Mega Man Battle Network 4.5: Real Operation – English Translation Project v1.0

Introduction

At long last, the hidden gem Mega Man Battle Network 4.5: Real Operation can finally be played by Western audiences! The game is an outlier in the series, where you can choose from over 20 NetNavis to play with. In battle, you don't control your Navi directly, but they move on their own, and you are restricted to sending them commands and BattleChips. Also, the game features a Real-Time Clock, meaning many things in the game change depending on the date and time. After years of development, the game has been 100% localized into English just like the other Mega Man Battle Network games of its time.

In addition to just the patch, we've also produced a bunch of side content including a fully localized instruction booklet, new box art, a translated interview with the development team, an Upgrade Patch for the Japanese version which includes all of our bugfixes, and starter save files for those who just want to play with their favorite NetNavi. This extra content is only included in the download available from The Rockman EXE Zone, so visit us there if that piques your interest!

Credits

This translation project was brought to you by the following wonderful people!

Special Thanks!

boco, cornshot, elixirdream, Esoteric, Eurasia_M, Greiga Master, Kerreb17, killer336, luckytyphlosion, Nigoli, NMarkro, Ragathy, Spikeman, Symes, tanukisuitup, teiohx, TwilightEXE, ubergeek77, Void, WetSalad

Visit us at The Rockman EXE Zone!

Choosing a version

The Mega Man Battle Network 4.5: Real Operation – English Translation patch comes in two varieties: a North American version (shown on left) and a European version (shown on right). In terms of game content, the two versions are identical. However, there are some minor differences:

The two patches use different title screens, based on the other MMBN games' localizations for that region. The North American title screen is animated.

The North American patch can connect to the North American version of Mega Man Battle Network 4: Red Sun & Blue Moon in Operation Battle mode, whereas the European patch can connect to the European version of Mega Man Battle Network 4.

Note that the North American and European patch cannot connect to each other in multiplayer. However, save files are interchangeable between the two patches, so you can always switch later.

Obtaining a ROM file

To apply the patch, first you will need to obtain yourself a Rockman EXE4.5: Real Operation ROM file. It is recommended that you dump your own legit copy of EXE4.5. Here are some ways you can do this, provided you have one of the devices listed and some way of running homebrew applications on it.

• Nintendo DS (Lite): Insert your EXE4.5 Game Pak into Slot-2 of your Nintendo DS (Lite), and run the homebrew application GBA Backup Tool to dump the ROM file.

• GameCube/Wii: Insert your EXE4.5 Game Pak into a Game Boy Advance (SP), and connect it to your GameCube or Wii via a GameCube GBA Link Cable in controller port 2, then run the homebrew application GBA Link Cable Dumper to dump the ROM file.

• Japanese Wii U: Buy Rockman EXE4.5 on the Japanese Nintendo eShop and dump the ROM file from the Virtual Console data using one of various means (e.g. inject_gba) Then, apply the Remove-Virtual-Console.ips patch first to convert the dumped ROM into a “clean” ROM.

There exist various other methods of obtaining a Rockman EXE4.5 ROM, for instance using a RetroN 5. Please note that we cannot provide any support related to obtaining your ROM file.

Once you've obtained a “clean” ROM for Rockman EXE4.5 (meaning a ROM that has not been modified in any way) and chosen which patch version you want, it's time to apply the patch. You may want to keep a backup copy of your ROM file for use with future versions of the MMBN4.5 English Translation patch.

Your ROM file should match the following information. The patching tool will automatically verify this for you.

Applying the patch

Choose either MegaManBN45-English-NorthAmerica-v1_0.bps or MegaManBN45-English-Europe-v1_0.bps and apply the patch using one of the following tools:

• For any device with a web browser, you can use ROMhacking.net's Rom Patcher JS to apply the patch to your ROM file. The ROM file is modified locally on your device, and is not sent through the Internet.

• If you would rather apply the patch using a local program, the tool Floating IPS is recommended for Windows and Linux users. Launch the program and click Apply Patch, then follow the instructions.

