Post by dlevere on Aug 4, 2011 14:31:31 GMT -4
This original document was written by:
Tony Hedstrom t_hedstrom@yahoo.com
codehut.gshi.org/
Version 0.9 May 26 2002
What's new: Added sections 7 and 8
Updated sections 2, 3, and 4
This document explains some handy tips for making Game
Genie codes. Some of these I discovered on my own,
and some I learned from other code makers. Some of
these tips will show you some useful shortcuts you can
use when making Game Genie codes, and others will
explain how to make certain types of codes. Most of
these can be used for NES games or SNES games (or
Gameboy). Some can also be used for Genesis games.
Each section lists which game system it applies to.
In case you don't know, here is a list of the
abbreviations used...
NES = Nintendo Entertainment System
SNES = Super Nintendo Entertainment System
GB = Game Boy
Sega = Sega Genesis
This document is meant to be used in conjunction with
my other documents on how to make Game Genie codes.
So it's best if you go to my website (the address is
above), and read the documents there that explain how
to make Game Genie codes before you read this.
Since I still have a lot to learn about code making,
I will update this file as I learn more.
INDEX...............................................
1: Removing graphics (NES)
2: Making "free item" codes, method 1 (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
3: Making "free item" codes, method 2 (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
4: Reverse engineering (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
5: Making "buy anything in shop" codes(NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
6: Finding new codes (change those zeros) (NES/SNES/GB)
7: Using 6 letter Game Genie codes (NES & GB)
8: Making "Starting stat" codes (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
1: Removing graphics (NES)
You may be asking "why remove the graphics?"
Well, the reason is really quite simple... 99% of the
time, you won't find any useful codes in the graphics
area of the ROM.
Removing the graphics from a game ROM, or just writing
down the location of the graphics can be a HUGE time
saver when making GG codes because the graphics make
up a very large chunk of the game. So if you know
where the graphics are (or if you remove them from the
ROM), you won't have to look for codes in that section
of the ROM.
Finding out where the graphics are in a ROM is easy.
It's up to you to decide if you just want to write
down the addresses of the graphics, or if you want to
remove them from the ROM. Either way works fine, but
writing it down is a little easier.
NOTE: If you decide to remove the graphics from the
ROM, make sure you use a copy of the ROM, and not the
original.
Just remember that the main reason that you want to
know where the graphics are in a game is so you don't
have to look in those areas for possible codes.
NOTE: Usually, graphics are either at the beginning
or at the end of the ROM (but not always).
To find out where the graphics are in a NES ROM, you
will need a program called "Tile Layer". You can
find this program at Zophar.net
Once you have the program (Tile Layer), open your ROM
with it and scroll down (with the "down arrow key"
on your keyboard I think) looking for graphics. The
graphics are usually pretty easy to distinguish from
the non-graphic areas. Then just write down the area
(or areas) where the graphics are located.
If you decide to remove the graphics from your ROM,
you should only do so if you know how, otherwise,
just writing it down will work fine. And remember,
if you remove graphics from the beginning of the ROM,
only do so in 8K chunks. And make sure you use a
copy of your ROM, and not the original.
2: Making "free item" codes, method 1 (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
There are 2 methods explained here for making codes
that let you buy specific items for free. This first
method is MUCH easier than the second method, but
unfortunately, only a few games use this method. One
game that uses this method is The Legend of Zelda NES.
This type of code will let you buy one specific item
for free (like "Buy sword for free instead of $200).
In games that let you sell items back to shops, you
can also use this type of code to make lots of money.
Just buy as many items as you can with the code
turned on (for free), then turn the code off (if you
can) and sell the items back for extra money.
In this example, I'm going to show you how to make
free item codes for The Legend of Zelda (NES). If
this method doesn't work for your particular game,
then try the second method (below).
Start playing your game (in this case it's Legend of
Zelda) and go into someplace that sells things (like
a cave or a shop). For this example, I'm going into
the cave that's up one screen and left one screen
from where you start the game. Next, write down the
prices for each item that's for sale in the order that
they're listed. In our example, there are 3 items for
sale: Shield $160, Key $100, and Blue candle $60.
So the 3 prices are $160, $100, and $60.
Next, convert the dollar amounts into hex numbers.
You can use the Windows (or MAC) calculator to do this
if you want.
Here is our 3 dollar amounts converted into hex
numbers:
$160 = A0
$100 = 64
$60 = 3C
So our 3 converted hex numbers are A0,64,3C. Write
these down for later use.
This part gets a little tricky, so pay attention. If
your dollar amount is under $255, then you can ignore
this part, but if your dollar amount is over $255, then
you have to do some switching around. Here's how:
Lets say that your dollar amount is $1000. If you
convert that to hex you get 3E8. Now for some strange
reason, all NES and SNES games switch this type of
number around. To switch it around, first make sure
that the number has 4 digits. Our number (3E8) only
has 3 numbers, so just add a "0" at the beginning of
the number like this: 3E8 becomes 03E8. Now that the
number has 4 digits, just split the number in the
middle and switch the two halves like this:
03 E8 becomes E8 03. So our new "switched" hex number
for $1000 is E803. I know it seems kinda strange,
but that's the way it's done.
Now back to our Zelda example...
Our 3 hex numbers for the Zelda example were A0,64,3C.
Now, open up your ROM (in this example it's Legend of
Zelda) with a hex editor and do a search for the hex
numbers that you have written down. In this example,
I would do a search for A0643C. On many games, you
will have to add 2 zeros after each hex number when
you do your search. Try the search without any zeros
first (A0643C), then try it with zeros like this:
A00064003C00. If your dollar amounts were over $255,
then you won't need to add zeros after the numbers.
