From 9a019912cca736f9afffeacb590ffd050bc52eab Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: devinacker Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 17:05:18 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] add markdown docs --- README.md | 85 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 85 insertions(+) create mode 100644 README.md diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..65e6af4 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,85 @@ +# exhal / inhal +## HAL Laboratory NES/SNES/GB (de)compression tools +by Devin Acker (Revenant), 2013 + +These programs are released under the terms of the MIT license. See copying.txt for legal info. + +exhal and inhal are tools designed to decompress and recompress/insert data used by several NES, +SNES and Game Boy games developed by HAL Laboratory. + +Due to the design of the original decompression algorithm (and hardware limitations), the size of +a file to be compressed is limited to 64 kilobytes (65,536 bytes). Please note that depending on +which system you are working with, the actual useful limit may be much smaller. + +To use exhal (the decompressor): +exhal romfile offset outfile + +To insert compressed data into a ROM: +inhal [-fast] infile romfile offset + +To write compressed data to a new file: +inhal [-fast] -n infile outfile + +Offsets can be specified in either hexadecimal (recommended) or decimal. + +Using the -fast switch results in compression which is about 3 to 4 times faster, but with +slightly larger output data. Use this if you don't care about data sizes being 100% identical +to the original compressed data. + +This is a list of games which are known to use the supported compression method, or are assumed +to, based on a binary search of the games' ROMs: + +Adventures of Lolo (NES/GB) +Adventures of Lolo 2 (NES) +Adventures of Lolo 3 (NES) +Alcahest (SNES) +Arcana / Card Master (SNES) +EarthBound / Mother 2 (SNES) +Ghostbusters II (GB) +HAL's Hole in One Golf / Jumbo Ozaki no Hole in One (SNES) +HyperZone (SNES) +Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1 (SNES) +Kirby no KiraKira Kids (SNES) +Kirby Super Star (SNES) +Kirby's Adventure (NES) +Kirby's Dream Course / Kirby Bowl (SNES) +Kirby's Dream Land (GB) +Kirby's Dream Land 2 (GB) +Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES) +Kirby's Pinball Land (GB) +Kirby's Star Stacker / KiraKira Kids (GB) +NES Open Tournament Golf (NES) +New Ghostbusters II (NES) +Othello World (SNES) +Okamoto Ayako to Match Play Golf (SNES) +Revenge of the Gator / 66 Hiki no Wani Daikoushin (GB) +SimCity (SNES) [unused?] +SimCity 2000 (SNES) +Special Tee Shot (BS-X) +Super Famicom Box BIOS (SNES) +Trax / Totsugeki! Ponkotsu Tank (GB) +Vegas Stakes (SNES/GB) + +Also note, unfortunately, that exhal cannot automatically detect or locate compressed data. +The included file "gamenotes.txt" contains an incomplete list of decompression routine addresses +to make searching easier. + +These tools were originally used in the development of my Kirby's Dream Course editor. I hope you +find your own exciting use for them. (I'm not the only Kirby hacker in the West, right? *sob*) + +## Contact me + + Email : d at revenant1.net + IRC : "devin" on irc.badnik.net + "Revenant" on irc.oftc.net + "Revenant`" on irc.synirc.net + and irc.dal.net + Forums: http://jul.rustedlogic.net/profile.php?id=504 + http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=10455 + +## Special thanks to + + - andlabs for helping me make the list of supported games + - BMF54123 for naming the programs + - Tiiffi for misc. Mac OS X build fixes + - You for downloading (and using?) my software \ No newline at end of file