This hack contains 2 improvements that can be applied seperately or together.
-Title Skip
There is a curious version difference in the US version of A Link to the Past. In the JP and EU versions, you can press a button any time after the "Nintendo Presents" screen and go to the file select screen. In the US version, you must watch the animation of the spinning triforce and the sword each time you start the game. The "Title Skip" patch removes this version difference.
-Full Hearts
When you load up your save file, you will start with roughly half of your hearts. This patch will start you at full hearts every time, whether choosing your save file or choosing to continue after death.
Title: Zelda ALttP - Title Skip and Full Hearts
Author: PowerPanda
Version: 1.0
Contents: titleskip_h: Applies the Title Skip patch to a headered rom
fullhearts_h: Applies the Full Hearts patch to a headered rom
both_h: Applies both changes to a headered rom
titleskip_nh: Applies the Title Skip patch to an unheadered rom
fullhearts_nh: Applies the Full Hearts patch to an uheadered rom
both_nh: Applies both changes to an uheadered rom
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=Intro and Description=-
=Title Skip=
There is a curious version difference in the US version of A Link to the Past.
In the JP and EU versions, you can press a button any time after the "Nintendo
Presents" screen and go to the file select screen. In the US version, you must
watch the animation of the spinning triforce and the sword each time you start
the game. The "Title Skip" patch removes this version difference.
=Full Hearts=
When you load up your save file, you will start with roughly half of your hearts.
This patch will start you at full hearts every time, whether choosing your save
file or choosing to continue after death.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=Patching Instructions=-
You can patch this using any online IPS Patcher, but my preferred program to use
is Lunar IPS. Please create a safe copy of your rom file before patching, in case
you use the wrong version (ie - headered patch on an unheadered rom).
If you are unsure whether you have a headered or unheadered rom, assume that it is
headered. If you are unsure, you can use a Rom Hasher or Utility to check. Or, you
can simply apply a patch and see. If it doesn't work, delete the patched rom, make
another copy from your original, and use the opposite patch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=Compatibility Notes=-
The code that is targeted by each of these patches is not typically altered in
romhacks. As such, this patch will most likely be compatible with any other
patch that you use.
Note that each of the IPS patches contains a corrected CheckSum, so if you apply
them to a clean rom, you will have the correct checksum. If you apply it to an
already-patched rom, then you will need to use a separate utility to correct it.
An uncorrected checksum does not matter for most emulators, but can matter for
some official Nintendo emulators, like on the Classic Mini consoles.
Note that the Full Hearts patch may not affect old save files. However, once you
write over those saves, it should take effect.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=Credits=-
Hacking: PowerPanda
Disassembly: MathOnNapkins
Editors Used: HxD Hex Editor, IpsAndSum for Checksum correction
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=Code Changes=-
=Title Skip=
x64123
Original: C9 08 ;CMP #$08
Edited: C9 04 ;CMP #$04
(This CMP blocks input on any screen indexed lower than 8, which includes the
spinning triforce, sword, and castle backgrounds. By lowering it to 4, those
screen indexes accept inputs.)
=Full Hearts=
x4F4AC
Original: 18 18 18 18 18 20 20 28 28 30 30 38 38 38 40 40 40 48 48 48 50
Edited: 18 18 18 18 20 28 30 38 40 48 50 58 60 68 70 78 80 88 90 98 A0
(This is a data table that uses your heart containers as an index number,
and sets your starting health accordingly.)
(There is an alternate method to this which eliminates the lookup entirely.
However, I felt that this method was cleaner.)
Database match: Legend of Zelda, The - A Link to the Past (USA)
Database: No-Intro: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (v. 20210222-050638)
File SHA-1: 8288B4BC88052A3CF4EFFED3ACD6A498847BFB95
File CRC32: DD42510E
ROM SHA-1: 6D4F10A8B10E10DBE624CB23CF03B88BB8252973
ROM CRC32: 777AAC2F
