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OtakuCoder

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,372
UK
So I recently bought myself a copy of the Saturn version of Policenauts. I was reading the readme for the translation patch and it notes the following:

Also like the PlayStation version, if you have save data from the game Tokimeki Memorial: Forever With You, the game will insert additional dialogue into a handful of conversations, depending on how you played Tokimeki Memorial. This consists of throwaway jokes that imagine Jonathan Ingram as being the protagonist in Tokimeki Memorial. Though as of this writing no English translation patch for the Saturn (or PlayStation) version of Tokimeki Memorial: Forever With You is available, like the PlayStation patch we future-proofed the patch by translating this dialogue as well.

Now, having a degree of familiarity with TokiMemo (thanks to a SomethingAwful LP and our friend Tim Rogers), I wouldn't mind having a save file to get this extra text. Problem is though, Googling only brings up saves for the PSX version. As TokiMemo never got an English release, I've got to imagine that any copies would be on Japanese websites. So does anyone know of a place to look?

Also, does anyone know precisely where in Policenauts the dialogue occurs?
 

Tohsaka

Member
Nov 17, 2017
6,794
You could try GameFAQs, if you haven't checked there yet. Also try googling the name of the game in Japanese (on google.jp) and "save file" or something.
 

CO_Andy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,510
I played thru the fan translated Saturn version of Policenauts last year. Had i not been lazy and partially read the entire readme, i would've done this.
 

sir_crocodile

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,494
It's been a while but I'm afraid I don't remember seeing any Toki saves in the Pseudo Saturn Kai dumps.
 
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OtakuCoder

OtakuCoder

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,372
UK
You could try GameFAQs, if you haven't checked there yet. Also try googling the name of the game in Japanese (on google.jp) and "save file" or something.

GameFAQs was the first place I looked, and they've only got a couple for the PSX.

Googling in Japanese is probably a good idea, but I dunno what term is used in Japan for "save file".
 

Fallen92

Member
Oct 26, 2017
215
California
GameFAQs was the first place I looked, and they've only got a couple for the PSX.

Googling in Japanese is probably a good idea, but I dunno what term is used in Japan for "save file".
You could try using "セーブ" or "セーブデータ" but most likely using this in combination with tokimemo will just bring up the Konami court case where they sued a company that sold memory cards pre-loaded with hacked saves. I have a Sega Saturn memory cartridge that came with my copy of tokimemo that is filled with saves but I have no way to transfer them to PC so I can't really help you there.
 

Fallen92

Member
Oct 26, 2017
215
California
Eh, I don't want to buy another copy. From what I've looked up the Saturn version is generally regarded as better (it's a bit YMMV for some things).
So I did some digging around yesterday and found out that I could extract the saves from the my Saturn by transmitting them via audio using a program in Linux. I was able to get a save that has 4 playthroughs completed so hopefully that's enough to trigger the dialogue in Policenauts. Here is the link to the save file in .BUP format: Tokimemo clear save
 
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OtakuCoder

OtakuCoder

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,372
UK
So I did some digging around yesterday and found out that I could extract the saves from the my Saturn by transmitting them via audio using a program in Linux. I was able to get a save that has 4 playthroughs completed so hopefully that's enough to trigger the dialogue in Policenauts. Here is the link to the save file in .BUP format: Tokimemo clear save

Wow, thanks a lot!

I'm not really sure how to extract the save from the file though. As far as I can tell, the .bup file is a collection of save files that I'm not sure how to extract.
 

Bradford

terminus est
Member
Aug 12, 2018
5,423
So I did some digging around yesterday and found out that I could extract the saves from the my Saturn by transmitting them via audio using a program in Linux. I was able to get a save that has 4 playthroughs completed so hopefully that's enough to trigger the dialogue in Policenauts. Here is the link to the save file in .BUP format: Tokimemo clear save
This was cool of you to do. How did you figure this out? What led to the Audio solution?
 

Fallen92

Member
Oct 26, 2017
215
California
This was cool of you to do. How did you figure this out? What led to the Audio solution?
I was wondering it there was a way to dump my saves without the need of an ODE and happened upon this site: http://www.whence.com/minimodem/
Coincidentally that site had some links to various demos and applications that use this and there was a link to a github of someone using the program in concurrence with a utility they made for the Saturn in order to transmit the save data via sound.
 

Bradford

terminus est
Member
Aug 12, 2018
5,423
I was wondering it there was a way to dump my saves without the need of an ODE and happened upon this site: http://www.whence.com/minimodem/
Coincidentally that site had some links to various demos and applications that use this and there was a link to a github of someone using the program in concurrence with a utility they made for the Saturn in order to transmit the save data via sound.
This is fantastic internet archaeology. Thanks for surfacing this.
 
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OtakuCoder

OtakuCoder

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,372
UK
You can extract the raw save file from that by using this Script but is there a specific format you need that file to be in?

I'm afraid this is the first time I've laid hands on a Saturn game for a couple decades so I'm kind of learning as I go here! I'm using the Beetle-Saturn core (which is based off of Mednafen) in RetroArch.
 

