Chikara in Final Fire Pro Wrestling

The Gameboy Advance FirePro games don't get a lot of respect, but they were the first FirePro games I ever played and I'm a big fan. Since TigerMask released his patch/save that translates the 2nd game in the series I've been working on creating a Chikara save file. Check out the results below (click to make them bigger) and download my save file. You will need a copy of the Japanese Final Fire Pro Wrestling rom (Google it.) patched with Tigermask's patch along with a GBA emulator of your choice.

I have full movesets for everyone but the Gekido/Swarm. They will be coming soon along with Archibald Peck, Delirious, El Generico, Harlem Bravado, Lancelot Bravado, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson. After that I and looking into creating my own patch to create alternate costumes and have a lot more spaces for characters. Detailed patch roster plans/ideas are available here.

Freedom Force – Minxy Flatbush

Now available on my Freedom Force site.

Pokemon National Championships

I went out to the Pokemon National Championships at the convention center because this is what I've wanted since I was 10. I wish I entered in the tournament. I'd be in the senior division along with everyone else over 13. I feel so old and yet so young.

Garmin Nuvi Fun – Dracula

Yes, Dracula. From Konami Krazy Racers another Mario Kart clone. It’s a good one though. This is Dracula from Castlevania driving a Go Kart! That is mind blowing.

DOWNLOAD DRACULA FOR NUVI

Installation Instructions

Garmin Nuvi Fun – Crash Bandicoot

Yes, I put together a Crash Bandicoot vehicle. The sprites are pulled from Crash Bandicoot: Nitro Kart a generally awful Mario Kart clone for the GBA. If you thought this was a surprise wait till Friday.

DOWNLOAD CRASH BANDICOOT FOR NUVI

Installation Instructions

Garmin Nuvi Fun – Donkey Kong

Have you ever listened to the music in Donkey Kong Country? I mean have you listened? Seriously stellar stuff.

DOWNLOAD DONKEY KONG FOR NUVI

Installation Instructions

Garmin Nuvi Fun – Bowser

Bowser involved a lot of ‘shopping up before he would look good on the Nuvi. The original sprite was so faded and ill-colored that it need significant alterations. But hey, that’s what I do.

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Installation Instructions

Garmin Nuvi Fun - Yoshi

I love me some Yoshi, but there are people who LOVE THEM SOME YOSHI. Those people scare me. I mean, I loves Yoshi’s Island as much of the next guy. It’s a good game. Top 10 platformer of all time. No question. What I’m afraid of are the people who fantasize about living wish Yoshi on his aforementioned island.

DOWNLOAD YOSHI FOR NUVI

Installation Instructions

Garmin Nuvi Fun – Wario

Fun fact about Wario and me. I love to play as him in Smash Bros. This gets me in trouble because I do my (dead on) Wario laugh as I run wild on my enemies. This is too much for them to bear so I’ve been relegated to more mute characters since.

DOWNLOAD WARIO FOR NUVI

Installation Instructions

Garmin Nuvi Fun - Toad

Toad is one of my favorites while playing Mario Kart. I’m prone to accidents so I love anyone with quick acceleration. When I play as somebody like Bowser I’m not even in contention.

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Installation Instructions

Garmin Nuvi Fun – Princess Peach

The Princess gave me an awful lot of trouble. It turns out her sprite is just ugly.It’s tough to accept that, bit it’s true. Thankfully the only really bad angles are the front facing ones which you almost never see.

DOWNLOAD PEACH FOR NUVI

Installation Instructions

Garmin Nuvi Fun - Luigi

I did tweak these sprites a bit. The original’s colors are all washed out to look brighter on the original GBA’s unlit screen. I made them more vivid and smoothed some colors and gradients where it wouldn’t make the whole thing look blurry. I just can’t stand a blurry sprite.

DOWNLOAD LUIGI FOR NUVI

Installation Instructions

Garmin Nuvi Fun – Mario Kart

I told you I had a solution. I’ve been liberally cribbing sprites from The Shyguy Kingdom. Specifically their Mario Kart Super Circuit page.

Using this sprite sheet I put together a 3d view of Mario on his go-kart and converted it to the SRF format needed for use on Garmin Nuvi’s. Not only that, but I’ve done it for every driver in Mario Kart Super Circuit for the GBA.

DOWNLOAD MARIO FOR NUVI HERE

Installation Instructions

World 5 – Sky Land

Sky land is famous for its 3rd level where you get to use Kuribo’s shoe. For some reason Miyamoto and crew decided that the supremely fun power up would only be needed once in the whole game. That is the stuff of legend.

World 4 – Giant Land

Oh god, Giant Land. GIANT LAND.

Giant Land is amazing. It may not seem all amazing now since in 3d games, scaling up characters is trivial, but in the old NES days just getting sprites as big as you get here to animate was tough. I don’t know what else to say. Giant Land is straight up some of the most fun you can have in the most fun game ever.

World 3 – Water Land

Water Land is nominally and oxymoron, it’s also the first world to really keep players from advancing. I’ve discussed my long standing fears caused by level 3-3 before. Swimming is such a different mechanic from jumping that I still struggle to get to the castle.

Most interesting is the nature of the islands on the east side of the map. Those islands represent Japan. No, really. The castle is where Kyoto would be. Kyoto being where Nintendo headquarters is. Naturally then the king looks like Mario. It’s just perfect. Read more here.

World 2 – Desert Land

What I said yesterday about finishing or starting late. Bad math. Seems we started late and we’ll be ending late. Dang.

Most of Grass Land was built on concepts from the original SMB. Desert land where we depart and find brand new ideas. Off the top of my head I can think of eight new enemies that appear first in Desert Land. If you use a hammer on the rocks on the up right you can pick up the third warp whistle after beater the fire bros within. I just recently learned that. That’s why I love this game, always something new.

World 1 – Grass Land

We’re starting world’s week late but that’s okay because with 8 world we were either going to start late or end late so… whatever.

This is the one world that everyone has played so reviewing it might just be silly. As a first world it’s brilliant, and here’s why. The 3rd and 4th levels are both skippable and that is very important. The 4th is the very first moving level (very challenging) and the third has tons of bonuses (warp whistle). This is important because it gives the player a level of control over their progress that they never have had before.

And unrelated except in title:

Friends – Princess Toadstool

Nowadays we know her almost exclusively as Princess Peach but in SMB3 she signs her letters “Princess Toadstool” and that’s good enough for me. Yes, she’s kidnapped again, despite here playability in the much maligned SMB2. She does help a little as she leaves power-ups behind with letters for you. She gives you your first P-Wing and that is something to be thankful for.

Princess Toadstool is the entire reason you’re on this adventure. You may want to stop Bowser and save the kings but in the end the only motivator is some sweet Toadstool lovin’.

Friends – Toad

I’ve spent a long time talking about your enemies in SMB3 but I’ve barely touched on your friends. The truth is you don’t have a lot of them. Lucky for you that Toad is running his own underground resistance to supply you on your adventure. He’s not just giving you what you need though. He’s usually giving you a one in three shot at getting something useful (refusing to part with his other boxes) or forcing you to play slots for lives. He does seem to really want to get those Kings changed back though. Make you wonder what his real motivations are. Hmm?