In our example, the search turned up only one match.
So by changing each of the numbers where the match was
found into zeros ("00") via a Game Genie code, you
will be able to buy that item (items) for free!
With any luck, you'll find a match, but if you don't,
chances are that the second method (below) will work
for you.
If you do find a match, you'll need to read one of my
other documents (How to make GG codes) to find out how
to convert the hex address into a Game Genie code.
You can also use this method on some Genesis games,
except you don't have to "switch" the hex numbers around
(ie. 1000 = 03E8).
3: Making "free item" codes, method 2 (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
This second method is harder than the first method
(above), but it works on many different games. I'm
guessing that this method has worked on about 70%
of the games that I've tried it on. Here are some of
the games that this method has worked on:
Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy 2j (NES), Final Fantasy
3j (NES), Dragon Warrior, Dragon Warrior 2, and many,
many more.
This type of code will let you buy one specific item
for free (like "Buy sword for free instead of $200).
In games that let you sell items back to shops, you
can also use this type of code to make lots of money.
Just buy as many items as you can with the code
turned on (for free), then turn the code off (if you
can) and sell the items back for extra money.
OK, the first step for this method is to find out what
order the game has all of the items listed in. The
items I'm referring to are anything that can be bought
in the game, or anything that is given to you in the
game. This includes weapons, armor, items, etc...
The game stores all of these items in a particular
order. The prices for each of these items is also
stored in the same order. So once you know the order
that the game uses, then it's pretty easy to find
codes for free items.
The easiest way to find the proper order of items in
the game is to find a FAQ or document for your
particular game that has that information in it.
Some good places to check are gamefaqs.com, ggccc.com,
or any of your favorite places that have specific
game FAQs. Gamefaqs.com is an excellent place to
check. Many times, if you check the files for your
particular game, you will see something called a
"Savestate hacking guide". Many times these docs
will have the info you're looking for. Another good
place to check is zophar.net.
Here is an example of what type of info you're looking
for:
Final Fantasy (NES)
01 = LUTE
02 = CROWN
03 = CRYSTAL
04 = HERB
05 = KEY
06 = TNT
07 = ADAMANT
08 = SLAB
09 = RUBY
0A = ROD
0B = FLOATER
0C = CHIME
And further down the list...
1C = WOODEN NUNCHUCK
1D = SMALL KNIFE
1E = WOODEN STAFF
1F = RAPIER
20 = IRON HAMMER
21 = SHORT SWORD
And the list keeps on going to include all of the
weapons, armor, magic spells, etc...
So if you can search the internet and find a FAQ or
hacking doc that has this info for your particular
game, then it will save your a LOT of time.
If you already have the list of items, then you can
skip this next part.
If however, you can't find this info anywhere, then
there is a way to find the info on your own, but it
can take a long time to do it, so if you're not willing
to spend a couple hours of work doing so, then stop
right now and go watch TV.
If you're not watching TV, then I'll assume that you
want to learn how to make that "List" that I described
earlier.
Just remember that once we have the list, finding the
right ROM addresses for the prices of everything is
very easy. Making the list is by far the hardest
part of this process.
To make your own list of items, you will need a ROM
of the game you're trying to make codes for, and of
course an emulator.
Start playing your game and go into any shop that
sells things (like weapons, armor, items, ect). Now
save your game using the emulator's save state feature.
NOTE: It's best if you have lots of money to spend.
Next, without leaving the shop, buy a few items from
the shop and save your game again but make sure you
save it to a different file (in other words, don't
overwrite the first file you saved).
Now you should have two seperate save states and they
should be nearly identical except for two things...
The amount of gold will be different, and what you have
in your inventory will be different.
Now compare the two files using a hex editor. There
will probably be other differences besides the amount
of gold and items in your inventory, but you should be
able to figure out which is which.
Just remember that what you're trying to do is to find
the location in the save state file that tells the
game what you have in your inventory.
TIP: If you find out where the address for your amount
of gold (or money) is in the save state file, then
usually, the addresses for you inventory items are very
close by.
Sometimes, it may help to make a third or fourth save
state file (making each one different) to help you find
the right address for your inventory items.
Also keep in mind that usually, there will be addresses
for what you have in your inventory, and there will
also be addresses that tell you how many of each item
you have in your inventory. Sometimes they are next
to each other, and sometimes they're not. Each game
is different.
Since each game uses a different method, it would be
nearly impossible for me to explain in more detail how
to find the right address for your inventory items,
so you'll have to figure some of it out on your own,
but if I can do it, than almost anyone can do it.
Now you can see why it's a good idea to see if you can
find this info somewhere on the internet, it will save
you lots of time.
Once you find the correct location in your save state
file for your inventory items, it then becomes fairly
easy to find the order that the game stores things in.
Just change the numbers in your save state file (at
the addresses that determine what items are in your
inventory), and then load the save game and see what
items you get. So for example, if you had 3 items in
your inventory, and in your save state file those 3
items had these numbers: 13, 1A, and 33, all you would
do is change those 3 numbers to 01, 02, and 03. Now
save the file and load it and see what 3 items you now
have in your inventory. You now know what the first
3 items are of your list. Now go back to the save
state file and change the 3 numbers from 01, 02, and 03
to 04, 05, and 06. Save and load the file and you can
find out what item numbers 4, 5, and 6 are. Now you
know what items 1 thru 6 are for your list. Keep
repeating this until you have as much of the list as
you need.
