Return Fire Re-Release Tryout

[Mr. Saturn]

Preface:

I managed it to get a copy of the never on Saturn released game "Return Fire" by the developers Prolific on a CD-R which is already burned with a special program by SEGA which burns several files in a special order and folders - but the CD is not protected by SEGA, so it is not finished...

I do have the agreement of the developers to try everything i can to get this game running on the SEGA Saturn system...

(So don´t worry it is not illegal

)

The developers about the game:

The game was finished for the Sega Saturn.

At about that time, Hitachi made a Saturn system that was not 100%

compatible with Sega's, and the game did not run correctly on it.

We were asked to make the changes which would allow it to run on the

"HI-Saturn," and after a bit of back-and-forth, we even received a loaner

HI-Saturn test system. But, did not do this work because the project was

stopped because the publisher did not belive the the Saturn was going to

make it. The Saturn version of Return Fire was therefore never manufactured

on "protected" CDs and therefore never released.

I tried to get this game running on my multinorm Saturn by doing the well-known swap trick and it helped a little - but although the SEGA screen appeared after the Saturn intro (which didn´t appered with usual booting) all you will see after that is a black screen...

If you want to know which files are on this cd just look here:

http://www.sega-saturn.net/rfcd1.gif

http://www.sega-saturn.net/rfcd2.gif

http://www.sega-saturn.net/rfcd3.gif

http://www.sega-saturn.net/rfcd4.gif

http://www.sega-saturn.net/rfcd5.gif

http://www.sega-saturn.net/rfcd6.gif

http://www.sega-saturn.net/rfcd7.gif

Do you have any ideas how to make this game running, because i want to re-release this game on Saturn...

BTW: I do own every doc and program from this site (if it may be helpful)

http://www.helsinki.fi/~ammonton/sega/docs.html

 

[printf]

It sounds like you haven't done the swap correctly. Please make sure you try once more to boot this on a regular Saturn with matching region. Also, you might want to see if it boots up using an emulator.

If all this fails, you can always make an image of the CD and give it to someone who owns a mod board.

What way of "re-releasing" are you talking about? Producing CDs for sale through some shop? Uploading it to a FTP server? Should this be what you intend to do, go ahead, I'm sure somebody will get it to work.

 

[Daniel Eriksson]

Wow! That is fantastic! Return Fire rules! I thought the Saturn version was released, but apperantly it wasn´t. Though, now it is! I don´t really know much about how to get it run, but you could try to use a Gameshark. It might work. Also, maybe this means we could get other "almost released" Sat games from other developers! Cool idea!

 

[Mr. Saturn]

Originally posted by printf@Jan. 23 2003, 6:10 pm

It sounds like you haven't done the swap correctly. Please make sure you try once more to boot this on a regular Saturn with matching region. Also, you might want to see if it boots up using an emulator.

If all this fails, you can always make an image of the CD and give it to someone who owns a mod board.

What way of "re-releasing" are you talking about? Producing CDs for sale through some shop? Uploading it to a FTP server? Should this be what you intend to do, go ahead, I'm sure somebody will get it to work.

So i might have to do the swap trick on an american Saturn, although my European Saturn is multinorm?

And if i can get it running, i will print real covers, booklets and printed CDs in a real Saturn case and sell it on my site at cost price (i think 15-25$)...

 

[TakaIsSilly]

Originally posted by Mr. Saturn@Jan. 24 2003, 9:24 am

So i might have to do the swap trick on an american Saturn, although my European Saturn is multinorm?

And if i can get it running, i will print real covers, booklets and printed CDs in a real Saturn case and sell it on my site at cost price (i think 15-25$)...

What do you mean by multinorm? You got it rigged for 50 and 60Hz? This still doesn't defeat the country code, but this doesn't seem to be the fact:

When you mean that "the SEGA screen appeared" you mean the Licenced by SEGA screen that appears on every game that boots correctly? The pics don't help, since we can't see the contents... the IP.bin could be more usefull, and a binary compare of the files 0 and 1.BIN might help as well... but the executable could simply be of a non-working beta test.

Hn, if this CD was Hi-Saturn thinkered, it _might_ have MPEG movies inside the MOVIES dir, what would crash a non-MPEG-ready Saturn. Won't the developers explain in what condition was this product?

As for you plans, you should know the "community" won't stand idle over that idea, and you'll make many people angry ^o^; Good luck, the Saturn scene needs some shakedown

.

