Mortal Kombat Arcade Edition

This is now finished and can be found here: https://www.zeldix.net/t2429-mortal-kombat-arcade-edition-md-msu-md

Hi, I created a MSU-MD patch for the excellent Mortal Kombat Arcade Edition romhack.

Original hack: https://www.romhacking.net/reviews/8189/

Latest MSU-MD beta patch (Jan 16th): https://mega.nz/file/6TpyiChL#FPGEvm2xfL08r_9jXtT4DDKXF04hOJaxjFQ4CE_uEjw

Latest audio pack (Jan 17th) (by Relikk): https://mega.nz/file/t7BQnLKY#I6W0F-oRQsCNg7c6IimiiM8NGzlhXeA-kGIhw6-nTLA

MSU-MD GitHub can be found here: https://github.com/jvisser/msu-md-mk1/releases
Track mapping: https://github.com/jvisser/msu-md-mk1/blob/main/Notes.md

Here's a sample audio pack for testing that's almost ready to go. I just need to tweak a few things like some volume balancing.

The track order is a little different than what's specified on your GitHub if it's left at the default "Arcade" track order in the DIP settings, and to match the correct music with the arcade stages. I ended up with...

01 - Opening Theme
02 - Courtyard
03 - Courtyard Victory
04 - Entrance
05 - Entrance Victory
06 - Warriors Shrine
07 - Warriors Shrine Victory
08 - The Pit
09 - The Pit Victory
10 - Goro's Lair
11 - Goro's Lair Victory
12 - The Hall
13 - The Hall Victory
14 - 2 Player Versus
15 - Test Your Might / Fatality
16 - Bio Screen

Also, there seems to be no available tracks, or tracks mapped for the Battle Plan and the Game Over screen. There may be more, but that's all I've come across so far.

Thanks Relikk.

I created a new release with track 17 mapped to "Battle plan" and updated the notes with your feedback. I noticed the game over screen when making the patch but could not figure out quickly how that song plays. It's not even in the sound test menu?. Still have to figure that one out.

I have to admit it was a bit of a rush job . Was not planning on creating a patch, hoping someone else would take up the task. But while brushing my teeth before bedtime I thought "This hack really needs a patch! I can just copy/paste the mk2 patch and remap the tracks. Should take only 20m". Ofcourse it didn't .

I have no time to work on it for a few days. Maybe just leave the game over screen as it is for now? You can already add it to the audio pack if possible then I can look at it later.

Excellent. Yes, of course. You'll get no pressure from me to finish anything. Take all the time you need.

Here's a new audio pack with the Battle Plan included: added to first post.

I probably need to find something else for the Fatality track. Will have a look later.

I tried this msu, and i loved it !!
Outstanding!

Known bug - after the win screen, the next stage theme plays every round then stops.

how do i use this msu? He's different.

edit: I got it... thanks.

Hi, Sorry for the lack of updates. I don't have much time to work on it.
I just published a new release based on a bugreport on github that hopefully/probably fixes a crash when reaching Goro. Other than that I think this will be the final version.

In hindsight I made a bit of a mistake by releasing it too soon on github as a version 1.x instead using a MEGA link to post it on this forum.

I presume there was no luck finding the "Game Over" track, then?

Ok I checked it out... here is a patch with "Game Over" mapped to track 18.

Cool, thanks. I've added that to the music pack in the first post.

The last fix did not resolve the Goro hang bug. I fixed to Goro hang bug with this patch (I tested it).

I also found another track with id 35 that plays on the Ermac stage. I didn't map it so it plays the original song. I dont think there is an arcade equivalent?

Also the victory song is customized like game over... sounds like a pcm version of the arcade. I did not change that either. I tried to find the patch point but could not find it...

I guess it depends on the stage. Hidden character fights are usually on the Pit floor. There are a lot of shared tracks on the MD/Genesis version, and it carries over into the AE hack unfortunately. The continue screen plays the "Throne Room/The Hall" track, when it really should be it's own separate track.

Ok I found some time to add some more tracks

19 - fatality
20 - continue
21 - victory

Also changed Ermac stage music to The Pit

Haven't tried it yet, but is 19 a different Fatality track to 15? And "21 - Victory", is it the ending theme?

Yes to all. The victory theme only runs with the victory text i think not when the characters are shown during the credits. So that still differs from the arcade.

I updated the patch so that the victory track plays until game over (non looping). Also added the title screen as track 22 (track 1 is "Choose Your Fighter".)

Thanks. Audio pack is updated in the first post to reflect the latest changes.

Thanks Relikk,

As a last thing I added "Goro lives" as track 23. And changed the Ermac "You have found me" sound to the title screen sound (personal preference). I think if everything works this is it for this patch. I pushed everything to github.

The only thing I noticed about the soundpack is that the victory track ends way before the end of the credits. But other than that everything seems to work well.

One of my new years resolutions was spending less time behind my computer. I guess I have failed that one already with this patch

void wrote:The only thing I noticed about the soundpack is that the victory track ends way before the end of the credits.

Admittedly, I haven't gotten around to completing the game just yet so that's good to know. I based the timing off of a YouTube video. There are probably some endings that go on longer than others, or it's not the part I was thinking of. I'll take a look, anyway.

I've edited the link to a new audio pack, but without an updated "Victory" track for the time being.

You can enable 2p danger in the dip switch/settings menu for one hit kills btw

Okay cheers, did that. I've changed the ending to extend. Link updated. It might have just been my save state being locked in to the old CUE file, but is there another track that kicks in once the characters start appearing after the ending? The ending track stopped as soon as that happened when I reloaded my state. If the track is intended to extend all the way through the ending and credits then it should be fine, though.

One bug I noticed, the "Test Your Might" bonus game is playing the new fatality track (track 19), when it should be playing track 15.

Regarding the Ermac fight, on my playthrough it was on the Warriors Shrine stage. I thought this stage was included in the hack when you mentioned it. So it's probably better to leave the track as default and remove the remap to "The Pit". Sorry, my bad.

I'll check everything thoroughly tomorrow, it's been a busy week and I'm knackered.

Yeah im gonna call it a day too. Just got boosted and it really messed me up. Btw I am away for the weekend. Will fix stuff after .

I have the same issue with savegames and updated soundspacks. Does not happens always I think when something is added it will work.

Maybe the test your might is a savestate issue also? It seemed to work for me. But i wil check again later.

I think the pit bottom is included but they chose to use the warriors shrine. I will map it to that track. It used its own unique song btw in the hack.

I'll investigate the Ermac fight on the standard ROM and on the arcade hacks that include it to see what they were going for and I'll let you know.

Ok cool. You can see the pit bottom in this dev video btw;: https://youtu.be/rNCSv4uRD2k

Some observations on playing this weekend.

The "Test Your Might" bonus game is definitely playing the wrong track as mentioned previously. This might be correct within the ROM itself, but as per the arcade game it should be playing track 15 instead of 19.

The "Pit Bottom" stage is currently playing track 6 (Warriors Shrine). The arcade game has the pit bottom playing track 12 (The Hall/Throne Room) and it's respective victory track (13).

The ending is fine, it must have been the save state being locked in to the old CUE file.

And seeing as Ermac doesn't exist in the arcade game it's probably best just to leave the Warriors Shrine as default and remove the remap to "The Pit" track.