DKC Atlas Forum

[Axis]

Unmanageable Beta! Look Below ***REVISING DIFFICULTY***
Progress: 14% / 1-2, Paused for Revising / Second Release: 2-6, Goal: 7-6
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I will be updating the following in the first post: the current situations location, progress title along with bar, and attachment uploads for release.

Introduction
Hello!
I have been participating as a guest on this forum for near three years now and I've finally decided to join in on the posting fun. Here's a quick bio:

-Longtime fan of the DKC series, primarily the second one for the sole reason of it being the only snes game I had as a kid that I couldn't beat.
-Have good experience with starcraft/warcraft map editing so I would say I'm intermediate when it comes to hacking.
-Never had time to join forums or make a youtube account because of a busy life schedule but I was always there doing DKC speed runs in the dark!
-I use my personal super nintendo controllers with an adapter and have had experience with third party USB plugins.
-I'm very simple and easy-going and I'm sure you should expect my insight on the DKC series top notch like yourselves from of course internet lurking.
-I was never fond of Dixie's hovering unless I have to use it.

**Kongtraband**
The goal of this hack is to aim for gradual difficulty, experience completely new terrain, and to spark interest in DKC hacking to others. Kongtraband is completely inspired from Kaizo DKC2 created by prgmdest and will be considered a 'dedicated kaizo' with intentions for progress settled in thought at conception. We all commit to contraband overseas with piracy and such, why not be blunt about it?

Welcome to the main page for this new/working title of a hack I like to call Kongtraband. I'm quite proficient when it comes to average understanding of editing knowledge but I will admit I do have issues when it comes to custom sprites, understanding binary, or even reencoding. I definitely know there are some of you out there who don't mind sharing some cognition when people come to some pauses so this page will be dedicated to updates as well hacking info/questions related to using SDK2. I was informed quite some time ago through a topic that the english version was completed by kingizor and I would definitely want to give him full credit for this rom hack next to prgmdest as I maneuver through this process of getting to the lost world. I will be posting youtube videos on each level with what I'm playing around with. The link will be here shortly.

Give an old forum lurker some respect

Current Situations
I will need help understanding a few things from some knowledge friends and I will give you full credit and appreciate it like its a gift from god since your taking the time to better my understanding. I have SDK2 and Platinum down when it comes to getting a level to work except for the above intermediate stuff. Here is the current list.

0 prgmdest
1-4 Solved - kingizor

5.) Spawning - Is there a method to control the facing direction (left/right) at the starting points?

Anterior Release
The following zip includes: promotional image, 1.0 (U) ips, and a readme. Please view the readme in order to assist me evaluate the game and it's difficulty allowing you to bring some content back here to help me make the right modifacations. We all are apart of testing process and this will help better my skills in hacking and also help bring more traffic to DKC2 hacking in the future. Thanks, please enjoy.

Donkey Kong Country 2 - Kongtraband.zip

(269.81 KiB) Downloaded 1916 times

Level Testing
Feel free to throw a post if you have the time to test some levels out! Free banana!

1.) Super_Meat_Boy

[Gaz]

Hey. I like your hack. It looks sweet. Good luck on it, I hope for a release soon. Y'know I collect hacks .

[Axis]

Definitely! I will be releasing them per world completion once I get to each boss level.

By the way, can I get this topic moved to ROM Hacks or ROM Hacking? First post fail help?

[Katastrophe Kong]

Welcome to the Jungle!

I like the hack so far: it's got a clever name, it's a complicated "make-you-think" hack, and there are actually pirates in the ship levels (There weren't too many pirates on ships in the original)!

[Qyzbud]

Hi Axis, welcome to the Atlas.

I've moved the topic as you requested, and look forward to seeing this project develop. Good hack name, by the way.

[Kingizor]

1. Renaming levels inside the SDK2 editor is a bit awkward, but should work fine as long as each character is preceded by a comma. If it won't work, it should be just as easy to change the values with any hex editor. Level names start at 0x34D07C.

2. The sprite data is all heirarchial, in that common traits are usually inherited from parent data. So by editing a parent object it will affect all the assosciated child objects. For example, if all the different zingers are yellow, then instead of every zinger being marked yellow, just the parent object is marked as yellow, so all the child objects will inherit that trait. A child object with the same parameter as a parent but a different value will take precedence.

Most different kinds of objects might have unusual parameters. Some might control movement, graphics, etc, whereas other might not be useful. Best way is just to experiment.

The most common command fields are:

8000 - End of data command
8100 - Graphics
8300 - Template (Parent)
8500 - Flips vertically, horizontally, etc.
8D00 - Palette

3. The "off screen sprite marker" at 0B10 object is used for this. It acts like an extension to another object, allowing it to be spawned from further away from the object itself. It is controlled by the first two digits in the parameters field. Most objects have this value set to "00", but setting it to other values will pair the objects so that they will spawn together. So by setting a sprite marker and a Kannon to 01, they will appear at the same time. The sprite marker is used because it doesn't do anything by itself, it's just used to bring other objects into play. This can be used for any type of object, and as many of them as needed. Mudhole Marsh and Jungle Jinx are just two levels that demonstrate the technique the most.

4. While most objects have very obvious differences, there are others that do not. Most of the objects that do not have a detailed description usually don't have large differences that can be described well. Either that or I was too lazy to do it properly.

[Axis]

In response to kingizor:

1.) I haven't started my hex career yet when it comes to hacking. Thanks for providing the location.

2.) Cool, definitely experimentation is the way to go when it comes to learning the tricks of the trade. My flying moonwalking kruncha is already an interesting specimen.

3.) Thanks for sharing the sprite code.

4.) No sweat.

