Bubble Symphony (Japan) - English Localization + Improvement v2.0

Bubble Symphony (Japan) - English Localization + Improvement v2.0

patch by KoolFiller.

Original xdelta patching kit by Derek Pascarella (ateam)
(Thanks!)



Requires "Bubble Symphony (Japan)" Redump compatible image


Instructions
------------
1. Place the disc image into the "redump_original" folder.

2. Run "apply_patch.bat"

3. Your patched game will be in the "patched" folder



BIG v2.0 update to my Bubble Symphony patch, with many new features. So I will try to elaborate more this time...



EXISTING FEATURES FROM v1.2 -


- the "Secret Options" menu (normally unlocked with a cheat code) is available by default.

- "REGION=USA" is now selected by default, which activates the hidden built in English localization once you start the game (but doesn't translate the menus).
"REGION=BB2" does the exact same thing, but gives you the "Bubble Bobble II" title logo.
You can also select "JPN" for Japanese, but the menus will remain in English.

- I've translated/localized the Start/Options menus. (Plenty of info available online, didn't have to guess what things were.)

- All the "Secret Options" can now be saved with "BACKUP=YES". So for instance, you can start the game with the "BB2" title logo every time if you want, etc.


NEW FEATURES IN 2.0 VERSION -


- Improved spacing in the Start and Options menus, which also enabled me to fit more characters in and shorten things less.

- Translated a screen that you will never see unless your save gets corrupted somehow.

- Many new options and settings are available.
I've added two brand new pages to the options menus, "BONUS 1" and "BONUS 2".
All the "BONUS" Options can also be saved with "BACKUP=YES".
I will elaborate more on each page of the Options menus down below.



"OPTIONS" page:

This is the "regular" Options page. Most of this stuff is self-explanatory.


"LIVES" -
Originally you could select between 2-5 lives. Now you can select between 1-5 lives. (Who knows why I did this)

"BACKUP" - "NO/YES"
Make sure you set this to "YES" so your preferences will be remembered on reboot.



"SECRET" page:

This is the "Secret Options" page which is unlockable in the retail game with a cheat code. I feel I must elaborate more on this.


"SUPER" - "OFF/ON/ALT"
The "Super Selector" toggle activates the "NORMAL GAME"/"SUPER GAME" selector at the beginning of the game.
The "SUPER GAME" mode features an alternative color scheme and mixes up the monster types (but not the monster placements) to increase the difficulty.
Finishing this mode is one of the requirements for reaching the good ending.
There is also a known cheat code that activates the "Super Selector" and turns the curtain in the beginning of the game purple.
The toggle in the "Secret" menu originally didn't turn the curtain purple, so I've added a 3rd option.
So now you have "OFF/ON/ALT". The first two should be self explanatory. "ALT" will activate the "Super Selector" as well as the purple curtain. Besides the curtain, there is no other difference between the "SUPER" modes AFAIK.

"REGION" - "USA/BB2/JPN"
Already explained above.

"SFX VOLUME" -
You can set the volume level for in-game sound effects.

"EFFECT TYPE" - This setting doesn't seem to be well understood by many, but there are 3 different settings which effect the way background music will sound in game.
"1" seems to be the "normal" setting, and "2" and "3" seem to add different levels of weird "surround sound" effect to the background music (which frankly sounds awful to my ears).
Strangely, instead of defaulting to "EFFECT TYPE=1" it shipped with "TYPE 2" as the default and no way to change it without entering the "Secret Options".
I've decided to make "EFFECT TYPE=1" the no-save default. If you don't like that just change it and your preference can be saved to backup.



"BONUS 1" page:

There are four new toggles here, which activate hidden modes which could (mostly) previously be activated with different cheat codes. (More info here: https://segaretro.org/Bubble_Symphony/Hidden_content)


"POWER UP" - "OFF/ON"
In this mode, when you start the game you will permanently have the Shoes (increased speed), Green Candy (fast-firing bubbles) and Red Candy (fast-moving bubbles).

"ORIGINAL" - "OFF/ON"
In this mode, the secret treasure room doors will always appear even if you have lost a life before reaching the correct level.

"CLASSIC" - "OFF/ON/ALT"
"ON" = In this mode, background graphics will be removed and music from the original Bubble Bobble will play, loosely simulating the look of the 1986 original.
"ALT" = This mode has never been available before. The "ALT" setting is just like "CLASSIC" mode, except you get the regular Bubble Symphony music with the "CLASSIC" Bubble Bobble black backgrounds.

"HUMAN" - "OFF/ON"
In this mode you play as the human versions of each character from the start (including the character select screen and attract mode graphics).



"BONUS 2" page:

These are all new options with no known cheat codes that I am aware of to enable these features.


"BUNNY GIRL" - "OFF/BUNNY/GIRL"
Left over easter eggs from the original Japanese arcade game.
More info here: https://tcrf.net/Bubble_Symphony_(Arcade)
In the original Japanese arcade game, entering "BUNNY" or "GIRL" (or "LUCKY"/"LOVELY") as a name in the high score entry screen would play a ringing bell sound effect and unlock a special item at the start of the next game.
(Non-Japanese versions of the arcade game and the Saturn version of the game have a three-character limit for names, so it's impossible to enter these.)
Both items look like top hats, but have different effects:
The "BUNNY" top hat acts like a treasure chest/magic cane item: At the end of the stage, all bubbles will transform into small bunny girls worth 700 points, and a Big Bunny Girl worth 100,000 points will fall from the top of the screen.
The "GIRL" top hat will spawn a Bunny Girl assist character. Enemies struck by her big top hat will transform into Grapes worth 4,000 points.
Her movements will mirror yours: You attack, she attacks. You jump, she jumps. You go left, she goes left, etc.
In two player mode, whoever get's the top hat first controls the "bunny girl".
Pretty cool.
Basically the top hat is going to spawn somewhere random on every map (if you don't clear the map first), except boss maps and I *think* maps where the "secret treasure room doors" appear.
So just keep an eye out for the top hat.

"ROUND SEL" - "OFF/ON"
Activates a hidden "Round selector" at the beginning of the game.

"DEBUG CON" - "OFF/ON"
Just like in "Mizubaku Daibouken" aka "Liquid Kids", "ON" enables debug controls (X freezes gameplay, Hold Y for slow motion, Press Z for 1 frame advance).

"CREDITS" -
Many people probably thought 99 credits made this game too easy.
Maybe you don't wanna worry about credits at all. (Who wants to start over after continuing 99 times?)
Well, now you can select anything from 1-99 credits, or "FREE" play.
Maybe some maniacs want to try and beat the game with only 1 credit, 1 life? Good luck!




UPDATE v1.2

- another small update, this time to fix unintentionally corrupted graphics (red "+" signs that didn't belong) in in-game HUD.


UPDATE v1.1

- v1.0 had a small bug where the SECRET menu settings SUPER and REGION weren't being saved to backup properly.
That's fixed now, so you can keep SUPER mode enabled or always boot the game as Bubble Bobble 2 if you want.
All the settings including the SECRET menu settings will save to backup now, so make sure BACKUP is set to YES.