Keep in mind that you don't have to do this for every
item in the game, just for the items that you want to
make codes for (so you can buy that item for free).
Now that you have your list made (for the items that
you want codes for), you can easily figure out what
to search for in the ROM to find the right codes.
Lets suppose that the items that you want to make
codes for are items numbers 1, 2, and 3. Lets say
that item number 1 is a knife and it costs $50, and
item number 2 is an axe and it costs $100, and item
number 3 is a sword and it costs $200. To find where
the prices for those items are in the ROM, all you do
is convert the price of each item into hex like this:
-Knife = $50 = 32 (hex)
-Axe = $100 = 64 (hex)
-Sword = $200 = C8 (hex)
Now, just put the 3 hex numbers in order like this:
32 64 C8. You can try doing a search for those numbers
(3264C8) in your ROM, but 9 chances out of 10 you will
need to add zeros after each number. So our above
example becomes: 32006400C800. Now, chances are that
if you do a search for that string of numbers (in
your ROM), you will find only one match, and that
should be the addresses for you free items! If the
dollar amount of your items is over $255, then you will
have to switch the numbers around as explained in
section 2 (above). Remember?... $1000 becomes 3E8,
which becomes 03 E8, which gets switched around to
become E8 03. Read section 2 (above) for more info on
this.
And remember that when you are doing a search in the
ROM, the price of the items you want codes for must
be in sequential order, for instance: 12, 13, 14, 15
etc. In other words, not like this: 12, 14, 17, 19.
You have to remember that most games store the prices
for all of the items (in the ROM) in sequential order,
so if you get the order mixed up, you won't find a
match.
Once you find the right addresses for the prices of
the items, just make a Game Genie code that changes
the value to zero. If the price of the item is over
$255, then you will need to make 2 seperate GG codes
to get the item for free.
You'll need to read one of my other documents (How to
make GG codes) to find out how to convert the hex
address into a Game Genie code.
I know that this seems like a lot of work just to make
a Game Genie code, but once you've done it a few times,
it's really not very hard.
You can also use this method on some Genesis games,
except you don't have to "switch" the hex numbers around
(ie. 1000 = 03E8).
4: Reverse engineering (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
An excellent way to learn how to make Game Genie codes
is to take an exsisting GG code and convert it into a
ROM address and then find that address in the ROM. By
doing this, many times you can figure out what the
code is actually doing and thus help you learn how to
make your own codes. This works well for codes that
change starting stats (for RPG games).
A perfect example of this is the starting stat codes
for Final Fantasy (NES). When you convert any of those
character starting stat codes from the codebook into
A ROM address, and then find that address in the FF1
ROM, you can easily see how the codes work. All of
the stats are neatly ordered in the ROM. Just remember
that all of the numbers in ROMs are in hex, so they
may look strange at first.
Just to make things a little easier for you, here is
the starting address for the characters beginning
stats for Final Fantasy (NES): 003050. Just open up
your FF1 ROM with a hex editor and go to that address.
The first row of numbers is for the Fighter, the
second row is for the Thief, and so on.
I highly recommend that if you want to learn how to
make Game Genie codes, then you should try some
"Reverse engineering", it's helped me a whole bunch.
To find out how to convert a Game Genie code into a
ROM address, you'll need to read one of my other docs:
"How to hack a NES ROM" or "How to hack a SNES ROM".
To convert A Genesis Game Genie code into a ROM address,
just enter the Game Genie code into the "Game Genie to
hex conversion" program found on my web site (in the
Download section). Also, you should read "How to make
Genesis Game Genie codes (advanced)" on my web site for
more info on converting a Genesis Game Genie code into
a ROM address.
5: Making "buy anything in shop" codes(NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
This method will let you make codes that change which
items you can buy in shops. Usually, you can buy any
item you want with these codes.
This method has worked on about 75% of the games that
I've tried it on.
First of all, you'll need to make a list of all the
items in the game in the proper order. You can find
out how to do this by reading section 3 above. Once
you have the list, go into the shop that you want to
make codes for and write down the items that are for
sale there. Then write down the corresponding item
number for each item. Then just do a search for that
string of numbers in the ROM. With any luck, you
should only find one match. Then make codes to change
the number to whatever item you want.
So for example, if there were three items for sale in
a shop: Knife, Sword, and a Hammer, you would find the
number for each item from your list. Lets say that
these are the numbers for each item:
Knife = 12
Sword = 15
Hammer = 16
Take those three numbers and do a search for them (keep
them in the same order that they were in in the shop).
So you would search for: 121516 in the ROM.
6: Finding new codes (change those zeros) (NES/SNES/GB)
This is a very useful trick for finding new codes
once you've found the address for character stats.
I've found lots of new codes using this method.
You may have noticed that when you find the right
address for character's stats (or similar addresses),
that there are usually lots and lots of zeros around
that area of the ROM. Well, quite often, those zeros
are telling the game to give you zero of some particular
item, or zero gold, or zero MP, etc... So if you
change the zeros to any other number, you will start
with some of whatever the zero was for. You may be
asking "how can you tell what the zeros are for?"
Well, there's no easy way to tell what they're for, so
all you do is change them all. Changing zeros to
another number will usually never cause the game to
crash. Just make a copy of the ROM and use the copy
to make all your changes to. If changing the zeros
doesn't do anything, then just delete the copied ROM
and no harm done.
