PSX SOS Glitches-Programmers,Bloodlines,3rd Marble,Max Map

After days of work, I finally did it... the Programmers Room has been reached WITH OUT
the use of Game Shark, a 100% pure true glitch.

The glitch used is called Swap Overflow Shenanigans (SOS), this is the topic where we documented the history of its
development by its creator Sockfolder https://castlevania.darkbb.com/t589-item-fabrication-swap-overflow-shenanigans-elaboration

So much credit, is given to him... but also to the team here at Castlevania MSN (Ground Water Vein Group) and
and World Beyond Walls.

The short simple version of the way the Glitch works is, you use the (Save Glitched) Item/Armor menu to change the
shop music coding into a Game Shark code... I will post a more in depth explanation soon, because I am just to exhausted
from looking at coding for hours and hours to do it right now.

For the method shown in the video, you must be using akumajou dracula x - gekka no yasoukyoku (j) (v1.1) [slpm-86023]
The Glitch can be done on the USA version but it would need to be tweaked some since the coding differs slightly.
I just used the Japanese version because it is my favorite


For this SOS Glitch the Music Pointer is set to 8009747A.

I probably could make it so it would work on Pale-dim's or your World Beyond Walls save file..
If we could find a way so the Save Glitch did not mess up the map, and you guys
had not collected any Short Swords, or if we could find a way to get rid of your
Shorts Swords... oh, and pale would have to also decide if he would want to allow
it for the WBW rules.

I am pretty sure I can use the same method to get to the Bloodlines Room
and the 3rd Marble Gallery... I would just have to make a few changes.

To perform this glitch, like I said you must be using akumajou dracula x - gekka no yasoukyoku (j) (v1.1) [slpm-86023]
... because the glitch is set specially to that versions coding.

Watch and follow Cosmo's video until after he does the Save Glitch, and make sure you do exactly what he does,
except for collecting the Shield Potion...



Then instead of going straight to the Librarian, go kill Gaibon and Slogra and make sure you don't collect, or let
any enemies drop any items (use save sates)... Hearts and Gold are okay, and you will need 900 Gold anyways.

Then go to the Librarian, make sure your Game Clock is passed 13 minutes...

Then just follow my video....

I just found out I will have to do some traveling for my real job  for a couple months,
so I might not be able to work on furthering this glitch, or post for awhile (might not have access to internet)...
but I will try and pick up where I left off when I come back.

Had some down time on the plane... so I adjusted the Glitch to get us to the Bloodlines Room.

I found out that once you perform the Glitch you can soft reset (or die), and the Glitch will
remain... so you can load the glitch onto any save file, this keeps your map from being destroyed.

That also means you don't have to fight Gaibon and Slogra, just follow Cosmo's video
until you get to the Librarian, then watch my videos.

But, there is still a problem... when trying to use a library card to escape the Programmers or Bloodlines
Room it crashes the game Not sure why yet.




...and the Glitch could be done on the US version, but adjustments would need to be made, don't
think I will have time for that for awhile though.

For this SOS Glitch the Music Pointer is set to 80097498.

Too much complex, but's great. Now, try to bypass the game over screen and then keep playing lol

paulo1179 wrote:

Too much complex, but's great. Now, try to bypass the game over screen and then keep playing lol

Yeah, I wish there was an easier way to do all this, or I should say... I wish we could have achieved all these Glitches
with the good old fashion ways.

This Glitch causes No Walls, No Boundaries and gives the ability to Moon Walk.

So you can basically gain every single white room on the map, with out S4R...

but I used it on my S4R file, because I didn't want to do that much work

You can also get to the top of the map's Matrix Area and gain the Max Game Percentage of 6957.0 (65535 Rooms)




Here is the save file from the video for future testing...
http://www.mediafire.com/download/oovsrkr596x59z1/Mcd001.mcr

For this SOS Glitch the Music Pointer is set to 8009740D.

hmm, So you can use a file and do all the save glitch and item swapping and mess it all up and then load a clean file and the desired effect is still active? and will not ruin your clean map or destroy your inventory?

