Bad Dudes vs Dragonninja

Bad Dudes vs Dragonninja
Also known as: Dragonninja (JP) Developer: Data East Publisher: Data East Platform: Arcade (Data East Heavy Barrel hardware) Released in JP: April 1988 Released in US: April 1988 This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused graphics. This game has regional differences.

Rampant ninja related crimes these days.. Bad Dudes is not the exception...

Version Number

Dragonninja	Bad Dudes

There's code to display a version number that's never called by the game. Put the following codes in drgninja.xml or baddudes.xml and reset the game to see this text.

(The Bad Dudes version number is supposed to display as 1.1, but the text wraps around, below the lower bound of the screen).

Dragonninja	Bad Dudes
<cheat desc="Version Number"> <script state="on"> <action>maincpu.mw@000006=DCA2</action> <action>maincpu.mw@00DCAC=7010</action> </script> <script state="off"> <action>maincpu.mw@000006=1386</action> <action>maincpu.mw@00DCAC=701E</action> </script> </cheat>	<cheat desc="Version Number"> <script state="on"> <action>maincpu.mw@000006=E002</action> <action>maincpu.mw@00E00C=7010</action> </script> <script state="off"> <action>maincpu.mw@000006=13Dc</action> <action>maincpu.mw@00E00C=701E</action> </script> </cheat>

NOTE: Normally the game tries to draw the copyright string and the version number at the same time, creating an overlap. To see this, turn the code off after resetting the game.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Unused Graphics

A tiny little ninja can be found in the object graphics ROM, right before the Fire Ninja graphics.

Just a couple of squirrels, found in the Stage 4 background tileset.

In Dragonninja, each developer has their own icon in the credits. These four icons, which include a side view of Dot Man's icon and what appears to be Astro Boy and Kinnikuman, are left unused.

Dragonninja	Bad Dudes

One last unused developer icon. For some reason the Bad Dudes team updated this graphic, but it's still unused!

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Regional Differences

Gameplay

• In Dragonninja, pressing 2P Start will put both Player 1 and Player 2 in the game. In Bad Dudes, pressing 2P Start will only bring Player 2 into the game.
• The dip switch that sets the player's number of lives has a range of 1, 3, 5 in Dragonninja, and 2, 3, 4 in Bad Dudes.

Sounds

All of the player voice samples were changed in Bad Dudes, while enemy voice samples were left unchanged.

ID	Dragonninja	Bad Dudes	Context
29			1P Jump kick
2A			Player hit
2B			Player death
2D			Charging up
35			Collecting a power-up
36			Stage completed
37			Super-charged punch
3E			2P Jump Kick Identical to 29 in Dragonninja

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Graphics

Dragonninja	Bad Dudes

The time power-up design changed from a stopwatch to a clock.

Dragonninja	Bad Dudes

The soda power-up palette changed from blue to red, making the item's resemblance to a Coca-Cola can unmistakeable.

Dragonninja	Bad Dudes

The truck at the end of Stage 2 seemingly changed its alliance between versions.

(Source Dudes: Original TCRF research)

Ending

Dragonninja	Bad Dudes

The ending is the biggest change between versions.

• The background of the credits was changed from a park at sunset, with a statue of the two Bad Dudes, to the front of the White House.
• The music was also changed. In Dragonninja, the track starts out similarly to The Star-Spangled Banner before going off into its own thing. In Bad Dudes, the track is a straight rendition of Hail to the Chief.
• Dragonninja has an enemy cast list running with the credits. This was eliminated in Bad Dudes, though the cast text is still in the ROM.
• Each developer has their own icon in Dragonninja. These were all removed in Bad Dudes, though it seems there were plans to keep them at some point (see below).
• "Planner" was changed to "Planning", and "Programmer" changed to "Programming".
• The Planners, Programmers, Special Thanks people (barring Mentaiko), and Azusa Hara now go by their full names in Bad Dudes.
• Kansaiman was added to the Graphics section.
• Kenji Fujimoto and Hiroyuki Iwabe were added to the Special Thanks section.
• The Omake section of the credits only appears in Dragonninja, so Kinta58000, Ganganhonda, and Sherlock Tororo are only credited in that version.
• To give the new ending track time to wrap up, the Bad Dudes credits last about thirteen seconds longer.

Dragonninja	Bad Dudes

The icons of Makoto Kikuchi, Kansaiman, Kinta58000, and Maro were changed in Bad Dudes, even though staff icons are no longer a part of that version's credits. The first icon is a parody of Japanese candy mascot Peko-chan. Likewise, the third icon in Bad Dudes appears to be a red M&M.