Remember, only do this in the same area of the ROM
where you found the starting stat codes (or similar
type codes).
Here's a little trick I use to help figure out which
zeros do what: If you have a whole row of zeros,
give each zero a different number. For example, change
the first zero to 01, the second zero to 02, and so on.
Now when you start a new game, look for anything that
has changed. Like what you're equipped with, how much
MP you have, etc... You will usually have to hone in
on the addresses that are useful. If you gave each
zero a different number, you can sometimes figure out
what goes where when you start a new game.
This method has worked on about 80% of the games that
I've tried it on.
This method also works on Genesis games, but you usually
can't make changes to the ROM, so you have to make a
Game Genie code instead.
7: Using 6 letter Game Genie codes (NES & GB)
Most of you probably already know this, but I'm going to
mention it because it isn't very clear in the Game Genie
code books.
Remember, this only applies to NES and Gameboy.
Anytime you're trying to make Game Genie codes by
entering random letters, ALWAYS use 6 digit codes! If
you enter a random 8 digit code (or 9 for GB), you have
roughly 1 chance in 250 that the code will do anything
at all. In other words, if you use a random 8 digit
code (or 9 for GB), there's about a 99% chance that the
code will do absolutely nothing at all.
If however, you use a 6 digit code, there is about a
100% chance that the code will do something. You may
not always be able to tell what the code is doing, but
it's probably doing something.
6 digit codes will work on any NES or Gameboy game.
Just because the Game Genie code book only shows 8 digit
codes for certain games, doesn't mean you can't use 6
digit codes for that game. As I said before, 6 digit
codes will work on ANY NES or Gameboy game.
To make a 6 digit NES Game Genie code, just make sure
that the 3rd digit of the code is one of these letters:
A P Z L G I T Y. The other digits of the code can be
any letter you want.
The only time you should use an 8 digit code (or 9 for
GB), is when you get the code from the code book, or if
you use the ROM to make your own codes.
8 digit codes (or 9 for GB) won't hurt your game or
anything like that, but if you try making your own 8
digit codes by using random letters, you'll just be
wasting your time. Using random 6 digit codes will
give you a much better chance of finding a code that
does something useful or interesting.
The reason for this is because of something called a
"Check Value". 6 digit codes don't use a check value,
8 digit codes do. If you want more info on this, go to
my web site and read the documents on the NES page.
8: Making "Starting stat" codes (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
This is a very handy little trick you can use for
finding useful ROM addresses. Keep in mind that this
method doesn't work on all games. It mostly works on
some RPG type games.
This method will help you make codes like this: Starting
stats (HP, etc), what weapons you start with, what armor
you start with, how much gold you start with, etc.
In short, all you do is have a hex editor search the
ROM for the name of one of the characters in the game.
It's fairly easy to do... here's how:
You'll need a ROM of the game you want to make codes
for, and you'll need a hex editor (I'll be using Hex
Workshop for this example).
For this example, I'm going to use Might & Magic 2 for
SNES.
Open up the ROM with Hex Workshop. Click on the "Find"
button (or click on "Edit/Find"). Where it says
"Value", click on "ASCII". Where it says "Options",
click off "Case Sensitive" (Case Sensitive and Unicode
should be off). Direction should be "Down".
Where it says "Find What", type in the name of one of
the characters in the game. In this example, I'm going
to type in: Sir Felgar (make sure you include the
space between Sir and Felgar). Sir Felgar is the name
of one of the characters in Might & Magic 2 (SNES).
Now, click on the "Find Next" button. With any luck,
you'll get a match. In our example, the first match
is where you'll find lots of very useful addresses for
Might & Magic 2. And right after Sir Felgar, you'll
find the addresses for all of the other characters as
well (Terwin III, Sure Valla, Gene Eric, etc). The
useful addresses for each character start right after
their name, and end at the start of the next character's
name.
In our example, the word "Sir Felgar" starts at this
address in the ROM: 3C755. Just 6 or 7 rows below this
is where you'll find some good addresses for making
codes. Here are the addresses for some of them...
3C7B7 & 3C7B9 = Sir Felgar's starting HP
3C7BF & 3C7C0 = Sir Felgar's starting gold
3C7C4 = Sir Felgar's starting Might
and there are many others very near by. Check my web
site to see the codes I made for Might & Magic 2 SNES.
You can usually make codes for all the other characters
in the game once you find the right addresses for one
of the characters. In our example, you can make codes
for Terwin III, Sure Valla, Gene Eric, Casandra, and all
the other characters the same way we made codes for Sir
Felgar.
Sometimes, when you use this method, you will end up
finding the text used in the game. This isn't very
useful for making Game Genie codes, but it is a great
way to find out where to edit the text in the game.
You can use Game Genie codes to edit the text in the
game, but you need one Game Genie code for each letter
you want to change, so it would take LOTS of Game Genie
codes. It's much faster to just use the hex editor to
make the changes to the text.
Anyways, I'm getting off track here. If you do a search
for a character's name and there is lots of text (words)
right before or after the name, then you have probably
found the text used in the game (which isn't what we're
looking for), so keep searching by using the "Find
Again" button (or click on "Edit/Find Again").
If you're having trouble understanding this, try getting
a Might & Magic 2 ROM (SNES), and following along with
the example.
Make sure you read my document called "How to make SNES
Game Genie codes" to learn about another method for
finding/making character stat codes.
You can find more documents like this one from my web
site: www.angelfire.com/games2/codehut/
I hope that you found some useful information here.
Happy code making!