 

[Mr. Saturn]

Originally posted by TakaIsSilly@Jan. 24 2003, 11:11 am

What do you mean by multinorm? You got it rigged for 50 and 60Hz? This still doesn't defeat the country code, but this doesn't seem to be the fact:

When you mean that "the SEGA screen appeared" you mean the Licenced by SEGA screen that appears on every game that boots correctly? The pics don't help, since we can't see the contents... the IP.bin could be more usefull, and a binary compare of the files 0 and 1.BIN might help as well... but the executable could simply be of a non-working beta test.

Hn, if this CD was Hi-Saturn thinkered, it _might_ have MPEG movies inside the MOVIES dir, what would crash a non-MPEG-ready Saturn. Won't the developers explain in what condition was this product?

As for you plans, you should know the "community" won't stand idle over that idea, and you'll make many people angry ^o^; Good luck, the Saturn scene needs some shakedown

.

Multiregion + 50/60 Hz

The Saturn has a turn-switch to decide if you want to play PAL/JAP or US-Games - furthermore it has a 50/60Hz-Switch

And i just received a message from the developers that they checked the cd they sent me before sending and it worked with an unlocking cd, which means that you'd stick it in the Sega Saturn, and hit the reset button. After a moment, the Sega licensing screen would appear, with the word "COMPLETED" overwriting it in the upper left corner. Then you'd stick in your development game disc, and hit the reset button. So, whatever the unlocking

disc did, it can survive a reset.

This cd was not Hi-Saturn thinkered, the Hi-Saturn was just the reason that this game was delayed and then rejected...and even if the CD has MPEG movies inside it wouldn´t worry because i have a MPEG decoder built-in...

 

[antime]

Originally posted by Mr. Saturn@Jan. 24 2003, 7:35 pm

And i just received a message from the developers that they checked the cd they sent me before sending and it worked with an unlocking cd, which means that you'd stick it in the Sega Saturn, and hit the reset button. After a moment, the Sega licensing screen would appear, with the word "COMPLETED" overwriting it in the upper left corner. Then you'd stick in your development game disc, and hit the reset button. So, whatever the unlocking

disc did, it can survive a reset.

That would be a developer boot CD. If it causes the Saturn to skip the checks against the IP then it would confirm the hypothesis that the boot area is not "complete". I'll send you instructions on how to extract the IP later tonight when I get home, hopefully it is something that can easily be fixed.

As for your future plans, did you get permission from the authors to sell the game? Personally I don't really care if you charge for copies, especially if you print up manuals and provide packaging, but the copyright owners might be less thrilled.

 

[Mr. Saturn]

Originally posted by antime@Jan. 24 2003, 11:57 am

As for your future plans, did you get permission from the authors to sell the game? Personally I don't really care if you charge for copies, especially if you print up manuals and provide packaging, but the copyright owners might be less thrilled.

I have received this game copy by the authors of this game at Prolific and they gave me the permission to try everything to get this game running without that fuc.... unlocking cd...

I will sell this game at cost-price so i will not make any profit...

And the developers had the license from SEGA in 1996 and they have it today so no probs at all...

 

[printf]

Please extract the CDs ip.bin for us here to check it. A small walkthrough I typed up some days ago for a person that didn't even write back (CDRWin 3.x only, I don't know any newer versions):

Start CDRWin

click on third picture from the left (upper row), which is "Extract Disc/Tracks/Sectors"

in the next window, please adjust the setting to the following:

Extract Mode: select "Select Sectors" here (the white circle to the left of it has to have a black dot in it)

be sure to select your drive where the disc is in under "cd-reader"

image filename: choose a meaningful name, such as c:\rf.bin so you can

find the file easily

file format: automatic is best

Sector Selection (to the right in the middle)

start: 0 end: 15 datatype: mode 1 (2048)

note: the sector selection is very important, please double check on the values

you entered thanks!

hit "Start" in the lower left corner and there you go! after this, please

make the file C:\rf.bin or whatever you called it available for people

to download, or upload it to a ftp server

I'll be glad to make the ip.bin multi-region for you, so the game will never need any region converter. This might be helpful for some people.

