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Topic: Messing around with THPS2

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Einhander
rank 20
Posted:
Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:21 am
quote : #1
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Posts: 389
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This kind of goes on for a while, so I apologise ahead of time.

So I was playing daytona USA and rocking out on Sea-Side Street Galaxy in the hornet when I thought that I liked the Daytona soundtrack, but I just wasn't into it at that time. I thought about how cool the custom soundtrack feature on certain X-Box games was awesome. I then thought back to the early days of the PS1, when I was reading stories of guys online who had re-burned their PS1 games that featured redbook audio with different music tracks.

Can you see where I'm going?

Anyway, later on I fired up Defense Commander, and after awhile, I threw it into my computer to see if there was any sort of Omake data. To my surprise, the bitmaps and .wavs for the environment, enemy craft, and menus were in various folders on the disc, viewable to me. So, since it was a single-session CD-ROM, all of the data was there, not like a GD-ROM, where all you can see on a PC is the data in between the CDDA and the game itself - usually some text files, sometimes artwork.

I thought about other CD-ROM games I had for my DC... otherwise known as "backups". DOA2:LE had nothing interesting. Tokyo Extreme Racer 2 had some DreamKey stuff, nothing too interesting. But Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2... bingo... bingfuckinggo...

I found board graphics, background graphics, loading screens, custom skater textures (faces, bodies, tatoos, pants, shoes, hands, helmets) all in .BMP format! All fifteen music tracks, plus ambient soundtracks for each level in .ADX format... not to mention text files detailing everything from music progression, names of the 47 created parks (also viewable in .prk format), the end credits, music credits... even the VMU animations!

Holy Christ.

So, my thought is, how awesome would it be to modify the bitmaps, adx music, and VMU animations, and then re-burn the disc with the new data? Sort of like a THPS2 Remix? Here are some examples:

http://img40.exs.cx/img40/3554/thps2stuff3sg.jpg (87.2k)

All of that was pulled from various .bmp files from different directories on the disc. I played the .adx audio using an .adx plugin for WinAmp, and it's the game music (and the ambient stuff that plays when no music is on). Other than being downgraded to monaural sound to fit on the rip, it's the same stuff.

So, does anyone beside me think that would be feasible? I don't know the exact specifics of getting DC games on CD-Roms to self-boot, or the exact procedure involved with getting the file structures correct, but other than that, it looks like it would be really easy to change a bunch of stuff from the game. It would be awesome just to change the soundtrack to breathe some new life into the game (I love Guerilla Radio as much as the next guy, but hearing it time after time gets old), but to be able to make custom tatoos or logos for the created skaters, replacing all of the logo sprites with new ones, making a new main menu, or adding user-created parks to the custom park list would be so badass.

Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas?
 
lordnikon
rank 87
Posted:
Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:14 am
quote : #2
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Posts: 5902
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This is 100% possible. Depending on the game. I know some people that do this all the time, one person in-particular who does this with many of his dreamcast games, adding custom soundtracks. It involves completly ripping the game and then reburning it. If its a backup its easier. If its an original you have to actually rip the entire game using a BBA or coders cable.

Actually re-burning the thing is very complicated for someone who has 0 experience doing it. Just a lot of factors that come into play, and not every burn is the same.

I can't allow public discussions on HOW to rip and burn dreamcast games. However if anyone wants to PRIVATE MESSAGE Einhander on this, feel free.

But if you want to get started best bet is to get the tools, search google for some tutorials, and prepare to make a lot of coasters. Wink
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Einhander
rank 20
Posted:
Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:42 am
quote : #3
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Posts: 389
Type: NTSC-U/C
lordnikon wrote:
I can't allow public discussions on HOW to rip and burn dreamcast games. However if anyone wants to PRIVATE MESSAGE Einhander on this, feel free.


Totally understandable. Can I discuss the changes that I plan to make (like, "This is the idea I had for a new menu screen" type of talk), as long as I don't bring up ripping or burning in any form?

Also, would it be possible for me to get in contact the person you talked about? Does he or she have a website? I've got the tools, and I've read up, but I'd like to keep my coaster count to a minimum. Getting info from someone who has it down means I wouldn't have to make thier mistakes... plus it would be cool to see what other games he/she has modified.

The main reason I would want to talk to other forum users is it would be cool to get some community art involved. There are a lot of boards, and a lot of shirt logos. I could put a DC logo, an OC.com logo, a Lego Logo... but I'd eventually run out of ideas. I think it would be cool to get other people's art and/or music involved.
 
lordnikon
rank 87
Posted:
Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:37 am
quote : #4
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Posts: 5902
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As long as your not bringing up anything that promotes pirating games or the process of ripping games, then you can talk about whatever you want. I just don't want this website to encourage people to pirate games, instead of buying them in anyway whatsoever. I really have no problem with people creating backups for their own reasons, or if they happen to get a backup and don't have the original its not my business. I just hate further promoting the act of piracy, and I don't want this website to be a vehicle for that.

As far as directing you towards the person in question, I will not since, I'm not going to leave his name out in the open to get clobbered with pm's or emails on this kind of stuff. Which is why I said if anyone wants to PM you, they can feel free. Plus people are busy and I don't like sending off unwanted requests to them. Since this involves troubleshooting and not everyone is an around the clock support service. There are some other forums around the internet specifically related to this type of stuff, which I'll leave you to find on your own.
  _________________
I'm already numero uno on Dark Helmet's hit list...
dwachill
rank 18
Posted:
Sun Feb 13, 2005 1:15 pm
quote : #5
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Posts: 345
Yea, i did this with Smackdown 2 for the PSX. I just added some new vid/music files for wrestlers intros. Cant remember where i got all the tools from though.
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Sega Surge
Sega Surge Fourms
Mr. Spank
rank 12
Posted:
Sat Feb 19, 2005 2:36 am
quote : #6
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Posts: 177
I would love to get a customized version of this game. I loved the orignal version of 2, can't wait to see a remix.

