Crackout

Crackout
Also known as: Nazo no Kabe: Block Kuzushi (JP) Developer: Konami Publishers: Konami (JP), Palcom Software (EU) Platforms: NES, Famicom Disk System Released in JP: December 13, 1986 (FDS) Released in EU: 1991 Released in AU: 1991 This game has hidden development-related text. This game has regional differences.

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A Breakout type game from Konami. Originally a Disk System game, it was later released in PAL regions as Crackout.

Build Dates

At the end of the PRG ROM is an ID with a date that version of the game was compiled. A similar ID is found in many other Konami games.

EU Version	EU Prototype
MSTR910502	SAMP910618

Regional Differences

The NES version received a more colorful title screen.

FDS	NES

As is often the case with FDS games brought to the NES, the disk version has a save feature while the cartridge uses passwords.

FDS	NES

The background was changed to gray and the text was centered.

FDS	NES

The game seems to use a slightly different palette, affecting the ball & paddle, bricks and enemies. Additionally, there is no default high score to beat in the FDS original.

FDS	NES

Ending

This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this. Specifically: Screenshots of cast roll from the Japanese FDS and European NES versions, and newly-added staff credits for European NES version.

FDS	NES

After you enter the password at the end, the system message differs between regions. The Japanese version says 「KANGEKI！！」 in Rōmaji while the European version says "WELL DONE!! CONGRATULATIONS!!" instead.

Cast Roll

...But what does it mean? This game has text or audio that needs to be translated. If you are fluent with this language, please read our translation guidelines and then submit a translation! Notes: Translation needed for the messages in the Japanese enemy cast roll. Some of them are Japanese puns hard to translate.

The "PRESENT FOR YOU." cast roll of enemies and bosses presented after finishing the game has the background wrapper and ribbon recolored from purple and pink to yellow and orange in the European NES version.

In general, while the content of the messages in the Japanese version appear to be all across the board, the messages in the European version seem to have been changed across the board to be much more congratulatory to the player for beating the game.

Cast roll messages

Original (JP)	Translation (EN)	NES
やったね	Nice	WELL DONE!
わたしは　くらげ	I'm a jellyfish	YOU MADE IT!
．．．．．	.....	.....
おめでとう	Congratulations	A MASTER OF THE GAME
おぬし　できるな	You are whiz	EXCELLENT!
ぜんぶ　まわったかい	You completed all stage	CONGRATULATIONS!!
みんなみてる	You attract everyone	YOU'RE GREAT!
ながいみちのり　ごくろうさん	Good job going on a long journey	FANTASTIC PLAY!
おみごと　おみごと	Well done	YOU'RE A GENIUS!
きれいなはなないかな	Are there any pretty flowers?	FIRST RATE!
おれ　もぐら　よろしく	I'm Mole. Nice to meet you.	GREAT PLAYING!
いつでもきなさい	Come on	ASTOUNDING!
ろくがつここのか	June 9	YOU'RE STUNNING!
なかなかやるな	You're better than I expected	WHAT SKILL!
ぽょん　ぽょん	(Shaking flexibly)	A TOUR DE FORCE!
わい　かにでんねん	I'm Crab	CHAMPION PLAYER!
うらめしや　おもては　すしや		YOU'RE DOING GREAT!
かわいがってあげ　る	I'll teach you a lesson.	FABULOUS PLAY!
うふふ．．．．	Ufufu....	ASTONISHING!
ん！！	What?	WHAT A PROFESSIONAL!
いくど　かめ！！		COWABUNGA!
かめへん　かめへん	Okay, okay	YOU HERO!
いじわるして　ごめんね	Sorry for bullying you	YOU ARE AN EXPERT!
おれ　やりがに　ごかいのないように		A STROKE OF GENIUS!
なかなかやるやんけ	You're not bad	YOU'RE THE BEST!
まいった　まいった	I surrender	RADICAL PLAY!
よろこんで　いただけましたか	Are you pleased?	AMAZING PLAY!
このつぎは　とおさんぞ	I won't let you go next time	YOU WHIZZ KID!
ぐっど　らっく	Good luck	TRY AGAIN! GOOD LUCK!
これからも　こなみをよろしくね	Hope you like KONAMI forever	PALCOM WE THANK YOU.

(Source: NES ending (VGMuseum), FDS ending (YouTube))

Staff Credits

In addition, the European NES release of the game added staff credits afterwards, which were not present in the original Japanese FDS release.

CRACKOUT STAFF
KONAMI
Program
N.MATSUOKA (Nobuhiro Matsuoka) K.AOYAMA (Kazuhiro Aoyama)
Design
Y.KAMBE (Yoshiharu Kambe)
Sound
H.MAEZAWA (Hidenori Maezawa) J.FUNAHASHI (Jun Funahashi) H.TAKEYASU (Hiroshi Takeyasu)
Planner
R.KIZU N.MATSUOKA (Nobuhiro Matsuoka)
Special Thanks
KONAMI EUROPE GMBH. MR.KINOSHITA (Kuniaki Kinoshita) MR.KOBAYASHI (Yūichi Kobayashi) MR.HIKAWA (Takahiko Hikawa) MR.OHTANI (Masanori Otani)
Visual Design
K.SHIMOIDE (Kenji Shimoide) M.KINOSHITA (Mari Kinoshita) Y.FUKAZAWA (Yumiko Fukazawa) K.NAMBA (Kazuhiro Namba)
Presented By Palcom
Fin.

(Source: MobyGames)

Music

Staff credits theme

A new song (with added tom, bass, and snare drum samples not used in the original soundtrack) was included with the newly-added staff credits for the European NES release.

Europe (NES)

Speed issues

When releasing the game in Europe, the developers tried to properly convert the game to PAL to account for the differences between it and NTSC. However, the game still ends up running just a bit slightly slower in the European version than it does in the original Japanese version. This is most notable with the soundtrack to the game.

Japan (FDS)	Europe (NES)

Comparing the theme for the enemy cast roll, the only song in the game that actually fully stops instead of looping endlessly, the length of the song in the Japanese version is 3:04 while the European version's length is 3:10.

It should be noted that the official soundtrack release on Konami Famicom Chronicle Vol. 1 (EMCA-0018) fades out the ending theme early after only two loops of the main theme.