Troubleshooting

If you receive an error “Invalid input ROM checksum” or “This patch is not intended for this ROM”, check the CRC32 hash of your ROM (you can use the Rom Patcher JS to get it) in the table below.

Any miscellaneous mods to the game which are compatible with the MMBN4.5 English Translation should be applied on top of the patch MMBN4.5 English Translation ROM. For instance, those looking to use Greiga Master's Real Battle Network Gameplay patch should apply the MMBN4.5 English Translation patch first, then apply a compatible version of the Real BN Gameplay patch on top of that.

Playing the game

In Mega Man Battle Network 4.5, you will encounter different events based on the date and time. As such, it is highly recommended that you play the game on a flash cart or emulator with Real-Time Clock compatibility in order to get the full experience.

For the best experience, we recommend the following:

EverDrive GBA X5

This is our recommended flash cart for playing on real GBA hardware. Note that as of EverDrive GBA OS version 1.12, EXE4.5 and MMBN4.5 are not automatically detected to have Real-Time Clock functionality. This must be enabled manually, as follows:

1. In the file browser, highlight the MMBN4.5 ROM file and press the A Button.
2. Select ROM Settings.
3. Scroll down to RTC and switch it to ON.
4. Select Apply.

This only needs to be done once per ROM file. However, if you change the name of the ROM file, you will need to change the setting again.

If you continue to get an in-game message that “the internal clock battery has run dry”, it's possible that the flash cart's internal battery needs to be replaced. For the EverDrive GBA X5, this is easy to do: remove the screw from the back of the EverDrive GBA with a Philips #00 screwdriver, then slide down the front cover to remove it. You can then pull out the CR1220 cell battery in the slot at the top of the board, opposite the MicroSD slot, and replace it with a new one.

EZ-Flash Omega

This is a cheaper alternative to the EverDrive GBA X5 which also supports Real-Time Clock functionality as well as some other features that the EverDrive doesn't have. However, the internal battery is much harder to replace once it runs dry.

The Real-Time Clock functionality for this flash cart has been reported to be somewhat glitchy at times, causing random “blackouts” to occur on the Net or tournament registrations to be lost because the time/date reported by the RTC changed for a very brief moment. Before playing the game, make sure that your EZ-Flash Omega's Kernel and Firmware version are completely up-to-date; this seems to mostly fix the problem.

Other flash carts

It is also possible to play the game on flash carts that do not support Real-Time Clock functionality. In this case, you will be asked to set the time and date once every play session, when you choose CONTINUE from the title screen menu.

Setting the time and date from the CONTINUE option, when asked to, will not take away your Zenny or tournament registrations. However, be aware that setting the time and date from the SET TIME option will still do so.

Recommended emulators

If you don't have a flash cart, you can also play the game on any device for which there is a Game Boy Advance emulator.

For playing on PC, the recommended emulator to use is mGBA version 0.8 or higher. This emulator is among the most accurate GBA emulators, and, on PC, has support for BattleChip Gate emulation. At the time of writing, version 0.8 is in beta, so you will need to download it from the Preview downloads section on the mGBA website.

Another emulator which supports BattleChip Gate emulation is GBE+. However, we have not extensively tested this emulator.

Other emulators

You can also play MMBN4.5 on other GBA emulators, obviously without BattleChip Gate functionality, but you will still be able to fully enjoy the game. Similarly, if you use mGBA as a core for an emulator frontend (such as RetroArch or BizHawk), you may also not be able to use BattleChip Gate functionality, though you will benefit from the increased accuracy and stability that mGBA brings.

Using the standalone version of VisualBoy Advance is not recommended due to how many versions of VBA there are, which each come with their own problems. For instance, some versions of VBA have a bug where the day of the week is always reported as Sunday. Also, various versions of VisualBoy Advance have a known emulation bug where certain thrown objects, such as MiniBombs, will not spawn, or will fly off the field. It is recommended to use a different emulator, but if you really want to use VBA, enabling BIOS emulation will at least get rid of the latter problem. We cannot offer any support with regards to enabling BIOS emulation.