How about them sugestions people, he's asking for community support!

How about skins of our fave DC characters, some DOA characters, some resident evil zombies, Propeller Arena logo for a T Shirt, definately some Sonic the Hedgehog type of shoes for the shoe option. Borrow some of the avatars featured on the forum for the graphics on the skateboards

anyone know a good source for remixed games? The only remixed game I ever saw was Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and it was only a new audio track, this seems much more ambitious, much hotter. If you end up changing the parks, it will be a whole new game based around the Tony Hawk engine, or whatever the offical name for it is.

Maybe make some extra room on the CD by removing the FMVs.
 
dwachill
rank 18
Posted:
Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:50 am
quote : #7
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Posts: 345
Mr. Spank wrote:
I would love to get a customized version of this game. I loved the orignal version of 2, can't wait to see a remix.

How about them sugestions people, he's asking for community support!

How about skins of our fave DC characters, some DOA characters, some resident evil zombies, Propeller Arena logo for a T Shirt, definately some Sonic the Hedgehog type of shoes for the shoe option. Borrow some of the avatars featured on the forum for the graphics on the skateboards

anyone know a good source for remixed games? The only remixed game I ever saw was Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and it was only a new audio track, this seems much more ambitious, much hotter. If you end up changing the parks, it will be a whole new game based around the Tony Hawk engine, or whatever the offical name for it is.

Maybe make some extra room on the CD by removing the FMVs.


I dont think he is talking about that kind of work. That requires extensive coding knowledge to create characters. You should be able to put the logos in but if you want the characters, just make them in the create a skater mode.
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Sega Surge
Sega Surge Fourms
Mr. Spank
rank 12
Posted:
Sat Feb 19, 2005 2:06 pm
quote : #8
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Posts: 177
in the thing he linked, he had an entire head skin. Modify the head skin green with torn skin = zombie head

you see what I'm saying? If its a bitmap, redraw it.
 
Einhander
rank 20
Posted:
Sun Feb 20, 2005 5:09 am
quote : #9
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Posts: 389
Type: NTSC-U/C
Skins could be redone, but models couldn't without extensive coding. Basically the music, ambient sounds, board graphics, custom skater skins, ad posters, menus, the credits, FMV, and the in-game HUD could be edited. Right now I'm trying to work out the palette that the game uses so that I can get the colors correctly on the board graphics.

I think I'm going to replace all of the fmv with three second videos so that the game doesn't crash if you select them, it just brings you back to the movie select menu. Having no movies would probably free up enough space for Stereo ADX music, as opposed to the mono that the CD-ROM version of the game has.

The only way to replace parks would be if I could add user-created parks from a VMU to the disc before burning, and then have the parks list file redirect to that instead, so the user-created park would show up in the created parks list, alongside mojojojo and montana and stuff.

The only FMV I would want to edit would be the Treyarch intro, because I have no clue who they are. I'd change it to one of those "This software not approved or endorsed by Sega, NeverSoft... blah blah blah" disclaimers you see every so often on emulators.
 
Mr. Spank
rank 12
Posted:
Sun Feb 20, 2005 3:55 pm
quote : #10
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Posts: 177
Dude, I was completly talking about the skins, not the models they are wrapped around. The zombie idea would be he easiest in my opinion. Making it look like specific characters would be much more involved but possible if they are just to look similar to the characters you want to represent.

So you can't replace a park file completly and substitute...oh well, but the other stuff would be refreshing, can you also make it so that the extras are already unlocked?

GO GO GO, you can do it! <providing motivation> and your handsome too!
 
Chile
rank 30
Posted:
Mon Aug 01, 2005 6:36 pm
quote : #11
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Posts: 643
so did anything become of this?
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Collection
Einhander
rank 20
Posted:
Tue Aug 02, 2005 2:01 am
quote : #12
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Posts: 389
Type: NTSC-U/C
I got music changed, but was having trouble with logo graphics. I haven't had time to try create-a-skater stuff, but I have some time off and I'll be working days again for the next few weeks, so I'll be able to delve back in and see what I can do.

The rip of THPS 2 has mono music to lower .adx file sizes. I was able to pull out the movies (with the exception of the intro), and made enough room for stereo music. This makes the sound quality about thirteen trillion times better. OIf course, it also makes the game crash if you try to watch a skater movie in the movie menu. That's the main reason I wanted to insert simple two second blank movies, so it would just jump you back to the menu.

It's funny, because the reason I never bought THPS2 on the DC was because I had paid $49.99 for the PS1 version. That was my excuse for Downloading the DC copy. Then, between the timne i first posted this thread and now I felt guilty, so I bought a copy at my local game shop for $5. It didn't work.

I'll go ahead and post any new info I get ahold of in the next few days.
 
dwachill
rank 18
Posted:
Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:22 am
quote : #13
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Posts: 345
Can you give the link you got the software from that lets you convert the files? I want to do some work with this as well.
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Sega Surge
Sega Surge Fourms
RickBB
rank 8
Posted:
Sun Dec 17, 2006 4:13 pm
quote : #14
profile : pm
Posts: 88
Are there any other games that can be customized that way as much as THPS2?
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Also known as Dash Iros
Supreme Street Fighter Fan and Ken devoted.
mcmonkey
rank 44
Posted:
Sun Dec 17, 2006 5:19 pm
quote : #15
profile : pm
Posts: 1314
Type: PAL
Dash Iros wrote:
Are there any other games that can be customized that way as much as THPS2?


i'd imagine half life would be.
  _________________
Pretty music wot i has made:
http://grandcanonicalensemble.bandcamp.com/
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