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So I thought of a way to make sure I can play my Game Gear game all the way through once I finish it: Use a Game Genie (which I have) to let me have infinite lives. One problem though: I don't know how to make Game Genie codes. There is a variable here:

lives db

which I would want to in effect null the part of the code which subtracts its value once I hit an enemy. How would I go about making a Game Genie code that would give me infinite lives in my game I am making?

Seems this is the information on this site:

Note that Game Genie is a ROM patcher, compared to Pro Action Replay which patches RAM.
To make infinite lives, you would replace the instruction which decrements the lives counter with a NOP (or you could change it to an LD, depending on how the code is written. Something that would still function without reducing lives.)

https://www.smspower.org/forums/8070-GameGearGameGenieCodeFormat

https://www.smspower.org/Development/GameGenie

So I should wait until it's all completed and disassemble the finished game's code? I took a look at the pages. This looks really hard.

Could you explain in more detail what you are trying to do?

Do you want to create actual Game Genie codes for others to use with your finished game? Then use the method described in KingMike's link.

Or do you want to make testing easier for yourself while you're still developing the game? Then you don't need a Game Genie at all. Just set your starting lives to $FF (255) or whatever, compile and test that version. Before compiling the final release version then set the number back to the desired default value.

Kagesan wrote

Could you explain in more detail what you are trying to do?

Do you want to create actual Game Genie codes for others to use with your finished game? Then use the method described in KingMike's link.

Or do you want to make testing easier for yourself while you're still developing the game? Then you don't need a Game Genie at all. Just set your starting lives to $FF (255) or whatever, compile and test that version. Before compiling the final release version then set the number back to the desired default value.

For testing purposes, I think even further depending on the compiler and editor they can do debug directives that can be excluded on release builds. As long as things are not totally memory location dependent (else they should be using .org for that anyways) then they should be able to work in debug functions and features that can be left out of a release build.

If they really want game genie codes for it just for fun then thats something that probably needs to be figured out after project completion.

Kagesan wrote

Just set your starting lives to $FF (255) or whatever, compile and test that version. Before compiling the final release version then set the number back to the desired default value.

I guess I could do this. Hadn't really thought to do that.

I'll wait until the project is completed to find out how to make an infinite Game Genie code for it. What type of disassembler would I need? Right now I'm using Context to compile the game.

Gamegearguy wrote

Right now I'm using Context to compile the game.

I mean, you're not. Context is a text editor. You're using something else to compile the game.

Either way, you really shouldn't be looking to disassemble something that you've built yourself. You can use a lst file or whatever your assembler/compiler outputs to figure out what your Game Genie code needs to change.

The easiest thing to do would be to add a flag in the ROM for each cheat, and then your Game Genie code just changes that flag. Use org directives to place the flags so that you know where they'll end up before you even build.

Author	Message
Gamegearguy Joined: 06 Sep 2015 Posts: 268 Location: United States	Making Game Genie codes for my games I make Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 1:21 pm
	So I thought of a way to make sure I can play my Game Gear game all the way through once I finish it: Use a Game Genie (which I have) to let me have infinite lives. One problem though: I don't know how to make Game Genie codes. There is a variable here: lives db which I would want to in effect null the part of the code which subtracts its value once I hit an enemy. How would I go about making a Game Genie code that would give me infinite lives in my game I am making?

KingMike Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Posts: 512	Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 1:32 pm
KingMike Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Posts: 512	Seems this is the information on this site: Note that Game Genie is a ROM patcher, compared to Pro Action Replay which patches RAM. To make infinite lives, you would replace the instruction which decrements the lives counter with a NOP (or you could change it to an LD, depending on how the code is written. Something that would still function without reducing lives.) https://www.smspower.org/forums/8070-GameGearGameGenieCodeFormat https://www.smspower.org/Development/GameGenie

Gamegearguy Joined: 06 Sep 2015 Posts: 268 Location: United States	Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 1:45 pm
	So I should wait until it's all completed and disassemble the finished game's code? I took a look at the pages. This looks really hard.

Kagesan Joined: 01 Feb 2014 Posts: 877	Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 2:40 pm
Kagesan Joined: 01 Feb 2014 Posts: 877	Could you explain in more detail what you are trying to do? Do you want to create actual Game Genie codes for others to use with your finished game? Then use the method described in KingMike's link. Or do you want to make testing easier for yourself while you're still developing the game? Then you don't need a Game Genie at all. Just set your starting lives to $FF (255) or whatever, compile and test that version. Before compiling the final release version then set the number back to the desired default value.

IllusionOfMana Joined: 08 Sep 2018 Posts: 270	Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 4:21 pm
IllusionOfMana Joined: 08 Sep 2018 Posts: 270	Kagesan wrote Could you explain in more detail what you are trying to do? Do you want to create actual Game Genie codes for others to use with your finished game? Then use the method described in KingMike's link. Or do you want to make testing easier for yourself while you're still developing the game? Then you don't need a Game Genie at all. Just set your starting lives to $FF (255) or whatever, compile and test that version. Before compiling the final release version then set the number back to the desired default value. For testing purposes, I think even further depending on the compiler and editor they can do debug directives that can be excluded on release builds. As long as things are not totally memory location dependent (else they should be using .org for that anyways) then they should be able to work in debug functions and features that can be left out of a release build. If they really want game genie codes for it just for fun then thats something that probably needs to be figured out after project completion.

Gamegearguy Joined: 06 Sep 2015 Posts: 268 Location: United States	Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 4:55 pm
	Kagesan wrote Just set your starting lives to $FF (255) or whatever, compile and test that version. Before compiling the final release version then set the number back to the desired default value. I guess I could do this. Hadn't really thought to do that. I'll wait until the project is completed to find out how to make an infinite Game Genie code for it. What type of disassembler would I need? Right now I'm using Context to compile the game.

Wafer Joined: 22 Sep 2019 Posts: 98	Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 6:33 pm
Wafer Joined: 22 Sep 2019 Posts: 98	Gamegearguy wrote Right now I'm using Context to compile the game. I mean, you're not. Context is a text editor. You're using something else to compile the game. Either way, you really shouldn't be looking to disassemble something that you've built yourself. You can use a lst file or whatever your assembler/compiler outputs to figure out what your Game Genie code needs to change. The easiest thing to do would be to add a flag in the ROM for each cheat, and then your Game Genie code just changes that flag. Use org directives to place the flags so that you know where they'll end up before you even build.

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