Netlink Zone Revival

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rush6432
Posts: 246
Joined: Sun May 07, 2006 4:10 pm

Netlink Zone Revival

Post by rush6432 »

Hey guys, so i sat down this evening and after a look at all the contents on the netlink game discs i was able to easily change the address the "Netlink Zone" takes you to when booting into a netlink game menu.

Currently ive created patches for all of the netlink games that allows you to simply click on the "Netlink Zone" image and it routes you to the saturn league irc channel to find an opponent or hang out and chat.

Point of all of this is to attempt to get the netlinkers here a little more active and to eventually establish a netlink weekly chat on sundays at a certain time. Having the ability to easily get to the chat with one click from the netlink game disc of your choice should make things alot easier for setting up games as well.

To utilize this feature, you will need the following...

Saturn that is configured to log-on to the internet via the netlink browser through your Dial up ISP. (NetZero is free and works decently but requires a few tricks)

Have a method to play backup copies or burned CD-R copies on your saturn. (MOD chip or Swap trick) (swap trick is free...)
CD Burner
ImgBurn Software for windows or some other software able to burn create and burn BIN/CUE Files
Blank CDs (duh)
Original copies of the netlink game (or if you find ISOs online floating around in cyberspace..)
Game patch for the BIN/CUE files.


How-To

1.) First, Download ImgBurn and install it. Grab which-ever netlink game you want to modify and put it in the cd drive.

2.) Create an image of the disc the LOWEST read speed possible (2x is ideal) and save it as one of the names below. This is for one click patching later on....

For duke nukem 3d = DUKE3D
for Virtual On = VIRTUAL_ON
for Sega rally = SEGA_RALLY
for bomberman = BOMBERMAN
for Daytona USA = DAYTONA

3.) Download the patch file needed for your specific game and EXTRACT it into the same folder as your backup disc image you
just created with ImgBurn.

!! removed !!

4.) double click on APPLY_PATCH.bat file. This will patch the file and then leave you with a BIN/CUE that you can burn back to a CD-R. If the window opens quickly and closes, then you DID NOT name the file correctly when originally saving the disc image. EDIT the apply patch.bat file and change the first paramter (bin file) to match the file name of your .bin file.
( example: applyppf3 a DAYTONA.BIN DAYTONA.PPF )

The patching process can take a few minutes at max depending on the speed of your computer.

5.) Open ImgBurn and open the .CUE file thats associated with your backup. Once opened, make sure
to set the write speed to the LOWEST possible write speed to ensure a good accurate write. click the option to burn or write to disc. Once completed, perform the swap trick with this DISC or use with your modchip!

Happy Netlinking!!!
Last edited by rush6432 on Wed Jul 02, 2014 5:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
rush6432
Posts: 246
Joined: Sun May 07, 2006 4:10 pm

Re: Netlink Zone Revival

Post by rush6432 »

Found a bug shortly after posting these. Looks like the cd audio on all games after being patched has alot of static. Looking into a fix...
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Teen_Extreme
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Re: Netlink Zone Revival

Post by Teen_Extreme »

Can somebody upload the video about using the remade Netlink Zone perhaps?
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rush6432
Posts: 246
Joined: Sun May 07, 2006 4:10 pm

Re: Netlink Zone Revival

Post by rush6432 »

Not much really to make a video of. Basically its just a mod that allows the "Netlink Zone" icon to take you to an IRC chat room for netlink users instead of a dead sega page. As long as you have your saturn configured for dial-up web-browsing, you'll be fine :)
Rogue
Posts: 400
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:48 am
Location: Brasil

Re: Netlink Zone Revival

Post by Rogue »

Is this working? What is needed for the IRC chat to be online?
(I really don't know nothing about irc) ^^'
How many users connected already?
I'm ready to play!
Timezone: GMT -3
Games: Sega Rally - Virtual On - Duke Nukem 3D
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rush6432
Posts: 246
Joined: Sun May 07, 2006 4:10 pm

Re: Netlink Zone Revival

Post by rush6432 »

Yeah it works, you just need a dialup internet service provider to get online. considering dialup is CHEAP these days (free in some cases for low hour usage). Just setup your saturn to connect to the ISP and then follow the steps in this guide and it should allow you to drop right into the irc channel. I have no idea if anyone is on there right now. Anyone can burn themselves a disk and get online
Rogue
Posts: 400
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:48 am
Location: Brasil

Re: Netlink Zone Revival

Post by Rogue »

I'm talking about the "IRC thing that you put a link to"...
I'm ready to play!
Timezone: GMT -3
Games: Sega Rally - Virtual On - Duke Nukem 3D
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Austin Peyton
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2016 10:28 pm

Re: Netlink Zone Revival

Post by Austin Peyton »

planet web 4.0 is an iso only. Could i use a sega cue maker to make a cue out of the iso and then burn it to a disc with imgburn? I currently just recieved my sega netlink modem and want to browse the dial up internet with this latest patch. Also sega cue maker is quite a pain to get running on computers. Is there any alternatives for the sega cue maker? Also i did mod my saturn.
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Austin Peyton
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Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2016 10:28 pm

Re: Netlink Zone Revival

Post by Austin Peyton »

That zone is very neat. I will have to get net zero dial up and connect to that with my games. That would make it so much easier to netlink with people.
Xiden
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2017 2:55 pm

Re: Netlink Zone Revival

Post by Xiden »

Is the saturn league irc chat still working?

Given the large excitement generated over VOIP gameplay now possible its only a mater of time before we get netlink zone back up. Thanks to Dreampi, the netlink zone now auto redirects to a new site dreampipe.net. No mods needed to your retail discs for this to work! Of course you will have to use a dreampi kit to connect.
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