[Shoemanbundy]

We'll see, I'm not opposed to getting what I have out there whatever the result of this proto, and this stuff has been sitting on my HD for over a year now.

Regarding the proto, I know in the final a level select was found that shows a build date of 9-12-95. One of the EPROMs on this proto has a sticker that says 9-10 on it. So if that's anything to go by, could only be two days before the final build. Then again you never know. I've been told by the main programmer they were working on it even during holiday break, so that date doesn't make much sense as a final. Plus so many sites say the release was Nov or Dec of 95, even the Sega Retro wiki saying July, so it's very confusing to me when exactly a final build would have been made. I only remembered to check this AFTER making the purchase. Probably would have been more hesitant, otherwise. Always a gamble with these things.

I'll PM later with what I have and see what you think. Proto should be here within the next couple days btw.

[Black Squirrel]

The Sega Retro date is probably wrong. A lot of these US release dates were brought over from Wikipedia or GameFAQs back when we naive enough to think those sites might be right. December 1995 seems more realistic (I mean... why would you rush for a July release).

[Shoemanbundy]

Got it today. As I expected it seems to just be a final. It's dated 9-11-95 in the level select screen, only three days before the 9-14-95 date in the final. One EPROM says 9-10B on it.

Hurts spending so much money on this stuff. Here's the ROM if anyone wants to look further into it.

https://mega.co.nz/#...kp0NXvSo3m9KRhM

[ICEknight]

It's odd how there's many differences in the code while the game itself looks and plays just like the final... I've played through the first two levels and the final boss, and couldn't find any bugs or features not in the final game.

I have found one difference besides the build date, though: Either the "free movement" code (A, Right, C, C, B, Up) is disabled, or it had a different button combination.


Thanks for sharing the ROM, I hope somebody can find out what those code differences are about.

[Covarr]

ICEknight, on 30 May 2014 - 02:03 PM, said:

It's odd how there's many differences in the code while the game itself looks and plays just like the final... I've played through the first two levels and the final boss, and couldn't find any bugs or features not in the final game.

It could be some minor corner-case bug, it could be optimization to prevent slowdown at some point in the game... the number of things that can be changed in code without being apparent in a typical playthrough are innumerable.

[ICEknight]

Could be, but I haven't noticed anything that's apparently buggy in the levels I've played (up to Catsablanca 1, until I got lost and gave up =P).

This situation reminds me of that EarthWorm Jim 2 prototype, although that one seemed to have a few more noticeable differences. Shoemanbundy, did you get to check for any old level text strings to see if they matched those in the SNES prototype?

This post has been edited by ICEknight: 30 May 2014 - 06:12 PM

[Shoemanbundy]

Never got to check. From what I could figure out that EWJ2 proto seemed to be the exact same in terms of differences in the SNES one.

I'm realizing this Garfield stuff should have been its own topic. Haven't been thinking straight, didn't mean to derail.

[Kiddo Cabbusses]

Barry the Nomad, on 23 May 2014 - 12:37 PM, said:

The interview is ready for your ears!

http://segabits.com/...resident-90-96/

https://www.youtube....h?v=73abjrBD3NU

It seems like all the snark Kalinske got about the Pico from the Japanese was hypocritical humor in hindsight. While that interview didn't answer directly who the brainchild behind the Pico was (Maybe that answer is in the book?) it was interesting to see how Kalinkse was so passionate about it.

Should I dare mail him my Pokemon Pico game copy? :P