TASD File Format Specification April 2025
Grey, et al. Informational [Page]
Workgroup:
Independent TAS Console Replay Research Group
Published:
Authors:
V. Grey
Bigbass
rasteri

TASD File Format Specification Version 1

Abstract

The TASD file format is used for storing "Tool Assisted Speedrun" or "Tool Assisted Superplay" (TAS) input and configuration data for use with devices (known as "TAS replay devices") that replay inputs on physical video game hardware. The format is defined to be expandable for future needs. The format is also defined to be parsable by programs that do not understand portions of the format, whether that is due to incomplete support of the format specification or due to new features being added to later versions of the specification.

This document defines the file format specification for TASD files.

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

The Tool Assisted Speedrun Dump (TASD) interchange format is a file format for storing data that enables "Tool Assisted Speedruns" or "Tool Assisted Superplays" to be played on physical video game hardware using TAS replay devices. Created to be hardware and software agnostic, the TASD interchange format uses a key-based, binary, packet format to break up pieces of information into easily-parsable and forward-compatible chunks. The format is extensible by simply defining additional keys or value types as necessary. When parsing the file, software can skip any packets whose key is unknown or unsupported.

Packets of a given type can be used multiple times or completely omitted as needed. This reusability eliminates the need of a predefined delimiter to separate pieces of data.

While files generated by emulator dump scripts should provide as much information as possible, they may be unable to provide everything. Since packets are optional, the file can be expanded later with any additional data as desired. No intermediary file format is necessary.

1.1. Contributions

This document's source XML can be found at https://github.com/tasd-org/tasd-spec. All specification issues and additions should be addressed there.

1.2. Overview and Preliminaries

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all capitals, as shown here.

1.2.1. Notation and Vocabulary

Data Types:

  • (S) = String
  • (A) = Binary Data
  • (I) = Signed Integer
  • (N) = Unsigned Integer
  • (B) = Boolean
  • ([]N) = List of Unsigned Integers

Unless specified otherwise, all multi-octet integers are big-endian.

We use the terms byte and octet interchangeably in this document.

We use the terms Tool Assisted Speedrun, Tool Assisted Superplay and TAS interchangeably in this document.

In subsections of (Section 4.2), the term "in direct form" is used. That term is defined to mean a packet in a TASD file directly (first order packet) rather than a packet inside a TRANSITION or MOVIE_TRANSITION packet (second order packet).

String values MUST use UTF-8 encoding. As such, string values MAY contain any number of NUL characters and do not make use of "null termination". If an example of a string value is given, the example will be between quotation marks. The quotation marks are not included in the string. Not all content between quotations will be string value examples, so be aware of that when continuing through this document.

Both unsigned and signed integers can have different bit widths. For instance, an 8-bit integer can be used in one part of the specification and a 64-bit integer can be used in another part of the specification.

Variable-length integer encoding (also known as VarInt or VLQ) is not used in this format. Instead, arbitrarily sized integers, like those used in Section 4, are prefixed with a single octet that specifies the number of octets used to contain the integer value. In most cases, this is less space-efficient than VarInt encoding, but it is simpler to understand and to parse.

Boolean values MUST be a single octet with the value of 0 for FALSE or 1 for TRUE.

[N octets]
A sequence of octets with a length of N
[00 7F FF]
A sequence of octets 00, 7F, and FF in that order.
0-indexed
When counting sequentially, start counting at 0.
1-indexed
When counting sequentially, start counting at 1.

In packet diagrams, a single octet is represented with a box like this:

      +-----+
      | Var | <-- Vertical bars MAY be missing
      +-----+
  • Var is a variable name.

In packet diagrams, an arbitrary number of octets are represented with a box like this:

      +=====+
      | Var |
      +=====+
  • Var is a variable name.

In packet diagrams, boxes can be connected like these examples:

      +-----------+-----------+
      | Var 1 (B) | Var 2 (I) |
      +-----------+-----------+
  • In this example, Var 1 is a 1 octet long boolean value and Var 2 is a 1 octet long signed integer. 
      +-----+-----+===========+
      | Var 1 (N) | Var 2 (S) |
      +-----+-----+===========+
  • In this example, Var 1 is a 2 octet long unsigned integer and Var 2 is an arbitrary octet length string.

In packet diagrams, boxes MAY have relative offset values above them like in the following example:

         0     1       2...
      +-----+-----+===========+
      | Var 1 (N) | Var 2 (S) |
      +-----+-----+===========+
  • In this example, Var 1 is a 2 octet long unsigned integer and Var 2 is an arbitrary octet length string.

Packet diagrams MAY be split into multiple lined sections like in the following example:

            0           1           2           3
      +-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
      | Var 1 (N) | Var 2 (I) | Var 3 (B) | Var 4 (I) | ...
      +-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
            4           5
      +-----------+===========+
      | Var 5 (N) | Var 6 (S) |
      +-----------+===========+
  • In this example, the packet diagram contains enough variable boxes to require being split into 2 sections, in order to maintain consistent horizontal spacing in this document. The packet diagram is separated by an ellipsis (...) on the same text row as the variable names to signify that the packet diagram is continuing.

1.3. Motivations

This file format's primary goal is to provide a comprehensive and replay device agnostic TAS input dump format that is usable for any console. Additional goals include:

  • No intermediary formats
  • Forward compatibility
  • High extensibility
  • Ability to easily generate using lua scripting in emulators

Consideration is also given to how usable the format would be for the software that interacts with replay devices (examples: methods of ingestion/parsing, ease of ingestion/parsing in various languages).

1.3.1. Problems With Existing Formats

Existing formats are either incomplete for some verification needs or don't exist at all for some consoles. For example, a format commonly used for NES console verifications (r08) only encodes 2 standard controllers worth of sequential data. The format doesn't indicate whether those inputs are per latch or per frame. It also doesn't contain RESET timing information, additional settings, or metadata. Non-standard controllers, such as the NES Zapper, aren't supported either.

Until now, controller input formats were written in a way that was "good enough" for each use case, but rarely in a "standard" way. Often, any additional data had to be supplied separately as command-line arguments. While that process may work for a specific device, it's less than ideal when it comes time to redistribute the replay data so that others (especially those using different replay devices) can also successfully replay the same TAS.

2. Structure

TASD files MUST begin with a header. The header MUST be followed by 0 or more packets.

       0 1 2 3 4 5 6     7...
      +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+=============+
      | Header (A)  | Packets (A) |
      +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+=============+

      Header (Binary Data)                    [7 octets]
      Packets (Binary Data)                   [? octets]
Header
7 octet header as defined in Section 3.
Packets
List of 0 or more packets. Refer to Section 4 for packet definitions.

4. Packets

Each packet MUST be in the following format:

      +=========+----------+==========+=============+
      | Key (A) | PEXP (N) | PLEN (N) | Payload (A) |
      +=========+----------+==========+=============+

      Key (Binary Data)                     [G_KEYLEN octets]
      PEXP (Unsigned Integer)               [1 octet]
      PLEN (Unsigned Integer)               [PEXP octets]
      Payload (Binary Data)                 [PLEN octets]
Key
Packet type (Packet key).
PEXP
Length of PLEN. PEXP MUST be a value greater than 0.
PLEN
Length of Payload.
Payload
Payload/Content of the packet.
G_KEYLEN
Length of Key in each packet and is specified in the TASD file header.

