Knuckles Chaotix

Searching for pointers

Created by Heran_Bago.
Thanks to KojiChao, Saxman, Icy Guy, Tweaker and Dinner Sonic.
Submitted by Sonic Hachelle-Bee on May 24 2005.
You know how the GBA loads ROM data to $08000000? When you search for GBA pointers, you add 8 million (hex mind you) to the real location. With all pointers in Knuckles chaotix, you do the same thing. However, It's not 8 million. It's not always the same number even but as a safe generalization:

Most pointers are [the real location + $700000].

For an example. Mighty's pallete is located at $22921A. Search the ROM for "22921A" and you get nothing. Maybe shave off a couple numbers, search "921A" and you'll get a hit or two (hopefully two around $18E0). Right there at $18E4 are the pointers for all the characters' colors. It lists them in the same order that the characters are listed on the title screen.

That last note is important because if you see a pointer, followed by an identicle one, followed by 6 more pointers, you know it has something to do with the characters.

What else is pointed to besides palletes?:
Compressed art.
Object Layouts.
Some random Kosinski format data I found.
etc.

Now recall how I said most add $700000? Well other people familiar with chaotix have told me that it's wrong. Even though I've proven it, and changed pontes myself successfully, it's true that I'm not entirely correct. There are other pointers (the ones at $228F76, for example) that are adding a different number.

So where are the pointers?:
$018E4 -- Said character pallete pointers.
$00536A - $0056EA -- Object level layout pointers. (I'll go into more detail later)
$228F56 -- Something about which sprites are displayed. Can be altered to produce Wechinia glitches and see unused sprites.


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