Playing games on your PC 101

Part One : What Is Emulation?

To fully understand emulation, you must first know what it is. Emulation is a little thing that lets you play games on your computer. Emulators are the program that plays the game, like an SNES plays an SNES game. The ROM is like that game cartridge. They have many different file extensions, such as ".bin", ".smc", or ".v64". However, these are for mainly consoles that do not play CD's, like Playstation. For example, PLaystation games come in formats of the file extensions ".iso", ".img", and a few others. ISO's, as they are generally called regardless of file extension, are extremely hard to come by in great number. In fact, many sites CLAIM to have ISO's, but they only want your votes so that they can get money from their sponsor, who pays them for the number of votes they get. If you want ISO's, simply download the trial version of CloneCD 4 off of kazaa. This program creates a ".img" file of any CD you want, such as X-Box, Gamecube, PS2, or Playstation.

Of course, Emulation is also considered Piracy. By downloading and using ROM's for free, you are creating a defecit in profits for the people who make the games. One way game creators like Nintendo and Sony have come up with to decrease the amount of piracy of their games is to put them on CD. This, in most cases, makes the file size MUCH bigger, and an extremely larger burden for people to download and share. In any case, stick to the real game, it's alot more fun to play, and it works alot better than any emulator. PLUS, you can get charged big time for being caught with ROM's. Emulators, on the other hand, are perfectly legal, as determined in the court case between Sony and Connectix. For more information on that, go to The Register

And there you have it. Emulation in a nutshell. So, read on for more cool stuff about Emulation...



Part Two : Setting Up

To play games, u need an emulator. You can get one off of kazaa, or another p2p (Person 2 Person) program. You will also need a ROM, which can also be obtained by p2p software. You will also need winzip, as most files are zipped. To play, you need to unzip, or install, the emulator to a directory of your choice. Then, unzip a ROM to the directory of your choice. open the emulator. Now is the time to adjust your settings, like joypad configuration. Usually, it is under settings-joypad/input config, etc. After you are finished with the controls, its time to play the game. The other settings, such as dispay, are best left untouched, but if the graphics are really bad, you may need to adjust them to your liking. To play the game, you click file-load ROM. Now find the directory in which you unzipped the rom. Double click on it. Now you may play your game in harmony.

.....Oh no! My save file was erased! A way to prevent this is to use save states. All you do is click file-save state, then name the file, And click save. When you load the state again, you will be at the EXACT same status that you saved at, regardless of your save file in the game. This function is only avaliable in a few emulators, so live with creating a backup of your save game.

If you want the best experience, you should buy a video card, such as geforce 4, or voodoo, or some other company.

The lesson above uses the default layout for most emulators. The best emulators so far for playing roms are:

NES: Nesticle, Jnes
SNES: Snes9x, ZSNES
N64: PJ64, UltraHLE
GB/GBC: Visualboy Colour
GBA: Visualboy Advance, Boycott Advance
Gamecube: Dolwin
Playstation: VGS, ePSXe
PS2: Ultraps2, neutrinoSX2
Saturn: A-SATURN, Satourne
Sega: Gens
XBOX: Xeon (Halo only!), Cxbx

Part Three : Advanced Options

Netplay:

Now, you've got your stuff all set up, and now you want more. THERE IS AN ANSWER! All you need to do is go to the kaillera homepage, and download it. For this program is unlike any other - it creates netplay for certain systems, like MAME, N64, and others. So, download it, extract all the files to the folder you want, and open the emulator you want to use it with (check the kaillera website for more details on compatible emulators). Now, you must download one of the emulators listed on the dowloads page on www.kaillera.com that are supported, and already have a client. Now, go into one of these emulators, and find the netplay option (or something like that). The only one im sure of is ePSXe. After you have installed Kaillera to the ePSXe folder, choose to run the game. Find a server that has your game, double click on it, and enjoy the show!

Another way to play online (for the SNES console), is downloading the online client from [url="http://zbattle.net/"]Here[/url]. This program uses the ZSNES (Windows version only) to play multiplayer games online. If you're not hosting a game, you can download it from the remote host, which is much quicker than any emulation site. The GUI in this program is very iser friendly, and the program operation is very self explanatory. Now, choose a server, chat, and GO!