Tony Hedstrom t_hedstrom@yahoo.com
Tony Hedstrom t_hedstrom@yahoo.com
codehut.gshi.org/
Version 0.9 May 26 2002
What's new: Added sections 7 and 8
Updated sections 2, 3, and 4
This document explains some handy tips for making Game
Genie codes. Some of these I discovered on my own,
and some I learned from other code makers. Some of
these tips will show you some useful shortcuts you can
use when making Game Genie codes, and others will
explain how to make certain types of codes. Most of
these can be used for NES games or SNES games (or
Gameboy). Some can also be used for Genesis games.
Each section lists which game system it applies to.
In case you don't know, here is a list of the
abbreviations used...
NES = Nintendo Entertainment System
SNES = Super Nintendo Entertainment System
GB = Game Boy
Sega = Sega Genesis
This document is meant to be used in conjunction with
my other documents on how to make Game Genie codes.
So it's best if you go to my website (the address is
above), and read the documents there that explain how
to make Game Genie codes before you read this.
Since I still have a lot to learn about code making,
I will update this file as I learn more.
INDEX...............................................
1: Removing graphics (NES)
2: Making "free item" codes, method 1 (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
3: Making "free item" codes, method 2 (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
4: Reverse engineering (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
5: Making "buy anything in shop" codes(NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
6: Finding new codes (change those zeros) (NES/SNES/GB)
7: Using 6 letter Game Genie codes (NES & GB)
8: Making "Starting stat" codes (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
1: Removing graphics (NES)
You may be asking "why remove the graphics?"
Well, the reason is really quite simple... 99% of the
time, you won't find any useful codes in the graphics
area of the ROM.
Removing the graphics from a game ROM, or just writing
down the location of the graphics can be a HUGE time
saver when making GG codes because the graphics make
up a very large chunk of the game. So if you know
where the graphics are (or if you remove them from the
ROM), you won't have to look for codes in that section
of the ROM.
Finding out where the graphics are in a ROM is easy.
It's up to you to decide if you just want to write
down the addresses of the graphics, or if you want to
remove them from the ROM. Either way works fine, but
writing it down is a little easier.
NOTE: If you decide to remove the graphics from the
ROM, make sure you use a copy of the ROM, and not the
original.
Just remember that the main reason that you want to
know where the graphics are in a game is so you don't
have to look in those areas for possible codes.
NOTE: Usually, graphics are either at the beginning
or at the end of the ROM (but not always).
To find out where the graphics are in a NES ROM, you
will need a program called "Tile Layer". You can
find this program at Zophar.net
Once you have the program (Tile Layer), open your ROM
with it and scroll down (with the "down arrow key"
on your keyboard I think) looking for graphics. The
graphics are usually pretty easy to distinguish from
the non-graphic areas. Then just write down the area
(or areas) where the graphics are located.
If you decide to remove the graphics from your ROM,
you should only do so if you know how, otherwise,
just writing it down will work fine. And remember,
if you remove graphics from the beginning of the ROM,
only do so in 8K chunks. And make sure you use a
copy of your ROM, and not the original.
2: Making "free item" codes, method 1 (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
There are 2 methods explained here for making codes
that let you buy specific items for free. This first
method is MUCH easier than the second method, but
unfortunately, only a few games use this method. One
game that uses this method is The Legend of Zelda NES.
This type of code will let you buy one specific item
for free (like "Buy sword for free instead of $200).
In games that let you sell items back to shops, you
can also use this type of code to make lots of money.
Just buy as many items as you can with the code
turned on (for free), then turn the code off (if you
can) and sell the items back for extra money.
In this example, I'm going to show you how to make
free item codes for The Legend of Zelda (NES). If
this method doesn't work for your particular game,
then try the second method (below).
Start playing your game (in this case it's Legend of
Zelda) and go into someplace that sells things (like
a cave or a shop). For this example, I'm going into
the cave that's up one screen and left one screen
from where you start the game. Next, write down the
prices for each item that's for sale in the order that
they're listed. In our example, there are 3 items for
sale: Shield $160, Key $100, and Blue candle $60.
So the 3 prices are $160, $100, and $60.
Next, convert the dollar amounts into hex numbers.
You can use the Windows (or MAC) calculator to do this
if you want.
Here is our 3 dollar amounts converted into hex
numbers:
$160 = A0
$100 = 64
$60 = 3C
So our 3 converted hex numbers are A0,64,3C. Write
these down for later use.
This part gets a little tricky, so pay attention. If
your dollar amount is under $255, then you can ignore
this part, but if your dollar amount is over $255, then
you have to do some switching around. Here's how:
Lets say that your dollar amount is $1000. If you
convert that to hex you get 3E8. Now for some strange
reason, all NES and SNES games switch this type of
number around. To switch it around, first make sure
that the number has 4 digits. Our number (3E8) only
has 3 numbers, so just add a "0" at the beginning of
the number like this: 3E8 becomes 03E8. Now that the
number has 4 digits, just split the number in the
middle and switch the two halves like this:
03 E8 becomes E8 03. So our new "switched" hex number
for $1000 is E803. I know it seems kinda strange,
but that's the way it's done.
Now back to our Zelda example...
Our 3 hex numbers for the Zelda example were A0,64,3C.
Now, open up your ROM (in this example it's Legend of
Zelda) with a hex editor and do a search for the hex
numbers that you have written down. In this example,
I would do a search for A0643C. On many games, you
will have to add 2 zeros after each hex number when
you do your search. Try the search without any zeros
first (A0643C), then try it with zeros like this:
A00064003C00. If your dollar amounts were over $255,
then you won't need to add zeros after the numbers.