All packets are OPTIONAL.

4.1. Assigned Packet Keys Without Descriptions

4.1.1. General Keys

[00 01]
CONSOLE_TYPE
[00 02]
CONSOLE_REGION
[00 03]
GAME_TITLE
[00 04]
ROM_NAME
[00 05]
ATTRIBUTION
[00 06]
CATEGORY
[00 07]
EMULATOR_NAME
[00 08]
EMULATOR_VERSION
[00 09]
EMULATOR_CORE
[00 0A]
TAS_LAST_MODIFIED
[00 0B]
DUMP_CREATED
[00 0C]
DUMP_LAST_MODIFIED
[00 0D]
TOTAL_FRAMES
[00 0E]
RERECORDS
[00 0F]
SOURCE_LINK
[00 10]
BLANK_FRAMES
[00 11]
VERIFIED
[00 12]
MEMORY_INIT
[00 13]
GAME_IDENTIFIER
[00 14]
MOVIE_LICENSE
[00 15]
MOVIE_FILE
[00 F0]
PORT_CONTROLLER
[00 F1]
PORT_OVERREAD

4.1.2. NES Specific Keys

[01 01]
NES_LATCH_FILTER
[01 02]
NES_CLOCK_FILTER
[01 04]
NES_GAME_GENIE_CODE

4.1.3. SNES Specific Keys

[02 01]
SNES_LATCH_FILTER
[02 02]
SNES_CLOCK_FILTER
[02 04]
SNES_GAME_GENIE_CODE
[02 05]
SNES_LATCH_TRAIN

4.1.4. Genesis Specific Keys

[08 04]
GENESIS_GAME_GENIE_CODE

4.1.5. Input Frame/Timing Keys

[FE 01]
INPUT_CHUNK
[FE 02]
INPUT_MOMENT
[FE 03]
TRANSITION
[FE 04]
LAG_FRAME_CHUNK
[FE 05]
MOVIE_TRANSITION

4.1.6. Extraneous Keys

[FF 01]
COMMENT
[FF FE]
EXPERIMENTAL
[FF FF]
UNSPECIFIED

4.2. Assigned Packet Keys With Descriptions

4.2.1. General Key Descriptions

[00 01] - CONSOLE_TYPE
Specifies console used on emulator when dumping the TAS controller inputs. This packet type is OPTIONAL but SHOULD be included in a TASD file and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.1).
[00 02] - CONSOLE_REGION
Specifies video region of console used for the TAS. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.2).
[00 03] - GAME_TITLE
Specifies the name of the game the TAS is written for. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.3).
[00 04] - ROM_NAME
Specifies the name of the specific ROM file used for the TAS. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.4).
[00 05] - ATTRIBUTION
Specifies the name of someone involved in the TAS or the creation or management of the TASD file in order to provide proper attribution for work done. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.5).
[00 06] - CATEGORY
Specifies the run category of the TAS. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.6).
[00 07] - EMULATOR_NAME
Specifies the emulator used while dumping TAS controller inputs. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.7).
[00 08] - EMULATOR_VERSION
Specifies the version of the emulator used while dump the TAS controller inputs. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.8).
[00 09] - EMULATOR_CORE
Specifies the core of the emulator used while dumping the TAS controller inputs. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.9).
[00 0A] - TAS_LAST_MODIFIED
Specifies when the TAS was last modified. Frequently used to specify the date and time when the TAS was published. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.10).
[00 0B] - DUMP_CREATED
Specifies when the TASD file was first created. This packet is OPTIONAL but SHOULD be included in a TASD file and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.11).
[00 0C] - DUMP_LAST_MODIFIED
Specifies when the TASD file was last modified. This packet is OPTIONAL but SHOULD be included in a TASD file and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.12).
[00 0D] - TOTAL_FRAMES
Specifies the total number of frames in the TAS. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.13).
[00 0E] - RERECORDS
Specifies the total number of rerecords of the TAS. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.14).
[00 0F] - SOURCE_LINK
Specifies the source link for the TAS. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.15).
[00 10] - BLANK_FRAMES
Specifies the number of blank controller inputs or frames to prepend to the inputs of the TAS when played on hardware. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.16).
[00 11] - VERIFIED
Specifies whether the TAS is verified to run on hardware, also known as "console verified", using the TASD file. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.17).
[00 12] - MEMORY_INIT
Specifies initial memory values used for the TAS. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.18).
[00 13] - GAME_IDENTIFIER
Specifies an identifier for the game the TAS is written for. This can be checksums, hashes, or other identifying data. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.19).
[00 14] - MOVIE_LICENSE
Specifies a copyright license for the TAS. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.20).
[00 15] - MOVIE_FILE
Specifies the TAS movie data. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.21).
[00 F0] - PORT_CONTROLLER
Specifies the controller type in specific console controller ports for the TAS when played on hardware. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.22).
[00 F1] - PORT_OVERREAD
Specifies whether a high or low signal SHOULD be sent through a specified controller port of the console if the console requests more input data from the replay device through that controller port than expected. This packet type is OPTIONAL. Discussed in (Section 4.3.1.23).

4.2.2. NES Specific Key Descriptions

[01 01] - NES_LATCH_FILTER
Specifies a latch filter time in microseconds for how long how long to wait after a latch signal until new latch signals SHOULD be accepted by the replay device. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.2.1).
[01 02] - NES_CLOCK_FILTER
Specifies a clock filter time in tenths of a microsecond (0.1 microseconds or 100 nanoseconds) for how long to wait after a clock pulse until new clock pulses SHOULD be accepted by the replay device. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.2.2).
[01 04] - NES_GAME_GENIE_CODE
Specifies a Game Genie code for the TAS. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.2.3).

4.2.3. SNES Specific Key Descriptions

[02 01] - SNES_LATCH_FILTER
Specifies a latch filter time in microseconds for how long how long to wait after a latch signal until new latch signals SHOULD be accepted by the replay device. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.3.1).
[02 02] - SNES_CLOCK_FILTER
Specifies a clock filter time in tenths of a microsecond (0.1 microseconds or 100 nanoseconds) for how long to wait after a clock pulse until new clock pulses SHOULD be accepted by the replay device. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type in direct form. Discussed in (Section 4.3.3.2).
[02 04] - SNES_GAME_GENIE_CODE
Specifies a Game Genie code for the TAS. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.3.3).
[02 05] - SNES_LATCH_TRAIN
Specifies Latch Trains for TAS. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.3.4).

4.2.4. Genesis Specific Key Descriptions

[08 04] - GENESIS_GAME_GENIE_CODE
Specifies a Game Genie code for the TAS. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.4.1).