Fallen92

Member
Oct 26, 2017
215
California
I'm afraid this is the first time I've laid hands on a Saturn game for a couple decades so I'm kind of learning as I go here! I'm using the Beetle-Saturn core (which is based off of Mednafen) in RetroArch.
Ok I spent a lot of time trying to find out how to edit retroarch saves and I've finally got it. What you want to do is inject the save into your policenauts save data. What you need to find out first is whether you saved to the system RAM or a Memory Cartridge, it should tell you when you save the game. Install and use this program in order to inject the tokimemo save into it. I also extracted the save into its raw format so use this one instead.

BACKUP YOUR SAVES IN CASE SOMETHING GOES WRONG
Step 1) Open the retroarch save file which is usually located in: C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\RetroArch\saves
a .bcr file is for the backup cartridge and .bkr is the internal system RAM. Choose the one that has your save data.
(If you're not sure just open them both and see which one has saves in it) Also make sure you have file extensions enabled in windows explorer or the files wont have those extensions at the end making it harder to differentiate.
DWmofPw.png
yTB34o7.png

When you see a window popup make sure to select Raw Mode from the drop down menu and then your saves should show up as shown in the image.
38eRc9b.png


Step 2) Now click on setup and then go to the insert tab and change the insertion mode to Raw and click ok:
XVoSu6l.jpg


Step 3) Now you can inject the tokimemo save by clicking on insert and locating the raw save file I provided above. When the prompt comes up to confirm the injection copy and paste this: トキメキゲーム01 into the comment field and then click ok:
EVUDRxg.jpg
0CZJgXJ.png


Step 4) You should now see the newly injected save in the list, what you need to do next is click save, keep the File I/O mode in Raw mode, then overwrite the old file by clicking it so it retains the same name and file extension and then hitting save. Remember what file had your save so you don't end up overwriting the wrong file. .bcr and .bkr are the file extensions so make sure you picked the right one.

This should work since I tested it by loading up the save in the beetle saturn core and loading up Tokimemo so it should work with your Policenauts save as well. This is the only way for the game to notice the Tokimemo save since each game just creates its own .bkr and .bcr file which is just emulating the real Cartridge and Internal RAM.
 
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OP
OtakuCoder

OtakuCoder

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,372
UK
Ok I spent a lot of time trying to find out how to edit retroarch saves and I've finally got it. What you want to do is inject the save into your policenauts save data. What you need to find out first is whether you saved to the system RAM or a Memory Cartridge, it should tell you when you save the game. Install and use this program in order to inject the tokimemo save into it. I also extracted the save into its raw format so use this one instead.

BACKUP YOUR SAVES IN CASE SOMETHING GOES WRONG
Step 1) Open the retroarch save file which is usually located in: C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\RetroArch\saves
a .bcr file is for the backup cartridge and .bkr is the internal system RAM. Choose the one that has your save data.
(If you're not sure just open them both and see which one has saves in it) Also make sure you have file extensions enabled in windows explorer or the files wont have those extensions at the end making it harder to differentiate.
DWmofPw.png
yTB34o7.png

When you see a window popup make sure to select Raw Mode from the drop down menu and then your saves should show up as shown in the image.
38eRc9b.png


Step 2) Now click on setup and then go to the insert tab and change the insertion mode to Raw and click ok:
XVoSu6l.jpg


Step 3) Now you can inject the tokimemo save by clicking on insert and locating the raw save file I provided above. When the prompt comes up to confirm the injection copy and paste this: トキメキゲーム01 into the comment field and then click ok:
EVUDRxg.jpg
0CZJgXJ.png


Step 4) You should now see the newly injected save in the list, what you need to do next is click save, keep the File I/O mode in Raw mode, then overwrite the old file by clicking it so it retains the same name and file extension and then hitting save. Remember what file had your save so you don't end up overwriting the wrong file. .bcr and .bkr are the file extensions so make sure you picked the right one.

This should work since I tested it by loading up the save in the beetle saturn core and loading up Tokimemo so it should work with your Policenauts save as well. This is the only way for the game to notice the Tokimemo save since each game just creates its own .bkr and .bcr file which is just emulating the real Cartridge and Internal RAM.

Wow, thanks so much!

There were a couple of complications (your Drive seems to be invite-only so I used the BUP file) but it looks like I got it in there:

rvm3qE5.png


'course, the only way I can test it for sure is if I were to have my own copy of TokiMemo, which... well, funny story, I was on eBay and... I should have it in a few days. (It was cheap!)

But yeah, thanks a lot!
 

Fallen92

Member
Oct 26, 2017
215
California
Wow, thanks so much!

There were a couple of complications (your Drive seems to be invite-only so I used the BUP file) but it looks like I got it in there:

rvm3qE5.png


'course, the only way I can test it for sure is if I were to have my own copy of TokiMemo, which... well, funny story, I was on eBay and... I should have it in a few days. (It was cheap!)

But yeah, thanks a lot!
Oh I must have misclicked the sharing settings. I fixed it but it looks like the bup file worked. If it's showing up in the bios like that then it should work. First couple of times I tried it it became corrupted so it's was easy to tell if it wasn't working.

I don't think you needed to get your own copy of TokiMemo specially since there isn't any English patch for it but it certainly doesn't hurt 😂. I had to rip my own copy for this so I can at least tell you that it works perfectly on the emulator. If anything I might start using this more to play on my big screen since I have it all set up now.

Good luck and thanks for sending me down this weird hole of transferring real saturn saves to PC for use in an emulator, I'll be doing this for my own collection of saves now.