Elf Wor credits?

[andlabs]

We know that the back of Elf Wor's box has a picture of the title screen with a copyright which is missing from the final game and the final game has no credits. Digging around to see if they were unused, I noticed something:

Code:

 

ROM:00004096 ; =============== S U B R O U T I N E =======================================
ROM:00004096
ROM:00004096
ROM:00004096 AfterLevelEnd:                          ; CODE XREF: sub_BA4+60p
ROM:00004096                 cmpi.w  #$12,($FF1000).l ; at the last level?
ROM:0000409E                 blt.w   nullsub_7       ; no
ROM:000040A2                 bra.w   sub_4234        ; yes
ROM:000040A2 ; End of function AfterLevelEnd
ROM:000040A2
ROM:000040A2 ; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROM:000040A6                 (lots of unused data here)
ROM:00004234
ROM:00004234 ; =============== S U B R O U T I N E =======================================
ROM:00004234
ROM:00004234
ROM:00004234 sub_4234:                               ; CODE XREF: AfterLevelEnd+Cj
ROM:00004234                 lea     (TitleScreen).l,a1
ROM:0000423A                 move.l  a1,(sp)         ; so the rts below will jump there
ROM:0000423A ; End of function sub_4234
ROM:0000423A
ROM:0000423C
ROM:0000423C ; =============== S U B R O U T I N E =======================================
ROM:0000423C
ROM:0000423C
ROM:0000423C nullsub_7:                              ; CODE XREF: AfterLevelEnd+8j
ROM:0000423C                 rts
ROM:0000423C ; End of function nullsub_7

Well it turns out all that data is actually code! If I nop the bra.w sub_4234 instruction out with the patch/PAR codes 40A2:4E71 and 40A4:4E71, I get a credits roll with (some type of) fireworks and the characters... just standing there! Given that the characters are there and I haven't seen an ending with fireworks, I'm guessing this indeed is the Elf Wor credits; who knows.

Here is a ROM with the instruction nopped out and the copy protection mechanisms circumvented. To speed things up, 3C7C:4E75 has the game not take away keys from you.

I am 90% certain the title screen copyright was completely removed. In any case, enjoy!

PS - I tried re-enabling the unused password but the game crashes when entering it; I'll have to see why (I have a vague idea of whyt hough).

[taizou]

Hey thats awesome! I always wondered if there was supposed to be something more to that game, considering most other Gamtec games had credits - I'll check it out in a bit, i'm kinda busy at the moment (probably too busy to be posting on forums ahem. so i'll stop that)

[andlabs]

Cool. It also turns out I was using the wrong instruction for the unused password; use 58D6:720F to enable it.

[taizou]

took some screenshots:

[Veemon]

OK cool, but just why exactly didn't they put the credits in the game normally?

[Awesome Panda]

Veemon

Aug 22 2011, 04:49:32 PM

OK cool, but just why exactly didn't they put the credits in the game normally?[/quote]I'm guessing it's either a pirated version, or they edited out the credits by request. I think the same is the case with Tiny Toon Adventures 3.

[codeman38]

Not surprisingly, since the music is the same as in Magic Girl, it's by the same composer: 許雅民 Hsu Ya-Min. Whose only other credit that I know of is in AV Artisan's "Earth Defense". Hm.

Edit: And my memory fails me again. He's also credited in Legend of Wukong. I actually got curious about him in this thread, where I found that someone of the exact same name was an award-winning modern classical composer.

[Veemon]

Cheetahmen

Aug 22 2011, 04:54:17 PM

Veemon

Aug 22 2011, 04:49:32 PM

OK cool, but just why exactly didn't they put the credits in the game normally?[/quote]I'm guessing it's either a pirated version, or they edited out the credits by request. I think the same is the case with Tiny Toon Adventures 3.[/quote]So it's either a pirate of a pirate, or removed by request? OK...Btw is Tiny Toons Adventure 3 the one on Famicom, or Genesis?

@codeman38: Wait wat? Really? There's an award winning modern day composer that has the exactly same name? Lol they're not the same person, or they?? :lol:

[codeman38]

Veemon

Aug 22 2011, 11:05:15 PM

@codeman38: Wait wat? Really? There's an award winning modern day composer that has the exactly same name? Lol they're not the same person, or they?? :lol: [/quote]I have no idea, honestly-- as I mention in the post I linked above, I could find nothing linking this (other?) Hsu Ya-Min to Mega Drive games. Someone who knows Chinese ought to try to track him down and e-mail him to see if it is in fact the same guy...

[Barver]

Veemon

Aug 22 2011, 11:05:15 PM

Cheetahmen

Aug 22 2011, 04:54:17 PM

Veemon

Aug 22 2011, 04:49:32 PM

OK cool, but just why exactly didn't they put the credits in the game normally?[/quote]I'm guessing it's either a pirated version, or they edited out the credits by request. I think the same is the case with Tiny Toon Adventures 3.[/quote]So it's either a pirate of a pirate, or removed by request? OK...Btw is Tiny Toons Adventure 3 the one on Famicom, or Genesis?

@codeman38: Wait wat? Really? There's an award winning modern day composer that has the exactly same name? Lol they're not the same person, or they?? :lol: [/quote]He means the Genesis one, the Famicom Tiny Toons 3 is just a title hack of Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout or something, isn't it?

[Awesome Panda]

Barver

Aug 23 2011, 02:59:54 AM

He means the Genesis one, the Famicom Tiny Toons 3 is just a title hack of Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout or something, isn't it? [/quote]That one in particular is based off The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle. That said, the Mega Drive pirate would be more relevant here than that one, but there's no credits. I'm guessing that like Elf Wor/Super Magician/whatever, they're probably hidden somewhere.

[Veemon]

codeman38

Aug 23 2011, 02:11:19 AM

Veemon

Aug 22 2011, 11:05:15 PM

@codeman38: Wait wat? Really? There's an award winning modern day composer that has the exactly same name? Lol they're not the same person, or they?? :lol: [/quote]I have no idea, honestly-- as I mention in the post I linked above, I could find nothing linking this (other?) Hsu Ya-Min to Mega Drive games. Someone who knows Chinese ought to try to track him down and e-mail him to see if it is in fact the same guy...[/quote]Well, I guess it's probably not the same guy, as the music in Tiny Toons Adventure 3 is NOT no award winning stuff. But then again, I guess you never know...Although anyone here speak Chinese?

@Cheetahman: So no one has found the ending yet? Would be the same case as using a code to make it appear?

[Awesome Panda]

Veemon

Aug 23 2011, 02:56:41 PM

Well, I guess it's probably not the same guy, as the music in Tiny Toons Adventure 3 is NOT no award winning stuff. But then again, I guess you never know...Although anyone here speak Chinese?

@Cheetahman: So no one has found the ending yet? Would be the same case as using a code to make it appear?[/quote]I think that goes without saying. Incidentally, SpaceNinja did get the ending to the game, but there's no credits or anything of note.

[Veemon]

Oh OK, so is it just a picture that says "END" like in Yong-Yong games?

[andlabs]

Divingkataetheweirdo got the credits translated on The Cutting Room Floor: http://tcrf.net/index.php?title=Elf_Wor&curid=17852&diff=42634&oldid=42494 IDK how he/she got it, but ok, thanks!