4.2.5. Input Frame/Timing Key Descriptions

[FE 01] - INPUT_CHUNK
Specifies a chunk of input data for the TAS when played on hardware. All data from INPUT_CHUNK packets for each controller port are concatenated together in order of appearance in the TASD file. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.5.1).
[FE 02] - INPUT_MOMENT
Specifies a single instance of input data that is sent from the replay device to the console with specific timing. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.5.2).
[FE 03] - TRANSITION
Specifies when a transition or change occurs during a TAS replay (example: console reset or changing of controller types). This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.5.3).
[FE 04] - LAG_FRAME_CHUNK
Specifies a chunk of lag frames in a TAS based on the original TAS movie. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.5.4).
[FE 05] - MOVIE_TRANSITION
Specifies when a transition or change occurs in the original TAS movie (example: console reset or changing of controller types). This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.5.5).

4.2.6. Extraneous Key Descriptions

[FF 01] - COMMENT
Comment data. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.6.1).
[FF FE] - EXPERIMENTAL
TASD file is using draft/experimental packets. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file SHOULD NOT contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.6.2).
[FF FF] - UNSPECIFIED
Unspecified packet data. Can contain any arbitrary data. This packet type is OPTIONAL and a TASD file MAY contain more than 1 of this packet type. Discussed in (Section 4.3.6.3).

4.3. Packet Payload Formats

4.3.1. General Key Payload Formats

4.3.1.1. CONSOLE_TYPE Packet

CONSOLE_TYPE packets MUST be in the following format:

             0          1...
      +-------------+==========+
      | Console (A) | Name (S) |
      +-------------+==========+

      Console (Binary Data):                  [1 octet]
         [01] - NES <Nintendo Entertainment System>
         [02] - SNES <Super Nintendo>
         [03] - N64 <Nintendo 64>
         [04] - GC <GameCube>
         [05] - GB <Game Boy>
         [06] - GBC <Game Boy Color>
         [07] - GBA <Game Boy Advance>
         [08] - Genesis <Sega Genesis/Sega Mega Drive>
         [09] - A2600 <Atari 2600>
         [FF] - Custom
      Name (String)                           [PLEN - 1 octets]
Console
Game console the TAS movie is for. There are pre-specified console types, but a TASD file MAY use [FF] to specify a console that is not in the pre-specified console types.
Name
Name of the console the TAS movie is for. SHOULD be empty if Console is not set to [FF].
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.1.2. CONSOLE_REGION Packet

CONSOLE_REGION packets MUST be in the following format:

               0
      +------------------+
      | Video Signal (A) |
      +------------------+

      Video Signal (Binary Data):             [1 octet]
         [01] - NTSC
         [02] - PAL
         [FF] - Other/Unknown
Video Signal
Specifies the video signal of the game console being emulated while dumping the TAS movie's controller inputs.
4.3.1.3. GAME_TITLE Packet

GAME_TITLE packets MUST be in the following format:

          0...
      +===========+
      | Title (S) |
      +===========+

      Title (String)                          [PLEN octets]
Title
Game title the TAS movie is for (example: "Super Mario Bros. 3").
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.1.4. ROM_NAME Packet

ROM_NAME packets MUST be in the following format:

          0...
      +==========+
      | Name (S) |
      +==========+

      Name (String)                           [PLEN octets]
Name
File name of the ROM used for the TAS movie (example: "Super Mario Bros. 3 (J) [!].nes").
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.1.5. ATTRIBUTION Packet

ATTRIBUTION packets MUST be in the following format:

           0         1...
      +----------+==========+
      | Type (A) | Name (S) |
      +----------+==========+

      Type (Binary Data)                      [1 octet]
         [01] - Author
         [02] - Verifier
         [03] - TASD File Creator
         [04] - TASD File Editor
         [FF] - Other
      Name (String)                           [PLEN - 1 octets]
Type
Function of the person who is being attributed. Author is meant for a TAS movie author. Verifier is meant for a person who console verified the TAS movie(s) contained in the TASD file. TASD File Creator is meant for the person who initially created the TASD file, such as when dumping inputs from a TAS movie. TASD File Editor is meant for a person who edited the TASD file.
Name
Name of the individual getting the attribution (example: "OnehundredthCoin").
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.1.6. CATEGORY Packet

CATEGORY packets MUST be in the following format:

            0...
      +==============+
      | Category (S) |
      +==============+

      Category (String)                       [PLEN octets]
Category
Name of the TAS movie run category (example: "any%", "100%", "No Warps").
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.1.7. EMULATOR_NAME Packet

EMULATOR_NAME packets MUST be in the following format:

          0...
      +==========+
      | Name (S) |
      +==========+

      Name (String)                           [PLEN octets]
Name
Name of the emulator used to play the TAS movie while dumping controller inputs (example: "FCEUX", "Bizhawk"). The emulator's version or core name SHOULD NOT be included.
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.1.8. EMULATOR_VERSION Packet

EMULATOR_VERSION packets MUST be in the following format:

           0...
      +=============+
      | Version (S) |
      +=============+

      Version (String)                        [PLEN octets]
Version
Version of the emulator used to play the TAS movie while dumping controller inputs (example: "2.7.0").
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.1.9. EMULATOR_CORE Packet

EMULATOR_CORE packets MUST be in the following format:

          0...
      +==========+
      | Core (S) |
      +==========+

      Core (String)                           [PLEN octets]
Core
Core of the emulator used to play the TAS movie while dumping controller inputs (example: "NESHawk", "Gambatte").
PLEN
Length of the packet payload
4.3.1.10. TAS_LAST_MODIFIED Packet

TAS_LAST_MODIFIED packets MUST be in the following format:

       0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7
      +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
      |  Unix Timestamp (I)   |
      +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

      Unix Timestamp (Signed Integer)         [8 octets]
Unix Timestamp
64-bit Unix timestamp (seconds since Unix Epoch) of when the TAS movie was last modified.
4.3.1.11. DUMP_CREATED Packet

DUMP_CREATED packets MUST be in the following format:

       0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7
      +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
      |  Unix Timestamp (I)   |
      +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

      Unix Timestamp (Signed Integer)         [8 octets]
Unix Timestamp
64-bit Unix timestamp (seconds since Unix Epoch) of when the TASD file was created.
4.3.1.12. DUMP_LAST_MODIFIED Packet

DUMP_LAST_MODIFIED packets MUST be in the following format:

       0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7
      +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
      |  Unix Timestamp (I)   |
      +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

      Unix Timestamp (Signed Integer)         [8 octets]
Unix Timestamp
64-bit Unix timestamp (seconds since Unix Epoch) of when the TASD file was last modified.
4.3.1.13. TOTAL_FRAMES Packet

TOTAL_FRAMES packets MUST be in the following format:

        0   1   2   3
      +---+---+---+---+
      |  Frames (N)   |
      +---+---+---+---+

      Frames (Unsigned Integer)               [4 octets]
Frames
Total number of frames of the TAS movie.
4.3.1.14. RERECORDS Packet

RERECORDS packets MUST be in the following format:

        0   1   2   3
      +---+---+---+---+
      | Rerecords (N) |
      +---+---+---+---+