Yes, Exactly...

but for some reason, still when you try to escape the Programmers Room and Bloodlines Room
with the library card the game crashes, but this might be able to be fixed.

Embora eu tenha sindo o fundador desse tipo de bug, confesso que, não tenho paciência de assistir os vídeos relacionados. A turma faz vídeos muito longos. Deveriam iniciar com os resultados e depois seguir com o modo de como fazer.

Yeah, That is a good idea...
When I was learning how the (SOS) Glitch worked, I could only watch a couple minutes of video at a time

someolddude wrote:

The point is, if in the end this is arbitrary code execution, why is the save reset needed? I mean, ok that version of SOS starts with the reset save file, but there must be other ways to get there, much simpler (in fact, that one is probably one of the most complicated ones).

There could be other ways to do it, all you really need to do SOS is to be able to destroy 3 Weapon/Item Slots, and 1 Armor Slot.

The only reason we use the Save Glitch, is to get the [Glitched Weapon/Item Slot Sorter]... which allows you
to destroy the 3 Weapon/Item Slots, and the 1 Armor Slot.


This is in simple how SOS works... each Weapon/Item Slot, Armor Slot, Helmet Slot, Cloak Slot and Accessory Slot is a number in your Inventory
(Even if you have not collected it yet)... and yes, for some reason the Armors are above the Helmets.

Notice that the Shop Music/Game Shark code is not very far underneath the Inventory... the code is shown backwards,
but it is actually 80137998.




If you use the [Glitched Weapon/Item Slot Sorter] to destroy 98, 79, 13 from the Weapon/Item Inventory, and 13 again from the
Armor Inventory... you will notice that the next 98, 79, and 13 in line under the Inventory is the Shop Music/Game Shark code.

So now the game thinks that the Shop Music/Game Shark code is part of your Weapon/Item Inventory...
and then you can change it to any Numbers you have left in your Weapon/Item Inventory.

someolddude wrote:

Also, the version of the game required.. it only changes where some memory adresses are right? Couldn't they be translated to be able to execute this on any version? yeah the item secuence placement and so would need to be changed, but it could work too.

The coding of the PSX USA version looks exactly the same as the pictures I posted from the PSX Japanese version, except the
Shop Music/Game Shark code on the USA version is 80138460, instead of 80137998.

The coding on the Sega Saturn version looks similar, but the Shop Music/Game Shark code does not seem to be in the same place...
so SOS might not be able to be done on Sega Saturn.

I have not checked the PSP version yet.

someolddude wrote:

Well, so as I understand, the save glitch is, in the end, to be able to use the 3 "weapon" values and 1 "armor" values that seems to also conform the "muic pointer" (why gameshark? don't understand this), to get a pointer where start the arbitrary code execution on the call for the music pointer, or im lost?

That's pretty much right...

The Library Shop Music Pointer that I highlighted in yellow, is used like Game Shark basically...

For example, if I wanted to make the Library Shop Music Pointer point to the Room Coding code to change it,
so I can get to the Programmers Room. I can't just change the Library Shop Music Pointer to the actual address
of the Room Coding which is 059F74A0, you have put it in Game Shark type format for the Library Shop Music Pointer
to recognize it and point at the Room Coding code correctly, so it needs to be 800974A0... and remember the Library Shop
Music Pointer is originally already set in that Game Shark type format 80137998. I guess that's just how pointers work, or at
least for PSX... I am no expert, I am still just learning

That is how to execute arbitrary code, or at least what Sockfolder meant in context to the Glitch...

and yeah, the only videos are Sockfolder's, I may make one sometime, if I have time... and feel like it.

Couple questions about this trick and how it effects a secondary file loaded with the effects active.

1- Does the newly opened file get any permanent effects that do not go away?  For instance the library card crashing.  would this still happen if you were to save the game and then reload it without the effects active?

2- Are the 4 items removed from the game from the glitch file also removed from the freshly loaded file?


Next my question is about similarity between current accepted tricks and this code execution.  

