CUBO CD32 Games..

[Toni Wilen]

There appears to be some kind of protection that disables pad input if the protection check does not pass. Not sure how or what it checks, lots of jumps here and there until final check.

I guess it is done to prevent running the game on non-cubo cd32's.

[Retro1234]

What a shame - I guess it will need cracking.

[Toni Wilen]

To crack the check "easily":

Edit offset (dec) 16701286 of the bin-file, change old value (hex) 67 to 66.

Unfortunately this is not the only change needed because image has 2352 sector size which means checksum and error correction data is included in the image and sector won't load without fixing them.

Easy solution is to download CDMage (quite old utility but perfect for this job. I used v1.02-1b5), load .cue, answer yes to filesystem corruption question.

Select Track 1, open Action-menu, select Scan for Corruption, click Scan.

Scan should find single sector that has errors.

Open Action-menu again, select "Rebuild Sector Fields" (do not select "Repair Corrupted Sectors" because it will use error correction data and undo the patch..)

Do not change any setting, Click "Ok" and then "Yes". Finally "Ok" and image is now both cracked and has correct headers.

Burn the image or use CD emulator to play this stupid game

Someone else can do proper patch or whatever, I don't do that kind of stuff

ADDED: quite stupid compiler (or something) used in this game:

0007A950 303c 0000                MOVE.W #$0000,D0
0007A954 3b40 8142                MOVE.W D0,(A5, -$7ebe) == $00022d2a
0007A958 303c 0000                MOVE.W #$0000,D0
0007A95C 4a40                     TST.W D0
0007A95E 6700 0008                BEQ.W #$0008 == $0007A968
0007A962 4ef9 0007 aac0           JMP.L $0007aac0
0007A968 266d 8018                MOVEA.L (A5, -$7fe8) == $00022c00,A3

Really "optimal" code..

[Retro1234]

You dont do that kind of stuff- You Legend
I think a patched version will have to find its way onto the EAB file server.

[Toni Wilen]

Perhaps protection code checks NVRAM contents for specific data? (just a random thought.. too lazy to check the confusing code..)

Originally Posted by s2325

is it possible now to emulate Cubo with MAME?

There was some progress in.132u2
'Cubo CD32 update [stephh]
- fixed inputs'
- found why inputs are not read (protection ?), hacked to work now'
Though I haven't tried any of the Cubo stuff myself so I'm not sure how close to playable that made them

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by Hawq

There was some progress in.132u2
'Cubo CD32 update [stephh]
- fixed inputs'
- found why inputs are not read (protection ?), hacked to work now'
Though I haven't tried any of the Cubo stuff myself so I'm not sure how close to playable that made them

"hacked to work now" = pokes correct value to protection result memory location...

[mombasajoe]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

To crack the check "easily":

Edit offset (dec) 16701286 of the bin-file, change old value (hex) 67 to 66.

Which image did you use? I´ve got a $00 at 16701286 (dec).

[DamienD]

Heya guys,

Thought it would be cool to try out the Cubo CD32 games in WinUAE

For each of the following I have these files:

Candy Puzzle:
a) "cndypuzl.chd"
b) "Candy Puzzle CD32 CUBO (1994).bin" & "Candy Puzzle CD32 CUBO (1994).cue"

Harem Challenge:
a) "cndypuzl.chd"

I did see Toni's post about patching the image file but that's probably above my skill level.

Using the .CHD files I can't insert coin ect... Is there any way to play these via WinUAE?

[s2325]

"Notes: Only works on the CUBO CD32."

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by s2325

"Notes: Only works on the CUBO CD32."

Yeah read that on HOL s2325; but Toni mentions patching the image file in order to get them working on a CD32...

Also, not sure the .CHD files can be patched easily?

[DamienD]

Trying to follow Toni's instructions to modify the original "Candy Puzzle" .BIN & .CUE files.

Stuck at the first step... unfortunately when looking in a Hex Editor I don't see "16701286":

[Amigajay]

Would be cool to get this working, Candy Puzzle is the only decent looking Cubo game, it's also the only puzzle bobble clone that could be playable on a CD32, hope you can fix the check.

[Retro1234]

I think it on mombasajoe's compilation

[Amigajay]

Originally Posted by Retro1234

I think it on mombasajoe's compilation

I don't think so, had a look in his thread, had a couple of other cubo games but he said he couldn't start it either so it's not included.

[cpiac64]

i suppose you need search 016701286

[jarre]

seems at last all the roms are dumped for use in mame (.CHD)
Also this seems to have a alternate bios..? Maybe also dumped for mame.??

Attachment 50948

[Toni Wilen]

It is just standard CD32 ROM (I don't think you are allowed to upload those here..), image comes from cubo CD, not from ROM, in uninterleaved format (not format you get if you dump it using rom reader). Someone should dump Cubo NVRAM to properly fix this. I won't do game specific hacks. EDIT: or someone less lazy properly reverse-engineers the protection check.

[DamienD]

Ok, followed Toni's instructions again...

When looking at "offset (dec) 16701286" there are only "00", as my screenshot in post #32 shows...

If I don't change to (dec) and leave as (hex), lo and behold:



...so change this from "67" --> "66" and then went through the rest of the CDMage procedure

Now, tested in WinUAE but I'm still trying to figure out how exactly to remap my Xbox 360 wireless controllers to a CD32 pad configuration.

I can upload the modified image for someone to test if:

a) They are cool changing their joystick / joypad to replicate a CD32 pad configuration in WinUAE.
b) Want to burn and the try on their original CD32 hardware.

[DamienD]

Ok, file uploaded to here.

Hopefully it works; can someone please test and let us all know

...and many thanks to Master Wilen for the instructions