Brightis-fan-translation

A decompilation and eventual translation of the PSX game Brightis by fan(s)

Why we're doing this

I came across this game: Brightis after finding it covered in a video on Japan-only PS1 games. [by Sean Seanson]
After watching the video, and trying it myself, I fell in love with the game's mechanics. To the point that I'd like to see the game more easily playable for western/English-speaking audience. A guide [referenced by Sean Seanson] also is useful in playing the game: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps/576111-brightis/faqs/80425/intro-plus-controls

What we're doing + the goal

So far, we're in the exploratory phase. Brightis is an action RPG, and thus doesn't have much in the way of dialogue and a reasonable amount of text with very little of it stored in images.
I felt it reasonable to look into how it might be to discover the location of all the displayed text and begin to slowly replace it with english. Along with dumping it so that others may translate it into different languages easier.

If you'd like to do some investigation/help: Start on the wiki to find specifics & details. If you DO discover anything, please contact me on RomHacking.net at Tank120 or at my email: dickdebonair@outlook.com
Discord, Twitter, & Bluesky also works for contact under the Dickdebonair name.

Roadmap

Check the projects tab to get a more up-to-date view of where we're at. Please also contribute against the issues we have here! We can always improve!

• [ ] Figure out the file compression
  • [ ] Determine DMA functions to understand each sections of the game [many calls in the SCPS_101.05]
  • [x] Get basic text decompression figured out
  • [ ] Get basic image decompression figured out
  • related to FUN_8007d334(LoadImage) in SCPS_101.05
  • [ ] Determine Compression function to be able to reinsert files
• [ ] Locate all of the spoken/written text in the game [spread throughout multiple BIN files]
• [ ] Dump the text wholesale from the code [current tools will work with this]
  • CHR.BIN (character/NPC data)
  • ED00.STR (video file; skip)
  • MAP.BIN (Map/world data)
  • ONMOVR.BIN (player data)
  • OP00.STR (video file; skip)
  • OVR.BIN (Overlay/dialogue data)
  • PDADOC.BIN
  • PDADOWN.BIN (PocketStation minigame data)
  • PDADOWN.exe (PocketStation minigame executable)
  • SCPS_101.05 (Main game executable)
  • SND.BIN (sound effect & Music data)
  • SYSTEM.CNF (config file; Skip)
• [ ] Font hacking to add english support + Variable width
• [ ] Get a bulk translation (Excel file above will have where we are so far)
• [ ] Get the text reinserted
• [ ] Test the game through
• [ ] Locate all the images with text
• [ ] Figure out how to create an IPS patch

Discoveries

Please check the wiki files for more details.

• The game is encoded using a Shift-JIS table for kanji & on-screen English characters.
• The game is compressed with tables at the beginning to reference data throughout
• text is split throughout various .BIN files
• We've located text in 5 main files. [There's probably more, but refer to the issues/project tab for more details]
• Due to the unique formatting of the .BIN files, special tooling will be required.

Other potentially useful info

• Redump info: http://redump.org/disc/9919/
• PSX file types & Common compressions. https://psx-spx.consoledev.net/cdromfileformats/
• Game Manual: https://archive.org/details/BrightisManual/mode/2up
• Walkthrough: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps/576111-brightis/faqs/80425

Tools we're using (that we haven't made)

• CDMage: https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/1435/ [Used to open the main .BIN]
• abcde: https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/1392/ [Script dumper/reinserer]
• SJIS Dump: https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/645/ [Shift-JIS text dumper. Outdated]
• ImHex: https://imhex.werwolv.net/ [Modern Hex Viewer]
• PCSX-Redux: https://github.com/grumpycoders/pcsx-redux [PSX emulator with Debugger]
• No$PSX: https://www.problemkaputt.de/psx.htm [Very detailed PSX Debugger]
• Ghidra: https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/ [Decompiler & static Code Analysis]
  • PSX Loader for Ghidra https://github.com/lab313ru/ghidra_psx_ldr [Required for proper analysis]
• DeepL: https://www.deepl.com/en/translator [Quick Text translator]
• Cloe: https://github.com/blueaxis/Cloe [Useful for copying kanji locally & quickly]

File Structure

CDmage B5 1.02.1 files list of the image "Brightis (Japan).bin"

Folder: \ (ISO9660)

Name       |       Size|    LBA|Type       |         Date and time|Timezone|Flags
CHR.BIN    |  3,778,560|    380|BIN File   |  8/26/1999 2:49:04 AM|    0:00|F
ED00.STR   | 30,143,276| 30,537|STR File   |   5/7/1999 3:10:50 AM|    0:00|FM
MAP.BIN    | 17,670,144|  2,529|BIN File   |   9/1/1999 3:16:26 AM|    0:00|F
ONMOVR.BIN |     75,676|    343|BIN File   |   9/3/1999 3:40:08 AM|    0:00|F
OP00.STR   | 37,199,276| 14,721|STR File   |   2/1/1999 5:00:20 AM|    0:00|FM
OVR.BIN    |    622,592|  2,225|BIN File   |   9/3/1999 3:40:08 AM|    0:00|F
PDADOC.BIN |  1,697,792| 13,365|BIN File   |  8/27/1999 2:16:42 AM|    0:00|F
PDADOWN.BIN|    888,832| 14,287|BIN File   |  8/30/1999 2:39:12 AM|    0:00|F
PDADOWN.EXE|    190,464| 14,194|Application|  8/30/1999 2:39:40 AM|    0:00|F
SCPS_101.05|    653,312|     24|05 File    |   9/4/1999 1:34:26 AM|    0:00|F
SND.BIN    |  4,521,984| 11,157|BIN File   |  5/21/1999 1:32:08 AM|    0:00|F
SYSTEM.CNF |         61|     23|CNF File   |  7/7/1999 11:30:14 PM|    0:00|F

 97,441,969 bytes in 0 folders and 12 files