Hi, taskforce and ultpaladin. I hope you've all been well this year
@ultpaladin: Yeah, it's possible any of the things taskforce said could cause strange behavior, but if you're sure you have the right rom patched, it should work fine.
Anyway, I still have all my save files from the beta testing, so I've uploaded a save file for you for use in either Higan or ZSNES/ZSNESW. This save file is right after defeating Basim and returning to Port Lorraine (which is right after Fang learns to fly).
Here's the link:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/gd7fmxp9kfe245t/Aretha+Save+File+(Port+Lorraine).zip/fileHope that helps!