Legacy of the Wizard Tool
Version 5 2023 Brad Smith
https://github.com/bbbradsmith/lotwtool http://rainwarrior.ca
This is an editor for Legacy of the Wizard (NES) and Dragon Slayer IV (Famicom). It will allow full editing of as much of the game's content as I can provide.
The MSX1 and MSX2 versions are now supported as well, through separate builds. These do not have quite as many features as the NES version, but the map is still fully editable.
Download: https://github.com/bbbradsmith/lotwtool/releases
Unstable preview builds: https://nightly.link/bbbradsmith/binxelview/workflows/build/master
Source code: NES: https://github.com/bbbradsmith/lotwtool/tree/master MSX1: https://github.com/bbbradsmith/lotwtool/tree/msx1 MSX2: https://github.com/bbbradsmith/lotwtool/tree/msx2
You can Ctrl + Alt + Left Click to quickly test the room you're editing. The tile you clicked on will become the entry point of the dungeon, instead of map 0,0. This will save the ROM with a starting location patch and open it in your program associated with .NES files.
The editor will automatically undo the patch in memory, but if the file is accidentally left unsaved after a test, the patch may persist. This can be removed in the Global menu.
I recommend also using the Global menu to give yourself all items, and a supply of keys as well, and temporarily editing the home map 3,16 to put an extra ladder next to the door of the Drasle residence to enter more quickly.
The Inn in map 1,16 will look strange in the editor. To make changes to it, use the Map Properties tool to temporarily set its Metatile Page to $1F, instead of $0D, and its correct tiles will appear. (The game has a special override that does this just for the inn.)
The Dragon is stored like another room of the map, but its images are put together with Metatile Page definitions. Open the Dragon map, and use the Map Properties to select pages $10 through $17 to view and edit the Dragon's graphics.
CHR can be edited by clicking a tile in the CHR view, but it may be easier to edit pixel art like this in a graphics editor of your choice. Right click on the CHR page in the CHR view for an option to export/import as PNG.
The title screen editor is functional, but simple. In its action menu, you can export a NAM file that is a standard NES nametable format. If you export the CHR pages as well, you can use Shiru's "NES Screen Tool" to edit instead, which has a few more features:
https://shiru.untergrund.net/software.shtml
The "Unused Screen" seems to be an early version of the title screen that was accidentally left in the ROM, in the same format as the actual title screen. Unfortunately its CHR tiles seem to have been lost, but access is provided in this editor for the curious.
.NET 4 framework Windows XP SP3, Vista, 7, 8, 10
The .NET runtime can be downloaded here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/download/details.aspx?id=17718
This project is open source, and might be compatible with other .NET frameworks like Mono, which may allow use on other platforms for users that can compile it from source.
YY - DS4v https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/170/ An old Legacy of the Wizard editor for Windows 95.
NetBrian - Leghack https://www.romhacking.net/documents/86/ A few helpful notes about the map format that made reverse engineering quicker.
Binta - Item and Stats Hacking Guide https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587404-legacy-of-the-wizard/faqs/26604 Some notes about the game's memory usage that helped me figure out cheats.
LSD4 - Unofficial archive of Legacy of the Wizard / Dragon Slayer 4 http://lsd4.starfree.jp/
RHDN Data Crystal - ROM hacking notes, complete map format https://datacrystal.romhacking.net/wiki/Legacy_of_the_Wizard
2020-04-10
2020-04-12
2021-07-26
2022-09-24
2023-09-10
This program was written by Brad Smith. It is made freely available under the the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source code is available at GitHub: https://github.com/bbbradsmith/lotwtool
Support this project on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rainwarrior
Author's website: http://rainwarrior.ca