Download Quick Bros. 2 Hack Pack ROM Hack

Quick Bros. 2 Hack Pack
By Quick Curly
2008-2015
--------------------------------------------------------------
Patching

 Apply any included IPS patches to copies of your "Super Mario
Bros. 3 (U) (PRG1) [!].nes" ROM  with the following checksums,
obtained through the HxD hex editor:

Checksum-16: E846
Checksum-32: 02A4E846
Checksum-64: 0000000002A4E846
CRC-16: CF5C
MD-5: 86D1982FEA7342C0AF9679DDF3869D8D

 Please do **NOT** apply more than  one patch to the same ROM!
It will result in undesired effects  (unless your desire is to
try to break things, or to create "science").

 Also, please note before proceeding any further that the 2008
and 2015 versions  of Quick Bros. 2  are completely different!
It is not a case of the  2015 version just simply being a more
recently updated edition  of the 2008 version.  The levels and
maps are all  completely different.  Essentially, they are two
separate hacks included in one download pack, but not intended
to necessarily be  the same or different.  Weird, right?  More
information can be explored in the next section,  covering the
specific details and history of how everything came from Point
A to Point B.

 Just wanted to establish that as early as possible so that no
one misses out on any levels,  and/or so that the 2008 version
is played first (preferably).
--------------------------------------------------------------
History of Quick Bros. 2

 Quick Bros. 2 was initially  started in August 2008 following
the release of the first Quick Bros. SMB3 hack,  which I still
don't consider to be much of  a final release in terms of bugs
and quality, but I've never cared to go back to update it.

 After a couple preview videos and some level editing, I ended
up joining Googie to work on Luigi's Chronicles 2 instead, and
that ended up  occupying all  of  my hacking  time and effort,
while school was  an even greater priority  and time consumer.
At  this  point in  time,  unfortunately,  Quick  Bros. 2  was
completely disregarded.  In fact,  it was officially cancelled
because I came to the conclusion that I would never get around
to working on it again,  let alone finishing it, due to a lack
of time to invest in it, and also decreasing motivation.

 Ironically, however,  back in 2009, Board 2,  the ROM hacking
forum that  I visited the most frequently - on nearly  a daily
basis - had quite a bit of SMB3 hacking related activity going
on.  It seemed like  a bunch of  newcomers were interested  in
starting SMB3 hacks. I invested quite a bit of time attempting
to answer any  questions that I possibly could to  try to help
guide them.  In addition  to  others  online,  a couple  of my
brother's friends also expressed interest in SMB3 hacking, and
I came up with a couple sample  levels in front of them to try
to help show them how to do  some basic things. Overall, a new
SMB3  hack  called "SMB110",  in  connection and  reference to
their YouTube channel, Gamers110, was added to the development
pool, so to  speak.  Unfortunately,  however,  the newest side
project didn't really progress  any further than that. Static,
my brother, did create a couple levels on his own specifically
for SMB110, though challenge-esque - think the Root series for
SMB3, or  Kaizo for  SMW. After  some time, the levels  that I
created were updated and added  to Quick Bros. 2, and Static's
levels were inserted into individual demos to be included with
the release.

 In mid-2010, I  helped out with another  SMB3 hacking project
started by a YouTube user named chelsbaby96.  It turned out to
only be  a 3-level demo,  and was  only given  to a  few users
through YouTube,  including docsigma,  who drew up quite a bit
of positive feedback with his professional video play-through.
However, the hack was never  officially, publicly released for
the majority  of other  hack  players  to try  for themselves,
mainly due to the  hack's incomplete state.  Although, with so
much time passed since,  the demo  would be  included with the
release for  Quick Bros. 2 in a hack pack,  much like Static's
single levels.

 However, first, the  project needed to  be uncancelled! After
the  release of  Luigi's Chronicles 2,  I didn't plan  to hack
anything  again anytime soon,  even though  around the end  of
2010 and  at the beginning  of 2011,  I was helping  a YouTube
user named dbzisdakrunk  through Skype to create  his own SMB3
hack... even though it turned  out being me fixing everything,
and now years later, he removed  me without so much as a thank
you, but that's  another story. I released it on  Board 2 as a
1-world demo without an edited title screen or ending, because
I wasn't motivated enough to do another full project on my own
so quickly  after the  previous one,  due to a  combination of
factors including headaches from  concentrating closely on the
small emulator screens trying to edit everything one byte at a
time, and an ongoing lack of motivation, on both a hacking and
personal level.

