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  • Source Code for Tecmo Super Bowl released


    Knobbe

    There is a rumor floating around out there that part of the reason that Tecmo Koei has been remaking the 1993 SNES version of Tecmo Super Bowl is in part due to them not being able to locate the original source code to the cult classic 1991 NES release of Tecmo Super Bowl.  Today I'm happy to report that a decompiled version by @bruddog has been released to Github, making the source code for the original game available to anyone with interest in digging into the secrets of the game.

     

    For those unfamiliar, Nintendo Entertainment System games are written in 6502 assembly code which is then optimized into kilobyte sized files that a NES can execute. In some ways, trying to interpret them as a human is akin to taking a book run through a shredded and taping the paper back together shred by shred.  Per the release, this is "An exhaustive disassembly of the NES game Tecmo Super Bowl into a byte-for-byte re-build of the original game".  @bruddog has gone through the trouble of "every last instruction and memory location" while even guessing at unused code in the game.

     

    Due to the licensed images and characters in the game you will need to secure your own copy of TSB in order to complete the data required to compile a new game.  This operation will also create a decompiled and commented source code. For most, the tools we have more modifying the current game will be adequate and this will simply be a curiosity. For others, this will be a way to more effectively create modifications without needing to tediously try and decipher source code.  Perhaps this will one day you'll see a new retro type game release that plays exactly like the old NES Tecmo Super Bowl.

     

    You can find the release at https://github.com/bruddog/Tecmo_Super_Bowl_NES_Disassembly

    You'll need to have a Windows machine or else bring your own version of a 6502 compiler to the party.

    I've not only verified that this works but also that if you're having trouble it's because you haven't taken the time to fully read through the build instructions.


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