Was wondering if anyone would be able to help with something I've been trying to do for a while now, remove the passing windows in Madden 93.  Always felt like the Passing Windows cluttered the screen too much where you couldn't see, which is why they added the menu option in Madden 95 to disable them.

I've been trying to figure this out, on and off for a VERY long time, basically when a QB drops back you press C to bring up the passing windows then A,B or C to pass to a receiver.  In Madden 95 there is a menu option to disable these passing windows so I'm sure there's a way to disable them in the earlier versions (Madden 91, ,92, 93, 94).

I've used GensTracer mostly to try and debug the code, got as far as actually disabling the passing window but then it turns the QB into a running back, meaning A dives, B spins and C sprints as opposed to throwing the ball to the receiver.  This was done by changing the hex from 6700 to 6000 at a certain point in the file.  

But I know there's a "skip" code of 4EF9, was thinking this would be the way to do it, having the code skip past bringing up the passing windows and going right to the point where A,B or C passes to the receiver.

I've attached pics of the menu in Madden 95 where you can choose whether or not you want the passing windows on/off.

If anyone would be able to hep/assist, please let me know, would really appreciate it....

EDIT: Attached 3 ROM files

John Madden Football '93 - Orig (Original ROM)

John Madden Football '93 - PW (Changed 6700 to 6000 at offset 11472 - This removes the passing window but QB can't pass after this)

Madden NFL '95 (Original ROM with menu option to disable passing windows)

 

 

John Madden Football '93 - Orig John Madden Football '93 - PW Madden NFL '95.bin

Edited February 12, 20251 yr by Goldglv

Can you post the ROMs here, or update your original message for reference?

55 minutes ago, kingraph said:

Can you post the ROMs here, or update your original message for reference?

Added to original message.  I can give more details if needed.  I found a Madden 93 ROM a while back that removed the code that automatically reduced the runner's speed to a 7 after a few seconds.  I guess this was needed in the original game so that a player with a 10 speed could eventually catch up to a player with 15 speed.

Just wanted to see if anyone could possibly help with trying to go about removing these passing windows in Madden....

On 2/12/2025 at 1:33 PM, Goldglv said:

I've used GensTracer mostly to try and debug the code, got as far as actually disabling the passing window but then it turns the QB into a running back, meaning A dives, B spins and C sprints as opposed to throwing the ball to the receiver.  This was done by changing the hex from 6700 to 6000 at a certain point in the file.  

 

The code 6700 is the instruction in the game to "Branch on Equal" and the code 6000 is "Branch Always".  

I haven't delved into the code, but I assume the game was doing a test to see if the player was supposed to have the QB functions or if it was a player after a catch/run.  

Again, this is just a guess but the code you changed was probably something like:

* Check if the active player is QB or runner.  If it's a runner (branch on equal), go to (branch) to the function to make the player a runner. 

Changed to 

* Always goto runner (branch always).  

So from it sounds like, when you press the pass button, that routine now just says "this is a runner".  Which yes, bypasses the passing window, but is not the desired outcome.  

I agree, the leading assumption would be that there is a function that calls up thet passing window routine and you can just bypass that.  I'll try to help.

 

Update 95

3 hours ago, Engelby77 said:

Update 95

Do you mean update Madden 95 rosters?

23 hours ago, kingraph said:

The code 6700 is the instruction in the game to "Branch on Equal" and the code 6000 is "Branch Always".  

I haven't delved into the code, but I assume the game was doing a test to see if the player was supposed to have the QB functions or if it was a player after a catch/run.  

Again, this is just a guess but the code you changed was probably something like:

* Check if the active player is QB or runner.  If it's a runner (branch on equal), go to (branch) to the function to make the player a runner. 

Changed to 

* Always goto runner (branch always).  

So from it sounds like, when you press the pass button, that routine now just says "this is a runner".  Which yes, bypasses the passing window, but is not the desired outcome.  

