Stop 'N' Swop - A Theoretical Analysis

[Gaming Master2k]

A small time ago I decided to look up the famous Patent filed by Rareware and analyse it for more information about Stop 'N' Swop. I spent 4 hours one night reading over everything in great detail and highlighted important bits. This analysis is VERY long, I typed it up in Microsoft Word and it is 3,450 words in length (including this part)! As such this will be spread over 2 or more posts (I don’t remember how many characters per post is allowed

This topic is my interpretation of it. I will supply supporting evidence for my arguments. I am not trying to influence anybody as to whether Stop 'N' Swop exists or not (though my belief will be stated). This is more to tell you how it was intended to work (as I understand it from my readings).

The original Patent can be found here: http://v3.espacenet.com/origdoc?DB=E...&QPN=US6820265
I will be referencing the above patent many times throughout this post. Any random numbers that appear throughout refer to the corresponding parts in the figures in the original document.

Now onto the analysis:

As can be seen from the very first page of the patent, it was filed for June 29, 1999 by Rare Limited, Twycross (GB) so there can be now doubt that this patent is actually Rares at all.

The title is one that has interested many Banjo fans since its discovery. "System method and data storage medium for Sharing Data Between Video Games", given the date this was filed one can safely assume this is intended to be used for "Stop 'N' Swop".

The first line I would like to draw your attention to is on page 6 of the original document under the heading of "Summary of the Invention". The line reads:

"The present invention provides a system for sharing information between software programs."

While I am not sure of the requirements of filing a patent, mention of "the present invention" implies that a working form of the data sharing existed at the time of filing.

For more passages of interest please read the first second and third paragraphs in the second column of the original document (page 6). I will come back to these sections in more details later as they are explained in more detail later on in the patent.

I encourage those of you who wish to have a technical understanding of how the system would work (and those who understand a little of the processes that go on in systems) to read and understand the section titled "Brief description of the drawings". While it is not needed to have a thorough knowledge of these diagrams it will help to visually represent what would happen.

The next passage I would like to draw to your attention is in the first column on page 7 of the original document under the heading "Detailed description of the preferred embodiment" (bottom of the page).

"As will be better understood from the following description, the data sharing system 10 provides for the utilization of data generated by a first program with a separate second program. The first program is stored on a first of the at least one data storage medium coupled to the processor 12. The second separately executable program can also be stored on the first data storage medium, but is preferably stored on the second of the at least one data storage medium coupled to the processor 12."

My understanding of this is that to implement the method of data sharing (i.e Stop 'N' Swop) the software (i.e games) COULD be stored one one medium (I.E Cartridge) should the programmers/company wish it to be, however it is preferred that the games are one separate Carts. We know that the software is in the preferable format of 2 Separate carts (i.e Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie).

The next passage is directly below the passage given above:

"In accordance with the present invention, the processor 12 reads and executes the first program, thereby implementing the first program." .... (4 lines below this text... "Upon execution of the first program, information pertaining to the first program or the implementation thereof, such as the occurrence of a particular event, is typically stored, as is well-known in the art, in the memory 16 or in another memory coupled to the processor 12."

This section of the text informs us that a first program is read (this does not mean the first program must be the first released. More on this later as more evidence is provided later in the document) for a certain program. Once this program has been run certain information is written to memory (this could either be RAM in the Nintendo 64 console OR a memory card attached to a controller).

The next lot of text is from the 3rd paragraph of column 2 on page 8:

"Beginning at a step 19, a test is made to determine whether information has been identified that is shareable with another program. Shareable information may, for example, be identified or triggered upon the occurrence of a certain event, e.g., reaching a certain level of a game or completing the game. The content of the information identified as "sharable" with other programs can vary, as will be described in further details below. As a non-limiting example, the information provided may be a reward, such as a new weapon, for completing a particular level of a video game."

This is stating that the Nintendo 64 would be tested for information that was shareable with the another program (game). This shareable information could be identified (i.e written to memory after) reaching a certain point in the game or completing the game. An example is given above stating the reward for another program reading this shareable information could be a new weapon. The next part of the passage is the most interesting in terms of Stop 'N' Swop (in my opinion).

"Or, it may simply be a flag to signal to another program whether a particular condition has or has not been met. In this regard, the first program may invoke the storage of one or any number of flags or other information in the memory 16."

This part says that by reaching a certain part of the first game (again not necessarily the first released) would write certain information to memory which could be flags accessed by another program to let the game now a certain level has been reached.

I suggest reading the next paragraph of the original document if you wish for more in-depth reading though it is not necessary unless you really wish to scrutinise my analysis and the document yourself.

