Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Pool of Radiance (NES)

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Pool of Radiance
Developers: Marionette Publishers: Pony Canyon (JP), FCI (US) Platform: NES Released in JP: June 28, 1991 Released in US: April 1992 This game has unused graphics. This game has unused music. This game has unused text. This game has regional differences.

Pool of Radiance was the first (and only) Advanced Dungeons & Dragons video game on the NES to be an RPG, as well as being the first computer game in the series, and the only console port of the game. The NES version featured several gameplay mechanic differences from its computer counterpart. A few of these include: gold is the only currency, most throwable items are unlimited, no copy protection. Additionally, graphics were created from scratch, and some of the maps as well as the wilderness parts were altered. It also features a full soundtrack, later used in the PC-98 version.

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Regional Differences A storeroom full of human flesh...

Unused Music

Track 28 of the NSF file is a piece of music which isn't used anywhere in either version of the game. It is speculated that this song would have been used for the hidden caves found in the computer versions. However, these caves are not present in the NES version.

(Source: Zophar.net)

Unused Images

To do: Check if the female apparition has a second frame of animation that isn't used. I (Doommaster1994) have no way of checking.

A couple character portraits, while used in the game, don't appear in certain areas for other characters that use the same portraits. Most of the time, this is due to the game requiring the player to be facing up against a wall, otherwise it just shows a tiny graphic similar to their combat icon.

Ohlo

Ohlo (in the Slums) uses the same character portrait as Genheeris. However, you can never be up against a wall when you enter his room, so his character portrait is never used. Character portraits are usually (but not always) only displayed when you are facing a wall.

Envoys

The same situation applies to the Envoys in the Kobold Cave. They use the same character portrait as the Diane enemies found in Yarash's Pyramid.

Unused Text

The game contains a huge amount of unused text.

Buccaneer Base

In the buccaneer base, your objective is to save an heir. There is no known way to kill him, but there probably was originally a way to get him killed:

One of the buccaneers sees you with the body and yells:
Attack them!

You can buy a pass from a shady man to see the Captain who has the heir. However, he doesn't ever seem to lose/sell the heir. There is a slave trader you will meet who wants the kid, but he does not ever end up getting the heir.

Captain: Sorry, The boy is not here. The captain goes into his room
and you leave.

After you kill off most of the buccaneers and the Captain, the game tells you the buccaneers leave you alone. Maybe they had originally wanted to get revenge on the party:

The remaining buccaneers make a last attack.

Perhaps some kind of running mechanics were planned in the game's development? Here, the text says how the heir can't keep up and then he falls behind and you couldn't rescue him.

The child begins to fall behind.
If you keep running he won't be able to keep up.
 and...
He couldn't keep up with you.
You couldn't rescue the Bivant heir.

Diogenes's Cave

More (unused) advice from our friendly silver dragon who lives in a cave up north!

Diogenes: You should use use the efreet bottle in Valhingen Graveyard to beat
          the vampire.
Diogenes: There is a vampire in the Valhingen Graveyard. You should slay him.
Diogenes: You were foolish to lose the help of the efreet.
Diogenes: It was very kind of you to bring the efreet bottle,
          but it is you that needs the Bottle. Take the bottle to Valhingen
          Graveyard and slay the vampire.
Diogenes: The efreet bottle was your best chance. You were foolish to lose it.
          But there is still some hope.
          Go to the Valhingen Graveyard. You must slay the vampire there by
          yourselves.

In the computer versions, after you've completed the given quests by Diogenes, he will congratulate your party for each quest you beat, only to permanently leave his cave never to return. In the NES version, after you complete the quests, he leaves his cave permanently. When your party enters, the game says you search the cave. but end up leaving because you didn't find anything of interest inside. However, the message outside the cave about the dragon entering the cave still exists.

Kobold Cave

You disarm a deadfall trap.

There are a few traps inside the kobold cave. However, it appears that in the NES version, the traps cannot be disarmed, as attempting to have a thief disarm them always results in the trap activating.

Envoy: You were stupid to return. Well, this time we will destroy you.

Kobold king: You seem rich. I'll forgive you if you surrender.
What do you do?
 Fight
 Surrender

All exits are blocked. The catapult is ready to fire again.
King: You will never escape!
What do you do?
 Fight
 Surrender

This text may be used if any of the party members flee during combat and return where the fights started.

Women and children kobolds run away. It appears to be a kobold cave.

Refers to the catapult (or Ballista in the computer versions) used to kill your party before the second wave.

There is a broken catapult.

The Kobold suddenly ducks behind a large boulder.
The noise you made draws the attention of a large monster!

Some unused text about your party being thrown in a prison.

You are brought to the prison.
The kobold guards take some of your items as they drag you along.

