Version History

Sonic HackingWiz Pro II


v.0013


Five new easter eggs have been added! See if you can find them all.
S3S/C support has been added. S3S/C is a compilation format - it can store more than one S3S special stage in a single file. S3S/C files must be compiled - they can't be saved like regular S3S files. They can be loaded like regular S3S files, however.
The palette loading and saving functions have been optimized.

v.0012


Sonic & Knuckles special stage editing support has been added. (There are some glitches, such as size restrictions and corrupt special stages, but these will be fixed in the future.)
The palette editor now supports an unlimited number of colors per palette. However, only 64 colors (in 4 lines of 16) are shown at one time - for more than 64 colors, there's a scrollbar to scroll through the colors.
Gameboy Advance palette editing has been added (plus a Sonic Advance J template).
A component switcher has been added to the palette editor. This lets you switch the color components around.
The color labels next to the RGB scrollbars in the palette editor now shows the value of the scrollbar. This is useful for precise color tuning.
Sonic 2 ßETA is now referred to as S2_B instead of S2v1.54 .
SHWP-II v.0012 requires The Sonic Codec v0.0.2 or later.

v.0011


The version numbering system has been changed from "Demo X" to "v.XXXX".
Variable byte separators has been added to the level select editor. This fixes the "|" bug in Sonic 3D, and enables Sonic Spinball to be edited with no problems.
Special stages are saved in a temporary file before editing. This speeds up loading and saving, plus allows compression and decompression for Sonic & Knuckles special stages. (SHWP-II relies on The Sonic Codec for compression and decompression - since The Sonic Codec hasn't been finalized yet, S&K special stages are not supported.)
The level select editor now uses a ListView control instead of textboxes. This saves many resources.

Demo 10


The Sonic & Knuckles Lock-On ROM Combiner has been added. It automatically adds changes for different ROM combinations, plus shows notes depending on the combination.
The WAV importer has been added - you can import a new WAV to replace the "SEGA" sound effect.
Other bug fixes have been done.

Demo 9


ROM definitions are now stored in an external file, so you can add your own definitions.
A bug in the Sonic 3 special stage editor has been fixed. The bug caused the program to not properly recognize or save S3S headers.
The palette editor has been completely redesigned - in fact, the old one, taken from SHWP, was deleted, and a new one was made from scratch. The new palette editor supports variable palette lengths from 1 to 32.

Demo 8


Added support for Sonic 3 style special stage editing.
Created this help file.

Demo 7


Added "Restore Default" buttons to the Template Configuration utility. This restores the template filename for either one ROM type or all ROM types to SHWP-II's default filenames. (*SHWP*\S1.SHWP for Sonic 1, *SHWP*\S2.SHWP for Sonic 2, etc.)
Added ROM Format Conversion Utility (originally planned for SHWP v3.10). Converts to and from Binary, SMD, Multi Game Doctor, and Split SMD. (Split SMD saving not yet supported.) Also an option is available to correct the ROM's checksum in the converted ROM.
Modified the automatic "Select Template" dialog that appears when a template file cannot be found.
Fixes a bug that caused SHWP-II to crash when saving a level select.

Demo 6


Added playlist editing support.
Shows a dialog asking for a new template for a specific ROM type if the default template for that ROM type is not found.

Demo 5


Added a main menu bar (SHWP-style) as well as an About dialog. (PRESS YOUR LUCK!!!)
Added a template configuration utility that specifies the template to load by default for certain ROM types. (Sonic & Knuckles locked onto other ROMs are recognized as S&K only, though.)
Added a toolbar button in the SHWP-II editor to load a template other than the default template.

Demo 4.5


Added a button that allows you to unload a template, so you don't have to quit and restart the program to load a different ROM type.

Demo 4


Variable length level selects now supported. (Sonic 3)
Added support for the command "MsgBox" in template files. It shows a messagebox.

Demo 3.5


Fixes the bug that caused SHWP-II to crash if SHWP's background fading option was turned on. (Yes, SHWP-II uses some code from SHWP.)

Demo 3


Standard toolbar added. Only buttons required by the selected frame file are shown.
Terminology changed from "Framework Files" to "Template Files".
Restore and save buttons shown.
Saving now supported for level selects.
Added standard header for SHWP-II frame files.

Demo 2.5


Removed Drag & Drop ROM loading - changed to a standard Browse button (due to reports of problems).

Demo 2


Added palette editor (both loading and saving). Palette editor taken from PALEDIT.OCX from SHWP. "Toolbar" added. It is simply two option buttons with the style property set to Graphical.

Demo 1


SHWP-II project started. SHWP-II's major advantage over SHWP is the use of "Frame" files, which contain the data for different games. This allows end-users to add support for extra stuff, such as palettes in the palette editor.
Support for loading fixed-length standard level selects. Requires manual loading of frames, and drag & drop ROM files onto the SHWP-II icon.