I agree, the leading assumption would be that there is a function that calls up thet passing window routine and you can just bypass that.  I'll try to help.

 

Thanks @kingraph, been trying to figure this out off and on for the last few years, would love to get this working!

14 hours ago, Goldglv said:

Do you mean update Madden 95 rosters?

Yes. It has season mode and stats .

21 hours ago, Engelby77 said:

Yes. It has season mode and stats .

I wrote a Madden Football Editor for multiple versions of the game, including Madden '94 and Madden '98 if you're interested.  The link to the editor contains a spreadsheet with early 2024 player ratings for all 32 teams.  I added logic to import all 32 teams with just one click of a button.  

https://tecmobowl.org/files/file/879-madden-football-roster-editor/

I can look into adding Madden '95 into the Editor as well....

.

Edited March 11, 20251 yr by Faikan3s3

On 3/2/2025 at 9:53 AM, Goldglv said:

I wrote a Madden Football Editor for multiple versions of the game, including Madden '94 and Madden '98 if you're interested.  The link to the editor contains a spreadsheet with early 2024 player ratings for all 32 teams.  I added logic to import all 32 teams with just one click of a button.  

https://tecmobowl.org/files/file/879-madden-football-roster-editor/

I can look into adding Madden '95 into the Editor as well....

If we could edit to add names to the editor for Madden 95 SNES instead of just having numbers that would great. 

Thanks!

Edited March 11, 20251 yr by Faikan3s3

Please Please Please!!! Add Madden 95 for editing Especially player ratings! Thank you!

I wonder if you could bring the season and stat features from Madden 95, into gFrick's Madden 93/20 edition? (or if gfrick has done any later revisions to his ROM) The menu tiles would need to be redone for the stats/season material - but I wonder if it could be done. (probably a ground up rebuild?)

Edited September 1, 20251 yr by upnk

Unable to help, but am very interested in this if you ever continue it. Despite them seeming to be quite universally hated I don't despise the passing windows, but I would be interested seeing/playing a version of the game without them.

On 3/2/2025 at 2:53 AM, Goldglv said:

I can look into adding Madden '95 into the Editor as well....

This would get my vote too if it's ever a possibility 😁

Been thinking of a different way of fixing this problem. So instead of getting rid of the passing windows entirely, how about just changing what is shown in those windows.

So imagine the passing windows come up but they just show what should be underneath the boxes rather than down the field.

Was just talking to grok about it.. Robot seems to think its doable this way.

I've started trying to get back into removing these passing windows, found the spot where I can have the grey borders removed around the windows but the windows are still there on top of the upper part of the screen.

Thought about trying to figure out a way maybe to make the passing windows x/y coordinates 0/0 essentially making the windows invisible and keeping all the passing logic in tact. Still not able to find the code that does this, still debugging.

This would be a nice hack.

I took a look and I can find the x/y coordinates for the in game play select, score, downs, but can’t find the passing window.

So I've gotten to a point where I was able to remove the passing windows while on offense but that change prevents the CPU from throwing the ball. Can't seem to find the fix. Been using Google AI Studio to try and help with this, seems like a lot of, "let's NOP this out" but I've definitely have gotten further than trying to debug this on my own.

A lot of responses from AI Studio is being unsure how this Passing window is displayed. Is it the Genesis Window Plane, is it writing values to a data register, straight to the VDP, are these Sprites being drawn? Like I mentioned, I got to a point where I was able to remove the windows (yes, the QB had to drop back, press C to 'activate' the passing windows which never appeared and then press A, B or C to throw to the receiver). But that broke the ability of the CPU QB to pass the ball.

So my thought was to find the place where this window pops up and set the height to 0 so none of the passing mechanics break.

Was just wondering if any of the NHL games had this time of window layer like Madden does for the passing windows...

If you disabled it, the x/y location should be close.

post the rom and I can take a look.

I think the only thing nhl games have is the line change pop up window.