No$gba has an emulation bug that causes a graphical glitch in the BattleChip Roulettes, where additional BattleChips are shown at the top and bottom of the screen. However, this does not affect gameplay in any way.

New features

In the MMBN4.5 English Translation patch, we've added some new features that were not present in the original Rockman EXE4.5. Read below for an overview of what's new:

BattleChip Gate NetNavis

In Rockman EXE4.5, there were 8 NetNavis that could only be unlocked by slotting in their real-life Navi DataChip into the BattleChip Gate. In the MMBN4.5 English Translation, these Navis are available through in-game means.

The BattleChip Gate-exclusive Navis appear on the third row of the Navi Select screen. Upon viewing the game's credits, 7 of the 8 Navis will be unlocked. The final Navi is unlocked by beating the Under Tournament.

Simulated Real-Time Clock

The Rockman EXE4.5 Game Pak contains an internal Real-Time Clock (RTC), which is powered by a battery inside the cartridge, and which continues to run even when the game is not being played. However, once the battery runs out, the game can no longer report the time correctly, and this renders large portions of the game unplayable.

In the MMBN4.5 English Translation, there is a Simulated RTC feature that will be activated if the internal RTC is not functioning. Upon pressing CONTINUE on the title screen, you will be asked to re-input the date and time. Unlike when you change the date/time from the SET TIME option, you will retain all of your Zenny and tournament registrations.

The Simulated RTC will continue to run until the game is powered off. Note that the Simulated RTC isn't too accurate, and may eventually start to be slightly off if you leave the game running for a long time.

Title Screen code – All Data Library icons

Normally, in Rockman EXE4.5, you can only get a chip's icon in the Data Library if you slot in the real-life version of that chip through the BattleChip Gate. In the MMBN4.5 English Translation, there is an optional Title Screen code to unlock all the icons at once.

To use the code, you must have fully completed the Data Library (Standard Chips, MegaChips, GigaChips and P.A. Memo). Additionally all 21 Navis must have beaten the Official Tournament and defeated Bass in Chaos Area 2. Once this is done, highlight the CONTINUE option on the Title Screen and press: L L R L R L R R. If done correctly, you will hear a little chime, and all of the chip icons will be unlocked upon continuing the game.

Title Screen code – Fight Bass XX

Bass XX (pronounced “Double X”) was a bonus boss only available in MMBN4 and MMBN5 through the use of e-Reader modifications. While he did exist in the game data of EXE4.5, he could only be fought via the use of cheat codes.

However, in 2016, Capcom released an MMBN remixed music album—Rockman.EXE 15th Arrange Best Track—with one of the tracks being a Rockman EXE4.5 battle theme medley. This track has a little story to it, where Bass XX crashes the finals of a tournament. To honor this music track, we've made it so that Bass XX can be fought in-game without the use of cheat codes, using the same title screen code as in the Virtual Console version of MMBN4.

To fight Bass XX, you must first defeat Bass Ω in the Under Tournament. Then, with that same Navi, sign up for the Under Tournament again. Once it's the weekend of the tournament, on the Title Screen, press L + Left + START while the screen shows PRESS START. As in MMBN4, there is no confirmation chime for this, but Bass XX will replace Bass Ω as the final opponent of the tournament. This effect lasts until you reset the game.

We have deliberately not adjusted the difficulty of Bass XX at all; he is exactly the same as when you fight him in EXE4.5 with the use of cheat codes.

Japanese Upgrade Patch

An extra patch is provided for the Japanese version of EXE4.5. This patch does not translate the game, but instead backports some of the features we added in the translation patch to the Japanese version.

