Topic: Japanese Title Screen

[chillyfeez]

Does anybody know anything about the Japanese title screen?

Somebody over on RHDN just asked me about it... I don't really know anything about title screens, but I also haven't really looked into them (JCE3000GT created my custom title screen).

Specifically, he was asking if I knew anything about the animation. To be honest, I don't recall fully what's going on in the Japanese title screen, but I think it's a flashing crystal, which I presume is executed using a rotating palette. Shouldn't be that hard to figure out, but I figured I'd put it out here first to see if anyone has any insight into the matter.

Cheers!

[JCE3000GT]

If memory serves the crystal is actually two separate graphics and the top layer is translucent.  I am not sure about the animation, I never looked in to that.  I actually used the Japanese title data to craft your (and my) custom titles.  The data is better organized due to the "Final Fantasy" lettering size difference. 

[chillyfeez]

Huh. Interesting. Does the Japanese title screen data fit into the same place in ROM when spliced into the US version?

Any suggestions for resources I can direct this fellow to to study up on this stuff?
TBH, I don't have a whole lot of interest in SNES title screens. In my mind, I'll go a loooong time before I ever need to edit one again for my own purposes. So whereas I will always try to help out a FFIV hacker who asks me, the ideal situation here is to redirect him to good resources without actually having to spend the time learning this myself.
 

[JCE3000GT]

Yes, you can copy the title screen tiles and tile positioning data from one to the other but the animation and translucent routine/data is stored elsewhere.  I have no idea where, and it will look like crap in FF2us until the palette is edited.  If you use my title screen data as a reference you can sort of figure out how it works to modify it.  I'm going out of town today and tomorrow but I should be able to help more when I get back. 

[Grimoire LD]

Yes, you can copy the title screen tiles and tile positioning data from one to the other but the animation and translucent routine/data is stored elsewhere.  I have no idea where, and it will look like crap in FF2us until the palette is edited.  If you use my title screen data as a reference you can sort of figure out how it works to modify it.  I'm going out of town today and tomorrow but I should be able to help more when I get back.

There is a large (like massive) amount of empty space right after the title screen at 0438B9 - I theorize that this is likely the routine for the flashing graphics and the like since I know it is never utilized normally in the game because that's where I placed all of my random AI and I have not noticed anything off with the title screen...

then again that could be empty space in all versions, would lead me to question why though.

[chillyfeez]

Yeah, I've been using that, too. I don't think I realized it was right after the title screen image data.
I suppose at some point I'll get to looking at the Japanese ROM to check all this out.
I hope I don't get any crazy ideas. I'm perfectly happy not being interested in title screens...

[JCE3000GT]

Yes, you can copy the title screen tiles and tile positioning data from one to the other but the animation and translucent routine/data is stored elsewhere.  I have no idea where, and it will look like crap in FF2us until the palette is edited.  If you use my title screen data as a reference you can sort of figure out how it works to modify it.  I'm going out of town today and tomorrow but I should be able to help more when I get back.

There is a large (like massive) amount of empty space right after the title screen at 0438B9 - I theorize that this is likely the routine for the flashing graphics and the like since I know it is never utilized normally in the game because that's where I placed all of my random AI and I have not noticed anything off with the title screen...

then again that could be empty space in all versions, would lead me to question why though.

That empty space is the tile positioning data I believe. 

[Grimoire LD]

Yes, you can copy the title screen tiles and tile positioning data from one to the other but the animation and translucent routine/data is stored elsewhere.  I have no idea where, and it will look like crap in FF2us until the palette is edited.  If you use my title screen data as a reference you can sort of figure out how it works to modify it.  I'm going out of town today and tomorrow but I should be able to help more when I get back.

There is a large (like massive) amount of empty space right after the title screen at 0438B9 - I theorize that this is likely the routine for the flashing graphics and the like since I know it is never utilized normally in the game because that's where I placed all of my random AI and I have not noticed anything off with the title screen...

then again that could be empty space in all versions, would lead me to question why though.

That empty space is the tile positioning data I believe.

...Not sure what you mean there. Since it's all FF how can it be positioning anything? Also when these bytes are filled the title screen is unchanged. Unless there is something I'm not understanding in what you're saying.

[JCE3000GT]

FF means to use a blank or transparent tile.  When I get home from being out of town I will give a better visual example of what that data does.  Deal?  :)

[avalanche]

In the US version, the title (and slow-scrolling prologue) screen graphics/layout/palettes start at 0x44200 in the headered ROM, and the giant block of FF's I assume Grimoire is referring to is 0x438B9 UN-headered, so immediately Before that, rather than after?

The title screen layout table (aka tile positioning) data is at 0x46200....at least in the US version... so I don't think the FFs are for that.

Of course I know zero about the Japanese version.

[Rodimus Primal]

Looking over the data and tiles in the Japanese ROM, there is a little more used but I don't think it has anything to do with the pointers. However, What points to what is certainly in another place in the ROM. just copying the data over using YY-CHR causes a red screen with scrambled text but is still playable.

[JCE3000GT]

You guys are right, I was off on my offset for the title screen data.  I thought it was 42000 and not 44000. 

[Grimoire LD]

Hmm, so the hex before 438B9 is not even anything to do with the title screen? Do we know What it does then?

[JCE3000GT]

I don't have anything in my last bit of notes when I was researching the title screen data a couple years ago...  Now I'm curious...

[Gedankenschild]

I would recommend the bsnes debugger. Its palette viewer is very helpful in figuring palette stuff out. The game rotates the color white through two of the palettes to create the shimmering effect.
It might also be helpful to look at the Easy Type version, since that one has an additional fade in for the "Easy Type" subtitle. More to compare to is usually better...