MUSASI KATANA ->C8 KATANA 2 A900 SAMURAI SHOT ->SAMURAI GIRI ->C9 LASER CA00 POWER>UP 1 ->LIFE ITEM GET ->POW ITEM GET CB00 YAJIMA POWER ->NINJITU CHG. CC01 SHADOW SHOT ->CC00 PISTOL 2 CD00 THUNDERBOLT ->IKAZUTI ->POWER CHG. CE00 SAMURAI ENTRY ->SAMURAI ENTTRY ->CRYING CPU CF00 MACHINE GUN ->GATORING BOSS A200 AIR BIKE ->HOBER A300 HYDRA ENTRY ->HAIDORA ENTTRY ->DORO ENTTRY D200 VERMIN ->GEE ->A4 YOROI D800 TRAP ->A5 COM PISTON A600 HYDRA SHOT ->DORO BOCHA A000 JUMP B ->MIZU JUMP A100 DAMAGE L ->DAI DMG AA00 POWER>UP 2 ->ITEM GET ->BOUGYO 2 BA00 SHADOW POWER ->AB00 NO USE ->GOJIRA WALK AC00 GAOOOOO ->GOJIRA GAOOOOO A800 MASAO READY ->RYUSEI GIRI AD00 FIRE A ->FIRE * C100 FIRE B ->GOJIRA FIRE * D000 MIJIN ->MIZIN * D100 POWER SHOT * A400 BIBIBI * D300 LASER S * D400 BOOM C ->BIG BAN! * D500 CHARGE ->BOSS2 POW * D600 KARURA ->HAKUROU * C800 SHADOW LASER ->D700 R1 NIN ENTTRY * C900 LASER L * 9D00 BOOM D ->BOOM 3 * C400 ELEVATOR ON * 9F00 MIJIN RETURN ->MIZIN RETURN * 9E00 GRENADE ->HAKUGEKIHOU * CC00 SHADOW SHOT ->C800 H * 9D01 BOOM 3 * D301 ->D201 CYOODAN * AF01 MUSIC PAUSE * AE01 MUSIC RESTART * B400 MASAO MISSILE * In the final version, AB (NO USE) and D7 (R1 NIN ENTTRY) are not there. D8 (doorslam?), D9(empty) and DA(empty) are missing in both versions Voice ===== FF01 MUSIC STOP E300 NINJITSU E400 BOSS DEATH ->BOSS OUT E500 WALK ->GOJIRA WALK E600 MUSASHI DAMAGE->MUSASI DAMAGE E700 KARURA DAMAGE ->TENG DAMAGE E900 KATANA HIT ->KIRISAKI E800 MUSASHI KIAI ->MUSASI KIAI EA01 TIGER GAOO ->EA00 TIGER GAOO EB00 HYDRA DAMAGE ->HAIDORA DAMAGE EC00 KICK HIT ED00 HYDRA DEATH ->HAIDORA OUT EE00 KATANA SET ->TUBANARI EF01 DAMMY DD00 SHURIKIN HIT ->ENM DAMAGE E200 MASAO CLAW ->MASAO HAND E100 LION DANCE ->HOHOHO E000 IDATEN ->UMA DF00 DASH ATTACK ->FUNM! DE00 MUSASHI KICK ->TO! DC00 SHADOW KIAI ->JOMMAR#S FUNM! DB00 GUN SET ->MASAO GUN SET F0 to FB are not listed and produce strange effects when played. FE is not listed and its use is unknown. The voices are different in the early prototype: E3 SOUND OFF D8 NINJITSU D9 BOSS OUT DA BOSS 2 OUT DB ZAKO OUT DC ARTEMIS OUT DD GAMEOVER WAHAH DE KERI DASH DF TIGER GAOO