      Rerecords (Unsigned Integer)            [4 octets]
Rerecords
Total number of rerecords of the TAS movie.
4.3.1.16. BLANK_FRAMES Packet

BLANK_FRAMES packets MUST be in the following format:

         0      1
      +------+------+
      | Frames (I)  |
      +------+------+

      Frames (Signed Integer)                 [2 octets]
Frames
Number of blank frames (of input where no buttons are being pressed) needed at the beginning of a TAS replay. If Frames is a negative value, the value of Frames indicates the number of frames that should be skipped from the TAS input data. A negative value is not applicable if there is no way to determine how much input data should be skipped (e.g. NES with INPUT_CHUNKs where each input represents a single latch).
4.3.1.17. VERIFIED Packet

VERIFIED packets MUST be in the following format:

             0
      +--------------+
      | Verified (B) |
      +--------------+

      Verified (Boolean)                      [1 octet]
Verified
Boolean value that is TRUE if the TASD file has been successfully console verified and FALSE if it has not been verified.
4.3.1.18. MEMORY_INIT Packet

MEMORY_INIT packets MUST be in the following format:

              0          1      2          3
      +---------------+------+------+--------------+
      | Data Type (A) | Device (A)  | Required (B) | ...
      +---------------+------+------+--------------+
           4         5...    5+NLEN...
      +----------+==========+==========+
      | NLEN (N) | Name (S) | Data (A) |
      +----------+==========+==========+

      Data Type (Binary Data):                [1 octet]
         [01] - No Initialization Required
         [02] - All [00]
         [03] - All [FF]
         [04] - [00 00 00 00 FF FF FF FF] Repeating
         [05] - Random
         [FF] - Custom
      Device (Binary Data):                   [2 octets]
         [01 01] - NES CPU RAM
         [01 02] - NES Cartridge Save Data
         [02 01] - SNES CPU RAM
         [02 02] - SNES Cartridge Save Data
         [05 01] - GB CPU RAM
         [05 02] - GB Cartridge Save Data
         [06 01] - GBC CPU RAM
         [06 02] - GBC Cartridge Save Data
         [07 01] - GBA CPU RAM
         [07 02] - GBA Cartridge Save Data
         [08 01] - Genesis CPU RAM
         [08 02] - Genesis Cartridge Save Data
         [09 01] - A2600 CPU RAM
         [09 02] - A2600 Cartridge Save Data
         [FF FF] - Custom/Other Device
      Required (Boolean)                      [1 octet]
      NLEN (Unsigned Integer)                 [1 octet]
      Name (String)                           [NLEN octets]
      Data (Binary Data)                      [PLEN - NLEN -
                                               5 octets]
Data Type
Content type of initial memory. If Type is not [FF], Data SHOULD be empty (0 octet length binary data).
Device
Device/Location that is to have memory initialized.
Required
Boolean value that is TRUE if this memory initialization data is known to be required and FALSE if the memory initialization data is not known to be required.
NLEN
Length of Name
Name
Label for the memory initialization data (example: "CPU RAM", "SAVE RAM"). If Device is [FF FF], Name SHOULD NOT be empty (0 octet length string).
Data
Raw memory initialization data. If Data Type is not [FF], Data SHOULD be empty (0 octet length binary data).
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.1.19. GAME_IDENTIFIER Packet

GAME_IDENTIFIER packets MUST be in the following format:

           0            1            2         3...
      +----------+--------------+----------+==========+
      | Type (A) | Encoding (A) | NLEN (N) | Name (S) | ...
      +----------+--------------+----------+==========+
           3+NLEN...
      +================+
      | Identifier (A) |
      +================+

      Type (Binary Data):                     [1 octet]
         [01] - MD5 Hash
         [02] - SHA1 Hash
         [03] - SHA224 Hash
         [04] - SHA256 Hash
         [05] - SHA384 Hash
         [06] - SHA512 Hash
         [07] - SHA512/224 Hash
         [08] - SHA512/256 Hash
         [09] - SHA3-224 Hash
         [0A] - SHA3-256 Hash
         [0B] - SHA3-384 Hash
         [0C] - SHA3-512 Hash
         [0D] - SHAKE-128 Hash
         [0E] - SHAKE-256 Hash
         [FF] - Other
      Encoding (Binary Data):                 [1 octet]
         [01] - Raw Binary
         [02] - Base 16 (Case Insensitive)
         [03] - Base 32 (Case Insensitive)
         [04] - Base 64
      NLEN (Unsigned Integer)                 [1 octet]
      Name (String)                           [NLEN octets]
      Identifier (Binary Data)                [PLEN - NLEN -
                                               3 octets]
Type
Hash, checksum, or identifier algorithm used to create the Identifier.
Encoding
Describes the data encoding of Identifier. Raw binary indicates no encoding is used. Base16/32/64 all use the standard RFC 4648 encodings, without extensions. Base 16 and Base 32 are case-insensitive.
NLEN
Length of Name
Name
Name of the hash, checksum, or identifier algorithm used to create the Identifier. If Type is not [FF], Name SHOULD be empty (0 octet length binary data).
Identifier
Game hash, checksum, or identifier data.
PLEN
Length of the packet payload
4.3.1.20. MOVIE_LICENSE Packet

MOVIE_LICENSE packets MUST be in the following format:

             0
      +=============+
      | License (S) |
      +=============+

      License (String)                        [PLEN octet]
License
License information for the TAS movie (example: "Creative Commons Attribution 2.0").
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.1.21. MOVIE_FILE Packet

MOVIE_FILE packets MUST be in the following format:

           0         1...      1+NLEN...
      +----------+==========+=============+
      | NLEN (N) | Name (S) |  Data (A)   |
      +----------+==========+=============+

      NLEN (Unsigned Integer)                 [1 octet]
      Name (String)                           [NLEN octets]
      Data (Binary Data)                      [PLEN - NLEN -
                                               1 octets]
NLEN
Length of Name.
Name
Name of the TAS movie. Using the TAS movie's file name is RECOMMENDED (example: "mranderson-thematrix.bk2").
Data
TAS movie file data/content.
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.1.22. PORT_CONTROLLER Packet

PORT_CONTROLLER packets MUST be in the following format:

           0        1     2
      +----------+-----+-----+
      | Port (N) | Type (A)  |
      +----------+-----+-----+