The Japanese Upgrade Patch includes all bug fixes, as well the Simulated RTC feature and the Title Screen code for Bass XX. Additionally, save files created in the MMBN4.5 English Translation can be imported to a ROM patched with the Japanese Upgrade Patch. See the FAQ for more details on how this works.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I unlock more Navis to play with?
  Whenever a Navi beats the Official Tournament for the first time, you will receive a Trophy. Every time you do so, you will also unlock 1 or 2 new Navis for you to play with.

  • 1 trophy unlocks FireMan & WoodMan;
  • 2 trophies unlocks WindMan;
  • 3 trophies unlocks SearchMan & AquaMan;
  • 4 trophies unlocks ThunderMan;
  • 5 trophies unlocks MetalMan & JunkMan;
  • 6 trophies unlocks ProtoMan.

  Additionally, there are 8 Navis which could originally only be unlocked by using the BattleChip Gate. You will unlock StarMan, NapalmMan, IceMan, ElecMan, PlantMan, KnightMan and ShadowMan by viewing the game's credits. The final Navi, Bass, is unlocked by beating the Under Tournament.

  (Note: if you carry over an old save file which does not have the BattleChip Gate-exclusive Navis unlocked, all you need to do is beat the Official or Under Tournament again to unlock these Navis. Beating just the Under Tournament will also unlock all the Navis locked behind the credits.)

  If you own the real-life BattleChip Gate or are using an emulator that supports it, you can also unlock any Navi in the game instantly by slotting in their Navi DataChip on the Navi Select screen.

• How do I reach the credits?
  To view the game's credits, you need to beat the Official Tournament with all 13 Navis on the first two rows of the Navi Select screen. The BattleChip Gate Navis, which take up the third row, do not count towards unlocking the credits. Once the final Navi wins the Official Tournament, the credits will play.

  Viewing the credits unlocks 7 of the 8 BattleChip Gate-exclusive Navis, and unlocks the Under Tournament in Undernet 4.

• How do I receive missions?
  Certain Navis have a third mailbox where you will periodically receive missions. These are: SearchMan, ProtoMan, NapalmMan and ShadowMan. You can receive one mission per day.

  When you start playing as one of these Navis, a random timer is started in the background which lasts between 10 and 50 minutes. This timer ticks down in real-time as you play, so using an emulator speed-up feature will not work. Also, the timer is paused while you are in battle, in a tournament, or in most submenus. The timer state will persist across play sessions, but it will be reset if you switch to a different Navi.

  Once the timer has reached 0, you will receive the mission mail the next time you're in the jacked-out PET screen. (If you're already in the PET screen, you'll receive it immediately.)

  If you don't want to wait for missions, these Navis can also increase their HP by picking up minigame items from green Mystery Data.

• What does it means when “registration has closed”?
  In MMBN4.5, you can only sign up 1 Navi for 1 weekend tournament per day. That means you can sign up for 5 tournaments total per week. Additionally, you normally aren't able to sign up a single Navi for two weekend tournaments per week. The only exception is if you're already signed up for the Gold Tournament, the very first free sign-up for the Official Tournament will bypass this check.

• I went to the location in the e-mail, but the Navi I'm looking for isn't there!
  Firstly, make sure that you read the e-mail before jacking in. If you read it after jacking in, then the Navi will not appear. Secondly, most boss Navis in this game are invisible encounters in a fixed location, much like V2 Navis in the other MMBN games. So, you will just need to search every nook and cranny of the area until you find them.

• How do I import my existing save file?
  You can import an existing save file from Rockman EXE4.5 (Japanese version), Spikeman's 2004 English Translation patch, or the 2012 English Translation demo patch. To do so, simply load up your old save file with the MMBN4.5 English Translation patched ROM. How you do this exactly varies per flash cart and emulator. The old save file will be automatically detected, and will be converted to the new save format once you perform an in-game save.

  It is also possible to move your English save file back to the Japanese version, using the Japanese Upgrade Patch. This process works the same way. Load up your English save file with a Japanese ROM patched with the Japanese Upgrade Patch, and perform an in-game save to convert it to the Japanese save format. You can then move this save file back to an original EXE4.5 ROM or Game Pak.