A young woman in nomad dress comes out and says: Let's join together
against the kobolds.

You have your belongings stolen and you are thrown into the prison.

Kovel Mansion

There is a bunch of unused text scattered throughout the ROM.

The following occurs at Kovel Mansion. However, everything is worded differently in the final game:

The thieves split up. One runs through the east door and the other through the
south door.
What do you do?
 Pursue through the east
  You catch the thief and he begs: Please don't slay me! I'm a leader. I'll
  order my men to leave you alone.
  What do you do?
   Let him go
   Slay him
 Pursue through the south
  He runs to the door. When he gets to the edge of the room he turns and
  laughs: You fools! I'm only a minor thief.
 Give up

Kuto's Well

In the final game, after you beat the first batch of kobold, a second set of kobolds "climb out of the well" to attack you. However, some unused text words it differently:

Kobolds appear from around the buildings.

Mendor's Library

In the computer versions, there is a garden your party can walk through, though it does damage to them. In the NES version, the garden is still there, but you cannot walk through it (without cheats, and even then), the text is unused.

There are also some books in the library that aren't actually implemented in the game.

To do: Insert unused book names.

Strange green plants are growing in a clump. You see it more clearly now as
Green Slime. You pass around it very carefully.

You step on a strange green plant. You see it more clearly now as Green Slime.

New Phlan

When you beat Mendor's Library and get all of the books, you take them to the City Hall, and the Clerk will give you a reward for any that you find. There are some books in the library that you find that the game says aren't valuable, though. Maybe if you don't find any valuable books, this text may be used.

The Clerk: These book aren't very valuable. We can't give you a reward.

Note that she says "book" instead of "books", or "this book isn't".

The Clerk lets your party know by the end of the game that Cadorna has betrayed them. However, this is (usually) after you complete Zhentil Keep, so maybe it is used if you can somehow save Zhentil Keep as one of the last missions in the game.

The Clerk: Bring the letter to Zhentil Keep. Cadorna the betrayer might have
exchanged the genuine letter for a forgery. Be careful.

Nomad Camp

You can't run away any longer.

Podol Plaza

Early in the game, your party is sent to watch an auction in the plaza. Along the way, you can hear monsters rumor about things. However, these aren't used. Sad, because they reveal a bit more about the plot:

What's the true identity of The Boss?
There are more ogres these days. The giants took their castle and
drove them out.
leader
The Shrine of Bane in the Plaza is recruiting for Mace.
Another
And that was why Grishnak was in an ill mood.

Sokal Keep

Referring to the dead elf skeleton in the first room. If you try to talk to him in the final game, the game says "This elf expired a long time ago."

It seems that he cannot answer any more.

When you read from the dead elf's scroll, it will give you passwords to avoid the fights. In the computer version, you had to not only translate the words from the game's decoder wheel (as copy protection) but type in the right word as well to make the skeleton patrols leave. The NES version has no decoder wheel, and thus this string of text is not used:

You try all of the words from the elf's scroll. But in vain.

Stojanow Gate

After your party takes a few steps upon entering Stojanow Gate, you will come across a man with a wagon. However, in this text string, the game mentions that the merchant is conversing with a bugbear guard. Also, the game says he hands the cart over to the bugbear, in which the bugbear lets him through the gate. Your party must do the same to get through the gate by purchasing the wagon. Or you could just kill him and take his cart.

A man in a wagon is talking with a bugbear guard.
You see him hand something to the bugbear and the gate is opened.

Textile House

There are many undead enemies here, but skeletons aren't one of them.

A skeletal force spots you and attacks.

Some more unused text. Perhaps it was supposed to be used after a battle?

All of a sudden, it is quiet... You keep moving nervously.

This building is damp. It stinks. What's the smell?

Maybe this was intended after you broke the lock to Cadorna's treasure box:

It's already broken.

In the game, you can (rarely) pick up tapestries. They serve no other purpose but for you to sell to the shops in New Phlan for extra gold. Here, the game teases you about one that's useless. Well fine! I already maxed out my gold to 65535 anyway! (Yes, that is the max amount of gold you can have in the game.)

A tapestry hangs on the wall. But it's mildewed and rotted to pieces.

A message about baby hobgoblins:

Eek! Baby hobgoblins scatter with a cry.

This, along with the "damp building" message may have been intended for the slums, as there is a room fitting that description in there. However, this text appears with the other Textile House text. No pun intended.

The room is messy.

Again, there doesn't seem to be any baby hobgoblins in the game. Just adult ones.

Mmmm...looks like a hobgoblin nursery.

Some text about Skullcrusher, an NPC that you rescue. The "west corner" text might refer to the Skullcrusher text.