      Port (Unsigned Integer)                 [1 octet]
      Type (Binary Data):                     [2 octets]
         [01 01] - NES Standard Controller
         [01 02] - NES Four Score
         [01 03] - (RESERVED) NES Zapper
         [01 04] - (RESERVED) NES Power Pad
         [01 05] - (RESERVED) Famicom Family BASIC Keyboard
         [02 01] - SNES Standard Controller
         [02 02] - SNES Super Multitap
         [02 03] - SNES Mouse
         [02 04] - (RESERVED) SNES Superscope
         [03 01] - N64 Standard Controller
         [03 02] - N64 Standard Controller with Rumble Pak
         [03 03] - N64 Standard Controller with Controller Pak
         [03 04] - N64 Standard Controller with Transfer Pak
         [03 05] - N64 Mouse
         [03 06] - (RESERVED) N64 Voice Recognition Unit (VRU)
         [03 07] - (RESERVED) N64 RandNet Keyboard
         [03 08] - N64 Densha de Go
         [04 01] - GC Standard Controller
         [04 02] - (RESERVED) GC Keyboard
         [05 01] - GB Gamepad
         [06 01] - GBC Gamepad
         [07 01] - GBA Gamepad
         [08 01] - Genesis (Mega Drive) 3-Button
         [08 02] - Genesis (Mega Drive) 6-Button
         [09 01] - A2600 Joystick
         [09 02] - (RESERVED) A2600 Paddle
         [09 03] - A2600 Keyboard Controller
         [FF FF] - Other/Unspecified
Port
Controller port number (Port number MUST be 1-indexed).
Type
Specifies the controller type connected to the Port. (RESERVED) specifies that the controller type is not described in this document, but the byte values are reserved for a later version of the TASD file format protocol. Input formats for specific controller types are described in (Section 5).
4.3.1.23. PORT_OVERREAD Packet

PORT_OVERREAD packets MUST be in the following format:

          0          1
      +----------+----------+
      | Port (N) | High (B) |
      +----------+----------+

      Port (N)                                [1 octet]
      High (Boolean)                          [1 octet]
Port
Controller port number (Port number MUST be 1-indexed).
High
Boolean value that is TRUE if overread bits are set to high and FALSE if overread bits are set to low.

4.3.2. NES Specific Key Payload Formats

4.3.2.1. NES_LATCH_FILTER Packet

NES_LATCH_FILTER packets MUST be in the following format:

         0     1
      +-----+-----+
      | Time (N)  |
      +-----+-----+

      Time (Unsigned Integer)                 [2 octets]
Time
Latch filter length of time in microseconds.
4.3.2.2. NES_CLOCK_FILTER Packet

NES_CLOCK_FILTER packets MUST be in the following format:

           0
      +----------+
      | Time (N) |
      +----------+

      Time (Unsigned Integer)                 [1 octet]
Time
Clock filter length of time in tenths of a microsecond (units of 0.1 microseconds or 100 nanoseconds).
4.3.2.3. NES_GAME_GENIE_CODE Packet

NES_GAME_GENIE_CODE packets MUST be in the following format:

          0...
      +==========+
      | Code (S) |
      +==========+

      Code (String)                           [PLEN octets]
Code
Game Genie code (example: "AATOZA").
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.

4.3.3. SNES Specific Key Payload Formats

4.3.3.1. SNES_LATCH_FILTER Packet

SNES_LATCH_FILTER packets MUST be in the following format:

         0     1
      +-----+-----+
      | Time (N)  |
      +-----+-----+

      Time (Unsigned Integer)                 [2 octets]
Time
Latch filter length of time in microseconds.
4.3.3.2. SNES_CLOCK_FILTER Packet

SNES_CLOCK_FILTER packets MUST be in the following format:

           0
      +----------+
      | Time (N) |
      +----------+

      Time (Unsigned Integer)                 [1 octet]
Time
Clock filter length of time in tenths of a microsecond (units of 0.1 microseconds or 100 nanoseconds).
4.3.3.3. SNES_GAME_GENIE_CODE Packet

SNES_GAME_GENIE_CODE packets MUST be in the following format:

          0...
      +==========+
      | Code (S) |
      +==========+

      Code (String)                           [PLEN octets]
Code
Game Genie code (example: "DDB4-6F07").
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.3.4. SNES_LATCH_TRAIN Packet

SNES_LATCH_TRAIN packets MUST be in the following format:

                  0...
      +====================+
      | Latch Trains ([]N) |
      +====================+

      Latch Trains (List of Unsigned Integers)  [PLEN octets]
Latch Trains
List of 64-bit unsigned integers in which each integer is the length of one Latch Train. MUST be a multiple of 8 octets in size
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.

A single SNES_LATCH_TRAIN packet MAY contain up to every Latch Train of a SNES TAS movie console replay and MAY contain fewer than every Latch Train of a SNES TAS movie console replay. There MAY be more than 1 SNES_LATCH_TRAIN packet.

4.3.4. Genesis Specific Key Payload Formats

4.3.4.1. GENESIS_GAME_GENIE_CODE Packet

GENESIS_GAME_GENIE_CODE packets MUST be in the following format:

          0...
      +==========+
      | Code (S) |
      +==========+

      Code (String)                           [PLEN octets]
Code
Game Genie code (example: "ATBT-AA32").
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.

4.3.5. Input Frame/Timing Key Payload Formats

4.3.5.1. INPUT_CHUNK Packet

INPUT_CHUNK packets MUST be in the following format:

           0          1...
      +----------+============+
      | Port (N) | Inputs (A) |
      +----------+============+

      Port (Unsigned Integer)                 [1 octet]
      Inputs (Binary Data)                    [PLEN - 1 octets]
Port
Controller port number (Port number MUST be 1-indexed).
Inputs
Controller input data for controller on Port. Input formats for each controller type is described in Section 5.
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.

All INPUT_CHUNK packets with corresponding Port values in the TASD file MUST be in chronological order, where earlier inputs in the TAS movie console replay are earlier in the TASD file and later inputs in the TAS movie console replay are later in the TASD file. If there are more than one INPUT_CHUNK packets for a specific Port, the input data MUST be interpreted as if all their contents were concatenated into a single INPUT_CHUNK packet. As such, a single INPUT_CHUNK packet MAY contain up to every input of a TAS movie console replay and MAY contain fewer than every input of a TAS movie console replay.

The input data contained in Inputs is divided up based on the PORT_CONTROLLER type corresponding to the Port number. Refer to Section 5 for each available type and the number of bytes used for each instance of controller input. The PORT_CONTROLLER type MAY be changed using TRANSITION packets, which MAY change the interpretation of the input data until either the end of the replay or until the next PORT_CONTROLLER transition.

Each instance of controller input SHOULD remain held until the input has been used according to the current replay configuration. By default, this means each instance of controller input corresponds to a single input "latch" or polling sequence by the console. However, some packet types MAY alter how inputs are used during replay. For example, the NES has the NES_LATCH_FILTER packet available. When NES_LATCH_FILTER is active, each instance of controller input MUST remain held until the end of the filter period.

4.3.5.2. INPUT_MOMENT Packet

INPUT_MOMENT packets MUST be in the following format:

           0          1             2
      +----------+----------+----------------+
      | Port (N) | Hold (B) | Index Type (A) | ...
      +----------+----------+----------------+
       3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10    11...
      +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+============+
      |       Index (N)       | Inputs (B) |
      +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+============+

      Port (Unsigned Integer)                 [1 octet]
      Hold (Boolean)                          [1 octet]
      Index Type (Binary Data):               [1 octet]
         [01] - Frame
         [02] - Cycle Count
         [03] - Milliseconds
         [04] - Microseconds
         [05] - Nanoseconds
      Index (Unsigned Integer)                [8 octets]
      Inputs (Binary Data)                    [PLEN - 11 octets]
Port
Controller port number (Port number MUST be 1-indexed).
Hold
If TRUE, the Input data MUST continue to be held after the controller state has been read. Otherwise if FALSE, the Input data is held only until the data has been used once.
Index Type
Specifies timing methodology of a specific moment when Input data MUST be applied.
Index
Time value in units based on Index Type.
Input
A single instance of controller input data for the controller on the specified Port. Input formats for each controller type is described in Section 5.
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.