  Performing a save file conversion will reset your multiplayer records and all player-entered strings. However, you can easily set the latter again by using the Mr. Progs in your HomePage. For any string which you don't have the Mr. Prog for yet, your Navi will eventually ask you to enter it again.

  Finally, it is also possible to move your save file between the North American and European versions of the MMBN4.5 translation, since they share the same save file format. Doing so will not reset any of your records or strings.

  

• Will my save file carry over to any future versions?
  Hopefully, we won't need to do any updates! But if it does happen, then yes, your save file will absolutely carry over to future versions.

• Can I use this patch with the Virtual Console version of the game?
  It is not possible to apply the MMBN4.5 English Translation patch to the Virtual Console version of the game directly. First, the Virtual Console ROM should be converted to a “clean” ROM by using the included Remove-Virtual-Console.ips patch. Following this, the English patch can be applied to the clean ROM.

  It is possible to apply the Virtual Console patch on top of an MMBN4.5 English Translation patched ROM. This patch has been included as the Apply-Virtual-Console.ips file. Applying this patch will apply all the screen flicker and strobe reduction changes that were made in the Virtual Console version. For example, the Barrier sprites are made darker in the Virtual Console version, and the screen flash from using the Blinder chip doesn't last as long.

  However, the feature that unlocks BattleChip Gate-exclusive Navis by pressing L + R on the Navi Select screen is disabled in the MMBN4.5 English Translation. See above for more info on how you can unlock these Navis in the MMBN4.5 English Translation instead. Alternatively, you can use one of the starter saves to play with a specific Navi.

  For this reason, applying the Virtual Console patch is not necessary for most users.

• What changes were made during localization?
  The Japanese version of Rockman EXE4.5 featured a number of holidays that were specific to Japan. In the MMBN4.5 English Translation, these have been replaced with holidays that are more internationally recognized.

  The holidays that have been removed from the game are: Setsubun (節分), Hinamatsuri (雛祭り), Children's Day (こどもの日), Tanabata (七夕) and Founding Anniversary (創立記念日). In their place, we have added April Fools and Halloween. We selected holidays that are observed in the majority of the Western world, which fall on the same day every year (due to how the game's schedule system works). The dialogue for the new holidays is mostly written from scratch by us, though some is repurposed dialogue from the scrapped Japanese holidays. Some dialogue for the existing holidays was also tweaked to remove concepts that are specific to Japanese culture, such as ringing a temple's bell 108 times on New Year's Day, and replace them with concepts that are more globally recognized, like fireworks shows.

  In the Japanese version of the game, the kanji for each day of the week would give an indication of what element of viruses would be active that day. For example, the kanji for “Tuesday” is 火, which means “fire”. In our localization, we have instead added a color to the day name on the in-game HUD, which matches the element of that day.

  

• Can I NetBattle with Mega Man Battle Network 4: Red Sun & Blue Moon?
  Yes! In order to NetBattle with MMBN4, you must be using a Navi that already existed in MMBN4; one from the first two rows in the Navi Select screen. Furthermore, you need two BattleChip Gates. Make sure that the player using MMBN4 is using the Player 1 plug of the Game Link Cable (the purple one).

  Note that multiplayer NetBattling is region-locked. In order to battle with a North American version of MMBN4, you need to be using the North American version MMBN4.5 English Translation patch. Likewise, to battle with a European version of MMBN4, you need to be using the European version MMBN4.5 English Translation patch. You can freely move your MMBN4.5 save file between the two versions if you want to switch regions.

  In MMBN4.5, some of the Navis' stats and abilities, and some BattleChip behaviors were changed. For example, GutsMan has SuperArmor in MMBN4; but in MMBN4.5, he has UnderShirt instead. Furthermore, it was not possible to raise your Navi's HP and Buster Attack in MMBN4. So whenever you battle with MMBN4, these will all revert to how they were in MMBN4.

