Playstation 1 Games with Debug Symbols

Edit on Github | Updated: 19th December 2024

I have never seen a PS1 executable bigger than 2mb, normally if they require more code they split it into multiple executables. With memory being so precious it would be unlikely a developer would forget to strip the debug symbols from an executable. However it is possible to find symbols included on the disk in various formats, one of those formats is SYM:

SYM Symbol Files

.SYM Files are generated by the Official Sony PS1 PSYQ SDK for use in debugging, they contain all the symbols (function names etc) and can also contain other chunks such as source filenames and line numbers.

You can get the information from a .SYM file using DUMPSYM.EXE from the PSQ SDK or you can use this open source tool: https://github.com/stohrendorf/symdump/. Also the integration of .sym files into the No$PSX emulator is documented in the following forum thread: http://www.psxdev.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=1318

Games with SYM Symbol file

Demos and Betas with SYM Symbol file

MAP Files

Linker Map file Format

The .MAP file created by a c/c++ linker such as LD follows the format:

Start     Stop   Length      Obj Group            Section name
80010000 800179C3 000079C4 80010000 text             .rdata
...
Program entry point : 00000000
Address  Names alphabetically
8008CEF4  CD_ready

These files contain all the information you need to get the full debug symbols back for a game! You just need to parse them and add them to your disassembler of choice (e.g Radare2 or IDA Pro)

Games with Linker Map file

Demos and Betas with Linker Map file

Syphon Filter (USA) (Demo)

The Github user Wuteva has been investigating the Linker Map file contained in the USA version of the Syphon Filter Demo and has found some very interesting information ¹.

They have found that the MAP file doesn’t quite match the binary executable contained on the disc (the MainLoop function is at 0x800144a4 in Ghdira but is at 0x800144C0 in the map file). This is likely due to the version of the binary having an earlier date compared to the Linker Map file ¹.

Games with Partial Source Code

• Beatmania Best Hits has a near-final copy of Beatmania 5th Mix’s source code ²

Other Interesting:

• Disney GoofysFunHouse contains string - “dbugpsx /h /epsx.cpe /m- psx.sym”
• Chill (Europe) seems to have lots of source code in it! incide CDFILLER, includes C files!! Might just be the names of the files tho…
• Digimon World contains quite a lot of what look like symbols in MOV_REL.BIN
• DivideThe EnemiesWithin contains GAME.SYM and looks like it uses C++!
• DoraTheExplorer has MAIN.SYM
• Frogger2 seems to contain Makefiles
• JackieChanStuntmaster contains GAME_REL.SYM!!!
• KnockoutKings contains MAIN.MAP with address name mapping
• NASCAR 2001 contains some references to source files in the executable SLUS_012.63
• NBA Shoot Out seems to have some source code
• VIP Demo (SCES-00236) Seems to contain a makefile

References