I'm glad to say that I will change the current situations on the first post to what I've recently discovered and what is newly relevant for discussion. I have posted two new LPs for 1-2 and I hope you can take into consideration that I wing level creation with the layout of sprites along with a first attempt of play so you can take a look at what's just four stages away of a release!! I want to thank everybody for the welcomes and hospitality as we get this through completion.

[Axis]

Progress Update: Hexing, just hexing.

Aware this is a double post. I just wanted to share some light on progress and show my experimentation with hex editing so far. I never had the privilege of using a hex editor before so I wanted to show some screens of what I've decided to do. I haven't had the chance to work on 1-3 yet because I felt like doing some overhexing lately since it's my first time looking at the game like this. You can say it's easy work and it can be changed to fdnodsdfjdsdofds to prove I haven't accomplished much but this is just for those who are interested in this follow. Here's some examples of the bonus screens and two other screens.

Question #5 is located in current situations, if your familiar with SDK2 or if your name is kingizor, help me out! Tell me what you guys think about the new progress bar? Trying to keep things interactive, haha.

[Gaz]

. You're a mad genius, bro.

[Axis]

Progess Update: 1-3 complete with LP!

I still have new unanswered questions in Current Situations if anyone is up for it. You will be rewarded with name credit in the completion of the hack as indicated in the first post. I have completed the basic layout and level play of 1-3 with an uploaded two parter LP for it. Please check the playlist link in the first post and feel free to subscribe or post your thoughts here on what you think of the progress so far. Once again, the first release will commence after the first boss has been in adjusted in World 1 and I want people to participate in order to conceive more strategic themes in the hack to make it more playable and fun.

[Axis]

Progress Update: World 1 Ready!

I am proud to announce that World 1 of Kongtraband is ready for test play. Please be aware that this has strong difficulty and will encourage you to use save states but you are offered many balloons to take plenty of shots at certain obstacles. I avoided bringing several progress updates in between because I was aware of double posts and I felt individually updating this page with each level and LP being complete would become a sore. I am uploading the LPs to youtube as we speak and I'm sorry, I do leave out the spoilers of bonus coin locations but they fortunately find their way to me, haha.

Please view the readme in order to bring your gameplay content back to this site and help me refine what I've created.

[Markster]

Great hack axis.transhumant, It's a challenge, it reminds me a lot of the old SDK2 hacks I did in 2010, except yours is a thousand time harder, keep up the good work.

[Gaz]

I can't paste it to a Donkey Kong Country 2 (U) (V1.0) (Headerless) ROM. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

axis.transhumant

[Axis]

Markster, I appreciate the comment and you give me encouragement to finish the project!

I can't paste it to a Donkey Kong Country 2 (U) (V1.0) (Headerless) ROM. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

axis.transhumant

Hmm, looks like it worked for me. Let me go ahead and double check some things and I'll give you a tag.

EDIT: I fixed the issue, I had a buggy IPS file before I even finished doing 1-6 that I uploaded on mistake, it should work now. Conker's BFD confirmed in PM that it worked.

[speedy10]

Progress Update: World 1 Ready!

← Quote trimmed by Qyzbud - please do not quote multi-line posts in their entirety. Please read the forum rules before posting again.

Are you working on Kongtraband 2-1 through 2-6?

[Axis]

Hello! This is axis.

I want to first thank you all for the 116 downloads and I'm glad we can bring some traffic to the site even encouraging some new members to start some DKC modding. SMW had its fame huh? Before I continue on from 2-1 to 2-6, I've evaluated that I really geared Kongtraband into a Kaizo perspective when I really need to let the Kaizo rest in the prgmdest's hands because he's quite the ambitionist when it comes to difficulty. I want to remake the first world of Kongtraband into a simple family game like the original DKC2 model. I will continue to release the game in world formats like intended and will really appreciate any input (minus difficulty) or advice I could use for developing this rom hack. I do have plans to touch DKC1 and DKC3 after I finish this particular design I have for DKC2. When I am ready to rerelase Kongtraband, I will have a new thread ready.

Please give me a heads up!

EDIT: Qyz has helped me change the author of the post, please disregard other posts where I've made some claims before consulting the administrator.

[Super_Meat_Boy]

Well, if you do it. Make sure you edit the map Make cool design, put some bonus / DKC coin.
If you need a lvl tester. I'll be glad to help ! I'll never give your rom away.

[Axis]

Well, if you do it. Make sure you edit the map Make cool design, put some bonus / DKC coin.
If you need a lvl tester. I'll be glad to help ! I'll never give your rom away.

Hey Super, that sounds great.

You wouldn't need to worry about comprising the identity of a prerelease of my hack because I trust this community too much and what's the worse that could happen? Check your PM's and I'll keep in touch with you and any other members that feel testing some levels out in Kongtraband is valuable. Banana!

By the way, add Kongtraband to your forum dictionary.

[cramps-man]

Well I've downloaded this hack and I'm ready to provide feedback for each level.

Hopefully this shall be good. Dunno if the hack creator is still active though since this topic hasn't been bumped since march.

EDIT: Well it seems the ips loaded is bugged and instakills me when I enter the first level. Oh wellz.

[Qyzbud]

That's a bummer, cramps-man; what emulator/patching technique are you using?

I'll download now and see if I have the same issue at my end.

Edit: Nope, no 'instakill' — although quick deaths are likely in this hack.


Any idea what might be the problem, Axis?

[Super_Meat_Boy]

Sent him a PM two weeks ago, still no answer.

I'm pretty sure he'll come back one day.

[cramps-man]

I used ZSNES 1.42 and used Lunar IPS to patch it. Guess I'll see if my rom was the correct version. Probably wasn't.

EDIT: Ok yep I used the wrong version of the rom, so it's working now. Gonnga try this out and review it later.

EDIT2: Well holy craps man. I can't even pass the first gap. Any tips on how to jump on the flitters?