• Does the MMBN4.5 English Translation unlock the Double Slot bonus in MMBN5: Double Team DS?
  Unfortunately, the international versions of MMBN5: DTDS block any EXE4.5 or MMBN4.5 cartridges for the Double Slot bonus. So, you will still not be able to receive the MMBN4.5 sidequest in MMBN5: DTDS without the use of a cheat device.

• What does MB do in this game?
  Nothing. The only use it has is you can sort your chips by MB in the folder editor.

• How do I increase the damage for SP NaviChips?
  You can't. SP NaviChips deal fixed damage in MMBN4.5, and there is no way to increase it. For DS NaviChips, like in MMBN4, their damage increases the more DarkHoles you have on the field; however, they start out weaker than SP NaviChips.

• Why “SerchMan” instead of “SearchMan” / Why “BurnMan” instead of “BurnerMan”?
  Things like these were done for consistency with Mega Man Battle Network 4 and 5. Since we localized MMBN4.5 as if it would have been an official Capcom localization from early 2005, we adapted many of our localization choices from the games that came directly before and after it (mostly from MMBN5). For instance, both in MMBN4 and MMBN5, SearchMan's name was always spelled as “SerchMan” in every single text box; therefore, it would be out of place if it was spelled any other way in MMBN4.5, which comes between those two games.

• My Navi says “a” or “an” incorrectly!
  In the MMBN4.5 English Translation, certain player-entered strings (such as “wishlist”) are prefaced with “a” or “an” when your Navi says them. The Navi will use “an” if the string starts with a vowel letter (A, E, I, O or U), and “a” otherwise. In some cases (e.g. “a unicorn”), this may lead to the incorrect indefinite article being used. Unfortunately, English is a complicated language, and detecting all these specific edge cases was deemed infeasible for the scope of this project. You can change your player-entered strings using the Mr. Progs in your HomePage if you'd like to choose something more suitable.

• Why do I get a “Data entry error” when I enter text?
  Think long and hard about what you did wrong, then try entering something else.

• Will you let Capcom use this translation project, such as for a potential future Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection?
  Absolutely! It would be a huge honor for our MMBN4.5 English Translation project to be featured in an official Mega Man Battle Network release. To this end, we have licensed the full translation patch under the terms of the Modified BSD License. This is a permissive software license which allows anyone to freely use, distribute and modify our translation patch at no cost, no permission needed; provided that credits are given. See the License section below and the included license.txt file.

  This also means anyone is free to go ahead and translate our English patch into other languages!

  Additionally, anyone is free to redistribute our translation patch however they like, in accordance with the terms of the license. However, if at all possible, we request that you share our download page on The Rockman EXE Zone instead. At the very least, we request that you include this Readme and/or the license file if you do redistribute our patch.

  Note: Those looking to create and sell bootleg copies of this MMBN4.5 English Translation patch should be aware that the copyright for the base game, Rockman EXE4.5: Real Operation, as well as any Mega Man and Mega Man Battle Network-related trademarks, rest with Capcom. As such, creating and/or selling such bootleg copies may render you liable to prosecution.

• Can we translate your English patch into another language?
  Yes, feel free to! See the License section below and the included license.txt file.

• How do I get in touch with you guys?
  To get in contact with a specific team member, check out the links in the Credits section. Alternatively, visit us at The Rockman EXE Zone!

License

This translation patch is licensed under the terms of the Modified BSD License, also known as the BSD 3-Clause License. The license applies to the .bps patch files in binary form as well as the source code for said patch files, to the extent permitted by law. This includes the following files:

• MegaManBN45-English-NorthAmerica-v1_0.bps
• MegaManBN45-English-Europe-v1_0.bps
• extras / RockmanEXE45-JapaneseUpgradePatch-v1_0.bps
• extras / source / source.zip

The license does not apply to other included materials.

BSD 3-Clause License

Copyright © 2019, Darknet, Jumi, Lex, MegaRockEXE, MidniteW, Prof. 9, Tim MacKenzie
All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

3. Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.