Each INPUT_MOMENT packet contains a single instance of controller input data for a specific moment during a TAS replay. The input data's format depends on the PORT_CONTROLLER type corresponding to the Port number. Refer to Section 5 for each available type. The PORT_CONTROLLER type MAY be changed using TRANSITION packets, which MAY change the interpretation of the input data.

If Hold is TRUE, the controller MUST continually hold the input state until the next INPUT_MOMENT for the same Port number. If Hold is FALSE, the controller MUST hold only until the console reads the input state, or until the next INPUT_MOMENT for the same Port number.

If an INPUT_MOMENT overlaps with input data from one or more INPUT_CHUNKs, the INPUT_MOMENT's Input data MUST be used instead of the data contained in the INPUT_CHUNKs. INPUT_CHUNK data MUST still be incremented as it normally would. Hold MUST still behave as specified.

4.3.5.3. TRANSITION Packet

TRANSITION packets MUST be in the following format:

            0            1         2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9
      +----------+----------------+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
      | Port (N) | Index Type (A) |       Index (N)       | ...
      +----------+----------------+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
           10         11...
      +----------+============+
      | Type (A) | Packet (A) |
      +----------+============+

      Port (Unsigned Integer)                 [1 octet]
      Index Type (Binary Data):               [1 octet]
         [01] - Frame
         [02] - Cycle Count
         [03] - Milliseconds
         [04] - Microseconds
         [05] - Nanoseconds
         [06] - INPUT_CHUNK Byte Index
      Index (Unsigned Integer)                [8 octets]
      Type (Binary Data):                     [1 octet]
         [01] - Soft Reset
         [02] - Power Reset
         [03] - Restart TASD File
         [FF] - Packet Derived
      Inner Packet (Binary Data)              [PLEN - 11 octets]
Port
Controller port number (Port number MUST be 1-indexed).
Input Type
Determines specific timing type for start of transition.
Index
Time or offset value to start transition. If Index Type is [06], Index MUST be interpreted as the byte offset (0-indexed) into the concatenated input data from all INPUT_CHUNK packets for the controller port specified by Port. If Index Type is [06], the byte offset MUST also point to the first byte of an instance of controller input data (according to the PORT_CONTROLLER format at that moment in the TAS replay.)
Type
Type of transition. If Type is [FF], the transition action will be interpreting a TASD packet.
Inner Packet
If Type is [FF], Inner Packet SHOULD be a TASD packet. Inner Packet MUST NOT be a INPUT_CHUNK, INPUT_MOMENT, TRANSITION, LAG_FRAME_CHUNK, or MOVIE_TRANSITION packet.
PLEN
Length of the packet payload (Not Inner Packet length).
4.3.5.4. LAG_FRAME_CHUNK Packet

LAG_FRAME_CHUNK packets MUST be in the following format:

        0    1    2    3   4  5  6  7
      +----+----+----+----+--+--+--+--+
      |  Movie Frame (N)  | Count (N) |
      +----+----+----+----+--+--+--+--+

      Movie Frame (Unsigned Integer)          [4 octets]
      Count (Unsigned Integer)                [4 octets]
Movie Frame
Frame number of the TAS movie where Lag Frames start (Movie Frame MUST be 0-indexed).
Count
Number of Lag Frames in a row starting from Movie Frame.

Emulators typically consider a "lag frame" to be any frame in which the emulator believes the game does not poll/read controller inputs.

4.3.5.5. MOVIE_TRANSITION

MOVIE_TRANSITION packets MUST be in the following format:

        0    1    2    3       4             5...
      +----+----+----+----+----------+==================+
      |  Movie Frame (N)  | Type (A) | Inner Packet (A) |
      +----+----+----+----+----------+==================+

      Movie Frame (Unsigned Integer)          [4 octets]
      Type (Binary Data):                     [1 octet]
         [01] - Soft Reset
         [02] - Power Reset
         [03] - Restart TASD File
         [FF] - Packet Derived
      Inner Packet (Binary Data)              [PLEN - 5 octets]
Movie Frame
Frame number of the TAS movie (Movie Frame MUST be 0-indexed).
Type
Type of transition. If Type is [FF], the transition action will be interpreting a TASD packet.
Inner Packet
If Type is [FF], Inner Packet SHOULD be a TASD packet. Inner Packet MUST NOT be a INPUT_CHUNK, INPUT_MOMENT, TRANSITION, LAG_FRAME_CHUNK, or MOVIE_TRANSITION packet.
PLEN
Length of the packet payload (Not Inner Packet length).

4.3.6. Extraneous Key Payload Formats

4.3.6.1. COMMENT Packet

COMMENT packets MUST be in the following format:

             0
      +=============+
      | Comment (S) |
      +=============+

      Comment (String)                        [PLEN octet]
Comment
Comment text.
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.6.2. EXPERIMENTAL Packet

EXPERIMENTAL packets MUST be in the following format:

               0
      +------------------+
      | Experimental (B) |
      +------------------+

      Experimental (Boolean)                  [1 octet]
Experimental
Boolean data that is TRUE if the TASD file is using draft/experimental features and FALSE if the TASD file is only using stable features.
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.
4.3.6.3. UNSPECIFIED Packet

UNSPECIFIED packets MUST be in the following format:

                0...
      +======================+
      | Unspecified Data (A) |
      +======================+

      Unspecified Data (Binary Data)          [PLEN octets]
Unspecified Data
Arbitrary data. Can be used for any data. Because this is unspecified data, there is no guarantee any software used to control a TAS replay device will support data in this packet type.
PLEN
Length of the packet payload.

5. Controller Input Formats

A forward slash (/) is used to signify active low. As an example, if a bit is labeled as /A, the bit MUST be 0 if the A button is pressed and MUST be 1 if the A button is not pressed.

Multi-octet controller inputs are in little-endian order

Bit order for octets in controller inputs are high-order (MSB) (Most significant bit to least significant bit), so bit 7 MUST be the left-most bit of the octet and bit 0 MUST be the right-most bit of the octet.

