An AI assisted restoration hack of the Saturn port. The arcade original is the source for all the restored sound; the 3DO fan-made port was used as the
reference too, as well as MK Trilogy for some loading plans. Now compatible with the 4 MB RAM cartridge, used exclusively to store the Shang Tsung morphs.
Distributed as an xdelta patch for the USA redump disc (apply it to the Track 01.bin).
Playtested on a modchipped console using CDR and Ymir emulator. It was not tested on Saroo because my card reader died due to intense use, need to buy another. :´(
Tested with the oficial 4 MB RAM cartridge and the Action Replay 4 MB. This was a terrible, horrible port. I did my best the make it closer enough to the arcade game.
Changes
Sound
- Every voice and sound effect the Saturn was missing is restored from the arcade: round calls ("Round one/two/three",
"Fight"), "<name> wins", the select-screen name calls, blood splats, landing sound, fatality start/end music,
the "Fatality" call, Scorpion's "Get over here", Shang Tsung's death scream, Kung Lao/Raiden/Kintaro/Shao Kahn
specials and more.
- Jump/hit/kick yells now play for every fighter against every opponent (on the original they depended on who the
opponent was).
- Restored sounds match the volume of the Saturn's own sounds; pausing stops them; no doubled, cut, late or looping
sounds on loading screens.
- Announcer timing ("Round 1" ... "Fight") matches the 3DO port.
- Music stays internal (no CD audio). Credits music plays complete now; the 3DO Goro's Lair music was ported over here.
- Attract/presentation music: the arcade's attract theme.
- Battle plan (tower) music: the arcade's track.
- All the music play in their respective stage correctly now
- Select screen: the arcade's cursor and selection sounds (P1 and P2), at the arcade's volume.
Loading During Fights
- Fights never read the CD (Trilogy-style memory plan): only a short load for some finishers.
- FINISH HIM never pauses to load; 1P works exactly like VS.
- Pit/Dead Pool stage fatalities: load at the uppercut before the fall.
- Faster pre-fight loading; the disc files are laid out in reading order.
- Loading times are a bit faster than the retail release.
Shang Tsung
- All his voices and effects are always loaded; his matches load the full standard set every time.
- Morphs into the opponent: instant, full resolution, no load.
- ANYONE morph option kept: without the cartridge, when morphing into a fighter not in the match, a 3DO-style black
silhouette is used with that fighter's moves, projectiles and finishers, no load. The sound effects are all generic ones derived from the Shang Tsung moveset.
- With the 4 MB cartridge we get real morphs into anyone, straight from the cartridge RAM with no pauses.
- Cartridge initialised as Sega's ST-TECH-47 documentation requires, so it should work on any device (Saroo is a diferente beast but should work).
With 4 MB Cart - Without Cart
Gameplay
- Forward walk speeds as in the arcade.
- Kitana's Fan Lift as in the arcade.
- Finish Him window time now is 3x the original.
- Lower input latency: the original port has 6 frames of input lag. I was able to reduce it to 4 frames, closer to the arcade (2 frames).
- Shao Kahn's defeat no longer leaves him standing in a corner; his death scene plays in the right order.
- Jade's skin color was fixed.
Modes and Menus
- A Training Mode is included: both fighters human or idle opponent, health regeneration, damage display, pause menu with
Move lists, Finisher Training (no time limit), Stage select, and Change Character:
- Cheat/Switches menu enabled by default.
- Options, switches, records and joypad configuration are now saved to the internal backup RAM.
- A or C buttons now confirm in every menu.
- The cursor now runs slower on the menus.
Known Issues
- Some finishers (fatalities, babalities, friendships) still do a short CD load when performed, like Trilogy. Nothing can be done about it because of Shang Tsung.
- Stage music is the Saturn's own because the arcade tracks are longer and don't fit the memory without cuts. Redbook can't be used because it clashes with the loading routines.
- Some emulators may only use the 4 MB cartridge when it is forced in their settings.
