Thanks for uploading the ported mapper version of Akira. I made myself up a cart last night

This is a great thread. I'm just getting into making repros and I'm going to try some of these. I was always curious how mapper reworking works. This is how the original NWC without the dip switch was made by RetroUSB? I know the SMB2j was an mmc3 mapper hack

"Mapper reworking" essentially means reprogramming parts of the game. You need to be familiar with 6502 assembly. Depending on the game it could be easy, impossible, or somewhere in between.

As an example, Namco's "108 / 109" FC mapper series is a sort of predecessor to the MMC3, meaning it should be relatively simple to upgrade a FC-only Namco game to MMC3. There are some pirate games that are also based on MMC3.

Beyond that, it seems like most pirate mappers are completely proprietary and nothing like what is found on NES.

You're awesome for releasing the patch. Thanks! And you have patches for Getsu Fuuden, Pizza Pop and all of those other ones?! So jealous. Do you patch them via hex editing? I need to learn how to do this.

Found the translated ROM and applied the patch. Seems to work pretty good apart from some minor glitches, which don't render the game unplayable. Thanks Mottzilla!

...

Has anyone tried to get Mottzilla's patched Akira rom running on real hardware?

Famirom suggests that it's mapper 4 and TK, TL, or TSROM compatible... Trying it on a TLROM board with various methods of wiring in VCC only results in garbage on screen, as if the CHR isn't booting. Is Famirom wrong in that it's not compatible with these board types ?

The Akira patch almost certainly requires wram to operate, so TS or TK boards. If the ram requirements aren't specified in the header by the standard battery flag or the de facto ram units value then famirom has no way to ascertain if TLROM is suitable or not.

Would wram be a new requirment of the patch? The original Famicom board doesn't appear to use it:

http://bootgod.dyndns.org:7777/pr...



 

yes

The PPU can't "boot" anything, the NES doesn't work like that. The CPU is in charge and it needs PRG ROM data (and PRG RAM sometimes) in order for the NES as a whole to do anything. The PPU works passively along side the CPU, loading whatever it can find off the cartridge whether it's correct or not. When an NES game crashes, it's the CPU that crashes. The PPU can't crash, the worst that can happen is it loads wrong data, which it doesn't care about.

Finally got around to putting up Almana. I meant to post it about a year ago but forgot. I was reminded of it recently so there it is. It can be found on my site.

Glad to find this thread, so thanks for the bump. I do hope to be able to translate my original Akira Famicom cart someday.  

On a somewhat related note, I'd like to thank MottZilla for that awesome modified GB Smart Card menu, the multiple save file feature made that flash cart so much better.

Awesome!  Thanks for the upload!  I monitor your site pretty often in hopes for the Metal Force mapper hack to get uploaded someday.  Props on all of your work!

I actually reproed a Famicom Akira. It was a little difficult but after tracing all the pins I got it working eventually.

http://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopi...

Awesome! I'd love to do this with my cart.   Could you do a write up with pics?