Download SNES PAL to NTSC Patches ROM Hack

Updates:
https://evilgames.eu/emulation.htm#snes-ntsc-patches


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Special thanks:
===============

Credits fully go to rainponcho for fixing the music desync for both ActRaiser and ActRaiser 2.
He also helped with some of the region lockouts. Thanks dude.

RHDN profile link:
http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=67995


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Utilites explained:
===================

SNESTool: https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/18/
Used for removing region lockouts. Needs DOSBox for running on Windows machines. 
It usually succeeds where uCON64 fails.


uCON64: http://ucon64.sourceforge.net/
Can also be used for removing region protections, but is less reliable than SNESTool.
Still, there are titles where SNESTool fails and uCON64 succeeds.


TUSH: https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/608/
Tool for adding and removing ROM headers.


ROM Hasher: https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/1002/
Analyses ROMs.


Floating IPS: https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/1040/
Applies and creates IPS as well as BPS patches. Used for batch processing.


WindHex: https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/291/
Simple Hex Editor.


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How NTSC patching works:
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In either 7FD9 (LoROM) or FFD9 (HiROM) the destination code is stored (assuming a headerless ROM).
The following destination codes make a game run in NTSC:

  00 = Japan
  01 = USA


The following make it PAL: 

  02 = Europe
  06 = France
  07 = Netherlands
  08 = Spain
  09 = Germany
  0A = Italy


NTSC patches set the destination code to 01.
This is what emulators do when forcing a game into NTSC mode.

ZSNES: set checkbox on ROM load ("Force NTSC")
Snes9x: copy "NTSC = TRUE" into [ROM] section of snes9x.conf


Region lockouts might block you from playing a game with an unintented destination code.
You can use SNESTool and uCON64 to try to remove a region lockout automatically.

NOTE: You can do this vice versa. Changing whatever the destination code is to 02 will force PAL.
      The "* to PAL" patches do this.


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Broken games:
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The following European games become unplayable after NTSC patching:

  - Donkey Kong Country 2
  - RoboCop versus The Terminator
  - Starwing


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PAL optimization:
=================

To counteract the slower speed of PAL games, there are titles which have been either slightly or heavily altered 
to work better on a 50Hz machine.


PAL optimized games can be either:

  - movement speeds adjusted,
  - animation speeds adjusted,
  - music speeds adjusted,
  - other gameplay aspects adjusted,
  - cutscenes adjusted,
  - or everything at once.


The following seem to be optimized more heavily:

  - Donkey Kong Country 1-3
  - Super Mario All-Stars
  - Super Mario Kart
  - Super Mario World
  - Super Metroid


These are reported to be slightly altered (e.g. intro/cutscene music speeds adjusted):

  - ActRaiser (fix available)
  - ActRaiser II (fix available)
  - Lufia II - Rise of the Sinistrals
  - Secret of Mana
  - Terranigma


Problems that can occur patching PAL optimized ROMs:

  - something / everything is too fast
  - timings are off, e.g. cutscene music does not fit anymore
  - gamebreaking bugs (see broken games above)


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When no US-NTSC version exists:
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Some of the following games have been released in Japan but not in the US, while others are PAL only.
When there is no real NTSC version, the PAL speed might be the one considered during development.
Source: http://retrocollect.com/downloads/sneslists/snes_eu_but_not_us.pdf

  - 90 Minutes: European Prime Goal
  - Archer Maclean's Super Dropzone
  - Ast?rix
  - Ast?rix & Ob?lix
  - Cannon Fodder
  - Daze Before Christmas
  - Dino Dini's Soccer
  - Dirt Racer
  - Dragon Ball Z
  - Dragon Ball Z: Hyper Dimension
  - Dragon Ball Z: La Legende SAIEN
  - Dragon Ball Z: Ultime Menace
  - F1 Pole Position 2
  - F1 World Championship Edition
  - FIFA Road to World Cup 98
  - The Firemen
  - Hebereke's Popoitto
  - Hebereke's Popoon
  - The Humans
  - Hungry Dinosaurs
  - Jelly Boy
  - Kick Off
  - Kick Off 3: European Challenge
  - Lucky Luke
  - Manchester United Championship Soccer
  - Marko's Magic Football
  - Mega-Lo-Mania
  - Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament
  - Might and Magic II
  - Operation Starfish
  - Parodius
  - Player Manager (Kevin Keegan?s)
  - Pop'n TwinBee
  - Pop'n TwinBee: Rainbow Bell Adventures
  - Populous II: Trials of the Olympian Gods
  - Power Drive
  - PowerMonger
  - Putty Squad
  - Sailormoon
  - Sensible Soccer: European Champions
  - Smash Tennis
  - The Smurfs
  - The Smurfs: Travel the World
  - Spirou
  - Super Bomberman 3
  - Super Dany
  - Super Ice Hockey
  - Super International Cricket
  - Super Morph
  - Syvalion
  - Terranigma
  - Theme Park
  - Tintin in Prisoners of the Sun
  - Tintin in Tibet
  - Turbo Toons
  - Virtual Soccer
  - Waterworld
  - Whirlo
  - Winter Gold
  - World Class Rugby
  - World Masters Golf: Competition Edition
  - Worms