Bonze Adventure

Bonze Adventure
Also known as: Jigoku Meguri (JP) Developer: Taito Publisher: Taito Platform: Arcade (Taito Bonze Adventure hardware) Released internationally: June 1988 This game has a hidden developer message. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused graphics. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select. This game has revisional differences.

Bonze: An antiquated English name for a Buddhist monk, now commonly referred to as a bhikku.
Adventure: Adventure.

Debug Functions

Round Select

Hold the Service Coin button until a "SERVICE SW FAILED" message pops up on the screen, then, press 1P Start (×3), Service Coin, 1P Start. Start a new game and the round select menu should pop up.

This method is identical to the one used on games that run on Taito's The NewZealand Story hardware and Cadash.

Screen Editor

At one point, flipping Dip Switch B8 gave access to a screen editor after starting a new game. This has been disabled in the code by just skipping that check entirely, but putting the following code in MAME's bonzeadv.xml (or any of the derived sets') cheat file and enabling it will fix that.

  <cheat desc="Fix Debug Switch">
    <script state="off">
      <action>maincpu.mw@007572=6034</action>
    </script>
    <script state="run">
      <action>maincpu.mw@007572=4E71</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

(Source: stephh (MAME Asuka & Asuka hardware))

Unfortunately, even after fixing that check, it's more of a screen viewer than an editor. The "Select Code" variable, which would be used to set block properties (Solid, lava, ice, etc.) is broken, and can no longer be controlled by the player. Plus, at this point, it's no longer possible to actually edit anything. Still, it's something, right?

There's additional text for the screen editor at 0x11A55 that's no longer referenced anywhere in the code:

SELECT EDIT MODE   
SCREEN  :   OBJ   

Title Screen Placeholder

Placeholder title text with the game's Japanese name (and a last modified date) can be activated through the following bonzeadv.xml cheat code:

  <cheat desc="Draw Temporary Title">
    <script state="off">
      <action>maincpu.mw@008814=00D8</action>
    </script>
    <script state="run">
      <action>maincpu.mw@008814=DC14</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Hidden Developer Text

There's a hidden hiragana message to the right of the ending screen message. This is outside of the game's viewing area, and can only be seen in MAME's tilemap viewer.

ねむい translates to "I'm sleepy."

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Revision Differences

In the old version of Bonze's Adventure (bonzeadvo in MAME), the game doesn't always properly reset the bit that tracks when the player is crouching. Since crouching and pressing Button 1 uses the player's magic, this is a bit of a problem.

This was fixed in later versions by resetting that bit every frame.

(Source: stephh)