In our example, the search turned up only one match.
So by changing each of the numbers where the match was
found into zeros ("00") via a Game Genie code, you
will be able to buy that item (items) for free!
With any luck, you'll find a match, but if you don't,
chances are that the second method (below) will work
for you.
If you do find a match, you'll need to read one of my
other documents (How to make GG codes) to find out how
to convert the hex address into a Game Genie code.
You can also use this method on some Genesis games,
except you don't have to "switch" the hex numbers around
(ie. 1000 = 03E8).
3: Making "free item" codes, method 2 (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
This second method is harder than the first method
(above), but it works on many different games. I'm
guessing that this method has worked on about 70%
of the games that I've tried it on. Here are some of
the games that this method has worked on:
Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy 2j (NES), Final Fantasy
3j (NES), Dragon Warrior, Dragon Warrior 2, and many,
many more.
This type of code will let you buy one specific item
for free (like "Buy sword for free instead of $200).
In games that let you sell items back to shops, you
can also use this type of code to make lots of money.
Just buy as many items as you can with the code
turned on (for free), then turn the code off (if you
can) and sell the items back for extra money.
OK, the first step for this method is to find out what
order the game has all of the items listed in. The
items I'm referring to are anything that can be bought
in the game, or anything that is given to you in the
game. This includes weapons, armor, items, etc...
The game stores all of these items in a particular
order. The prices for each of these items is also
stored in the same order. So once you know the order
that the game uses, then it's pretty easy to find
codes for free items.
The easiest way to find the proper order of items in
the game is to find a FAQ or document for your
particular game that has that information in it.
Some good places to check are gamefaqs.com, ggccc.com,
or any of your favorite places that have specific
game FAQs. Gamefaqs.com is an excellent place to
check. Many times, if you check the files for your
particular game, you will see something called a
"Savestate hacking guide". Many times these docs
will have the info you're looking for. Another good
place to check is zophar.net.
Here is an example of what type of info you're looking
for:
Final Fantasy (NES)
01 = LUTE
02 = CROWN
03 = CRYSTAL
04 = HERB
05 = KEY
06 = TNT
07 = ADAMANT
08 = SLAB
09 = RUBY
0A = ROD
0B = FLOATER
0C = CHIME
And further down the list...
1C = WOODEN NUNCHUCK
1D = SMALL KNIFE
1E = WOODEN STAFF
1F = RAPIER
20 = IRON HAMMER
21 = SHORT SWORD
And the list keeps on going to include all of the
weapons, armor, magic spells, etc...
So if you can search the internet and find a FAQ or
hacking doc that has this info for your particular
game, then it will save your a LOT of time.
If you already have the list of items, then you can
skip this next part.
If however, you can't find this info anywhere, then
there is a way to find the info on your own, but it
can take a long time to do it, so if you're not willing
to spend a couple hours of work doing so, then stop
right now and go watch TV.
If you're not watching TV, then I'll assume that you
want to learn how to make that "List" that I described
earlier.
Just remember that once we have the list, finding the
right ROM addresses for the prices of everything is
very easy. Making the list is by far the hardest
part of this process.
To make your own list of items, you will need a ROM
of the game you're trying to make codes for, and of
course an emulator.
Start playing your game and go into any shop that
sells things (like weapons, armor, items, ect). Now
save your game using the emulator's save state feature.
NOTE: It's best if you have lots of money to spend.
Next, without leaving the shop, buy a few items from
the shop and save your game again but make sure you
save it to a different file (in other words, don't
overwrite the first file you saved).
Now you should have two seperate save states and they
should be nearly identical except for two things...
The amount of gold will be different, and what you have
in your inventory will be different.
Now compare the two files using a hex editor. There
will probably be other differences besides the amount
of gold and items in your inventory, but you should be
able to figure out which is which.
Just remember that what you're trying to do is to find
the location in the save state file that tells the
game what you have in your inventory.
TIP: If you find out where the address for your amount
of gold (or money) is in the save state file, then
usually, the addresses for you inventory items are very
close by.
Sometimes, it may help to make a third or fourth save
state file (making each one different) to help you find
the right address for your inventory items.
Also keep in mind that usually, there will be addresses
for what you have in your inventory, and there will
also be addresses that tell you how many of each item
you have in your inventory. Sometimes they are next
to each other, and sometimes they're not. Each game
is different.
Since each game uses a different method, it would be
nearly impossible for me to explain in more detail how
to find the right address for your inventory items,
so you'll have to figure some of it out on your own,
but if I can do it, than almost anyone can do it.
Now you can see why it's a good idea to see if you can
find this info somewhere on the internet, it will save
you lots of time.
Once you find the correct location in your save state
file for your inventory items, it then becomes fairly
easy to find the order that the game stores things in.
Just change the numbers in your save state file (at
the addresses that determine what items are in your
inventory), and then load the save game and see what
items you get. So for example, if you had 3 items in
your inventory, and in your save state file those 3
items had these numbers: 13, 1A, and 33, all you would
do is change those 3 numbers to 01, 02, and 03. Now
save the file and load it and see what 3 items you now
have in your inventory. You now know what the first
3 items are of your list. Now go back to the save
state file and change the 3 numbers from 01, 02, and 03
to 04, 05, and 06. Save and load the file and you can
find out what item numbers 4, 5, and 6 are. Now you
know what items 1 thru 6 are for your list. Keep
repeating this until you have as much of the list as
you need.