5.1. NES/Famicom Controller Types

5.1.1. NES Standard Controller

Single Input Length: 1 Octet

Octet 0

Bit 7:
/A
Bit 6:
/B
Bit 5:
/Select
Bit 4:
/Start
Bit 3:
/Up
Bit 2:
/Down
Bit 1:
/Left
Bit 0:
/Right

5.1.2. NES Four Score

Single Input Length: 3 Octets

Octet 0

Bit 7:
Controller N-1 /A
Bit 6:
Controller N-1 /B
Bit 5:
Controller N-1 /Select
Bit 4:
Controller N-1 /Start
Bit 3:
Controller N-1 /Up
Bit 2:
Controller N-1 /Down
Bit 1:
Controller N-1 /Left
Bit 0:
Controller N-1 /Right

Octet 1

Bit 7:
Controller N-2 /A
Bit 6:
Controller N-2 /B
Bit 5:
Controller N-2 /Select
Bit 4:
Controller N-2 /Start
Bit 3:
Controller N-2 /Up
Bit 2:
Controller N-2 /Down
Bit 1:
Controller N-2 /Left
Bit 0:
Controller N-2 /Right

Octet 2

Bit 7:
1
Bit 6:
1
Bit 5:
0 if Controller Port is 2, otherwise 1
Bit 4:
0 if Controller Port is 1, otherwise 1
Bit 3:
1
Bit 2:
1
Bit 1:
1
Bit 0:
1

Controller N is the controller port number. The NES Four Score allows players 1 and 3 to input buttons on controller port 1 and players 2 and 4 to input buttons on controller port 2. Controller N-1 on controller port 1 is Player 1, Controller N-2 on controller port 1 is Player 3, Controller N-1 on controller port 2 is Player 2, and Controller N-2 on controller port 2 is Player 4.

5.2. SNES Controller Types

5.2.1. SNES Standard Controller

Single Input Length: 2 Octets

Octet 0

Bit 7:
/B
Bit 6:
/Y
Bit 5:
/Select
Bit 4:
/Start
Bit 3:
/Up
Bit 2:
/Down
Bit 1:
/Left
Bit 0:
/Right

Octet 1

Bit 7:
/A
Bit 6:
/X
Bit 5:
/L
Bit 4:
/R
Bit 3:
1
Bit 2:
1
Bit 1:
1
Bit 0:
1

5.2.2. SNES Super Multitap

Single Input Length: 5 Octets

Octet 0 :

Bit 7:
1
Bit 6:
1
Bit 5:
1
Bit 4:
1
Bit 3:
1
Bit 2:
1
Bit 1:
1
Bit 0:
I/O Pin State - 1 if Multitap ports 1 and 2 are being polled, 0 if ports 3 and 4 are.

Octet 1

Bit 7:
Controller N-1 or N-3 /B
Bit 6:
Controller N-1 or N-3 /Y
Bit 5:
Controller N-1 or N-3 /Select
Bit 4:
Controller N-1 or N-3 /Start
Bit 3:
Controller N-1 or N-3 /Up
Bit 2:
Controller N-1 or N-3 /Down
Bit 1:
Controller N-1 or N-3 /Left
Bit 0:
Controller N-1 or N-3 /Right

Octet 2

Bit 7:
Controller N-1 or N-3 /A
Bit 6:
Controller N-1 or N-3 /X
Bit 5:
Controller N-1 or N-3 /L
Bit 4:
Controller N-1 or N-3 /R
Bit 3:
1
Bit 2:
1
Bit 1:
1
Bit 0:
1

Octet 3

Bit 7:
Controller N-2 or N-4 /B
Bit 6:
Controller N-2 or N-4 /Y
Bit 5:
Controller N-2 or N-4 /Select
Bit 4:
Controller N-2 or N-4 /Start
Bit 3:
Controller N-2 or N-4 /Up
Bit 2:
Controller N-2 or N-4 /Down
Bit 1:
Controller N-2 or N-4 /Left
Bit 0:
Controller N-2 or N-4 /Right

Octet 4

Bit 7:
Controller N-2 or N-4 /A
Bit 6:
Controller N-2 or N-4 /X
Bit 5:
Controller N-2 or N-4 /L
Bit 4:
Controller N-2 or N-4 /R
Bit 3:
1
Bit 2:
1
Bit 1:
1
Bit 0:
1

Controller N is the controller port number on the console that the Multitap is connected to. Controller N-1...N-4 are the controller ports 1...4 on the Multitap. Two Multitap ports are polled simultaneously by the game - either 1 and 2, or 3 and 4. The I/O Pin state in octet 0 MUST be 1 for multitap ports 1 and 2, or 0 for ports 3 and 4.

5.2.3. SNES Mouse

Single Input Length: 4 Octets

Octet 0

Bit 7:
1
Bit 6:
1
Bit 5:
1
Bit 4:
1
Bit 3:
1
Bit 2:
1
Bit 1:
1
Bit 0:
1

Octet 1

Bit 7:
/Right button
Bit 6:
/Left button
Bit 5:
Current sensitivity (0: high sensitivity; 1: low or medium sensitivity)
Bit 4:
Current sensitivity (0: medium sensitivity; 1: low or high sensitivity)
Bit 3:
1
Bit 2:
1
Bit 1:
1
Bit 0:
0

Octet 2

Bits 7-1:
/Vertical displacement since last read
Bit 0:
Direction (0: up; 1: down)

Octet 3

Bits 7-1:
/Horizontal displacement since last read
Bit 0:
Direction (0: up; 1: down)

5.3. N64 Controller Types

5.3.1. N64 Standard Controller

Single Input Length: 4 Octets

Octet 0

Bit 7:
A
Bit 6:
B
Bit 5:
Z
Bit 4:
Start
Bit 3:
D-Pad Up
Bit 2:
D-Pad Down
Bit 1:
D-Pad Left
Bit 0:
D-Pad Right

Octet 1

Bit 7:
RST (special controller reset bit)
Bit 6:
0
Bit 5:
Left Trigger
Bit 4:
Right Trigger
Bit 3:
C-Up
Bit 2:
C-Down
Bit 1:
C-Left
Bit 0:
C-Right

Octet 2

Bits 7-0:
Analog Stick X-Axis (signed 8-bit number)

Octet 3

Bits 7-0:
Analog Stick Y-Axis (signed 8-bit number)

5.3.2. N64 Standard Controller with Rumble

Single Input Length: 4 Octets

Octet 0

Bit 7:
A
Bit 6:
B
Bit 5:
Z
Bit 4:
Start
Bit 3:
D-Pad Up
Bit 2:
D-Pad Down
Bit 1:
D-Pad Left
Bit 0:
D-Pad Right

Octet 1

Bit 7:
RST (special controller reset bit)
Bit 6:
0
Bit 5:
Left Trigger
Bit 4:
Right Trigger
Bit 3:
C-Up
Bit 2:
C-Down
Bit 1:
C-Left
Bit 0:
C-Right

Octet 2

Bits 7-0:
Analog Stick X-Axis (signed 8-bit number)

Octet 3

Bits 7-0:
Analog Stick Y-Axis (signed 8-bit number)

5.3.3. N64 Standard Controller with Controller Pak

Single Input Length: 4 Octets

Octet 0

Bit 7:
A
Bit 6:
B
Bit 5:
Z
Bit 4:
Start
Bit 3:
D-Pad Up
Bit 2:
D-Pad Down
Bit 1:
D-Pad Left
Bit 0:
D-Pad Right

Octet 1

Bit 7:
RST (special controller reset bit)
Bit 6:
0
Bit 5:
Left Trigger
Bit 4:
Right Trigger
Bit 3:
C-Up
Bit 2:
C-Down
Bit 1:
C-Left
Bit 0:
C-Right

