Question 1:


I'm trying to edit the first level of Super Mario Bros. background and change it to the first level of Castlevania's background.  I'm using Tile Layer Pro to put graphics from Castlevania into SMB and I'm using SMBed to change the background. 

My problem is this: 

SMBed seems to only allow me to move background tiles vertically, not horizontally, and a background image can be no longer than three tiles vertically.  To get Castlevania's background in there, I need to edit the whole background.

How can I do this?  Is there an easier way to do what I am doing?

Question 2:


As you may have guessed, the reason I'm doing this is that I'm trying to put Mario in Castlevania while still retaining all of Mario's physics (running speed, jumping height, etc.).  I've been told that the easiest way to do so would probably be to hack Castlevania's graphics back into SMB.  I know it's crazy, I know it's gonna be a lot of work, so don't flame.  If there is anything else I could know, use, or learn that would help me do this process I would appreciate it.  I'm already using SMBed, SMB Utility, Tile Layer Pro, and a Hex Editor.

Man, frantik, you seem to be the RHDN SMB guru. Of course, given your taking part (well, actually, the lead) in the SMBS port and having (sp?) designed and produced Ultimate SMB Unlimited, that should come as no great revelation to me, but given the rash of SMB threads this week, it's really become apparent.

Now, back on to the actual topic at hand: You may want too look into using Super Mario World, rather than the classic Super Mario Bros. While my experiance hacking the game (SMW) is very limited, from what I understand, it supports two background modes. The one that makes me suggest it to you is a fully customizable tile by tile sort of BG layer. Of course, it also supports the classic repeatingly tiled background like SMB (which, as a matter of fact, is used for most of the levels), but that's not really what you need in your case.

In regards to your project itself, I find it most interesting. The idea of combining two classic video games into one all encompasing experiance is a neat angle that's not often pursued beyond valueless sprite hacks (and, noteably, the Super Smash Brothers series; Which [utterly off-topic] is especially engaging as it's total Big N fan service, and an authorized production, and a sequence of really fun games, and a wonderful reimagining of a well-trodden genera, all rolled into one.)

While the suggestion that the easiest way to get proper Mario physics into your hack would be to start with the SMB engine is entirely true; from a graphics perspective, SMB may not be up to the task. The SMB engine is higly tuned and forced into the (quite restrictive) mapper zero memory space using some amazing 6502 ASM skill. While it achives what it needs to do and does so nearly impossibly well, it has little room for modification. This aspect of the engine makes hacking in new features somewhat difficult.

As an example of what I'm talkin' about, consider this: When I first got involved with the SMB Special for NES project, I picked through doppleganger's ROM map to see where additions could be made. In the SMB ROM, there are less 64 free bytes and the largest continuous free chunk is only four or five bytes. Additionally, there are, at most., two or three bytes of NES RAM that are unused.

I don't mean to discourage you. In fact, given that SMB has no mapper, expanding the ROM is as easy as any ROM expansion can be. However, I just want to point out that the tightly tuned code is sometimes tricky to work with.

I guess it basically comes down to a simply defined, but hard to answer question. Which is less work; bringing SMB graphical capabilites up to the point where they can do Castlevania justice, or incorporating SMB style physics into Castlevania? I've never hacked Castlevania, so I don't know the answer. You'll have to decide for yourself.

I wish you the best of luck with this endevor. The concept is engaging and I look forward to playing the eventual results.

P. S. Simon really deserves more game-time than he's gotten lately. He really should be in SSB. What I think would be a really cool hack is the opposite of yours. Rather than Mario vs. Castlevania, I want to see Simon vs. Bowser and the Koopa Troopa. That'd be sick. Perhaps as a sequel?

Yeah, he's THE character that SSB is missing.  As for this idea, I've actually thought of the same thing.  I would probably do it after I was done with the Mario in Castlevania hack.

As for everything else you said, I really appreciate the input.  Note that this is going to take me quite a while to do; I'm very new at this whole hacking thing, but I'll keep working at it.

there is no Ultimate SMB Karatorian meant Super Mario Unlimited

you can see my thread on the game here: http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,4882.0.html  it's not finished yet though still working on level design