I'm creating a resource page but you can download the attached patch below while it's not approved.
reference too, as well as MK Trilogy for some loading plans. Now compatible with the 4 MB RAM cartridge, used exclusively to store the Shang Tsung morphs.
Distributed as an xdelta patch for the USA redump disc (apply it to the Track 01.bin).
Playtested on a modchipped console using CDR and Ymir emulator. It was not tested on Saroo because my card reader died due to intense use, need to buy another. :´(
Tested with the oficial 4 MB RAM cartridge and the Action Replay 4 MB. This was a terrible, horrible port. I did my best the make it closer enough to the arcade game.
Changes
Sound
- Every voice and sound effect the Saturn was missing is restored from the arcade: round calls ("Round one/two/three",
"Fight"), "<name> wins", the select-screen name calls, blood splats, landing sound, fatality start/end music,
the "Fatality" call, Scorpion's "Get over here", Shang Tsung's death scream, Kung Lao/Raiden/Kintaro/Shao Kahn
specials and more.
- Jump/hit/kick yells now play for every fighter against every opponent (on the original they depended on who the
opponent was).
- Restored sounds match the volume of the Saturn's own sounds; pausing stops them; no doubled, cut, late or looping
sounds on loading screens.
- Announcer timing ("Round 1" ... "Fight") matches the 3DO port.
- Music stays internal (no CD audio). Credits music plays complete now; the 3DO Goro's Lair music was ported over here.
- Attract/presentation music: the arcade's attract theme.
- Battle plan (tower) music: the arcade's track.
- All the music play in their respective stage correctly now
- Select screen: the arcade's cursor and selection sounds (P1 and P2), at the arcade's volume.
Loading During Fights
- Fights never read the CD (Trilogy-style memory plan): only a short load for some finishers.
- FINISH HIM never pauses to load; 1P works exactly like VS.
- Pit/Dead Pool stage fatalities: load at the uppercut before the fall.
- Faster pre-fight loading; the disc files are laid out in reading order.
- Loading times are a bit faster than the retail release.
Shang Tsung
- All his voices and effects are always loaded; his matches load the full standard set every time.
- Morphs into the opponent: instant, full resolution, no load.
- ANYONE morph option kept: without the cartridge, when morphing into a fighter not in the match, a 3DO-style black
silhouette is used with that fighter's moves, projectiles and finishers, no load. The sound effects are all generic ones derived from the Shang Tsung moveset.
- With the 4 MB cartridge we get real morphs into anyone, straight from the cartridge RAM with no pauses.
- Cartridge initialised as Sega's ST-TECH-47 documentation requires, so it should work on any device (Saroo is a diferente beast but should work).
With 4 MB Cart - Without Cart
Gameplay
- Forward walk speeds as in the arcade.
- Kitana's Fan Lift as in the arcade.
- Finish Him window time now is 3x the original.
- Lower input latency: the original port has 6 frames of input lag. I was able to reduce it to 4 frames, closer to the arcade (2 frames).
- Shao Kahn's defeat no longer leaves him standing in a corner; his death scene plays in the right order.
- Jade's skin color was fixed.
Modes and Menus
- A Training Mode is included: both fighters human or idle opponent, health regeneration, damage display, pause menu with
Move lists, Finisher Training (no time limit), Stage select, and Change Character:
- Cheat/Switches menu enabled by default.
- Options, switches, records and joypad configuration are now saved to the internal backup RAM.
- A or C buttons now confirm in every menu.
- The cursor now runs slower on the menus.
Known Issues
- Some finishers (fatalities, babalities, friendships) still do a short CD load when performed, like Trilogy. Nothing can be done about it because of Shang Tsung.
- Stage music is the Saturn's own because the arcade tracks are longer and don't fit the memory without cuts. Redbook can't be used because it clashes with the loading routines.
- Some emulators may only use the 4 MB cartridge when it is forced in their settings.
I'm creating a resource page but you can download the attached patch below while it's not approved.
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