"Famicom Pro Action Rocky" Encoder/Decoder
------------------------------------------

Programming, Graphics, Sound by Chris Covell
Encoding/Decoding code by "ReaperSMS" & "Jamethiel"


What?
=====

This is a small program for the NES/Famicom which decodes and encodes
the cheat format of the "Pro Action Rocky" (henceforth, "Rocky") device.
The Rocky is a cheat device released in 2003 in Japan for the Famicom line
of game systems.  It operates essentially like a Game Genie, which us
Westerners are familiar with on our old NES systems.  Like the Game Genie,
the Rocky sits between the hardware and game pak, intercepting some ROM reads
and substituting its own data, modifying the game data temporarily.

Unlike the Game Genie, which had a rather simple code encoding, the Rocky had
a very complicated encoding scheme.  It took me and a couple of gents about
two months to crack the encoding scheme.

So what can I do with this?
===========================

Not much if you don't own the Rocky unit.  It was designed for my own use, and
the use of other people in Japan who own Rockys.  A Rocky code user can either
view and modify existing Rocky codes, or create his own codes for a new game.
This isn't easy, of course, as creating new codes usually means hacking a game
ROM with a cheat, and then encoding the CPU location and data of the hack.  If
you don't know how to hack cheats into NES/Famicom games, then you'll need to
learn that first.

Use
===

UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT move the cursor between the different digits of the code
and the decoded address and data.  

A/B increase or decrease the number that the cursor points to.

The Rocky code is presented on top, and the decoded information is on bottom.
The address part of the code is the CPU address in the Famicom where the game
program resides.  The Rocky can only modify $8000-$FFFF in the address range.

The Compare number is the byte that the Rocky expects to find at the address
specified.  If the compare and what it finds are different, the Rocky hardware
doesn't activate the cheat.  If the compare matches the data at the address,
the Value number is substituted whenever that address is read.  If you're making
a code from a ROM hack, the Compare is the old data stored at the specified
address, and the Value is the new data that you'll put in its place.

Extra Info
==========

I hope you don't mind the noise sound effect playing in the background.  It
lends a "spacey" feel to the whole experience, and it's interactive!  Change the
code data and listen to the sound pitch and speed change!

All of the graphics in this demo were drawn by me (Chris Covell) except for
the planet in the background (taken from a PC-Engine game) and some parts of the
TV (taken from "Overlord").  I hope you guys don't mind!

Please check out my website at http://www.chrismcovell.com or
http://www.zyx.com/chrisc/index.html.  Look around, and you should find the most
up-to-date codes that I have made for the Pro Action Rocky, as well as other
interesting information.

Finally, feel free to contact me at chris_covell@yahoo.ca.
----
Chris Covell, Sept. 12, 2004