A Satellaview research blog.

Messing with them web emulators again…

You might notice a bit of a change in the “Play Satellaview games online!” section. (Already?)

I’ve now split the section into Java and Flash sections. I’m working on embedding the games with flashsnes so that people can use that as an alternative to Java.

Feel free to tell me of any issues – I already know I’m confused by the default control scheme. D:


I knew I was forgetting something all this time… EDIT: Now with No-Intro comparison

So, as I was going through testing ROMs to add to the Java emulator, I came across a couple redumps I never actually got around to showing on the blog!

For two years!

Oopsie-daisy!

The game they’re for has been put on the Java emulator already. It’s Dr. Mario!

I don’t remember the details too hard on these redumps, but if my memory serves they have the ol’ “Deleted Headers”. The Java embed is of the first of the two – it appears to play identically to the commonly circulating ROM.

I deeper analysis might come around.. if I don’t forget for another 2 years.

Dr. Mario (BS)
ROM Download

EDIT Oct. 15, 2012: I’ve attempted to do a more in-depth comparison with the previous dump, HOWEVER…

It appears said previous dump, as it appears in the no-intro set, has a hacked header. I’m not entirely sure how this happened, but regardless…

Here’s 7FC0-7FDF on the previous ROM:

42 53 5F 44 72 20 4D 61 72 69 6F 00 FF 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 FF FF 20 10 33 02 CE B7 31 4B

On the same addresses, these two redumps have the following bytes in common:

82 63 82 92 81 44 B3 7D 83 8A 83 49 82 61 82 72
FF 00 00 00 00 00 ** ** 20 10 00 02 00 00 00 00

(The ** are differing bytes. Their location is in the “date” area of the ROM, anyhow.)

Notably, while the latter two’s headers are consistent with a “Deleted” game, the former has a header that just plain looks screwed up, especially with spelling “BS_Dr.Mario” the way it does.

Furthermore, none of the ROMs load in BSNES, but while this is expected of the deleted header ROMs, the “hacked” header ROM causes an odd behavior which causes the ROM loader to crash.

To boot up Dr. Mario closer to the way it was meant to be played, the header should look something more like this;

82 63 82 92 81 44 B3 7D 83 8A 83 49 82 61 82 72
FF 00 00 00 00 00 ** ** 20 10 33 02 C7 B7 31 4B

Note how the “hacked header” ROM does appear to have the checksum and maker values correct. Either the hacker attempted to restore these, or the header hack was based off a previously “pure” dump. This may need to be investigated.

… To think we don’t even have as simple a ROM as this in it’s purest state? Sheesh…


Test running Java-based Satellaview ROM emulation.

Hopefully this is helpful to someone – any newbies, in particular!

Now, near the top of the sidebar menu, you’ll see an option to play some Satellaview games. This is, more or less, whatever has been dumped on the blog that I managed to get working with I-Console. I’ve attempted to make it as user-friendly as possible, but please feel free to tell me if there’s any unusual quirks I didn’t already spot regardless.


Want a BS Zelda Repro cart? Request a Mottzilla-approved edition.

Let me post this here so I don’t forget:

If you want to grab a BS Zelda Reproduction cartridge, contact DXTaco at the BS Zelda forums.

DXTaco is currently the only repro-cart producer Mottzilla has approved for using the “BS Zelda Map 1 & 2” Mottzilla Patch.

As I’ve previously talked about in other blog articles, the Mottzilla patch is one of the best and most accomplished BS Zelda hacking projects.

* Both “Map 1” and “Map 2” are fully playable in one compilation.
* 3 Playable characters means you can choose all the popular options – including Link! – without needing a separate patch.
* Fully-working Save game code, with a new save menu that takes inspiration from the classic NES Zelda without enslaving itself to it.
* Gameplay similar to the Satellaview experience – with options to speed things up for the impatient.
* Bug-tested by, among a few others, your’s truly at Satellablog. 🙂

Other BS Zelda cartridges which have been sold prior to this aren’t guaranteed to even be nearly as functional – or fun! – as this. Don’t spend $150 or over on eBay!

… Anyway, enough me-sounding-like-an-advertisement.

I may consider buying one myself sometime… Even though I have a sd2snes, and thus really don’t need it… :<

“Classic Kong” quickly converted to Satellaview homebrew.

I suppose now I’ll make it obvious that I check out NES World every now and then, because just an hour ago I read today’s 2:41 AM update, releasing the new version of “Classic Kong”.

I’d post a video up to show it, but all the videos on Youtube currently are of the old version! This newer one is more polished and has the Pie Factory. It makes me a happy little(?) monkey indeed.

.. Eh, I’ll post a vid up anyway. I like showing videos on my blog.

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