Plug-ins:

Now, there are a few emulators that allow you to use different files called "Plug-ins". These are little files that change the way you play a game. For example, Kirby 64. When you use the default plug-in on PJ64, it will have severe graphics problems. But, when I change to a different plug-in, say, Gizmo's Ultra 64, it makes the graphics alot better. Now, you must understand that Gizmo's only works for a few games, and not all of them. Glide plugins must also be taken into consideration when you are playing 3D games, such as PSX, or N64. UltraHLE will run without them, but having a 3DFX card such as a Voodoo 2.

Game Genie/Shark, & Pro Action Replay Codes

Game Genie/Shark is a great invention for kids who are having trouble in their game, or just wanna have fun. it is a small cartrige that plugs into your system, and enable's a cheat mode. So, lets say i wanna make myself invincible. all i have to do is look on the internet (or the codebook if applicable), enter the cheat address (usually 8 digits), and voila! You are invincible! Now you can kick some serious badguy butt! The Pro Action Replay Cartridge was invented cause galoob, the creator of the game genie, went out of business

Rom Hacking

If you want to learn how to hack/translate ROMs this is what you want to read. This assumes that you already know how to use ROMs and emulators. All the examples use Gameboy ROMs, but everything will work with most other ROMs. Continue on to learn about basic text hacking.

Making a Table File

(You will need a table file before you can start text editing)
Run a Relative Search program and search for a word from the game. Go into a HEX EDITOR. Scroll down until you see the Offset for the text that the HEX EDITOR gave you. Overwrite the hex number with one number higher. Save and play the ROM until you find the word again this time the first letter should be different. Figure out the hex number for each letter or punctuation mark and make a table file.
To make a table file, run TaBuLaR or Table Maker and you type the letter or punctuation mark that the hex number represents. Some web sites have table files for download.

Basic Text Hacking

In the olden days, ROM hackers had to use plain old hex editors. Now, we have this amazing program called “Thingy”
“Thingy” is has versions that work in Windows and DOS; I don’t know about any others. “Thingy” takes a table file (see above)
and a ROM and displays text so that you can edit the actual text as it would look like in the ROM. To run “Thingy” Windows Ver. (called Thingy32) just double click on the icon and “Thingy” will ask for the ROM and up to 2 table files then will display the hex on the left side and the actual text on the right. Programming code will look like gibberish. Scroll down until you see some actual text you want to change. If you don’t see any actual text, you probably didn’t give “Thingy” the right table file. When you find something you want to change hit space before it and after it. A screen should pop up where you can type in the new text, you may run out of room before you finish typing your new text, when you’re done typing the new text hit Enter or Return (depending on your computer) and the text on the right will be changed, along with the hex on the left. Those are the basics of using “Thingy”. To use the more advanced features of “Thingy” read volume two of “ROM Hacking/Translating For Anyone”. Read on to learn to hack ROM graphics.

Hacking ROM Graphics

If you want to change the graphics of a ROM, it is recommended that you use Tile Layer; it is the best graphics program out there. To run Tile Layer in Windows go to a DOS Prompt and type: cd C:\Where ever you unzipped tile layer to and hit Enter or Return then you should see the folder that tile layer is in followed by an “>”. After the ”>” type what ever you named tile layer followed by a ROM’s name like this: >whateveryounamedtilelayer whatever.format and hit Enter or Return. This what it looked like for me:

C:\unzipped\tile_layer>tlayer cart.gb

(If you’re still unsure how to run Tile Layer, read the readme!) Tile Layer should run and there should be a large rectangle with static inside, that’s programming code that you shouldn’t mess with. Scroll down until you see a graphic you want to change. Left click on part of the graphic you want change and it should pop up super-sized in the small window to the right. All the graphics are in tile format, the head on one side and the rest of the body on the other. Also, most graphics tiles combine to be the actual graphic. When the tile pops up in that little window you can edit it using you mouse and then right click where you want to paste it back into the ROM. When you’re done, click “SAVE” and then click ”QUIT” and you’re all finished. To use the more advanced features of “Tile Layer” read volume two of “ROM Hacking/Translating For Anyone”. Read on to learn about Title Screen Hacking.