 After focusing more on my personal life,  I gradually came to
rediscover my hacking inspiration and motivation, and began to
slowly piece  together what had  become yet  another neglected
and broken Quick Bros. hack,  so that it could hopefully,  one
day in the indeterminate future, finally become whole. I built
it from scratch not once, but twice, based on the initial 2008
version that I had originally produced, which modified most of
the original levels, but was only 3 worlds long as a result of
connecting a lot of areas in each expanded level.  The hack in
this form just didn't feel like it was ready by itself.

 In November 2014,  I began to build yet another new SMB3 hack
from scratch,  but it was directly based on the original Quick
Bros. 2 from 2008,  not like what had become  Quick Bros. 2 in
2015.  For that,  I had completely  started over  and tried to
discard what I had initially tried to make, considering that I
had learned more  from helping others  and working  on Luigi's
Chronicles 2;  and now,  could not unsee any and all issues as
soon as I noticed them.  In a sense, becoming so finicky about
my own work  has possibly  been more of a demotivator  than it
has ever really helped me.  Ironically, it tires me out to the
point that I just want to get  the project done and out of the
way. It happened with Luigi's Chronicles 2, and I fear that it
might have even  happened with this  Quick Bros. 2  Hack Pack,
even though I had less free time  to commit to this than I did
with Luigi's Chronicles 2,  despite no longer having school as
a major  time consumer.  I'm sure this  is not news  to anyone
else who has ever worked on large projects of their own.

 Once the levels and maps for the updated version of the "old"
Quick Bros. 2 were refined and completed,  I still felt like I
have after editing  all the levels  for a hack;  that I design
them  to  provide  more of  a challenge  for someone  who  has
already mastered the original game,  but that it might be nice
for myself and others  if I was finally able  to create a more
user-friendly SMB3 hack. In about a week's time, on-and-off, I
came up with  "SMB3 QCZY",  with the intention of  keeping the
hack short and simple;  at least, compared to my previous SMB3
hacks!  At this point,  it had been evident  to me for quite a
while with all of the Quick Bros. 2 versions and other smaller
SMB3 hacks on the side that  this would result in one decently
larger, collective release.  I also had the idea of making and
providing multiple versions of the updated Quick Bros. 2, as I
acknowledged that my level editing artistry was also at a peak
for difficulty as well at that point in time,  so that even if
a player can't or just doesn't necessarily want to play all of
the levels, they can choose their preferred difficulty version
and how many levels they play to the end, so that the hack can
at  least be  completed to  some capacity,  and the connecting
story can reach its conclusion.

 I didn't  always believe  that I could  actually put together
all of the hacks, versions of hacks,  and everything else that
I can't seem to  keep a track of due to life;  but thankfully,
at least the whole project  is finally completed and out there
after all of these years! Like my previous projects, I'm still
probably not fully satisfied,  but there likely  isn't any way
to really ever be.  I do like the hacks for what they are, and
hope that there  are the people out there who will enjoy them,
like there  have been amazing  and supportive people  who have
enjoyed  playing my  previous  hacks,  even Quick Bros.  to my
continuous surprise.  It's impossible to please everyone,  but
my target audience has always been  those who grew up with the
NES and  games like SMB3 like me,  who would commit  to a game
despite its  difficulty and not  having an online  resource to
find out exactly what to do; or in my case, even knowing about
one.  I didn't even  grow up with  Internet when I  was young.
Though I  had SMB3 to always  keep me entertained and  give me
something fun and addictive to do!

 Through  years   of  doubts   and  uncertainty,   I -  likely
unexpectedly - finally present to you, Quick Bros. 2!
--------------------------------------------------------------
What's Included

- Chelsea's SMB3 Hack (v0.02).ips
- Quick Bros. 2 (2008) (v1.1).ips
- Quick Bros. 2 (2015) Easy Version (v1.0).ips
- Quick Bros. 2 (2015) Normal Version (v1.0).ips
- Quick Bros. 2 (2015) Hard Version (v1.0).ips
- SMB3 Krunk Edition (v0.01).ips
- SMB3 QCZY (v0.01).ips
- Static's Ice Challenge Level (v0.01).ips
- Static's Sky Challenge Level (v0.01).ips
- Quick Bros. 2 Hack Pack Readme.txt
--------------------------------------------------------------
Quick Bros. 2 (2015) - Easy, Normal, and Hard Patches

 The  levels  between Quick Bros. 2 (2008)  and  Quick Bros. 2
(2015) are all different.  Essentially,  they're two different
hacks included in this one large download.