Keep in mind that you don't have to do this for every
item in the game, just for the items that you want to
make codes for (so you can buy that item for free).
Now that you have your list made (for the items that
you want codes for), you can easily figure out what
to search for in the ROM to find the right codes.
Lets suppose that the items that you want to make
codes for are items numbers 1, 2, and 3. Lets say
that item number 1 is a knife and it costs $50, and
item number 2 is an axe and it costs $100, and item
number 3 is a sword and it costs $200. To find where
the prices for those items are in the ROM, all you do
is convert the price of each item into hex like this:
-Knife = $50 = 32 (hex)
-Axe = $100 = 64 (hex)
-Sword = $200 = C8 (hex)
Now, just put the 3 hex numbers in order like this:
32 64 C8. You can try doing a search for those numbers
(3264C8) in your ROM, but 9 chances out of 10 you will
need to add zeros after each number. So our above
example becomes: 32006400C800. Now, chances are that
if you do a search for that string of numbers (in
your ROM), you will find only one match, and that
should be the addresses for you free items! If the
dollar amount of your items is over $255, then you will
have to switch the numbers around as explained in
section 2 (above). Remember?... $1000 becomes 3E8,
which becomes 03 E8, which gets switched around to
become E8 03. Read section 2 (above) for more info on
this.
And remember that when you are doing a search in the
ROM, the price of the items you want codes for must
be in sequential order, for instance: 12, 13, 14, 15
etc. In other words, not like this: 12, 14, 17, 19.
You have to remember that most games store the prices
for all of the items (in the ROM) in sequential order,
so if you get the order mixed up, you won't find a
match.
Once you find the right addresses for the prices of
the items, just make a Game Genie code that changes
the value to zero. If the price of the item is over
$255, then you will need to make 2 seperate GG codes
to get the item for free.
You'll need to read one of my other documents (How to
make GG codes) to find out how to convert the hex
address into a Game Genie code.
I know that this seems like a lot of work just to make
a Game Genie code, but once you've done it a few times,
it's really not very hard.
You can also use this method on some Genesis games,
except you don't have to "switch" the hex numbers around
(ie. 1000 = 03E8).
4: Reverse engineering (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
An excellent way to learn how to make Game Genie codes
is to take an exsisting GG code and convert it into a
ROM address and then find that address in the ROM. By
doing this, many times you can figure out what the
code is actually doing and thus help you learn how to
make your own codes. This works well for codes that
change starting stats (for RPG games).
A perfect example of this is the starting stat codes
for Final Fantasy (NES). When you convert any of those
character starting stat codes from the codebook into
A ROM address, and then find that address in the FF1
ROM, you can easily see how the codes work. All of
the stats are neatly ordered in the ROM. Just remember
that all of the numbers in ROMs are in hex, so they
may look strange at first.
Just to make things a little easier for you, here is
the starting address for the characters beginning
stats for Final Fantasy (NES): 003050. Just open up
your FF1 ROM with a hex editor and go to that address.
The first row of numbers is for the Fighter, the
second row is for the Thief, and so on.
I highly recommend that if you want to learn how to
make Game Genie codes, then you should try some
"Reverse engineering", it's helped me a whole bunch.
To find out how to convert a Game Genie code into a
ROM address, you'll need to read one of my other docs:
"How to hack a NES ROM" or "How to hack a SNES ROM".
To convert A Genesis Game Genie code into a ROM address,
just enter the Game Genie code into the "Game Genie to
hex conversion" program found on my web site (in the
Download section). Also, you should read "How to make
Genesis Game Genie codes (advanced)" on my web site for
more info on converting a Genesis Game Genie code into
a ROM address.
5: Making "buy anything in shop" codes(NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
This method will let you make codes that change which
items you can buy in shops. Usually, you can buy any
item you want with these codes.
This method has worked on about 75% of the games that
I've tried it on.
First of all, you'll need to make a list of all the
items in the game in the proper order. You can find
out how to do this by reading section 3 above. Once
you have the list, go into the shop that you want to
make codes for and write down the items that are for
sale there. Then write down the corresponding item
number for each item. Then just do a search for that
string of numbers in the ROM. With any luck, you
should only find one match. Then make codes to change
the number to whatever item you want.
So for example, if there were three items for sale in
a shop: Knife, Sword, and a Hammer, you would find the
number for each item from your list. Lets say that
these are the numbers for each item:
Knife = 12
Sword = 15
Hammer = 16
Take those three numbers and do a search for them (keep
them in the same order that they were in in the shop).
So you would search for: 121516 in the ROM.
6: Finding new codes (change those zeros) (NES/SNES/GB)
This is a very useful trick for finding new codes
once you've found the address for character stats.
I've found lots of new codes using this method.
You may have noticed that when you find the right
address for character's stats (or similar addresses),
that there are usually lots and lots of zeros around
that area of the ROM. Well, quite often, those zeros
are telling the game to give you zero of some particular
item, or zero gold, or zero MP, etc... So if you
change the zeros to any other number, you will start
with some of whatever the zero was for. You may be
asking "how can you tell what the zeros are for?"
Well, there's no easy way to tell what they're for, so
all you do is change them all. Changing zeros to
another number will usually never cause the game to
crash. Just make a copy of the ROM and use the copy
to make all your changes to. If changing the zeros
doesn't do anything, then just delete the copied ROM
and no harm done.
Remember, only do this in the same area of the ROM
where you found the starting stat codes (or similar
type codes).