Sonic HackingWiz Pro


Version 3.10 (unreleased)


4 format ROM conversion tool (minus Split SMD saving) created.
Icons have been redesigned.
S3S v2.00 format has been introduced. S3S v2.00 files take up 416 bytes each, while S3S v1.00 files take up 544 bytes each. The special stage editor automatically determined the filetype when loading an S3S file, and the default saving type was S3S v2.00 (although you could save as S3S v1.00).

Version 3.00


Support for Sonic 3D has been added. Currently, the editor can modify palettes and the level select.
A bug in the Sonic 2 Playlist Editor has been fixed. The bug caused SHWP to only load the music number for EHZ.
A configuration utility has been added. Currently, you can change whether the windows have a background fade and whether the program uses PreviewOpen or the standard Windows open dialog.
The hacking executables now have suffixes to indicate what system they're designed for. This isn't really needed for a game such as Sonic & Knuckles, which was only written for one console, but it's needed for a game like Sonic CD. The current Sonic CD executable is now SONICCD_PC.EXE, so a SONICCD_MCD.EXE can be created later for the Mega CD version.

Version 2.40


Zone title card settings can now be edited for Sonic 1 Japanese.
You can now specify whether the checksum routine is enabled or disabled in all Sonic 1 ROMs. Previous versions automatically disabled this routine.
The Sonic 3-style special stage control now takes up less resources. It also refreshes faster.
Definitions for the SMS Sonic series have been added.
Fonts for SHWP and this help file have been changed from MS Sans Serif to Tahoma.

Version 2.30


The "Invisible Toolbar" bug in the Sonic 2 hacking utility has been fixed.
A Sonic Crackers hacking utility has been added. It includes hacking functions for various text inside the ROM and miscellaneous settings.
Support has been added for Sonic 1 Japanese (GM 00004049-01). The ROM uses the same editor as the Sonic 1 ROM and the Sonic 1 ßETA HOAX by Cyan. This saves a considerable amount of space in distribution size, as well as making it easier for me to update the entire S1 utility easily. Note that the zone title card settings cannot be edited yet for Sonic 1 Japanese.
A playlist editor for Sonic 2 v1.54 has been added.

Version 2.20


A special PreviewOpen dialog has been added. This lets you see what kind of ROM is in a file before you open it. This will not work, however, if the ROM's serial number and/or title has been changed - if that happens, use the Serial Number Restoration Utility.
The speed up SMD -> BIN conversion portion of the SMD ROM Conversion Utility accidentally switched the even and odd bytes. This has been fixed.

Version 2.11


Many last-minute bugs left in Version 2.10 have been fixed.
The SMD -> BIN portion of the SMD ROM Conversion Utility has been sped up considerably.

Version 2.10


A Sonic 1 Game Gear utility has been added with the ability to change some title cards.
More palettes have been added to the Sonic 1 hacking utility. The Sonic & Knuckles Savestate utility can now edit the miscellaneous values of the savestate.

Version 2.00


A bug in the special stage editors has been fixed. This bug caused the utility to crash when the starting direction button was clicked.
The Sonic & Knuckles Playlist Editor now takes up less memory.
The SMD -> BIN and BIN -> SMD converters have been merged into one utility, the SMD ROM Conversion Utility.
You can now modify the underwater palettes in the Sonic 1 Palette Editor.
You can now modify the amount of rings needed for a perfect bonus in the special stage editors.
A brand new menu bar has been created.
If an unrecognized or unsupported ROM has been loaded using the ROM hacking utility, it is automatically sent to the Serial Number Restoration Utility.
A Sonic CD Hacking Utility has been added.
A Sonic 2 Level Editor has been added. This editor is based on S.L.E.E.P., which is written by Tristan Penman.

Version 1.50


A bug in the special stage editors has been fixed. This bug caused the utility to crash when the save file button was clicked.
Two more codes has been added to the Sonic 2 Cheat Code Editor.
You can now click and drag to draw objects in the >special stage editors.
You can export and import special stages from the special stage editors. This is easier than using IPS patches.
A "Palette Preview" function has been added to the palette editors. This lets you see what a palette looks like on several sprites before saving the palette.

Version 1.40


A palette editor has been added to the Sonic 2 hacking utility.
A button has been added to the Copyright Date Editor in the Sonic 2 hacking utility that adds a "©" symbol.
You can now clear a special stage by clicking the "X" button in the object toolbar.

Version 1.30


The special stage editors for Sonic 3, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic & Knuckles Collection now have a feature that lets you change the starting position and direction.
The Sonic 2 level select editor that used to be a standalone utility is now part of the Sonic 2 hacking utility.
A palette editor has been added to the Sonic 1 hacking utility.

Version 1.25


The backgrounds of the hacking utilities have background fades! (It is not recommended to have the fades on in either 16 or 256 color modes; to turn it on or off, goto the SHWP folder in the Start menu. Click the group Fader and select either the ON or OFF switch.)
The tabs that were at the top of the window that let you select the part of the ROM to hack have been moved to the toolbar of the window. Now they are buttons with pictures on them.
Many shared functions that used to be compiled in every single program file are now compiled into the shared DLL. This reduces the total filesize by a LOT.