 

[Mr. Saturn]

Originally posted by printf@Jan. 24 2003, 1:32 pm

Please extract the CDs ip.bin for us here to check it. A small walkthrough I typed up some days ago for a person that didn't even write back (CDRWin 3.x only, I don't know any newer versions):

Start CDRWin

click on third picture from the left (upper row), which is "Extract Disc/Tracks/Sectors"

in the next window, please adjust the setting to the following:

Extract Mode: select "Select Sectors" here (the white circle to the left of it has to have a black dot in it)

be sure to select your drive where the disc is in under "cd-reader"

image filename: choose a meaningful name, such as c:\rf.bin so you can

find the file easily

file format: automatic is best

Sector Selection (to the right in the middle)

start: 0 end: 15 datatype: mode 1 (2048)

note: the sector selection is very important, please double check on the values

you entered thanks!

hit "Start" in the lower left corner and there you go! after this, please

make the file C:\rf.bin or whatever you called it available for people

to download, or upload it to a ftp server

I'll be glad to make the ip.bin multi-region for you, so the game will never need any region converter. This might be helpful for some people.

The game is multi-region - it has JTUBKAEL

For JAPAN.For TAIWAN and PHILIPINES.For USA and CANADA.For BRAZIL.For KOREA.For ASIA PAL area.For EUROPE.For LATIN AMERICA.

 

[antime]

The IP seems just fine, but the AIP (application initial program) just does a jump to 0x6010000, which is also the first read address as specified in the IP. Shouldn't the AIP wait for the first read file to actually be loaded completely into memory before trying to run it?

EDIT: Never mind, the first read file is loaded while the Sega logo is displayed. The AIP isn't executed until the file has finished loading. One oddity I did notice is that the IP sets both master and slave stacks to zero. They are probably set correctly by the game once it actually starts, but all other IPs I've looked at has set these to some real value.

 

[Daniel Eriksson]

Now this sounds quite fantastic! Hmm, I know there are a certain type of CD-R that was published from Sega and those already contained the protection ring. So it is just to burn and play, without the need of any modding. If you are going to sell them (which I hope, I would but one immidialitely!), you could ask this developer if they have any of those. It would make it alot easier!

Sorry for being unable to help with the tech-stuff. I dont know much of it yet.

 

[Mr. Saturn]

Originally posted by Daniel Eriksson@Jan. 24 2003, 4:31 pm

Now this sounds quite fantastic! Hmm, I know there are a certain type of CD-R that was published from Sega and those already contained the protection ring. So it is just to burn and play, without the need of any modding. If you are going to sell them (which I hope, I would but one immidialitely!), you could ask this developer if they have any of those. It would make it alot easier!

Sorry for being unable to help with the tech-stuff. I dont know much of it yet.

If we get it running I WILL DEFINITELY republish this fantastic game, i already made the Cover and CD print:

It´s the european Cover style, do you think i have to make an american and japanese style cover too?

 

[Daniel Eriksson]

You made those? They are fantastic! Very good work! Maybe seeing new Saturn games released is a possibility

Also, do you know if it is the same as the 3DO version or is it updated in any way?

 

[IceDigger]

If you can get that game going I think alot of people will buy it as they know return fire is one awesome 2 player game. How does it differ from the 3do version?

 

[Mr. Saturn]

Originally posted by Daniel Eriksson@Jan. 24 2003, 6:39 pm

Also, do you know if it is the same as the 3DO version or is it updated in any way?

No, it is the same version as on 3DO...

 

[kyosuke75]

If you can put the image up on an ftp or something, I can check it out since I have a modded saturn. If you plan on selling it, how much? I would like a copy as well...

Kyosuke75

 

[Mr. Saturn]

Originally posted by kyosuke75@Jan. 27 2003, 4:41 pm

If you can put the image up on an ftp or something, I can check it out since I have a modded saturn. If you plan on selling it, how much? I would like a copy as well...

Kyosuke75

I can´t put up the whole image of the game because it has over 480MB and i have not as many space on my server...

I will sell it at cost-price (approx. 20-25$)

 

[antime]

Well, unless you let someone with the tools and knowledge (eg. printf) take a look at the whole thing there's not much we can do. You probably don't have to make the whole game available, just the data track. The length of the audio tracks would also be good to know, so whoever tries to get it working can add dummy tracks if needed. The audio tracks could also be mp3'd/ogged, quality isn't such a big deal for this.

 

[Mr. Saturn]

Originally posted by antime@Jan. 28 2003, 8:59 am

Well, unless you let someone with the tools and knowledge (eg. printf) take a look at the whole thing there's not much we can do. You probably don't have to make the whole game available, just the data track. The length of the audio tracks would also be good to know, so whoever tries to get it working can add dummy tracks if needed. The audio tracks could also be mp3'd/ogged, quality isn't such a big deal for this.

I will arrange something with printf... :

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