Is "infinity" and "Richter special mode" considered code execution? Both of these effects stay in the ROM and can be swapped between files.  Has anyone that has access to looking at this data tried to see what is changed within the game coding when these effects are active.

my concern that is that we may have already accepted code execution to a small degree where single tricks invoke a single code.

Pale-Dim wrote:

1- Does the newly opened file get any permanent effects that do not go away?  For instance the library card crashing.  would this still happen if you were to save the game and then reload it without the effects active?

From what I have seen so far, if you soft reset the game, load your file (and don't re-enter the Librarian's Room) then
save your game... there does not seem to be any permanent effects, and so the library card will then work correctly.

Pale-Dim wrote:

2- Are the 4 items removed from the game from the glitch file also removed from the freshly loaded file?

No, when you soft reset, then load a fresh file... your Inventory is back to normal.
The only thing that stays glitched is the Music Pointer code that you changed, and like I said above...
if you don't re-enter the Librarian's Room (because it turns the Music Pointer code on), and save your game,
then reset the emulator and load your saved file, even the Music Pointer will be back to normal.

... but the issue would be, that in order to change the room coding and get to the Programmers Room and the other areas
on the reopened or fresh file, you would have to re-enter the Librarian's Room, and if you save after that... then there
may be some permanent effects

Pale-Dim wrote:

Next my question is about similarity between current accepted tricks and this code execution.  

Is "infinity" and "Richter special mode" considered code execution? Both of these effects stay in the ROM and can be swapped between files.  Has anyone that has access to looking at this data tried to see what is changed within the game coding when these effects are active.

my concern that is that we may have already accepted code execution to a small degree where single tricks invoke a single code.

The Infinity Glitch, The Save Glitch, The Matrix Stats Glitches and (SOS) would all be kinda in the same category, because they
modify the games coding... except with (SOS) you can point the glitch at sections of coding you choose, unlike the others.

I have never checked to see what the Infinity Glitch is actually changing in the coding, it would be neat to see though...
but it would probably be difficult to find, since there might be multiple sections of coding that are glitched causing the effect.



I finally made it to the 3rd Marble Gallery... the teleport starts a 8:08

For this SOS Glitch the Music Pointer is set to 8009749C then to 80097463.

nathan7878 wrote:

I finally made it to the 3rd Marble Gallery... the teleport starts a 8:08

Wowwww! It's huge! lol A very big white line on the map. Playing on a real console - with GS codes - I reached 2 or 3 corridors and then it crashed. There's no crash when using this trick?

someolddude wrote:

NO WAY it's the same kind of cheat.
S.O.S is ARBITRARY code execution, meanwhile infinity bug and such are casual bugs and nothing arbitrary at all (programming fails), in SOS the USER selects the code they want to execute.. we can do waay more stuff with SOS that with all the cheats we use combined. In fact, we can do absolutely everything.

Yes, you are totally right about that... SOS is the only one that actually executes arbitrary code (the code we choose)...
The point I was trying to make was any Glitch that modifies the games coding if even on a small scale would kinda
break WBW's rules right?

I wouldn't really call using Heart Refreshers and the screen techs to gain white rooms on the map, modifying the games coding (though it
is debatable, guess that's why we are talking about it LOL), because isn't that what the WBW's map is all about, basically just using HR's with out any abuse or code modifying bugs to gain rooms. I think that's why pale asked that question.

paulo1179 wrote:

Wowwww! It's huge! lol A very big white line on the map. Playing on a real console - with GS codes - I reached 2 or 3 corridors and then it crashed. There's no crash when using this trick?

It is strange, during testing I did run into the crashes, but I guess when I teleported there this time they where gone...
so I think I may have gotten lucky

I don't think using the heart refreshes executes any sort of code. I think it just modifies your position and the game thinks you are in the next room so it opens it on the map. I think the bulk of the tricks are just that, position based.

The code execution is different for sure, my worry was that richter special or infinity was in fact code execution, which it may be but it seems more likely its a bug instead of executing code.