Version 1.20


"SPECIAL" settings modifications have been added to the Sonic & Knuckles Collection hacking utility.
The object toolbar in the Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles Savestates, and Sonic & Knuckles Collection special stage editors has been moved.

Version 1.10


A Sonic & Knuckles Collection hacking utility has been added.
The Special Stage Editors now have more realistic sphere icons.

Version 1.00


This is the first version release! It's what every ROM hacker has been waiting for!
All of the separate utilities have been broken up into several program files. In older versions, you had to load the whole program, including all the heavy-duty ROM hacking stuff, just to do a simple task like patching a ROM with an IPS! Now, only the IPS patcher program is loaded. (You still have to load the menu bar program, but that's only 25KB.)
A Serial Number restorer has been added.
A bug in the IPS patcher has been fixed. Now it properly patches a ROM if you select the same ROM as the input ROM and the output ROM.
The window menu was removed for obvious reasons. (It's not needed in an SDI interface.)
The RINGS problem in the Sonic 1/2/3 savestate hacking utility has FINALLY been fixed! It turns out that I had the wrong address.
The RING icon in the Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles (savestate) special stage editors has been changed.

ßETA 17


Added Sonic 2 v1.54 Hacking
Fixed another bug in the 16-bit value saving function in the Sonic 1/2/3 Savestate editor.
EVEN MORE code optimizations have been done. This includes me taking out special tags that are only necessary for me to use. (Then again, it was only necessary when certain hacking utilities were being added.)
A Cheat Code Editor and WAV Importer has been added to the Sonic 2 editor.
KGen Savestate support has been added.

ßETA 16


Added a window menu.
Huge chunks of code have been recoded. For more information, click here. [SHWP-II: Removed to save space.]
Changed definition for Sonic 2 ßETA to Sonic 2 v1.54.
Added definitions for Sonic Spinball Japanese and Sonic Compilation.

ßETA 15


Added hexadecimal support for the Sonic 1, 2, and 3 Savestate Editor. This is especially useful for modifying levels. However, decimal support is still in the program.
Fixed a bug in the Sonic 1, 2, and 3 Savestate Editor that caused 16-bit values to be saved in "big-endian" format.

ßETA 14


Modified Special Stage Editors (Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles Savestates) so they have an object toolbar. Instead of right-clicking each sphere and selecting an item, just select an object and click each sphere.

ßETA 13


Added a BIN -> SMD converter. (Update in Version 2.00: The BIN -> SMD converter has been merged with the SMD -> BIN converter to form the SMD ROM Conversion Utility.)
Modified Special Stage Editors (Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles Savestates) so they show the whole special stage. The icons have been reduced from 16x16 to 12x12.
Added a function that allows you to modify the Sonic 3 portion of Sonic 3 & Knuckles ROMs.

BETA 12


Added a savestate editor for Sonic 1, 2, and 3 savestates.
Changed scrollbars to flat versions.

ßETA 11


Added a copyright date editor for Sonic 2.
Added a special stage editor for Sonic & Knuckles savestates.

ßETA 10


Fixed the IPS patcher to not crash on IPSs that do not properly end with the EOF tag.

ßETA 9


Added a playlist editor for Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. (The Sonic 3 & Knuckles editor is really the Sonic & Knuckles one.)
Added a level icon editor for Sonic 2.
Added a level select pointer editor for Sonic 1.

ßETA 8


Added a "Save As" function to the IPS Patcher.
Included a built-in patch. The patch is designed for Sonic 2.

ßETA 7


Added an IPS patcher.

ßETA 6


Added Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic 2 hacking features. Added an SMD -> BIN converter. (Update in Version 2.00: The SMD -> BIN converter has been merged with the BIN -> SMD converter to form the SMD ROM Conversion Utility.)

ßETA 5


Added an SRAM parameter patcher when combining Sonic 3 with Sonic & Knuckles to enable the built-in save game feature.
Fixed a bug in the Sonic & Knuckles Lock-On ROM creator that disabled the automatic ROM cleaning features.

ßETA 4


Added level select editing for Sonic 3 hacking.
Increased the speed of the Sonic & Knuckles Lock-On ROM creator.

ßETA 3


Added Sonic 3 hacking features, including the revolutionary SPECIAL STAGE EDITOR!!!!!!!!
Fixed the Sonic 1 red checksum failure screen.

ßETA 2


Added Sonic 1 hacking features.

ßETA 1


Initial release.
Added the Sonic & Knuckles Lock-On ROM Creator.

Sonic & Knuckles Lock-On ROM Combiner (Before SHWP)


Sonic & Knuckles Lock-On ROM Combiner Version 2


Private release.
Faster at combining ROMs with Sonic & Knuckles (Same speed as SHWP ßETAs 1-3).

Sonic & Knuckles Lock-On ROM Combiner Version 1


Initial private release. Combines ROMs with Sonic & Knuckles to produce a "Lock-On" effect.
Adds the secondary ROM for Sonic 2 & Knuckles to work properly.
EXTREMELY slow!