

-----------------------------------

RoboFan_93

Tue Jan 10, 2017 6:56 pm


RoboCop NES Prototype

-----------------------------------

I recently came across a prototype ROM for the original NES RoboCop game that contains several differences when compared to the final version. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to take a screenshot for each of them, but I did write down a list. Frankly, I don't see why they changed some of this stuff (such as the stairs in Level 5 and the beginning of Level 6).

- Health and Time indicators say “H” and “E” in prototype version, instead of "T" and "P".
- Dog enemies have a different colour palette.
- Explosion sprite is different
- No shooting range bonus stages.
- The machine-gun and flamethrower wielding enemies that appear out of windows in Level 2 and later in Level 5 die in a single hit in the prototype. They take multiple hits in the final version
- In Level 2 RoboCop puts his gun away in front of City Hall instead of inside.
- In Level 2 all the rooms in city hall are different, the grenade and shield wielding enemy also appears inside city hall.
- The room before the Level 2 Boss is longer. The final version only utilizes the final screen of the room from the prototype version.
- First staircase in Level 3 is mis-aligned.
- Obtaining a single machine gun grants you 255 ammo instead of 30 as in the final version.
- Obtaining a single Cobra Gun grants you 6 ammo instead of 2 as in the final version
- Max Ammo for Auto 9 says 100 instead of infinite as in the final version.
- RoboCop takes more damage and time goes down faster in the prototype version.
- ED-209's Health Bar is different
- Level 3 Boss enemies have a slightly different colour palette.
- Regular enemies on Level 5 die in 1 gunshot instead of 2 as in the final version.
- Level 5, section 2 starts with RoboCop going down a staircase, carrying on from the end of the previous section. Final version starts him out down in the dirty water.
- Level 5 Boss, Clarence, retains his hit-animation for a longer time when shot in the prototype version.
- Level 6 starts at a plaza instead of a conveyor belt. The player fights regular enemies instead of oil drums, knife-throwers appear (in the final version, the knife-throwing enemy appears only once on level 5)
- The first floor of the OCP tower in Level 6 ends with 3 elevator doors, instead of one like in the final version.
- Ending cutscene is missing.
- Credits use end music and intro cutscene music.
- Proper credits are displayed in the prototype. They are otherwise only shown in the Japanese final version.
- Shots from the cutscenes are shown alongside credits in the prototype version.


If anyone comes across any other prototypes that differ from the final versions, feel free to share them :)


-----------------------------------

Archive

Tue Jan 10, 2017 8:37 pm



-----------------------------------

Nice. Do you have any screenshots for some of the more interesting changes?


-----------------------------------

RoboFan_93

Wed Jan 11, 2017 2:44 pm



-----------------------------------

Unfortunately, no, but I did create some save states to be able to do that as soon as I have some more time. And the game is short anyway, so it won't be any trouble to replay it and make some screens. The most interesting changes, to me, are the ones in Levels 2, 5 and 6. I really don't see why they changed the plaza in front of OCP to a conveyor belt or why they cut the staircase in Level 5, which makes for a much nicer transition.

But then again, I also don't see a reason for some of the changes between the English and Japanese versions of the game, like the helicopter enemy, for example.

Will do my best to post some screens later this week. It's neat to find little things like that for games you feel like you know everything about, kinda like when I first learned of the secret rooms in RoboCop 3 for NES.