Title Screen Hacking

Most of the time you just have to run Tile Layer, find the title screen and change it. Sometimes, however, the screen won’t be in order, which makes changing it harder.

IPS Patches

An IPS Patch is the actual changed ROM that needs to be “patched” over the original ROM. The best way to do that is to use HebeGB. In HebeGB, find in your ROM in the directory display on the right, highlight it then click “IPS Patch”. HebeGB will then give you another directory display. Find the IPS Patch in the directory and highlight it. Click “Patch ROM”. Choose whether or not you want the checksum rewritten, and then the ROM will be patched. Congratulations! You’ve patched your first ROM! The next time you play your ROM, you will notice that it is the changed ROM. For another way to make IPS Patches see volume two of “ROM Hacking/Translating For Anyone”. Read on to learn how to Change A ROM’s Font.

Changing A ROM’s Font

First, run Tile Layer. Scroll down until you see the English Alphabet. Then click on a letter edit and paste back over the old letter. Do that for all the letters, click “SAVE” then “QUIT” and you’ve changed the font!

Translating A ROM

Now we are at the big hard part, translating a ROM. The first step would be to change the game's font from Japanese or any other alphabet to the alphabet you will be using for your translation. Mostly, people translate ROMs from Japanese to English, so that is what I will describe. Then play the ROM until you see some gibberish. Run a Relative Search program and search for that gibberish. Go into a HEX EDITOR. Scroll down until you see the Offset for the text. Overwrite the hex number with one one number higher. Save and play the ROM until you find the gibberish again this time the first letter should be different. Figure out the hex number for each letter or punctuation mark and make a table file. Go into “Thingy” and find the gibberish you searched for in Relative Search. Change the gibberish to what you want and play the rom. If the text is translated, you did it right!

Playstation Save State Hacking
Written by amplificar

There are four ways to cheat with your computer and a PSX emulator:
Memory Cards
*Saved States
Disc Image Editing
Using existing cheat codes

This thread is intended to show you the basics of creating a GS code with saved states using epsxe 1.6.0

Not for the faint of heart. If you aren't familiar with creating codes already, I don't recommend trying this without learning more first.
You should also be familiar with hex editors and file comparison.
If you don't have PEC, get it and learn how to use it before attempting this.

This involves more than two dozen steps.

Stuff You Need:
Compression/Decompression for .gz (gzip) files
A binary file comparison utility, or a hex editor that can do comparisons
The emulator epsxe v1.6.0
PEC (PSX Emulation Cheater)
PECEDIT (PEC database editor)

You should start off by trying to create a really simple code, like infinite money or hit points, etc.

You will need to be able to identify which saved states belong to the game you are making the code for. So create a clean saved state directory in epsxe or open up the CD for your game and look for a file that begins with SCUS SLUS SLPS. This is what the games saved state will be named, along with .000 .001 .002. Saved State slot 1 in epsxe is .000 in the saved state folder, slot 2 is .001, etc.

1) Load the game you want to make a code for

2) Get to a point in the game where you can easily change the value you want.

3) Press F2 in epsxe until slot 1 (saved state) is selected

4) Before changing anything, press F1 to save to slot 1

5) Press F2 until slot 2 is selected

6) Change the value you want a code for and press F1 to save slot 2

7) Make sure you write down the numbers before and after making the changes because you'll need to search for them, later.

8) Quit epsxe

9) Copy the saved states you just created *.000 and *.001 into a new folder.

10) Epsxe uses gzip compression on the saved states. You need to decompress the saved states before you can create a cheat code.

11) Append .gz to the end of the saved state names, so *.000.gz and *.001.gz

12) Decompress these two files, they should each be approx. 4MB

13) Open up the files in your binary file comparison utility or hex editor

14) Compare the decompressed saved states, and find all the values that match what you wrote down at step 7

15) You should have less than a dozen offsets in the saved state files. If you have more than a dozen results, you should find something easier to create a code for, and start over.

16) Now you've got these offsets, from the saved state. In the file for saved state slot 2 (*.001) edit the value of an offset to something you'll be able to recognize in the game.

17) Save that file, and close your editing program - be sure to keep track of the other offsets in case what you changed has no effect.

18) Gzip compress the file for saved state slot 2, it should become about 1.5MB.

