Valkyrie no Bouken: Toki no Kagi Densetsu: Valkyrie's Adventure SRAM + QOL

This hack adds SRAM support to Valkyrie's Adventure. Pressing Start at the Game Over screen will save and instantly continue your game. The game also saves automatically when in an inn. If a savegame is detected, selecting Continue at the main menu will load the save, otherwise you will reach the password entry screen. Character configuration/level/XP/money/inventory, armor, and equipped spell are all saved.

For reference, original game functionality was to store inventory in RAM, retained for continuing but lost on reboot as it's not part of the password. Armor and the least significant digit for money and XP were lost every death.


Other significant changes contained in the alternate SRAM + QOL patch:

This hack is compatible with the unmodified Japanese version, and the DvD Translations patch. Note that translation patch contains some minor late-game graphical glitches.

Patching instructions:
1) Due to this hack expanding the ROM, it's in .BPS format. The expected ROM should've already been patched with DvD Translations' English patch (Rev A) and have a CRC32 of 52EA15CF.

1.5) If your ROM instead has a CRC32 of AE7766C8 it means the header has the mapper set to 206 instead of 04 (MMC3). Given this hack uses MMC3, you'll have to change the mapper in the header, either by using the included 'Valkyrie's Adventure - mapper change.bps' patch, or (particularly if that doesn't work) by using a hex editor.
If using a hex editor, set the header (the first 16 bytes) to: 4E 45 53 1A 02 04 40 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
This hack doesn't modify the mapper since different ROM file versions have different mappers set.

2) Then, apply either the 'Valkyrie's Adventure SRAM only.bps' OR 'Valkyrie's Adventure SRAM + QOL.bps' patch, depending on preference.

This hack is also compatible with the unmodified Japanese version; use the above hex editor method if the .BPS files won't apply successfully.



Changes:
This hack adds SRAM support to Valkyrie's Adventure. Pressing Start at the Game Over screen will save and instantly continue your game. The game also saves automatically when in an inn. If a savegame is detected, selecting Continue at the main menu will load the save, otherwise you will reach the password entry screen. Character configuration, level, XP, money, inventory, armor, and equipped spell are all saved.

For reference, original game functionality was to store inventory in RAM, retained for continuing but lost on reboot as it's not part of the password. Armor and the least significant digit for money and XP were lost every death.

Once a save file is created, you can access the password entry screen by (on joypad 1) holding A+B when pressing the Start button at the Continue menu option.


Other changes contained in the alternate SRAM + QOL patch:
If there's a blue lantern in your inventory, dungeons won't go dim after being lit up.
Blue armor is now single-use and indestructible.
Thieves now steal money instead of items; killing them gets your money back, though.
Winning the game no longer requires having the legendary equipment and a Sandra soul in your inventory.
Spell icons used to blink if you didn't have enough MP for two casts, this was reduced to one cast.
Valkyrie used to change sprite direction only every 8 frames, leading to 'sliding' movement. This was reduced to every other frame.


Versions
3.1 Fixed bugs to enable compatibility with Everdrive and Mesen et al
3.0 Original release, recoded to use an expanded ROM, fix bugs, and add password screen override code
2.0 Recoded to additionally save inventory and armor
1.0 Saved and loaded passwords with NVRAM

This hack may be modified or used as a base for other hacks, with attribution. Hack made by Mentil.

Database match: Valkyrie no Bouken - Toki no Kagi Densetsu (Japan)
Database: No-Intro: Nintendo Entertainment System (v. 20210216-231042)
File SHA-1: 5887BBE2D6458F65F6CBCB7AF309629E7C045F86
File CRC32: 5915B843
ROM SHA-1: 196D7B083C0A93088D88472BB799069D47D40088
ROM CRC32: C6ADD8C5