 However,  there are three different patches for Quick Bros. 2
(2015) - Easy, Normal, and Hard.  The levels between the three
patches are the same;  however, the version that you choose to
play will determine how many levels  you must complete in each
of eight worlds.  The levels vary in difficulty,  as with most
games  and  hacks,  beginning easier  and  becoming  extremely
difficult!  Beware: the levels  in the later worlds  can truly
prove to be quite puzzling! Consider this when you select your
preferred  version  to  play through.  The difference  between
the three versions of difficulty is the world maps. The levels
are set up  so that you can  choose which ones to  play in the
Easy and Normal versions, but you will have to play all of the
levels in the Hard version.

  Easy - 8 Worlds, 1 Level  & 1 Boss Level Per World,
         World 1 Boost/Stock Up Level
Normal - 8 Worlds, 2 Levels & 1 Boss Level Per World
  Hard - 8 Worlds, 4 Levels & 1 Boss Level Per World
--------------------------------------------------------------
Hack Modifications

 This time around,  the time ASM hack that  I came up with for
Luigi's Chronicles 2  was used again in  my main Quick Bros. 2
hacks, allowing possible level starting times divisible by 100
"SMB3 seconds", up to 900.

 In addition,  for the Quick Bros. 2 (2015) hacks, I rewrote a
couple lines of code so that the inventory status bar could be
returned to a different colour while on a world map per world,
and  could  also  be a  different colour  while inside  of the
inventory status bar  depending on the current world  as well.
Originally, regardless of the initial colour of the status bar
whenever the main map palette was loaded,  the colour would be
"3C" blue  when it was  closed again.  This makes  it visually
inconsistent if a hacker changes  the colour of the status bar
in each world,  unless they change  the status bar  for all of
the map palettes  to the  same colour,  as well  as the return
colour. In addition, inside of the inventory, the colour would
always be a "36" colour similar to pink. Now, depending on the
current world, the status bar on world maps can be returned to
their correct colours on the outside, and be different in each
world on the inside.  It's not a serious  game-changing factor
or anything,  but it feels great to be able to  implement such
workarounds to enhance our hacks!

 In a similar fashion,  at the end of a level when you collect
a Mushroom, Flower, or Star Card, if you have 3 of the same, a
large shape of the object  is drawn in the sky.  If the colour
in the second slot in the second quarter of the object palette
is a different colour than black  (sometimes the level palette
is  different than  a more  common  choice in order  to set  a
certain mood),  then that colour will appear as the background
for the  animated circular tiles,  and it doesn't  really look
too  visually friendly  against the  other black parts  of the
background (not to say that my palette choices are necessarily
visually  friendly anyway,  but that's  another story).  So, I
added an extra portion of code to turn that colour to black if
3 End Cards match! So, say I have a night palette with objects
that are coloured red around.  Now I don't have to worry about
seeing red in the background when  3 of the same End Cards are
collected! There don't appear to be any undesired consequences
as a result of this addition,  and it follows the same routine
as the inventory status  bar on the world  map when it changes
colour.

 Also, when you hit a P-Switch, the sky has a seizure.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Tools

    FCEUXD 1.0a - Debugging, direct hex editing, and play
                  testing.
            HxD - Checksum algorithms and direct hex editing.
      Lunar IPS - For patch creation and application.
 Nestopia v1.40 - Play testing.
SMB3 Map Editor - Maps editing.
  SMB3 Workshop - Levels editing.
         SMB3TE - Title screen editing (Chelsea's SMB3 Hack
                  v0.02 only, back in 2010).
 Tile Layer Pro - Graphics editing.
VirtuaNES v0.97 - Play testing.
      WindHex32 - Direct hex editing.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Large & Obligatory Thank You Section

For games and/or ROM hacking programs/utilities:

    bbitmaster - For FCEUXD 1.0a.
     beneficii - For the SMB3 Map Editor.
        Bongo` - For WindHex32.
        FuSoYa - For Lunar IPS.
         hukka - For SMB3 Workshop.
     Ma?l H?rz - For HxD.
  Martin Freij - For Nestopia v1.40.
never-obsolete - For SMB3TE.
      Nintendo - For Super Mario Bros. 3.
         Norix - For VirtuaNES v0.97.
       SnowBro - For Tile Layer Pro.


People, forums/message boards and/or companies:

My family, Blazzerdragon, Board 2, cuberootinbinary, errijnde,
Flotonic,   Googie,    Grenade Studios,   JcDizon,   JMFSpike,
Mariomaniac10, MegaEliteGamers, metalchains48/GoombaParaKoopa,
Moon in Pieces, Romhacking.net/RHDN,  SchlossRitter, Static S,
vhernandez2121, Vicious Poetry, and Vizzed.


