Lots of Nintendo DS games use the same file formats to store their data, but not Fossil Fighters! It has its own set of completely unique file formats that it uses to store all kinds of data, from cutscenes to 3D models to dialogue.
On one hand, this is a huge pain, because we can't use existing tools to export and edit these files. On the other hand, Fossil Fighters's strange data files are really powerful! An incredible amount of the game's logic is encoded in files that can be easily1 read and modified.
Most (but not all!) Fossil Fighters file formats start with a short code that's used to refer to that format.
| File Format | Description | Location | carbonizer support (FF1/FFC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| _match | Miscellaneous data | etc/*_match | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3BA | etc/battle_attack_type | ✓ | ✗ | |
| 3BC | model/battle/arcscenecsv.mar/0000 | ✗ | ✗ | |
| BBG | Kasekiums (fossil battle arenas) | etc/btl_bg_defs | ✓ | ✗ |
| CHR | Characters | chara/ | ✓ | ✗ |
| DAL | Attacks | etc/attack_defs | ✓ | ✗ |
| DBA | etc/btl_adjust_defs | ✓ | ✗ | |
| DBS | Battles | battle/ | ✓ | ✗ |
| DBT | btl_tutorial/ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| DCL | Vivosaurs | etc/creature_defs | ✓ | ✓ |
| DEP | Cutscene triggers | episode/ | ✓ | ✗ |
| DEX | Cutscenes | episode/e* | ✓ | ✓ |
| DMG | Dialogue | msg/ | ✓ | ✓ |
| DML | etc/museum_defs | ✓ | ✗ | |
| DMS | Max IDs | etc/*_maxid | ✓ | ✓ |
| DSL | Haiku | etc/senryu_defs | ✓ | ✗ |
| DTX | Text | text/ | ✓ | ✓ |
| GRD | Map data | map/c/, map/e/, map/g/, map/r/ | ✓ | ✓ |
| HML | Masks | etc/headmask_defs | ✓ | ✗ |
| KIL | Key items | etc/keyitem_defs | ✓ | ✓ |
| KPS | FP | etc/btl_kp_defs | ✓ | ✗ |
| MAP | Maps | map/m/ | ✓ | ✗ |
| MAR, MCM | Archive format | Everywhere! | ✓ | ✓ |
| MFS | Fonts | font/ | ✗ | ✗ |
| MKL | etc/timemask | ✗ | ✗ | |
| MM3 | Index files for 3D models | model/ | ✓ | ✗ |
| MMS | Index files for sprites | motion/ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MPM | Index files for images | image/ | ✓ | ✓ |
| RLS | Fossils | etc/kaseki_defs | ✓ | ✓ |
| SHP | Shop | shop/ | ✓ | ✗ |
| File Format | Description | Location | carbonizer support |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3CL | Index file for vivosaur 3D models | model/battle/arcdin/0000 | ✓ |
| AIS | btl_ai/ | ✗ | |
| AST | btl_aiset/ | ✗ | |
| BCO | Unknown—all zeros | etc/creature_offset_defs | ✓ |
| DAB | auto_battle/auto_battle | ✗ | |
| DNC | dance/ | ✗ | |
| ECS | Miscellaneous data | etc/excavate_defs | ✓ |
| File Format | Description | Location | carbonizer support |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACL | etc/add_contents_defs | ✗ | |
| AIC | etc/ai_attack_defs | ✗ | |
| AIP | etc/ai_pattern_defs | ✗ | |
| CAMS | etc/camera_setting_defs | ✗ | |
| CBS | etc/cleaningbasic_defs | ✗ | |
| CCL | etc/cleaning_challenge_defs | ✗ | |
| CDTW | etc/conditional_word_defs | ✗ | |
| CHI | etc/charaitem_defs | ✗ | |
| CPL | etc/creature_palet_defs | ✗ | |
| CPLS | etc/critical_point_location_defs | ✗ | |
| CRI | etc/creature_rankup_interval_defs | ✗ | |
| CWS | etc/cannonwarp_defs | ✗ | |
| D2ML | etc/2D_motion_defs | ✗ | |
| D3NNL | etc/node_name_table | ✗ | |
| DAI | etc/ai_tactics_defs | ✗ | |
| DATL | etc/ATM_tutorial_list_defs | ✗ | |
| DATM | etc/atmwarp_defs | ✗ | |
| DBG | etc/debug_defs | ✗ | |
| DBTL | etc/donate_battlepoint_defs | ✗ | |
| DCEA | etc/creature_evolution_abilityup_param_defs | ✗ | |
| DCL | Same magic bytes as creature_defs, unknown if same file type | etc/donate_creature_defs | ✗ |
| DCS | etc/consol_defs | ✗ | |
| DCSL | etc/creature_strength_defs | ✗ | |
| DDE | etc/btl_dmg_effect_def | ✗ | |
| DDPL | etc/donate_point_defs | ✗ | |
| DEMO | etc/autodemo_defs | ✗ | |
| DKSK | etc/donate_kaseki_defs | ✗ | |
| DMLS | etc/manpu_defs | ✗ | |
| DMSK | etc/donate_mask_defs | ✗ | |
| DPLS | etc/pict_defs | ✗ | |
| DSES | etc/state_effect_defs | ✗ | |
| DSFG | etc/rank_growth_pattern_defs | ✗ | |
| DTLL | etc/textloadtiming_defs | ✗ | |
| DTS | etc/donate_exchange_defs | ✗ | |
| ECL | extra_contents_defs | ✗ | |
| ECS | etc/commonbasic_defs | ✗ | |
| EGL | etc/informationguild_defs | ✗ | |
| EMS | excavatematch_defs | ✗ | |
| EVI | etc/shopeventitem_defs | ✗ | |
| FACH | etc/facechange_defs | ✗ | |
| FHL | etc/fieldhorider_defs | ✗ | |
| GCOL | etc/groundcolor_defs | ✗ | |
| GEFF | etc/groundeffect_defs | ✗ | |
| HEXP | etc/horider_experience_defs | ✗ | |
| JPK | etc/jiman_prize_kaseki_defs | ✗ | |
| MLS | etc/motion_defs | ✗ | |
| MPG | etc/mapgroup_defs | ✗ | |
| OPMV | etc/openingmovie_defs | ✗ | |
| PCS | etc/passconnect_defs | ✗ | |
| PLYR | etc/player_defs | ✗ | |
| RBBL | etc/robobonus_defs | ✗ | |
| RBL | etc/robo_defs | ✗ | |
| RLS | etc/radarskin_defs | ✗ | |
| SIL | etc/symbolicon_defs | ✗ | |
| SKS | etc/shopkaseki_defs | ✗ | |
| TPL | etc/shoptool_defs | ✗ |