This hack is intended to help speedrunners practice the game in the most convenient ways possible. The practice menu, HUD display, controller shortcuts, and savestates are forked from Super Metroid's practice hack found at github.com/tewtal/sm_practice_hack. Modifications were made to fit Aladdin.
At the start of this project, there was virtually no documentation to be found on the game. The existing practice hack was a few cheat codes baked in, which did at least point directly to the game's level select code. To remedy this, some extra time was spent documenting RAM addresses and labeling routines with known functions. You can find these docs in the \research\ folder.
Check the \releases\ directory for pre-made IPS patch files. Further instructions are available in the README.md file there.
Building patches requires Python 3.0+ installed, but does not require a ROM to produce the IPS patches.
- Download and install Python 3+ from https://python.org. Windows users will need to set the PATH environmental variable to point to their Python installation folder.
- Run
build_ips.batto create IPS patch files. - Locate the patch files in the \build\ folder.
- Rename your unheadered Aladdin rom to
Aladdin.sfcand place it in the \build\ folder. - Run
build_rom.batto generate a patched practice rom in \build\ namedAladdin_Practice_1.X.sfc.
Just do it. Fork it and take over, open a pull request with your changes, or open an issue and label it as a request/suggestion. Reach out if you have any questions. Always happy to help, even if you're porting it to some other game. That's what I did, after all :)
- Ability to save and reload instantly during gameplay (on supported platforms)
- Level timer and lag frames displayed on the HUD and updates on music changes
- Track personal best level completion times
- Customizable controller shortcuts
- Level select menu lets you load any level, restart the current level, or skip to the next level.
- Equipment menu to set values such as hearts, apples, cape, and gems.
- HUD display modes to show RAM or other calculated values on the HUD during gameplay
- RAM watch and memory editor tools
- Skip stage clear and story time cutscenes
- Options to save, preserve, or cycle the RNG when loading savestates
- Option to disable game music (SFX only)
- Customize the equipment you start the game with
- Infinite apples, hearts, lives, and/or credits
- Invulnerability to all enemies
- Access to the game's own options within the practice menu
- Sample any music or sound effects in the menu
- Customize the sound effects used by the practice menu
- Super Metroid Practice Hack contributors.
- Metroid Construction Discord. P.JBoy in particular for helping with SPC sync.
- Zarby89 for writing a tool to compress my menu graphics and be compatible with the game's own decompression routine.