Octet 2

Bits 7-0:
Analog Stick X-Axis (signed 8-bit number)

Octet 3

Bits 7-0:
Analog Stick Y-Axis (signed 8-bit number)

5.3.4. N64 Standard Controller with Transfer Pak

Single Input Length: 4 Octets

Octet 0

Bit 7:
A
Bit 6:
B
Bit 5:
Z
Bit 4:
Start
Bit 3:
D-Pad Up
Bit 2:
D-Pad Down
Bit 1:
D-Pad Left
Bit 0:
D-Pad Right

Octet 1

Bit 7:
RST (special controller reset bit)
Bit 6:
0
Bit 5:
Left Trigger
Bit 4:
Right Trigger
Bit 3:
C-Up
Bit 2:
C-Down
Bit 1:
C-Left
Bit 0:
C-Right

Octet 2

Bits 7-0:
Analog Stick X-Axis (signed 8-bit number)

Octet 3

Bits 7-0:
Analog Stick Y-Axis (signed 8-bit number)

5.3.5. N64 Mouse

Single Input Length: 4 Octets

Octet 0

Bit 7:
A
Bit 6:
B
Bit 5:
0
Bit 4:
0
Bit 3:
0
Bit 2:
0
Bit 1:
0
Bit 0:
0

Octet 1

Bit 7:
0
Bit 6:
0
Bit 5:
0
Bit 4:
0
Bit 3:
0
Bit 2:
0
Bit 1:
0
Bit 0:
0

Octet 2

Bits 7-0:
Relative X-Axis position (signed 8-bit number)

Octet 3

Bits 7-0:
Relative Y-Axis position (signed 8-bit number)

5.3.6. N64 Densha de Go

Single Input Length: 4 Octets

Octet 0

Bit 7:
A
Bit 6:
B
Bit 5:
Accelerator
Bit 4:
Start
Bit 3:
Accelerator
Bit 2:
0
Bit 1:
0
Bit 0:
Accelerator

Octet 1

Bit 7:
0
Bit 6:
0
Bit 5:
C
Bit 4:
Select
Bits 3-0:
Brake

Octet 2

Bit 7:
0
Bit 6:
0
Bit 5:
0
Bit 4:
0
Bit 3:
0
Bit 2:
0
Bit 1:
0
Bit 0:
0

Octet 3

Bit 7:
0
Bit 6:
0
Bit 5:
0
Bit 4:
0
Bit 3:
0
Bit 2:
0
Bit 1:
0
Bit 0:
0

5.4. GameCube Controller Types

5.4.1. GameCube Standard Controller

Single Input Length: 8 Octets

Octet 0

Bit 7:
0
Bit 6:
0
Bit 5:
0
Bit 4:
Start
Bit 3:
Y
Bit 2:
X
Bit 1:
B
Bit 0:
A

Octet 1

Bit 7:
1
Bit 6:
L
Bit 5:
R
Bit 4:
Z
Bit 3:
D-Pad Up
Bit 2:
D-Pad Down
Bit 1:
D-Pad Right
Bit 0:
D-Pad Left

Octet 2

Bits 7-0:
Analog Stick X-Axis (signed 8-bit number)

Octet 3

Bits 7-0:
Analog Stick Y-Axis (signed 8-bit number)

Octet 4

Bits 7-0:
C-Stick X-Axis (signed 8-bit number)

Octet 5

Bits 7-0:
C-Stick Y-Axis (signed 8-bit number)

Octet 6

Bits 7-0:
L Analog Value (unsigned 8-bit number)

Octet 7

Bits 7-0:
R Analog Value (unsigned 8-bit number)

5.5. Game Boy Controller Types

5.5.1. GB Standard Controller

Single Input Length: 1 Octet

Octet 0

Bit 7:
/Down
Bit 6:
/Up
Bit 5:
/Left
Bit 4:
/Right
Bit 3:
/Start
Bit 2:
/Select
Bit 1:
/B
Bit 0:
/A

5.6. Game Boy Color Controller Types

5.6.1. GBC Standard Controller

Single Input Length: 1 Octet

Octet 0

Bit 7:
/Down
Bit 6:
/Up
Bit 5:
/Left
Bit 4:
/Right
Bit 3:
/Start
Bit 2:
/Select
Bit 1:
/B
Bit 0:
/A

5.7. Game Boy Advance Controller Types

5.7.1. GBA Standard Controller

Single Input Length: 2 Octets

Octet 0

Bit 7:
1
Bit 6:
1
Bit 5:
1
Bit 4:
1
Bit 3:
1
Bit 2:
1
Bit 1:
/L
Bit 0:
/R

Octet 1

Bit 7:
/Down
Bit 6:
/Up
Bit 5:
/Left
Bit 4:
/Right
Bit 3:
/Start
Bit 2:
/Select
Bit 1:
/B
Bit 0:
/A

5.8. Genesis Controller Types

5.8.1. Genesis (Mega Drive) 3-Button

Single Input Length: 1 Octet

Octet 0

Bit 7:
/C
Bit 6:
/B
Bit 5:
/Right
Bit 4:
/Left
Bit 3:
/Down
Bit 2:
/Up
Bit 1:
/Start
Bit 0:
/A

5.8.2. Genesis (Mega Drive) 6-Button

Single Input Length: 2 Octets

Octet 0

Bit 7:
/C
Bit 6:
/B
Bit 5:
/Right
Bit 4:
/Left
Bit 3:
/Down
Bit 2:
/Up
Bit 1:
/Start
Bit 0:
/A

Octet 1

Bit 7:
/Mode
Bit 6:
/X
Bit 5:
/Y
Bit 4:
/Z
Bit 3:
1
Bit 2:
1
Bit 1:
1
Bit 0:
1

5.9. Atari 2600 Controller Types

5.9.1. A2600 Joystick

Single Input Length: 1 Octet

Octet 0

Bit 7:
/Up
Bit 6:
/Down
Bit 5:
/Left
Bit 4:
/Right
Bit 3:
1
Bit 2:
/Button
Bit 1:
1
Bit 0:
1

5.9.2. A2600 Keyboard Controller

Single Input Length: 1 Octet

Octet 0

Bit 7:
/Row1 (key 1, 2, or 3 pressed)
Bit 6:
/Row2 (key 4, 5, or 6 pressed)
Bit 5:
/Row3 (key 7, 8, or 9 pressed)
Bit 4:
/Row4 (key *, 0, or # pressed)
Bit 3:
/Column1 (key 1, 4, 7, or * pressed)
Bit 2:
/Column3 (key 3, 6, 9, or # pressed)
Bit 1:
/Column2 (key 2, 5, 8, or 0 pressed)
Bit 0:
1

6. References

6.1. Normative References

[RFC2119]
Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.
[RFC8174]
Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC 2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.

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Authors' Addresses

Vi Grey
URI: https://vigrey.com
Bigbass
URI: https://github.com/bigbass1997
rasteri
URI: https://github.com/rasteri