Super Bubble Bobble & HazeMD

[vbt]

Super Bubble Bobble & HazeMD

It's the first time Im playing with Super Bubble Bobble 🙂 Before I thought it was only an unfinished demo now with HazeMD (new MD emu from Haze based on MAME) I can play it . For me it's the first emu running it, the others I tried didn't work with that game. Now I'm wondering, is it really an unreleased game or it's an homebrew ? who did that game ?

 

[Edge-`]

Super Bubble Bobble & HazeMD

I'm fairly certain it is a bootleg release with boxart similar to Bubble Bobble II. What I remember hearing about it is that the original cart wouldn't run on all Genesis', and that up till now because of the cart programming it wouldn't run on many emulators either.

Cool find VBT.

 

[vbt]

Super Bubble Bobble & HazeMD

Well, there was a pic with a title "Bubble Bobble MD"(never seen that with another emu) on Haze site so I tried again that game with HazeMD and it worked 🙂

http://haze.mameworld.info/

 

[Death Adder SF]

Super Bubble Bobble & HazeMD

It's the first time Im playing with Super Bubble Bobble Now I'm wondering, is it really an unreleased game or it's an homebrew ?

It's a "pirate original", developed by a small company in Taiwan. In other words, it's a hastily programmed game based on a popular Japanese license, in order to scrape up a couple of bucks for a diminishing company.

The reason it doesn't work in all emulators is because of the software-based copy protection it uses. However, a single Game Genie code will allow it to run correctly in Kega Fusion and other emulators.

The reason it doesn't work on all Genesis / Megadrive systems is because the people who programmed it were working with badly translated technical documents regarding Genesis programming, and also likely had only one model of the Megadrive upon which to test the game.

 

[Jeffrey]

Super Bubble Bobble & HazeMD

However, a single Game Genie code will allow it to run correctly in Kega Fusion and other emulators.

Please share. What is the Game Genie code??

 

[Mask of Destiny]

Super Bubble Bobble & HazeMD

The reason it doesn't work in all emulators is because of the software-based copy protection it uses. However, a single Game Genie code will allow it to run correctly in Kega Fusion and other emulators.

It would seem to be actually hardware based, but pretty lame. According to a post in this thread ( http://gens.consolemul.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?;act=ST;f=13;t=16;st=0 ) by TascoDLX on the Gens forums, it checks for some values at $400000 and $400002 which are outside of the normal cartridge area which would require some additional hardware on the cart itself.

TascoDLX also posted this about getting the game to work in emulators:

For Super Bubble Bobble, activate this code:

0123E4:602A

then reset the game.

 

[Jeffrey]

Super Bubble Bobble & HazeMD

I know there are ways to hack genie codes into roms on the SNES (http://www.angelfire.com/games2/codehut/HardCodingSNESGG.txt).

Do you think there is a way to do the same with a Genesis rom? I could hack in the code and have it load correctly via a flash cart or emulator. What do you think?

 

[Jeffrey]

Super Bubble Bobble & HazeMD

Hey I fixed the ROM so that it works! I just used Hex Edit to put the Genie code into the ROM. My flash cart is broken, but I think it should work on real hardware. This is the best news I've had in a long time concerning the Genesis! If anyone wants the ROM, I can email it to you, but it only took like 3 seconds to edit it. Check out this guide: http://www.angelfire.com/games2/codehut/HowtoHackSega.txt

 

[ExCyber]

Super Bubble Bobble & HazeMD

it checks for some values at $400000 and $400002 which are outside of the normal cartridge area which would require some additional hardware on the cart itself.

Isn't that area mapped to the expansion port when booting from a cart? I know a cart could still put something on the bus, but couldn't Sega/Mega CD interfere with that process?

 

[Mask of Destiny]

Super Bubble Bobble & HazeMD

Yep. The Sega CD BIOS should be mapped to $400000 during cart bootup if the Sega CD is present. Not really sure what would happen with both of them together.

 

[Jeffrey]

Super Bubble Bobble & HazeMD

Interesting! I use a 6 cart demo unit (it connects to the CD expansion port). Some games don't function when connected to the demo unit. NBA JAM and others... Would this ROM have the same problem? If I connect a flash cart with this ROM to the demo unit, is it safe to assume that the game would not boot?