19) The saved state slot 2 file must be named exactly as it was at step 9. So if your compression program named it *.001.gz you need to remove the .gz

20) COPY the saved state slot 2 file back into the epxse saved state folder.

21) Launch epsxe and the game, load slot 2 and see if the value is different than it was when you first created the saved state in step 6

22) If the value didn't change, go back to step 8 and try a different offset and value in the saved state, at step 15

23) Once you are able to change the saved state and affect the value you want to make a code for, take your hexadecimal offset from the file and subtract $1BA

24) You should now have a number less than 7 digits, in hexadecimal.

25) The format for a GS code is 80****** FFFF, 80 refers to the type of code and FFFF is the highest two byte value, 0000 is the lowest. Those six asterisks should be replaced with the hex offsett you just subtracted $1BA from. If your hex offset is less than six digits you need to add zeros to the left side of the number like 00****.

26) You should now have a working GS code, using PECEDIT create a new entry for your game and enter in the code and description.

27) Save with PECEDIT or SaveAs... to the PSX Emulation Cheater directory so that your code can be used with PEC

28) Launch epsxe 1.6.0 and the program PEC

29) in PEC, find the new code, make sure it's checkbox is checked, and press the button Send Cheats to Plugin

30) Run your game in epsxe, and see if your code is working.

If your code doesn't work:

A) Try other existing codes, to see if they work.

B) The value $1BA that you subtracted from the offset of the uncompressed ss file might be off a little, you could try changing the GS code +/- 10 in increments of 1 to see it that makes it work. $1BA is the length of the header for an ss file, and newer versions of epsxe might change that.

Playing M.A.M.E (Multi Arcade Machine Emulator) Online
Written by CrazyGuyWithACrazyGun

Heres how to play Online Mame Games Mame = Arcade system emulator. In this tutorial, we shall be using M.A.M.E., and the arcade game Marvel VS Capcom. Get M.A.M.E. here, here, or here. You can get the ROM for Marvel VS Capcom here or here.

After downloading those, put the ROM (still in a ZIP file) into the roms folder, inside the MAME32k folder. Now go to File -> Audit All Games to audit them. You can't really play the ROM's online unless you do this first. Finally, go to File -> Play Network Game, choose a server, and have loads of fun beating the utter shit out of some Marvel or Capcom freak

Making an ISO with Blindread
Written By Soylent Green

Step one: Download Blindwrite Here

Step two: Install.

Step three: Goto program files/vso/blindwrite (Or whatever directory you installed it to) and open Blindread.

Step four: When it asks to check internet for updates select No. Then select "Dump the image of CDROM" and click "Next."

Step five: Under "Image file output format" select CUE, BIN, SUB. And press "Next."

Step six: Under "Chose the extraction method" make sure "1 Nimble" is selected. Check "Adept speed" minimum at 1x and maximum at 4x(Less chance errors the slower the speed). Then press "Read" and you should have your ISO in a short amount of time, depending on the size of the game.

*NOTE* Blindread is a trial program. After a while you will need to either buy it, or download a keygen for it at cracks.am

Hope this helps.

How to search for ROM's on Google
Written by bigstylebobby

There is a little trick to finding the roms you want. When searching for specific roms try searching using extensions. For Example, use zelda3.smc for a query.

To avoid those sites that only link to the topsite lists, you should use "index of" zelda.zip. The results will mostly be directories. Whenever using ".zip" you should use "index of" along with /roms/console/ or /console/roms/. Console is the emulator your looking for. If you know the size of a rom, that is helpful in your search.

The link to http://www.freewebarcade.com had something about the subject. It's called the Google Code. I followed it and can find roms like that without the hassle. I found n64, nes, snes, genesis, gameboy, and everything else on Google.

These are examples from the Google Code txt, courtesy of http://www.freewebarcade.com.

Keywords (the title is the game your searching for):

Nintendo 64

title.v64, "index of" .v64, "index of" /n64/title.zip or title.zip.

Super Nintendo

title.smc, "index of" /roms/snes/, "index of" title.smc, "index of" title.zip

Nintendo

title.nes or /roms/nes/title.nes

*Do not use popular titles for nes.

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*end of tutorial*