Order of the Griffon and Phantasy Star III just got new save editors

Developer Hugues Johnson has released updated, cross-platform versions of his save state editors for Order of the Griffon and Phantasy Star III. The utilities, which were originally built using Visual Basic 6, have been rewritten in Java to ensure compatibility with modern operating systems beyond Windows. The updated tools are available now on Johnson's website.

These tools allow players to modify save states for two distinct retro RPGs. The Order of the Griffon editor focuses on stats and inventory management, while the Phantasy Star III tool functions as an event editor to manipulate game flags and story progression. Johnson noted that the conversion process from the aging Visual Basic codebase to Java was assisted by artificial intelligence, breathing new life into utilities that were previously tethered to Microsoft's legacy runtime environments.

Escaping Visual Basic 6

For a long time, Visual Basic 6 (VB6) was the language of choice for fan-made utilities. It was easy to learn and quick to deploy, resulting in thousands of rom-hacking tools, save editors, and level viewers being built on the platform in the late 90s and early 2000s. However, VB6 has become increasingly difficult to run on modern 64-bit versions of Windows without specific workarounds, and it is entirely non-functional on macOS or Linux without emulation layers like Wine.

Johnson explained the rationale behind the original versions in his post: "I originally wrote these in Visual Basic 6 because it was easy and it made sense at the time."

By moving the codebase to Java, these editors are now platform-agnostic. A Linux user running a TurboGrafx-16 emulator can now edit their party's stats just as easily as a Windows user. The use of AI to assist in translating the logic from VB6 to Java highlights a practical use case for large language models in software preservation. It allows developers to modernize legacy code without spending weeks rewriting boilerplate syntax manually.

Managing the generations

The tools cover two very different experiences in the 16-bit RPG landscape. Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom, released on the Sega Genesis in 1990, is famous (or perhaps infamous) for its generational system. At the end of each chapter, the main character chooses a spouse, and the next chapter stars their child. The stats and abilities of the protagonist change based on who the player marries.

Because of this branching structure, seeing every ending and character variation usually requires multiple playthroughs of a game that can drag in the pacing department. Johnson's tool is an event editor, meaning it allows players to toggle specific story flags. This is particularly useful for players who want to explore different generational outcomes without replaying the initial 10 hours of the game repeatedly.

Dungeons and dragons on HuCard

Order of the Griffon is a different beast entirely. Released in 1992 for the TurboGrafx-16, it is one of the few Western-style RPGs on the console. Developed by Westwood Associates (who would later create Command & Conquer), it uses the official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition ruleset. It utilizes a first-person exploration view and a tactical, grid-based combat system similar to the Gold Box PC games.

Like many AD&D games from that era, Order of the Griffon can be unforgiving. A bad roll or a poor stat distribution can make the game significantly harder than necessary. Johnson's editor allows players to modify save states directly, likely enabling adjustments to character attributes, hit points, and inventory. For players revisiting the game today via emulation, this offers a way to mitigate the harsh difficulty spikes typical of early 90s D&D adaptations.