A possible item that could have been a reward is written in the bottom paragraph of the second column on page 8 stating:

"Even further, the information could include larger blocks of data for adding an entirely new feature to another program, such as an entire textured model of a character for a video game, various text statements, standard sound effect sampls, and a table of attributes that govern that character's features and abilities."

A new feature could have been added to another game such as a new character, new text for existing (or new) characters to say, sound effects or even actions (or moves) performed by existing (or new) characters. The possibilities are only limited by the space required for each item.

The next section of text (from the first column on page 9, paragraph 2) reads:

"Upon retrieval of the identified information, another test is made to determine the validity of the retrieved information at a step 28."

This means that once information was swapped to another game during "Stop 'N' Swop" the information would be tested to make sure that the code was right and would ruin your games some how (thus preventing any complaints/returns or other problems that would put Rare/Nintendo in a bad public light and would prevent the cost of paying for new cartridges should the game be permanently ruined).

The next group of information is one of the most important in terms of HOW the swapping of data would be done (located bottom of the first column on page 9):

"Preferably, the memory 16 from which the identified information is retrieved is a non-volatile random access memory (RAM) for storing information that can be readily used by the second program, particularly after the power to the processor 12 has been turned "off" for any considerable length of time."

Stored on RAM, while it could techincally be the RAM inside the machine it is more likely it was a memory card attached to the controller. This passage is evidence that "Stop 'N' Swop" was intended to be done by COLD-SWAPPING as indicated by the text "power to the processor 12 has been turned "off" for any considerable length of time." This raises certain questions as to why it was dropped if cold-swapping was infact the preferred method. I will attempt to explain these once you have all my evidence.

The patent does describe a method of hot-swapping but it is not hot-swapping in the sense that information is still in the RAM because the power is still turned on, it is hot-swapping in the sense that the information is written to memory (that will last if the power is turned off, as said above), however the Nintendo 64 would recognise that a new game has been put in and load the relevent parts from another game. This is from the text directly below the above passage:

"Alternatively, the memory 16 can be typical random access memory, and in this instance, the processor 12 is preferably adapted to provide for the hot swapping of data so that programs can be loaded into and executed by the processor while it is powered on. However, information stored in the typical random access memory by a first program can still be retrieved by a second program through cold swapping, which requires that the power of the processor 12 be turned off before implementing a new program, as long as the new program is coupled to the processor and the processor is immediately turned back on."

[Gaming Master2k]

Alternate methods of swapping the information. The following is from the middle of the second column on page 9:

"... implementing the first program generates a code associated with the shareable information and provides it to a user of the first program via a display..." (and later on) "This code can then be utilized by the user to transfer the shareable information to another program as described below in reference to FIG. 5."

Should the implementation of swapping the data fail (i.e Rare couldn't program it to work right), Rare had a backup plan. They would provide codes to the user to type in! These would be the sandcastle codes found by Ice Mario and SubDrag.

Now comes the example of the patent that I'm sure you are all familiar with (and is the final part of this analysis, located at the bottom of the first column on page 10 and continues to the second column).

"As an example, the player may come across a "Huge Blocked Icy Cave" in which there is a key-shaped hole. Unfortunately, the player can find no way or key to enter the Huge Blocked Icy Cave of the first video game. At the side of the Huge Blocked Icy Cave is a lever. The player pulls the lever and a "cut-cam" shows a section from the second video game stored on a second game cartridge. This cut-cam may reveal a door access to a "Big Icy Key." If the player remembered playing the second video game, the player may have seen this area that could not have been accessed at that time. In this example, the trigger event occurs when the lever is pulled." ...

"However, if the system determines that a trigger event has occurred, the processor 12 the writes information pertaining to the trigger event into its memory 20. In this regard, the processor 12 sets a flag indicating the occurrence of the event, i.e., that the door to access the Big Icy Key in the first video game has been opened, as shown at step 54. Then, at a step 56, the system tests for whether the first game cartridge has been removed. If not, the processing returns to step 52 and the steps described above are repeated. If it has been removed, the system tests for whether the second game cartridge has been connected to the console at step 58."...

"For example, once a player inserts the second data cartridge containing the second video game he remembers playing, the player can go into the area of the game that had the Big Icy Key. Once in that area, the player would see that the door had been opened and would be able to get the key. Thus once the second game cartridge is inserted, the processor utilizes the software of the second game cartridge in addition to the flagged information from memory 20 transferred from the first game cartridge, in order to make a change which affects the playing of the second video game.”...

