Game Profile: Rocket Knight Adventures (US Beta)

[Private Enemy]

http://i2.ebayimg.com/03/i/07/d4/e9/55_1.JPG

- I aquired this cartridge from ebay for about $75.
- The build ver. is 1993/6/15.

This build is only 2 months away from the release of the US version, since it is based on the American release, everything is essentially complete.

However, as you may or may not know, the introduction sequences to RKA US and RKA JAP are different. The JAP ver. shows the pig enemies attacking a village and the US ver. shows Sparkster standing on a hill.

According to the 6/15 build, the American intro was implemented very late in development, possibly in the last few builds, or in the very least disabled in this version (meaning that the data probably exists in the ROM but it not activated). Much to my suprise, the game displays a Stage Select option screen instead of the introduction sequence.

In addition, you can only select EASY and HARD as a difficulty, like the Japanese version. In the US release, 2 or 3 more options were added to the difficulty settings, such as "Children".

I will keep you updated.

[Joe Redifer]

Interesting. I guess the US couldn't handle seeing pigs attack a village. Wouldn't want another Columbine incident. Oh wait that was Doom's fault.

[Elusive]

http://i2.ebayimg.com/03/i/07/d4/e9/55_1.JPG

- I aquired this cartridge from ebay for about $75.
- The build ver. is 1993/6/15.

This build is only 2 months away from the release of the US version, since it is based on the American release, everything is essentially complete.

However, as you may or may not know, the introduction sequences to RKA US and RKA JAP are different. The JAP ver. shows the pig enemies attacking a village and the US ver. shows Sparkster standing on a hill.

According to the 6/15 build, the American intro was implemented very late in development, possibly in the last few builds, or in the very least disabled in this version (meaning that the data probably exists in the ROM but it not activated). Much to my suprise, the game displays a Stage Select option screen instead of the introduction sequence.

In addition, you can only select EASY and HARD as a difficulty, like the Japanese version. In the US release, 2 or 3 more options were added to the difficulty settings, such as "Children".

I will keep you updated.

Interesting - do you have the capability to dump this? Can you post any images?

Off the top of my head, the sounds used on the title screen are different in the final US/EU and JP games - load each game in an emulator, and move the selection cursor thing around at the title screen and you'll know what I mean. What're they like in this version?

[Genesis Knight]

Neat.

[Leo Leonardo]

Sweet job Private, i've been interested in this game for a bit.

Betas are always tough to get.

[Mr Smith]

So are there any other differences from the finished version?

[David J.]

I hope to see this dumped in the future. :)

[5233]

Some people have been anticipating this game's dump for a while now. However, there continues to be a bit of uncertainty by it's owner as to who is going to do the dumping, so here's hoping that we will see it dumped soon.

[Mark Robert]

It's good the final U.S. release of RKA had a 'children' difficulty. I just beat that difficulty tonight. It's the first time I've beaten the game after about a dozen playthroughs over a year-and-a-half.

[5233]

Since it is based on the completed japanese version, aside from the ones that are noted, there doesn't seem to be that many changes to it. The owner completed the game and the ending was basically the same as the released version. What is interesting however is that this build calls up the level select in place of the introduction screen, and we all know how the US and JP intros are different. So there's a question of whether or not the new intro was finished at this time. It could be in the ROM data but not activated, and if so, possibly in an earlier form.

[Aarzak]

Bah, near-complete betas bore me. Not much difference from the final versions.

I've been spoiled by the likes of Sonic 2 Alpha/Beta and some of drx's releases.

[5233]

I remember PACHUKA saying years ago that he sold an RKA alpha to a seller in the UK, because supposedly at the time he didn't have a dumper. I wonder who has it now, that is, if he was being serious.

[Elusive]

Since it is based on the completed japanese version, aside from the ones that are noted, there doesn't seem to be that many changes to it. The owner completed the game and the ending was basically the same as the released version. What is interesting however is that this build calls up the level select in place of the introduction screen, and we all know how the US and JP intros are different. So there's a question of whether or not the new intro was finished at this time. It could be in the ROM data but not activated, and if so, possibly in an earlier form.

This could imply that you have a review copy of the game, and not a prototype. I'd imagine that it's easier to get the programmers to hack in a level select than have to slog through the game in order to get screenshots or whatever.

[edit] Well done on bumping the thread, though. Got me all excited thinking you'd gotten it dumped for NOTHING! :)