The word SKULLCRUSHER is carved in the north wall.

Skullcrusher: Hey, look! He points proudly.

Something is in the west corner of the room.

There is an expired hobgoblin on the ground.

SKULLCRUSHER is carved into the wall.

Skullcrusher: Ha, ha, ha! He cracks his finger joints.

Some choice text:

Examine the body, Kick the body, Do nothing
 You don't find anything.
 You touch the body. It doesn't move.

Some more unused text strings:

Some dishes are scattered on the floor.

You barely escape.

In the Textile House, you also meet Restal, who forges Cadorna's treasure box lock for half the treasure. It appears there might be some way to actually go down into his guild, but it is unknown how, as the game just asks you who wants to climb down the well. Here, you must pick a thief in your party or else you will die. Also, when you go down the well, the game doesn't show the well, as you are still at the top.

*Character Name* could go down easily with the ring

Maybe from Kuto's Well, but it appears in the same area as the Textile House text.

An arrow flies from the archway at the bottom of the well.

Tyranthraxus's Lair

Possibly unused text? The thief you meet in Tyranthraxus's Lair somehow knows you robbed the boxes in Valjevo Castle's Bane Shrine.

Man: You are the shrine robbers!
The man attacks you suddenly.

After you recruit Genheeris, if you try to walk past the room leading to Tyranthraxus, Genheeris will leave the party and you cannot get him back. Perhaps this string of text was originally meant to give the players a choice whether to keep Genheeris or not:

I'll try to get aid
while you go to
slay Tyranthraxus.
Is that OK?

Wilderness

They break off and start to run away.

Yarash's Pyramid

There is a note on the floor:
Number 213 is making good progress. Number 214 expired Failed again.

The stirges leave.

While there IS a "the [monster name]s leave" message in various areas of the game, in the pyramid there is no way to escape the stirges once you encounter them.

Zhentil Keep

The guards in Zhentil Keep try and kill you. In some other areas in the game, there are options to surrender your belongings in scenarios. However, it is not used in Zhentil Keep.

You couldn't get out and are caught. Your belongings are taken and you are
thrown out of the keep.

Unused text about a patrol finding your party.

You run in confusion and smash into an enemy patrol.

Unknown

This text string may have been used if all of your party members were held by enemies, but when that happens the enemies just kill your party and you get the simple game over message.

None of the party can move.

This string may have been intended to be used whenever you leave the shops in New Phlan:

Come here whenever you need my help.

Character Sheets

Upon beating the final boss Tyranthraxus, and returning to the City Hall, the council clerk will ask if you'd like to leave a character sheet for your character. Upon accepting, you will be given a 144-character-long password for each character. None of the other AD&D games on the NES use this feature, rendering it completely useless. The AD&D computer games used an MS-DOS transfer utility, but also don't make use of these passwords, rendering these character sheets completely useless.

It is thought that Curse of the Azure Bonds, the game's sequel, was to be ported to the NES, but it never happened. If this was true, then the game's production was most likely abandoned due to the Super Famicom/SNES being on its way soon after the game's release.

Version Differences

There are several gameplay mechanics that were significantly changed between the NES version and the computer versions.

• In the computer versions, there were several forms of currency; Platinum, Gold, Silver, Copper, Electrum, Gems, and Jewelry. The NES version only uses Gold and Gems. In addition, party members do not carry currency separately. As a result, you may carry as much gold as you'd like.
• Enemies that used projectile weapons in the computer versions had limited ammunition in the computer versions. In addition to having infinite ammunition in the NES version, you don't need to buy the ammunition separately from the firing weapon.
• Any form of copy protection from the computer versions via the decoder wheel/adventurers journal was removed. The NES version has most of the journal entries in the game itself, albeit significantly simplified.
• In the computer versions, you could gamble in the taverns. This was removed in the NES version.
• The training hall in New Phlan had several sections to it in the computer versions. In the NES version, everything is simplified to a single menu.
• The spell Bless was renamed to Empower, and the spell Prayer was changed to Meditation, in accordance to Nintendo of America's policy against religious references.
• Battles contain less (and sometimes different) enemies, but on the same token, the amount of party members and NPCs that can be in your party was also shortened.
• Locked doors in the computer versions that require the knock spell are all unlocked in the NES version, rendering the spell useless.
• The weapons shop sells a Bastard Sword in the computer versions, but in the NES version, it can only be obtained via a battle.
• In the computer version, enemies dropped several useless items. In the NES version, they only drop valuable items.
• Some enemies in the computer versions have additional spells. For example, Hill Giants can fire boulders at your party, and the final boss can paralyze party members with fear.
• The names of the pre-generated characters in the NES version are different from that of the computer versions. All the NPC characters have the same names, though.