“...once the player retrieves the key in the second video game, the processor sets another flag in memory 20 to signal that the Big Icy Key has been recovered from the first game cartridge. If the player then removes the second game cartridge from the console and replaces it with the first game cartridge, the player will be able to return to the Huge Blocked Icy Cave with the icy keyhole and open the sealed cave with the Big Icy Key that has been recovered from the second game cartridge. Thus, the player is now able to access this new area beyond the icy cave.”
This example is very detailed and obviously relates to the Ice Key in Banjo-Kazooie. In the passages the “first game cartridge” that is referred to would be Banjo-Tooie, while the second one would be Banjo-Kazooie. Once upon a time in Banjo-Tooie you would come across a big blocked Icy cave with a key hole. Beside the cave would have been a lever. Pulling this lever would show a cutscene of Banjo-Kazooie’s ice key (most likely similar, if not the same, as the one that we already see in Banjo-Kazooie after typing in the sandcastle code). After the key was gotten you could put in Banjo-Tooie and open that area to access a new area of the game. I believe this new area would have led to a new level.
Do I believe Stop ‘N’ Swop exists? No. Early 2000, Rare said that the feature of going back to Banjo-Kazooie was still there. Later in a scribes edition (March 2005), they said they did not believe the ashes of the ashes of the ashes of Stop ‘N’ Swop would have been gone over with a fine tooth come. Ashes? As in after it has died.

“How was Stop ‘N’ Swop intended to be implemented?”

From passages of the patent (given above), the method was intended to be done by Cold Swapping, with an option for those people who forget to turn off the power in their excitement to still have a working version (i.e Hot swapping would still have worked but only to ensure no loss of data). A backup method of codes was possible and I believe implemented as a just in case feature. These would be the sandcastle codes.

“What remains of Stop ‘N’ Swop?”

The answer to that question is not a simple one. In Banjo-Kazooie, all of the Stop ‘N’ Swop functionality would be there, however since it is Banjo-Tooie that deals with most the data it is not a lot that is there. As I stated earlier, Rare had a backup plan of the codes. What I believe remains of the feature in Banjo-Kazooie is the actual Items that we have collected, the cutscenes associated with them, and a method of detecting data from Banjo-Tooie and a method of posting data to memory for Banjo-Tooie. We are most likely never going to find these last two as they would just be programming asking for certain spots in memory which would be impossible to find. The backup plan of the Sandcastle codes also remain (which we have also found). It is my belief that the sandcastle codes are not debug codes but a backup way of swapping information.

The remains of Stop ‘N’ Swop in Banjo-Tooie is trickier to answer. Believe it or not the Blocked Icy Cave still exists (in at least one form). For evidence see the picture located here: http://users.cyberone.com.au/getley/blockedicycave.jpg At one stage, I believe the lever to access a cutscene was on one side of this safe/cave. The base egg and different colours it takes on have been found. A small cutscene (such as those seen in Banjo-Kazooie) may also remain, though It is unsure how much was removed once the feature was known to not be implemented.

“What were the rewards for Stop ‘N’ Swop?”

Given the examples in the patent, I think the Jinjo in the multiplayer, the homing eggs and the Breegull Bash move were intended to be rewards (which we got). I believe the Ice Key opened a new area, possibly a level (to bring the total jiggies up to 100). I also believe Bottles’ Revenge was a reward, either directly by having one of the eggs or indirectly by completing the game with all 100 jiggies. Other rewards I would only be guessing at (even moreso then I already have).

The big question: “Why was Stop ‘N’ Swop dropped?”

Early 2000, Rare stated the feature was in the game. November 2000, Banjo-Tooie was released with no Stop ‘N’ Swop. Bottles Revenge has recently been confirmed dropped due to lack of time. I believe this is the same reason Stop ‘N’ Swop was dropped. Rare was unable to get a complete working version of Stop ‘N’ Swop (and Bottles’ Revenge if it in fact was a reward) in time for the release and so had to can the feature all together.

“Rare have said that the Rare Witch Project is pretty close to solving Stop ‘N’ Swop, yet you haven’t mentioned Donkey Kong 64 at all!”
While I have been focused on Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie, there is no reason at all that the methods described here couldn’t be used to transfer to a third game. There is also nothing saying that the items can be used only once. Perhaps the Ice Key was used in Donkey Kong 64 and then transferred to Banjo-Tooie for another use. Hopefully my theory/analysis fits in pretty well with the Rare Witch Projects special on the connection with Donkey Kong 64 (available here: http://www.rarewitchproject.com/spec...hp?id=dk64sns). The better this fits in the closer I believe we are to knowing all we can about Stop ‘N’ Swop.

[Gaming Master2k]

To sum this all up:

It is my belief that Cold Swapping was the preferred and intended method of swapping data between games though the games were programmed to allow a form of Hot Swapping (data would still be written to the memory, but if you didn’t want to turn the power off you could swap games and the Nintendo 64 would know this has happened).
My theory of the rewards is just that, a theory, it may be way off base but the only way we’ll ever know for certain would be to hear from Rare about the topic.

