Using MSU1 for non-audio non-FMV additions?

Hey all!

I'm very new to MSU1, only having used the patches here to have enhanced the soundtracks of roms, as seems to be its primary function.

However, I find myself wondering if MSU1 can be used to add more "internal" content to a rom.  Could one hypothetically use it to add new levels/stages, new sprites, and so on to SNES games?  Or is the MSU1 by definition restricted to calling external content like PCM files and FMVs into a preexisting rom (hacked or otherwise)?  If it's restricted to calling external data, is it possible that one could use it to open a second rom in the middle of the first, no different than calling say an FMV?

I mean, I'm sure that would all be tremendously difficult, but I just wasn't sure how feasible MSU1 might make the addition of specifically internal content.

I'm a complete and utter newbie at this—and apologies for the strange question—but I've been googling it for awhile and just don't feel like I can find any information regarding this.  It seems, so far, that MSU1 has only been used to add a better soundtrack or FMVs to roms.

Thanks guys!

— CB

Yes, gizaha managed to stream a lot via msu1, if you check his Killer Instinct hack. Many video clips like winning at the end, the sprites are also streamed by msu as far I know and even the bg (orchid stage has an animtaed TV in the background). New levels aren't possible, msu can only add music, graphics.

https://www.zeldix.net/t2002-killer-instinct-msu1-mega-patch

Thanks! Good to know!

Conn wrote:New levels aren't possible, msu can only add music, graphics.

I see. But if graphics includes background sprites, then that could potentially open up the memory inside the rom itself if one were to move more sprite data to MSU. Interesting......

— CB

Exactly. MSU1 by itself isn't capable of extending or adding levels to a ROM.

To accomplish that, you could hack the level table or whatever be the system in place, to make use of the mapped 4GiB of space the MSU1 offers, pointing your level data directly into the addressed area provided.

This way, you should have near-infinite levels. Another good use for MSU1 is no need for any decompression for raw uncompressed graphics and text, you would just have to DMA them

Actually, the MSU1 is pretty much a coprocessor as a custom mapper, that means, it grants you more memory space than the official Nintendo ones. In fact, the entirety of Super Road Blaster is made using solely the MSU1 area space:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YuWwoeAxCk

That said, even samples for music to use with the SPC engine you could store and stream from there.