Here's a little trick I use to help figure out which
zeros do what: If you have a whole row of zeros,
give each zero a different number. For example, change
the first zero to 01, the second zero to 02, and so on.
Now when you start a new game, look for anything that
has changed. Like what you're equipped with, how much
MP you have, etc... You will usually have to hone in
on the addresses that are useful. If you gave each
zero a different number, you can sometimes figure out
what goes where when you start a new game.
This method has worked on about 80% of the games that
I've tried it on.
This method also works on Genesis games, but you usually
can't make changes to the ROM, so you have to make a
Game Genie code instead.
7: Using 6 letter Game Genie codes (NES & GB)
Most of you probably already know this, but I'm going to
mention it because it isn't very clear in the Game Genie
code books.
Remember, this only applies to NES and Gameboy.
Anytime you're trying to make Game Genie codes by
entering random letters, ALWAYS use 6 digit codes! If
you enter a random 8 digit code (or 9 for GB), you have
roughly 1 chance in 250 that the code will do anything
at all. In other words, if you use a random 8 digit
code (or 9 for GB), there's about a 99% chance that the
code will do absolutely nothing at all.
If however, you use a 6 digit code, there is about a
100% chance that the code will do something. You may
not always be able to tell what the code is doing, but
it's probably doing something.
6 digit codes will work on any NES or Gameboy game.
Just because the Game Genie code book only shows 8 digit
codes for certain games, doesn't mean you can't use 6
digit codes for that game. As I said before, 6 digit
codes will work on ANY NES or Gameboy game.
To make a 6 digit NES Game Genie code, just make sure
that the 3rd digit of the code is one of these letters:
A P Z L G I T Y. The other digits of the code can be
any letter you want.
The only time you should use an 8 digit code (or 9 for
GB), is when you get the code from the code book, or if
you use the ROM to make your own codes.
8 digit codes (or 9 for GB) won't hurt your game or
anything like that, but if you try making your own 8
digit codes by using random letters, you'll just be
wasting your time. Using random 6 digit codes will
give you a much better chance of finding a code that
does something useful or interesting.
The reason for this is because of something called a
"Check Value". 6 digit codes don't use a check value,
8 digit codes do. If you want more info on this, go to
my web site and read the documents on the NES page.
8: Making "Starting stat" codes (NES/SNES/GB/Sega)
This is a very handy little trick you can use for
finding useful ROM addresses. Keep in mind that this
method doesn't work on all games. It mostly works on
some RPG type games.
This method will help you make codes like this: Starting
stats (HP, etc), what weapons you start with, what armor
you start with, how much gold you start with, etc.
In short, all you do is have a hex editor search the
ROM for the name of one of the characters in the game.
It's fairly easy to do... here's how:
You'll need a ROM of the game you want to make codes
for, and you'll need a hex editor (I'll be using Hex
Workshop for this example).
For this example, I'm going to use Might & Magic 2 for
SNES.
Open up the ROM with Hex Workshop. Click on the "Find"
button (or click on "Edit/Find"). Where it says
"Value", click on "ASCII". Where it says "Options",
click off "Case Sensitive" (Case Sensitive and Unicode
should be off). Direction should be "Down".
Where it says "Find What", type in the name of one of
the characters in the game. In this example, I'm going
to type in: Sir Felgar (make sure you include the
space between Sir and Felgar). Sir Felgar is the name
of one of the characters in Might & Magic 2 (SNES).
Now, click on the "Find Next" button. With any luck,
you'll get a match. In our example, the first match
is where you'll find lots of very useful addresses for
Might & Magic 2. And right after Sir Felgar, you'll
find the addresses for all of the other characters as
well (Terwin III, Sure Valla, Gene Eric, etc). The
useful addresses for each character start right after
their name, and end at the start of the next character's
name.
In our example, the word "Sir Felgar" starts at this
address in the ROM: 3C755. Just 6 or 7 rows below this
is where you'll find some good addresses for making
codes. Here are the addresses for some of them...
3C7B7 & 3C7B9 = Sir Felgar's starting HP
3C7BF & 3C7C0 = Sir Felgar's starting gold
3C7C4 = Sir Felgar's starting Might
and there are many others very near by. Check my web
site to see the codes I made for Might & Magic 2 SNES.
You can usually make codes for all the other characters
in the game once you find the right addresses for one
of the characters. In our example, you can make codes
for Terwin III, Sure Valla, Gene Eric, Casandra, and all
the other characters the same way we made codes for Sir
Felgar.
Sometimes, when you use this method, you will end up
finding the text used in the game. This isn't very
useful for making Game Genie codes, but it is a great
way to find out where to edit the text in the game.
You can use Game Genie codes to edit the text in the
game, but you need one Game Genie code for each letter
you want to change, so it would take LOTS of Game Genie
codes. It's much faster to just use the hex editor to
make the changes to the text.
Anyways, I'm getting off track here. If you do a search
for a character's name and there is lots of text (words)
right before or after the name, then you have probably
found the text used in the game (which isn't what we're
looking for), so keep searching by using the "Find
Again" button (or click on "Edit/Find Again").
If you're having trouble understanding this, try getting
a Might & Magic 2 ROM (SNES), and following along with
the example.
Make sure you read my document called "How to make SNES
Game Genie codes" to learn about another method for
finding/making character stat codes.
You can find more documents like this one from my web
site: www.angelfire.com/games2/codehut/
I hope that you found some useful information here.
Happy code making!
Tony Hedstrom t_hedstrom@yahoo.com