Batman Returns: Batman Returns - Bugfix & Hard Mode

This hack provides a couple of bugfixes and adds some polish.
It also adds an optional Hard difficulty.

The bugfixes and polish include:
- Added Batman's missing face sprite in 3 different animations
- Some work on the HUD
- Some pixel work on Batman and a couple of bosses
- Fixing the wrong palette being used for the motorcycle enemy in stage 3-2

The Hard mode doubles all damage dealt to the player. It was part of the game's copy control mechanisms and was turned into an actual feature.
In order to turn it on, press "SELECT" on the "START - PASSWORD" screen. The bat cursor will turn red and you will hear a sound to confirm that it worked (see last screenshot).

This hack is fully compatible with the "Improved Controls" hack!
You can patch both on the same ROM.
The reason there are seperate hacks is because some players may want the bugfix & hard mode without the modified controls.

More info in the "readme" file.

Batman Returns
Bugfix, Polish & Hard Mode



v1.0, 17th of Feburary 2021


1) General Info
a) Bugfixes & polish
b) (optional) Hard mode
2) Patching & Compatibility with Other Hacks
3) Credits & Thanks
4) Misc Info




1) General Info

This is a romhack of Batman Returns for the NES.

This hack is fully compatible with my other Batman Returns hack "Improved Controls", the reason there are
two hacks is because some people might want the bugfix or hard mode without the modified controls.

This provides some bugfixes, polish, and adds an optional Hard difficulty.


a) Bugfixes & polish :

- Add Batman's missing face sprite in the frames for the following animations: sliding, A+B special, knockback,
lying on the ground.
- Fixed the extra pixels on Strongman's hip (stage 1 and 3 boss) during his rotating animation.
- Fixed the wrong palette being used for the skeleton moto riding enemies in stage 3-2 (rooftop).
- Some pixel fixes on some of Batman's frames, mainly the outline.
- Some pixel fixes on some of Penguin's frames (final boss version).
- Fixed wrong palette being used for the bat cursor on the continue screen (dark blue like on the title screen
instead of light blue)
For the HUD:
- shifted the entire HUD one pixel down to hide the row of garbled pixels
- Lined up the "SC" letters below "BOX"
- Replaced "NO USE" by "NO ITEM", which also makes the text look centered.
- Made the Batarang and grappling hook only use the blue and white colours so that their colours won't change
whenever the HUD changes palette


b) (optional) Hard mode:
After the title screen, you'll reach a screen that gives you a choice between "START" and "PASSWORD".
Press "SELECT" on that screen to turn on Hard Mode. You should hear a sound and the Bat cursor will be red from
now on, to confirm that you're playing Hard mode.
If you want to resume a game with a password in Hard mode, you need to press "SELECT" before entering the password.

In Hard mode, all damage dealt to the player is doubled. Also, when you get hit points are added to a counter,
which in the end determines the ending you'll get. Since these points are proportional to damage recieved, they
also get doubled in Hard mode.

This double damage feature was already present in the game as part of the copy protection feature. The issue was,
if it got turned on, chances are other copy protection things that prevented from the beating the game were also
turned on. So, I added an option to turn on the double damage without triggering the copy protection.



2) Patching & Compatibility with Other Hacks


Made for and tested with this rom:
Batman Returns (USA).nes

This hack is compatible with my other Batman Returns hacks: "Improved Controls" and "Anti-AntiPiracy".
The reason "Improved Controls" is a seperate hack is because some people might want the bugfix or hard mode
without the modified controls.

This hack should be compatible with any translation also, but, if the translation alters the text on the HUD,
you need to apply this hack first and the translation second.

Using an IPS patcher such as Lunar IPS to patch the rom.
You can find the rom on archive.org.



3) Credits & Thanks

ASM editing: MetHy aka Ness

Thanks to the FCEU X and YYCHR devs.

Feel free to use this hack in your own hacks, no need to ask me, just a small credit is enough.


4) Misc Info

- If you struggle to beat this game or beat hard mode, check the "secrets" section of this game on GAMEFAQs.
I added the location of two life boxes as well as the mean to reduce Catwoman's HP.
- Fun fact: some of the frames for which I added the missing face sprite already had their work half done.
Some of the frame definitions had the extra sprite, except that it lead to an empty tile. One frame even had the
actual face sprite defined and it was hidden behind the blue face, all remained to be done was to delete the three
blue face pixels.


Database match: Batman Returns (USA)
Database: No-Intro: Nintendo Entertainment System (v. 20180803-121122)
File SHA-1: 43A0FEE6878CDF35288395524923CB8C61E6974A
File CRC32: E625E398
ROM SHA-1: C3615A7DBF65D6B6AF607D5ACD9919AF48AF0DD3
ROM CRC32: C247A23D