Multiplayer Legend of Zelda

Hello!

I'm an aspiring young programmer attempting to hack the original NES Zelda. More or less, I got the idea from cen's oot hack, but I'm attempting to make LOZ a four player game. Before I get to far into it, I wanted to see what level of interest this would get, and attempt to get decent input from other people for ideas. I don't intend to do any level mods, yet, but will probably mess around after I get everything functioning properly.

If you have any ideas at all, please post them.

I think that would be cool. The Four Swords games can be quite fun with multiple people, and the original LoZ is pretty hard by yourself. I'd definitely like to try it.

Originally Posted by Ceallach

I think that would be cool. The Four Swords games can be quite fun with multiple people, and the original LoZ is pretty hard by yourself. I'd definitely like to try it.

True that.

I approve.

Thanks. As I'm getting farther into this it is getting more confusing, especially with this being the first reprogramming project I've attempted, and could take some time. I'm starting to understand bits(pun) and pieces. I'm reading a 167 page document on the processor. *SIGH* I do want to have this working before next summer, but I'm not sure how possible that is, with school and whatever else it is that we teens do.

Is this image relevant?

Originally Posted by Mjr162006

Is this image relevant?

Sadly, No. It is awesome, but the Nes couldn't display that many different sprite colors (one of the problems I face). B.T.W. if anyone has an idea for how to tell the players apart, it would be appreciated. I have only four colors available in link's color palette, and would like to avoid cycling them through the players.

Originally Posted by HeroOfShadows

B.T.W. if anyone has an idea for how to tell the players apart, it would be appreciated. I have only four colors available in link's color palette, and would like to avoid cycling them through the players.

Action Replay?

Originally Posted by HeroOfShadows

Sadly, No. It is awesome, but the Nes couldn't display that many different sprite colors (one of the problems I face). B.T.W. if anyone has an idea for how to tell the players apart, it would be appreciated. I have only four colors available in link's color palette, and would like to avoid cycling them through the players.

Wait, you're actually programming a NES rom...? Hacking usually has little to do with programming (except for a few things), and I doubt you could make a NES rom allow more than 2 players.
If you are actually reprogramming as you mentioned before, then whatever you're programming in will likely offer more than 4 colors per palette.

I still vote hacking.

Originally Posted by Naokohiro

Wait, you're actually programming a NES rom...? Hacking usually has little to do with programming (except for a few things), and I doubt you could make a NES rom allow more than 2 players.
If you are actually reprogramming as you mentioned before, then whatever you're programming in will likely offer more than 4 colors per palette.

I had thought of porting it to (or using) a GBA, but with the four score(NES multitap adapter) it is possible to use four people. And in order to double (or quadrouple) the number of main character sprites, i do need to reprogram the rom. I also need to reprogram small things, like the AI, and increase the numbeer of ruppees available to hold, but I am reprogramming it to run with the NES's microprocessor. I want to add things that didn't exist in the original such as tiled step switches or the blue/red crystal switches.

For what I really want, I need to either program a specific emulator for this (with a link function) or port it to a GBA emulator. I wanted a free roam style game, but one nes doesn't have the power for four split screens and multiple sprite locations. More or less, I would be combining the funcions of the nes and gba. or putting the nes processor in the gba emulator. I may try that.

Also, Naokohiro, It's nice to see you know a little bit about this. Hacking usually doesn't involve reprogramming, but sometimes it does. As for the Four players, check out gauntlet 2.

Oh B.T.W. does anyone know if there is a decent freeware recording program? Once things start coming along I want to post videos of it so others can see (I'll Probably use youtube) but this is more of a way to keep everyone up to date. It's like they say, seeing is believing.

Fraps is pretty good. I use it sometimes.

Thanks Hatter. It works good and i can definitly use it. I'll post any youtube addresses pertaining to this hack here for everyone to see. Right on the refridgerator.

Originally Posted by HeroOfShadows

Right on the refidgerator

ROFL

Reprogramming, what language?
Your new, but I like you already.

Originally Posted by VenomousNinja

Reprogramming, what language?
Your new, but I like you already.

It runs in an assembly language written for the 6502 processor in the NES. I think it was referred to as 6502 ASM. And thank you?, I guess.

*UPDATE*

Okay, so those of you that said doing this on the NES would be near impossible, were right. It's not that it can't be done, but I can't find a compiler to put it back into rom format for the NES. I'm not giving up the project, but now I'm porting it to a different, more recent system. This will also solve many of the problems I faced, dealing with complexity. So, any suggestion as to which system?

What about hacking AlttP?

Originally Posted by HeroOfShadows

*UPDATE*

Okay, so those of you that said doing this on the NES would be near impossible, were right. It's not that it can't be done, but I can't find a compiler to put it back into rom format for the NES. I'm not giving up the project, but now I'm porting it to a different, more recent system. This will also solve many of the problems I faced, dealing with complexity. So, any suggestion as to which system?

Don't double post.

Oh, and how about the gamecube? You can play the original on the Collecter's disk, although I'm not sure if that's a port or an emulator.

Or, how about the ALTTP GBA port. I know that's a port, so you could hack that even if you could'nt hack the original ALTTP.