Stellar Assault SS English Localization Patch v1.0


I. INTRO
II. HOW TO APPLY THE PATCH
III. HOW TO PLAY THE PATCHED GAME
IV. IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THE GAME
V. CHEAT CODES
VI. ERROR SCREENS
VII. USING THE COMPLETED SAVE FILE
VIII. CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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I. INTRO
Thank you for downloading the Stellar Assault SS English Localization patch! We hope this labor of love aids in your enjoyment of this dazzling Sega Saturn showpiece. 


Please be aware that in addition to the patch (.SSP) file itself, the package you’ve downloaded also includes a couple other items:
1. A brand new, North American-style instruction manual.
2. A save file with 100% clear mission progress. Using this save data will give you immediate access to the stage select feature in the game's "Trace" mode.


Please do not use or distribute any of the contents of this bundle for financial gain!
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II. HOW TO APPLY THE PATCH
What you need:
-Knight0fDragon’s Sega Saturn Patcher - https://segaxtreme.net/resources/sega-saturn-patcher.73/ 
-The Patcher requires Microsoft .Net 5.0 to be installed on your PC. https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/5.0
-A Stellar Assault SS disc image (BIN/CUE). If you have a copy of the game, you can rip your own image using CD mounting software like ImgBurn.
-The Stellar Assault SS English Localization patch file (.SSP) included in this package.


1. Open the Sega Saturn Patcher.
2. Click “Select Saturn Game” > “CD Image””
3. Select your Stellar Assault SS CUE file. 
4. Click the “+ Game Patch (SSP)” button on the far right.
5. Select the Stellar Assault SS Localization patch file (.SSP).
6. Click “Build Image.” This will bring up a “Save As” dialogue box. Choose a destination for the new, patched version of the game, and click “Save.” 
7. If everything worked, the patcher should give you a message saying "Success! CD Image successfully created." Voila. You now have a patched disc image. This is what you need to play Stellar Assault SS in English! 
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III. HOW TO PLAY THE PATCHED GAME
What you need:
-A Sega Saturn emulator, such as Yaba Sanshiro or Mednafen
OR
-An ODE that allows you to play Saturn games off an SD card, using a real Saturn. Popular options are the Satiator, MODE, and Fenrir.
OR
-A Pseudo Saturn Kai cartridge or other way of playing games off a burned CD.


Emulator Method:
1. Open your emulator
2. Choose “Open ISO…” and select your patched Stellar Assault SS “CUE” file.
3. Enjoy!


ODE method:
1. Copy the patched Stellar Assault SS BIN and CUE files onto your SD card.
2. Insert SD card in ODE.
3. Power on Saturn and boot game from SD card as normal.


Burned CD method:
1. Use disc mounting software such as ImgBurn to write your patched Stellar Assault SS image to a blank CD-R (not a DVD-R!) 
2. Insert burned game disc into your Saturn.
3. Power on Saturn and enjoy!
*Note that Sega Saturns can’t run burned discs by default, so you MUST have a workaround such as Pseudo Saturn Kai, which can be flashed to a Pro Action Replay cartridge. You can also buy custom cartridges preloaded with Pseudo Saturn Kai.  
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IV. IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THE GAME
-Voice/SFX/Music Volume-
We have done our best to match the volume level of the original Japanese voice acting, but if you find that the music or sound is overpowering the acting, you can tweak these levels separately in the game's sound options. Our recommended levels are:
BGM - 70
SFX - 75
Scenario - 100


-Mission Stick & Other Peripherals-
A side effect of this added feature is that the game now recognizes inputs from all Sega Saturn peripherals, with varying results. We advise against operating Stellar Assault SS with any peripherals other than those officially supported, or the Mission Stick. In particular, the Saturn Mouse was found to cause a system reset when plugged in during the game’s operation.


-Multiple endings-
This game has a "good" ending and a "significantly less good" ending. The criteria for getting the good one are not that difficult, but are well hidden, so you may just want to know up front what to do. If so, read on. 


For the good ending, you must clear ALL of the following conditions:
1. In Stage 3, destroy all the big battleships surrounding the accelgate, THEN destroy the accelgate. You don't have to destroy all the little ships.
2. In Stage 9, destroy all ships deployed from the carrier spikes. To do this, you must NOT target the carrier spikes yourself. In other words, go for the yellow targets, not the red.
3. In Stage 15, DON'T let the graviton lens cannon activate 6 or more times.         


-Flying at Top Speed-
Remember, you can only reach top speed by double-tapping and holding the accelerate button (R button by default). This is important, so don't overlook it!


-Change View-
If you press the X button while the game is paused, you can toggle the camera to a 3rd-person or dynamic fixed-camera view. This is a very cool feature that's a little hidden. Give it a try!


-Stage Select-
You may be wondering if this game has a stage select. It does, but it's buried in the "Trace" menu. From the main menu, choose Trace > Record New. From there, you will be prompted to select a ship, and then you can choose any mission you have already cleared in the main game. You can use the save data we have provided with this patch to have access to all missions right away. 


