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Lecture 4 (02.06.21) - Reverse Engineering Strategies

Recorded Lecture

Finish These Before You Leave

  • Download and edit the provided SMB1 patch file so that the Goomba has a hat.
  • On a clean SMB1 ROM file, edit the title screen. Create a IPS Patch of your title screen hack.
  • Send both your patches in the Discord with a short description of what you changed.

Editing IPS Files

In exercise 1, you will add a hat to Goombas only using existing sprites. To add a hat, we only need to edit 2 bytes in the game. It is your job to edit the IPS file so that the address and new data are correct. You will need to change the 5 bytes set to FF to correct values.

SMB Title Editor

SmbTitleEditor

For exercise 2, have fun drawing out a new title screen using SMB Title Editor! When you’re done, make an IPS patch and send it in the Discord.

More Hacking Resources

IPS File Format

This can help with writing/understanding IPS files.

Super Mario Bros. Disassembly

This is a great resource to read the SMB1 ROM file easier.

The Definitive Guide To Exploring File Formats

This is one of the most referenced video game hacking guides of all time. It is the bible of any aspiring ROM hacker.