Infinity has 2 effects as we know, one is the reappearance of items and 2nd is the opening of the ferryman doorway for richter. This doorway may be code execution since we have codes to open and close this door at will

Richter special mode has special effects on Room transition (is my best guess). This so far is not explained why this works at all.


As for any sort of rules per say that i generally use for my map would be the non use of infinity techniques to obtain rooms. examples are sinking past 1 room length (36hr) or multiple shifts at a single spot. Code execution has never come up till now since it was only recently discovered to exist. Accepting code execution would instantly nullify all past and future techniques as you could just use a code to have any effect you require. Code execution is a new trend lately for speed runners and glitchers and it generally ends up creating a new department of its own. they are fun to watch but it really takes the fun out of the game in my opinion.

I personally would not use code execution like what is found here to obtain rooms, What each person decides is up to them. I find it fascinating what is being found using these techniques and hope that we can learn more by it and use it to create more techniques based on our personal restrictions.

my worry is that we find a trick that simply removes walls, a sad day indeed if things came down to 1 trick that did it all

Yeah, as someolddude said (SOS) is the only glitch that is arbitrary code execution, everything else is not.

Pale-Dim wrote:

they are fun to watch but it really takes the fun out of the game in my opinion.

I agree, like I said before... I wish there was another way.

I disagree with part of that,

I wish there was another simpler way to get to the Programmers room and the other areas, since I don't necessarily
find it fun or enjoy staring at inventory screens and coding for hours and hours LOL...

but I personally want to see Castlevania SOTN (and other games) being pushed to their absolute limits of glitching without restrictions,
regardless if it is some what boring and even if it sadly ends with the game being completely broken, because it is the natural progression
of glitching a beloved game, and usually happens because the game is so beloved... that is why I have never played by the WBW's rules
(even though I highly respect them.)

SOS it still a pure glitch, no matter how Game Shark/Cheat Engine like it maybe... and on SOTN,
SOS is not precise because some higher values can not be written into the music pointer, as well
some values just completely crash the game.

That is why on SOTN at least, it still takes a lot of hard work and creative thinking to try and get
around these problems and make the SOS glitches work.

and so we will forever have the two categories, the World Beyond Wall's rules... and the no restriction rules.

someolddude wrote:

SOS wasn't a clean tech and it belonged to cheatengine or so category. It may be limited in what values u can use, but its still code replacement..

That is where I wanted to make sure we were making a distinction...

That there is really 3 categories, do or can we agree they are like this

1 World Beyond Walls Rules Glitches.

2 No Restriction Rules Glitches which includes SOS (but no Cheat Engine, Game Shark or Memory Hacking Software,
since these are not glitches)

3 Memory Hacking Software (includes Cheat Engine, Game Shark and all Memory Hacking Software.)

To me, using a glitch (SOS) is completely different than using Game Shark...

so let us agree to disagree.

i certainly agree on that point too, Gameshark is for sure different. its a outside tool that injects code or replaces code, what SOS is doing is completely game manipulation based. I find it amazing that it even exists to work.

maybe someone can explain exactly what SOS is doing. From what i gather is that it involves how the game loads music and instead of music it points do a bugged item? and the item somehow acts like a adjustment to the teleport coding?

I will probably make a video showing it pretty soon.

someolddude wrote:

or some vid doing the trick on slomo?

That made me laugh so hard, I pictured in my mind making a very silly video... ha ha ha ha ha ha


Yeah, a detailed video showing everything... like the PSX screen and the coding screen side by side, explaining
everything step by step, I will make it this weekend.

mostly just an step by step explanation, A lot of us never use any third party tools to glitch. the most i use is simple gameshark codes to access programmers room or remove walls or inf double jump or other useless garbage. haha. A lot of the lingo used to describe stuff goes right over our heads hahaha.

This is what i am seeing in the video's. I'm sure others see the same sort of thing and are completely lost

load game, go to librarian room, Open menu, move stuff around, move stuff around, sort items menu (bugged), create bugged items, move them around, sort items, move items, move items, move items, sort items, move items, move items, loads programmers room..... WTF