The Firemen SNES prototype

[badinsults]

http://www.snescentral.com/0/8/2/0829/prototype1/screen01.png http://www.snescentral.com/0/8/2/0829/prototype1/screen11-proto.png

The Firemen is a pretty fun action game (though short) that was released only in Japan and Europe. I bought this prototype about a year ago, though it turned out to be the same as the previously dumped prototype that was on sale on DP back in 2007 by DuoFan. Although it has an English script and is in an NTSC format, I still have my doubts as to this being an actual unreleased US version of the game. I could find no media that stated there were plans for a US release. There are a lot of reproductions out there that are copies of this prototype, so be aware that the script in it is unfinished and contains a lot of errors.


Click Here for my article. (http://www.snescentral.com/review.php?id=0829&num=0&fancy=yes&article=proto)

[Greg2600]

Thorough comparison as always. So you're advice for English speakers is to stick with the PAL rom?

[badinsults]

If you are playing the game for the story, the PAL version has a better script. If you are playing it just for the gameplay, I would go with the NTSC version. Personally, I would go with the NTSC version, even if the script is rough, as it offers a much smoother experience. Ideally, some enterprising ROM hacker could insert the PAL script into the NTSC prototype, and you would have the ultimate version of the game.

[Little Miss Gloom]

Ideally, some enterprising ROM hacker could insert the PAL script into the NTSC prototype, and you would have the ultimate version of the game.

...And, why hasn't that happened yet?

I ask the same of ROM hackers who haven't developed a patch for 7th Saga's script for Elnard's JPN ROM. Oh, no. Instead, spend months to years instead tooling around with the in-game stats. Because that makes the most sense (inb4 "It -does- make the most sense.").

People keep telling me there is so much potential in the emulation community, and except for "AAA" patches like for Mother 3 and Secret of Mana 2, and the odd Zelda character sprite swap, I really don't see it. Call me naive, call me lazy for not looking hard enough, but that's just how it seems to me. It's actually kind of frustrating. And trust me, if I knew how to program, I would do that shit.

[Little Miss Gloom]

Great article, by the way. I'm curious about the fluidity differences you mentioned between the PAL and "NTSC" versions. I've played this game, probably the PAL version, and don't remember having much issue with the gameplay mechanics. Mind elaborating?

[badinsults]

...And, why hasn't that happened yet?

I ask the same of ROM hackers who haven't developed a patch for 7th Saga's script for Elnard's JPN ROM. Oh, no. Instead, spend months to years instead tooling around with the in-game stats. Because that makes the most sense (inb4 "It -does- make the most sense.").

People keep telling me there is so much potential in the emulation community, and except for "AAA" patches like for Mother 3 and Secret of Mana 2, and the odd Zelda character sprite swap, I really don't see it. Call me naive, call me lazy for not looking hard enough, but that's just how it seems to me. It's actually kind of frustrating. And trust me, if I knew how to program, I would do that shit.


Hacking any game is not trivial. You can bet the pointers would not be identical between the prototype and the PAL version of the game, plus you would have to figure out the encryption routine. Even for an experienced ROM hacker, this could take weeks. And I imagine between the Japanese and US versions of a game, it would be even more challenging.


Great article, by the way. I'm curious about the fluidity differences you mentioned between the PAL and "NTSC" versions. I've played this game, probably the PAL version, and don't remember having much issue with the gameplay mechanics. Mind elaborating?

The fluidity issues is purely based on the the fact that PAL signals run at 50 Hz and NTSC runs at 60 Hz. Therefore PAL games are inherently choppier, unless programmers took steps to correct for it. Usually they didn't.