Bouken Jidai Katsugeki Goemon

Bouken Jidai Katsugeki Goemon
Also known as: Mystical Ninja Goemon Zero (Unreleased US) Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe Publisher: Konami Platform: PlayStation 2 Released in JP: December 21, 2000 This game has unused areas. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has a hidden level select.

Bouken Jidai Katsugeki Goemon is probably best known for the fact that Working Designs tried to localize it in 2005. Aside from that, it was another offering during the period when Konami was restructuring and trying (apparently) to rebrand the franchise. They would try again one final time after this game with the Future Goemon series on PSX and GBA.

To do: More debug-related stuff to enable. More unused areas in the Kawahara debug option. Document the 2 prototypes of the unreleased English translation on a separate page (uncovered by Hidden Palace, prototypes dated 26th August 2005 and 22nd June 2005)

Debug Menu

A decent-sized debug menu remains in this game. Unfortunately, not a lot of options work anymore. It can be activated with the code below.

Master Code (for an actual PS2 only)
90378200 0C0DE028
Enable Debug Menu At Boot
204403E0 00201380

• MAIN - Doesn't appear to work.
• StageSelect - Loads a blank screen. This can be properly accessed in the Kawahara option.
• LOAD - Would allow you to select a save file to load. It doesn't work from here, however.
• Yamamoto - Rolls the end credits.
• Noguchi - Puts you in the beginning of the game, although you can't move at all.
• Honda - Appears to throw you into a dungeon.
• Higayashima - Sends you to a test map.
• Nakayama - Loads a blank screen.
• Kamio - Puts you in the beginning of the game, although you can't move at all.
• Kawahara - Sends you to a sub menu.
• Kim - Appears to throw you into a dungeon.
• Takahasi - Appears to throw you into a dungeon.
• M.S - Doesn't appear to work.
• Ooyama - Softlocks the game.
• Ohara - Softlocks the game.
• YamaKen - Throws you into a sub menu.
• SDTest - A is the very bottom option. This allows you to play all SFX, voices, and music.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Kawahara

• BgHit - Throws you into the same test map as the Higayashima option from the main debug menu.
• Effect - Throws you into the same test map as the Higayashima option from the main debug menu. It also displays another debug menu on-screen, but it appears you cannot move it.
• Map - Sends you to the level select menu.
• PadControl - Sends you to the level select menu. After selecting any option here, it will display some debug info on-screen which does not appear to work.
• Item 1, Item 2, and Item 3 - Send you to some sort of shop, however when entering the map you will fall through the floor.

YamaKen

Selecting the first option crashes the game. The second option sends you back to the main debug menu.

SDTest

This menu allows you to play all the music, sounds, and voices in the game. You will need to find and load each bank in order for certain music and sounds to play using the Load option since this game uses sequenced music.

Unused Areas

Various test and unused maps can be entered via Kawahara > Map.

modeltest00b and modeltest00a

A black void of nothing.

kaidan02test

The same test map as the Higayashima option from the main debug menu.

forest00test

Probably sends you to a forest test map, however you spawn really far off from the map and fall in an endless loop.

castle04test

This appears to be a dungeon test area. You cannot fall out of bounds here. There are also no exits.

block02test

Upon entering here there will be some sound effects playing of what sounds to be sword swinging. There is also a random door here that leads nowhere and a very long road that appears to be endless.