Like many people, I listen to a TON of music, especially while
working on ROM hacking projects.
Thank you  to  all  musical artists,  bands,  and  other audio
creators, including:

Arch Enemy, Area 51,  Bob & Tom, Buckethead,  Bush, Candlebox,
Caption Radio,  Capture the Flag,  Darlahood, Death From Above
1979,  Dynamite Boy,  Fastball, Fiftywatthead,  Finger Eleven,
Flybanger/Jar,  Full on the Mouth, Gracepoint,  Haken, Helmet,
Horse the Band,  I Mother Earth,   Imminent Sonic Destruction,
Institute,  Interpol, Intruder X,  Jamie Warren, Jody Raffoul,
John 5,  Kopek,  Led Zeppelin,  Less a Day,  Local H,  LoDown,
Lo-Pro, Marc Rizzo, Maximum the Hormone, Metallica, Moist, Mr.
Obvious,  Mt. Helium/The Apex Theory,  Next to None,  Nirvana,
Nonpoint, Pulse Ultra, Radio Holiday, Rammstein, Red Hot Chili
Peppers,  Rush,   Sam Sly,  Seether,   Sethian,   Silverchair,
Soundgarden,  Sponge,   Stabbing Westward,  Superjoint Ritual,
System of a Down,  Taking Back Sunday, Tetema,  The Culls, The
Dead Kings,  The Marble Index, Three Days Grace,  Tiles, Tool,
U.K., Van Halen, and Within Shadows.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Change Log

 Here is where any notes will  be documented for any potential
future updates.

------------
Version 1.00
- Quick Bros. 2 (2008)
   - Initial public release.

- Quick Bros. 2 (2015)
   - Initial public release.

- SMB3 QCZY [11 Levels - 1-World Demo]
   - Initial public release. Created in 2015.
   - QCZY: "Cue cee zee" = Easy! (Or "Queasy". Your choice!)
   - Intended to be a shorter, simpler SMB3 hack.

- Chelsea's SMB3 Hack v0.02 [3 Levels - 1-World Demo]
  [Hack by chelsbaby96. Assisted by Quick Curly.]
   - Initial v0.01 privately shared through YouTube,  released
     in July 2010.
   - Fixed Chain Chomp placement issue in 1-2.
   - Changed time limit for 400 option to 600.

- SMB3 Krunk Edition v0.01 [10 Levels - 1-World Demo]
  [Hack by dbzisdakrunk. Assisted by Quick Curly.]
   - Initially  released  on  Board 2  on  January  13,  2011,
     available for download at this link:
     http://acmlm.kafuka.org/uploader/get.php?id=3688
   - Now available and archived through Romhacking.net!
   - Watch Quick Curly play through it here:
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E8SHn_2UMo

- Static's Sky Challenge Level v0.01 [1 Level - Challenge]
  [Level by Static S/Stat1cS. Assisted by Quick Curly.]
   - Previewed  on  YouTube  on  August 15,  2010.  View here:
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8My4ydiTE8

- Static's Ice Challenge Level v0.01 [1 Level - Challenge]
  [Level by Static S/Stat1cS. Assisted by Quick Curly.]
   - Created in 2010, but previously unreleased.
------------

------------
Version 1.1
- Quick Bros. 2 (2008) v1.1
   - Fixed level header that somehow wasn't set to loop back
     to the main area in 3-3.
------------

--------------------------------------------------------------
Contacts

------------
Quick Curly:

Board 2
http://acmlm.kafuka.org/board/profile.php?id=1121

Jul
http://jul.rustedlogic.net/profile.php?id=1111

Kafuka
http://board.kafuka.org/profile.php?id=111

Romhacking.net
http://www.romhacking.net/community/1051/
http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?action=profile;
  u=3816

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/Qu1ckCur1y

Email: quickcurly[at]yahoo[dot]ca
------------

------------
Intruder X:

CD Baby
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/IntruderX

MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/intruderxmusic

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/intruderxmusic

  GRENADE STUDIOS - Musical instruction/instrument repair/
         recording studio.
  Email: livegrenade[at]sympatico[dot]ca
------------

------------
Moon in Pieces:

DeviantArt
http://mooninpieces.deviantart.com/

Etsy
https://www.etsy.com/shop/mooninpieces

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mooninpieces

Instagram
https://instagram.com/mooninpieces/

Spoonflower
http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/mooninpieces

Storenvy
http://mooninpieces.storenvy.com/

Tumblr
http://mooninpiecesstudio.tumblr.com/

  (Previously:)
  http://moon-in-pieces.tumblr.com/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/mooninpieces

Email: mooninpieces[at]yahoo[dot]com
------------

------------
Within Shadows:

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/WithinShadowsOfficial

Twitter
https://twitter.com/WShadowsBAND

  (Previously:)
  https://twitter.com/TheCulls_

Email: pickerilas[at]gmail[dot]com
------------