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V. CHEAT CODES
In addition to translating the game, this patch makes the following two changes: 
1) adds support for the Saturn Mission Stick peripheral
2) changes the number of continues from 3 to infinite


If you would like to add either of these features to your copy of Stellar Assault SS WITHOUT applying our English patch, you can actually do so via cheat codes instead! Use a Pro Action Replay, Pseudo Saturn Kai, or other method of your choice.


Master: F6000914 C305
Address: B6000B00 0000


Infinite Continues: 
3607C540 0009


Mission Stick support: 
1600df38 0009 
1600df42 3000


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VI. ERROR SCREENS
Error screens
This game has a few error screens that may appear in certain rare circumstances. Due to the difficulty we encountered in finding and manipulating these screens, we have left them untranslated rather than indefinitely delaying the project. Below are translations of the error screens we have encountered.
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1. Not enough free space to create a save file
There is not enough free space in your Saturn internal memory. 2 blocks of space are required to save this game. Use your Sega Saturn's save data manager to delete existing save data or copy it to an external backup cartridge, then restart. You may access the save data manager by holding the L or R button while pressing the Reset button on your Saturn. You may also begin without saving by pressing the Start button.


2. Save data loading error
Save data could not be loaded properly.


3. Internal memory corrupted
Internal memory not ready (not restored). Hold the L or R button while pressing the Reset button on your Saturn to proceed to the save data manager. 
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The above scenarios are all very rare, but if you see an error screen, your first stop should be your save data manager.
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VII. USING THE COMPLETED SAVE FILE


Included in the ZIP file along with this patch is a Stellar Assault SS save file that has been completed. This is for those who are having difficulty completing the game — or completing the secret objectives to unlock missions 16 and 17. Loading up a completed save will allow you to select any mission from the Trace Menu. See Page 10 of the included English manual for more information about that.


The save file is named STELLAR_DAT.BUP. It uses the BUP format that's documented here: https://github.com/slinga-homebrew/Save-Game-BUP-Scripts


For those of you who are playing on an original Saturn console, you can transfer the BUP save file using Slinga's Save Game Copier utility, which can be found at https://github.com/slinga-homebrew/Save-Game-Copier/releases


Instructions on how to transfer a BUP save file using the Save Game Copier utility, whether you use an ODE like Satiator and MODE or you use burned discs with an Action Replay cartridge, can be found in that utility's readme file here: https://github.com/slinga-homebrew/Save-Game-Copier/blob/master/README.md


If you are using a Fenrir, please use the Save Game Copier's instructions under "Adding Custom Save Games to the SGC ISO."


If you use an emulator, explaining how to get each emulator to use a particular save file is beyond the scope of this readme. But if you use SSF or the PC version of Yaba Sanshiro, you can use Hitomi2500's Sega Saturn Save Parser to open up your emulator's save file and insert this Stellar Assault SS BUP file. That utility can be found here: https://segaxtreme.net/resources/sega-saturn-save-parser.39/


You also can run the BUP file through Knight0fDragon's Saturn Save Converter utility, which can be found at https://segaxtreme.net/resources/saturn-save-converter.74/


Included with this patch's ZIP file is also a PNG file of a QR code named "Stellar Assault SS All Stages QR Code" containing the save file data. The QR code was generated using Ervilsoft's save2qr utility, which was submitted to SegaXtreme's Sega Saturn 28th anniversary game competition in January 2023. For more information on how to use this QR code to insert save data into your Saturn, and to get the utility, go here: https://segaxtreme.net/threads/sega-saturn-28th-anniversary-game-competition.25278/post-183550
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VIII. CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
LOCALIZATION TEAM CREDITS
Project Lead, Translator, Voice Director - Greg "Lacquerware" Moore
Audio Engineer, Video Editor - Jon "Shadowmask" Georgievski
Script Editors - Dan “Danthrax” Myers, Cargodin
In-Game Graphics and Text Editor, Manual Layout - Dan "Danthrax" Myers
Mission Stick Reverse Engineer - Stephen "Silos" Strome


ENGLISH CAST
Cmdr. Aya Hijikata - Renee Martin
Edgar - Dan Bosley
Capt. Jake MacPherson - Ramir-Pascal von Bannisseht
Maria - CrouchingMouse
Ensign Brenda Bright - Diana Allocco
Capt. Alan Vergil - Mike Dent
Capt. Brad Feel - Rocco DeFeo
Umbrella Pilot - Rowin Dincht
Unnamed Pilot - Space Galaga


SPECIAL THANKS
“TrekkiesUnite118”
Anthony “Knight0fDragon” Randazzo
“NoahSteam”
Thomas Malenko
“privateye”
The localization team’s families
Shiro Media Group
SegaXtreme forum
The original Stellar Assault SS development team, especially Director Koji Tsuchida


The existence of this patch and the team who created it are thanks only to the community-building efforts of SHIRO Media Group. Check them out at the links below!


Blog: https://www.segasaturnshiro.com 
Discord: https://discord.gg/SSJuThN
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SEGASATURNSHIRO
Twitter: https://twitter.com/playsegasaturn


This localization patch was initially released to the public on May 12, 2023.