Argus (Arcade)

Argus
Developer: NMK Publisher: Jaleco Platform: Arcade (Argus hardware) Released internationally: January 1986 This game has hidden developer credits. This game has unused enemies. This game has unused graphics.

Argus is a card-carrying member of the "Shoot-em-ups with -us at the end of their name" club...us.

Hidden Text

A hidden copyright string crediting Jaleco and NMK (Which otherwise goes uncredited) can be found at 0x078A5 in the main CPU:

(KK) NMK ALL RIGHT RESERVED 1985 
PRESENTED BY JALECO

A composer / sound program credit is in the audio CPU starting at 0x0086:

 Software and All Songs,Effect Design and Produce By Cheabow.
1986 N M K Limited 1

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Unused Graphics

Enemies

There are eleven of these similarly-designed "jewel"-encrusted enemies near the end of the object graphics ROM. Five of them are animated, and none of them are used.

Only a few of them have specific palettes; The first one here only makes sense with the golden palette, the second needs to use a non-teal palette for palette cycling, and the third needs the teal palette to make its base look right.

These three designs aren't animated in any way.

What would be the largest unused ship is partially complete. Most of the bottom half has been overwritten by other tiles.

Different from the other unused enemies, these orb-shaped ships have the most involved animations in the game.

Early	Final

An early version of the triangle-shaped ship is in the game. It's slightly different, mostly in the shading of the "eye". The early ship actually uses a different transparent color than everything else, so it wouldn't show up properly in the game anyway.

Other

Explosions that would have been used by the "orb" enemies.

A ground turret. The downwards-facing sprite was overwritten with a different graphic.

A larger bombing target, and a larger ground cannon.

Arrows and numbers that are at the end of the graphics ROM, along with the landing display. Probably would have been used before the bars for speed and altitude were implemented.

Early	Final

There are two copies of an early Power-up tile design in the object graphics ROM. Here it is. How about that?

(Source: Original TCRF research)