Game Center CX 2/Retro Game Challenge 2 Ripping Project

[Superjustinbros]

For quite some time I've been dying to see this Japanese-only DS game get a proper sprite rip, preferably the games Wiz-Man and Demon Returns since they're my favorites of the set.

I'd prefer if there was a way to extract the graphic/sprite files directly from the ROM, though I could try screencapping if there's no other option.

[Deathbringer]

Good news/bad news.

Good news is that I can extract the files from the ROM. A lot of them seem to be Nitro files (so Oil of Vitriol can be used).

Bad news is I have to decompress everything (not a problem except I have to replace the old compressed files with the new decompressed ones).

Good news is after all that I'll upload everything as a zip so we can have a decent start.

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https://www.dropbox.com/s/6bw933i31p9de3...2.zip?dl=0

More or less the contents of the ROM minus the sound data.

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The main part of this project (the games themselves) are in the retro folder. When something can be identified for sure (I have a list from Wikipedia added), it'll give us an idea of what needs to be done.

cf = Cosmic Gate (title screen)
dr = Demon Returns
gjm = Game Training Tool GO! Edge Jump Max (graphics look Game & Watch-ish and Wiki mentions a trainer game that uses that aesthetic)
gqs = Guadia Quest Saga
gs = Star Prince SA (Score Attack ver.) (title screen)
gun = GunDuel (seems reasonable)
hm = Robot Ninja Haggleman: Koume Version (title screen)
km = Arino Ace Detective Parts 1 & 2 (by default, but I found title screen and the kanji for detective is in it)
mk = Mutekiken Kung-Fu (some files in folder have kangfu in name)
rk = Rally King EX
sdr = Super Demon Returns
tri = Triotos (has separate folders for both iterations)
wiz = Wiz-Man

As you can see, some aren't easy to identify. I have to find title screens for the others.

Main games
/Wiz-Man/
/Mutekiken Kung-Fu/
/Demon Returns/
/Arino Ace Detective Parts 1 & 2/
/GunDuel/
/Triotos/
/Guadia Quest Saga/
/Super Demon Returns/

Shop games
/Cosmic Gate (MASA-X version)/
/Robot Ninja Haggleman: Koume Version/
/Rally King EX/
/Star Prince SA (Score Attack ver.)/
/Triotos DX/

Other games
/Game Training Tool GO! Edge Jump Max/

[Superjustinbros]

And we're off to a healthy start.

I assume each game will get's it's own section which will then include all the sprite sheets related to that game. For example Wizman would be separated into three or four sheets, which would include one for the player, enemies, items/effects, and tilesets for the main levels. Demon Returns would probably do the same thing to emulate how the Super Mario Bros. sheets are laid out.

[Deathbringer]

Just to warn you, some of these games might employ some dirty trick. Cosmic Gate uses multiple separate palettes for enemies, most are literally for the glowing cores.

[Superjustinbros]

Now I just need a program that can read the files, since everything I've tried thus far has ended in failure.

As for the palettes if I even do decide to make a sheet out of a game that isn't Wiz-Man, Triotos, or Demon Returns, I'll see what I could do regarding the tricks.

[seishinbyou]

Hello, I'm Aaron Tokunaga, and I was the head of the Fan Translation project for this game. I already have all of the media extracted and modified (in some cases) for the English patch but if I can be of assistance, let me know.

(The patch is available from gbatemp or better yet the official patch page gccxpatch.com (sorry about that free site junk))

The program "Tinke" can be used to extract just about every image in the game, though some parts are tiled graphics. Palettes, too. CrystalTile2 works as well but can be more cumbersome.

To show you I'm serious, here is the Wiz-Man main character. I purposely made it long and skinny so the icons appear as they do in the game.

http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/wizmanstuff.png

Oh, for bonus points, if you extract all the backgrounds from the Triotos 16-bit remake you end up with recreations of famous woodblock prints.

http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png
http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/tridx_6....cncgr.png

This should be a fairly quick "project" since we already did all this when hacking and patching the ROM to be in English, including remaking the graphics when necessary (for the magazines/manuals, some of the in-game art, titles, labels, etc.)

[Superjustinbros]

Big thanks, Aaron!

I'll share the Wizzn sheet I assembled up.
   

[seishinbyou]

Okay, that looks great!

So would you like me to rip anything in particular first or just anything to do with Wizman and demon returns?

There is also artwork for those games from the manuals, magazines and end game slideshow I can rip as well. (The one after you beat all the game endings)

It's not hard but there is a lot so just let me know priority.

[Superjustinbros]

The Wiz-Man items, spells/attacks and enemies, along with the Demon Returns player, enemy, item, and tile sprites.

I could also use the Triotos blocks, background, and cutscene sprites from the Game Computer Mini version.

[seishinbyou]

Okay, I quickly ripped out everything from the Wizman folder. For what I could do I exported the image files containing all the sprites that used the same palette, but I'm not positive on some of them even though they look all right at a glance. For those that don't for sure I exported each bank separately. If there are any tiles or objects you think I need to rip bank-per-bank, let me know.

Here, I put it all in a RAR for you to look at. Enjoy:

http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/wizman.rar

Okay, I guess I'll look at Demon Returns in the meantime (and Triotos)

EDIT> Demon Returns, but I'm not positive on some of the palettes:

http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/demonreturns.rar

EDIT AGAIN> Some Triotos stuff for you:

http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/triotos.rar

[Superjustinbros]

I'll get to the others when I have the chance. For now here's Demon:
   

EDIT: I looked through the files for Demon Returns and noticed there's nothing for backgrounds/tilesets.

[seishinbyou]

All right, I'll look again later today. There wasn't anything in that folder I saw in my first pass but it's possible I skipped over something by mistake.

[Superjustinbros]

All right, I'll look again later today. There wasn't anything in that folder I saw in my first pass but it's possible I skipped over something by mistake.

Big thanks.

[seishinbyou]

Okay, I found the other tiles, but there are a bunch of palette files and no bank files to point which tile uses which palette that I could see. I just picked one that had the full range of palette diversity and went with that. I hope these help in the meantime:

http://aaronin.jp/shashin/arino2/demonreturns2.rar