Rewards: Jinjo in Multiplayer, Homing eggs, Breegull Bash move, New level and Bottles’ Revenge (?).

I also believe that the Ice Safe where the mega Glowbo is was once a part of Stop ‘N’ Swop and may have (at one point) been where it all began.

References:

Rare Witch Project Donkey Kong 64 Special (http://www.rarewitchproject.com/specials.php?id=dk64sns) – By Ice Mario and SubDrag
Rare Witch Project Sandcastle Codes (http://www.rarewitchproject.com/spec...=bkcastlecodes ) – By Ice Mario and SubDrag
“System method and data storage medium for Sharing Data Between Video Games”, Patent, Filed by Rare Limited, June 29, 1999 (http://v3.espacenet.com/origdoc?DB=E...&QPN=US6820265)
Banjo Tooie (Release Date) – Wikipedia
March 2005 Scribes – Rare (While no official copy was able to be found a number of sites, including the Rare Witch Project has copies on their forums)
Congratulations to those of you who read all that (even more to those who understood all that). If you have any questions that I haven’t answered ask away. I have attached a Microsoft Word document with all the text should you wish to save/view/print that. Comments, Questions and Feedback is welcome. If I have missed explaining anything let me know. It is a little hard keeping track of everything.

[Crystal_bear]

Try not to triple posts. Anyway, this does make me want to make that SNS freewebs sites where I put all theories, discoveries in.... etc. I'll call it the SNS Dictionary, and it won't be n00bish either.

Anyway, good posts. *thumbs up*

[Soulreaper41392]

^ He's a mod, if he triple posts it's usually for a good reason.

Will read now.

[Gaming Master2k]

Originally Posted by Soulreaper41392

^ He's a mod, if he triple posts it's usually for a good reason.

There is an excellent reason. Each post can only hold 10000 characters. I had written 20100+ so it needed to be over 3 posts.

Also:

Originally Posted by Crystal_bear

Anyway, good posts. *thumbs up*

Thanks.

[Whyme123]

Daaaaang! You know, most people would say that it is too much reading, yadayada.. But I read the entire thing, and I have to say:

You are very smart *pats on back*. You diserve alot more then those "0mgerz! i fund sns!1!" arses. You actually LOOKED at it and you FOUND it.

I say, YOU FOUND SNS. No, really. You did. You figured out how it was to be dont, where it was to be done (most have dont this already), and other stuff that I don't know.

[Crystal_bear]

OMG!!! Is it true? Has SNS truely been discovered? I do say that someone MUST make a short form of all of that.

[mikesgm6]

well no and yes the articles have been around and GM2k took the time to sum it all up and ad his own ideas, Great Show!(isn't even sure, didn't even bother to read....Why did I even post >_>.. oh yeah im bored )

[gdsmzroll]

Excelent work! I had also been searching for that patent. I had also been believing the same thing as you for the process and rewards... Thank you very much, I think that you have just the coarse of SNS history. Wait until Sub and Ice find your answer

[BanjoPL]

Great work GM2K!!!

Maybe "Big Icy Key" connection is not between BK and BT but maybe between BK and DK64?
Patent released in June 1999-some months before DK64's release(November 1999).There is "ICE KEY" text in DK64's memory.
Or maybe this "Huge Blocked Icy Cave" was/is "Glowbo Cave" in Cloud Cuckoland in Banjo-Tooie?

[banjo-eighty]

You should make a youtube video on it. I have yet to read it though, maybe when I have more time.

[BanjoPL]

"Even further, the information could include larger blocks of data for adding an entirely new feature to another program, such as an entire textured model of a character for a video game, various text statements, standard sound effect sampls, and a table of attributes that govern that character's features and abilities."

This looks like as Bottles' Revenge description!!!

[Andre]

Originally Posted by banjo-eighty

You should make a youtube video on it. I have yet to read it though, maybe when I have more time.

How could he make a YouTube video...?

[=donkey-banjo=]

Originally Posted by Andre

How could he make a YouTube video...?

Well, since he said he didn't read it, maybe he thought that GM2K was giving the answer to SnS and wrote out how to do it, when in reality, you obviously DID read it and understand that it isn't really possible. I suppose.

Well, I have not yet read it, but I'm about to after I read the rest of the thread.

EDIT: Well, I read it.

That was really nice! It was well organized, there was lots of info, and you included references Nice job GM2K!

Personally, I don't think he SOLVED SnS, but he sure pulled everything together when it was just sitting out there. You put a lot of hard work and thought into your posts and I respect that.

I have one question: What IS Bottle's Revenge? All I saw was a video on it and that's it. I need to know what it is, how to access it, and what it does. Thanks.