Descent (PlayStation)

Descent
Developer: Parallax Software Publishers: Interplay (US), Softbank (JP) Platform: PlayStation Released in JP: January 26, 1996 Released in US: March 12, 1996 Released in EU: May 1996 This game has debugging material. This game has regional differences.

The poster child for 6DOF combat got a console port a year after its PC debut, introducing coloured lighting effects, a remixed soundtrack from the Mac version, some additional exclusive multiplayer maps, and some deliciously cheesy pre-rendered FMV sequences.

To do: Check in EU version.

FPS Display

Use the following code to display the FPS counter.

US	EU	JP
300BF264 01		300BE674 01

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Development-Related Text

There is development-related text in RAM.

US	EU	JP	Text
0x800BE9F8		0x800BF5E8	This is a bug
0x800BF800		0x800BEC20	MALLOC: Trying to allocate 0 bytes!
0x800BF828		0x800BEC48	MALLOC: Trying to allocate >4MB (%d) Kbytes!
0x800BF858		0x800BEC78	Out of memory! (%d+%d bytes)

SLUS_000.37

This file contains a lot of development and debug text. It contains a lot of references to c files and their versions.

$Id: ai.c 1.29 1995/11/17 00:01:22 john Exp $
$Id: aipath.c 1.13 1995/11/08 21:47:03 unknown Exp $
$Id: args.c 1.7 1995/10/31 20:15:27 john Exp $
MAP.PCX
$Id: bm.c 1.17 1995/11/13 00:43:57 john Exp $
descent.dat
rbPolygon_models[i].model_databm.c
$Id: cntrlcen.c 1.10 1995/11/16 17:27:06 john Exp $
$Id: collide.c 1.23 1995/11/18 18:29:07 john Exp $
%d:%02d%s %s.
$Id: config.c 1.40 1996/01/05 12:42:49 john Exp $
FX

+++++++++R1+L1+R2+L2?R1L1R2L2840,Y2X2Y1X1BTN%d
$Id: controls.c 1.8 1995/10/31 20:15:15 john Exp $
$Id: credits.c 1.21 1996/02/02 20:36:05 john Exp $
TUnknowncredits.c
credits.tex
rbcredits.txb
stars.pcx
descent.vhr
bUnknowndigi.c
descent.vb
$Id: effects.c 1.9 1995/10/31 20:14:51 john Exp $
$Id: endlevel.c 1.19 1995/11/15 22:32:50 john Exp $
E.STR
F.STR
A.STR
B.STR
C.STR
G.STR
D.STR
$Id: fireball.c 1.12 1995/11/08 00:04:06 john Exp $
$Id: fuelcen.c 1.14 1995/11/15 12:14:46 john Exp $
$Id: fvi.c 1.14 1995/10/31 20:14:47 john Exp $
$Id: game.c 1.84 1995/12/27 15:54:47 john Exp $
FPS: %s  none%s %d - %s
%s

%s %s
$Id: gamefont.c 1.8 1995/10/31 20:15:31 john Exp $
$Id: gamemine.c 1.16 1995/10/31 20:15:26 john Exp $
$Id: gamesave.c 1.20 1995/11/17 00:02:59 john Exp $
.PSL
$Id: gameseg.c 1.20 1995/11/08 00:02:59 john Exp $
$Id: gameseq.c 1.46 1995/12/12 10:22:58 john Exp $
%s%i
%s%i%s%s%s %d %s
 %s %s



%s%s %d %s
%s %s STARS.PCX
none
INTRO.STR
$Id: gauges.c 1.30 1995/11/19 17:17:11 john Exp $
%s: %i%s %s %i%s %i %d%s%s: 0%s: %dx %d%s: %5d%5d%d!%03d
$Id: hostage.c 1.8 1995/10/31 20:15:00 john Exp $
$Id: hud.c 1.17 1995/12/12 10:22:41 john Exp $
This is a bug.  
G A M E   O V E R  
LOGO.STR
PLOGO.STR
descent.pcx
PALETTE.256
$Id: joycal.c 1.7 1995/10/31 20:15:21 john Exp $
$Id: joydefs.c 1.7 1995/10/31 20:15:06 john Exp $
$Id: kconfig.c 1.31 1995/11/15 11:43:36 john Exp $
$Id: kmatrix.c 1.9 1995/10/31 20:14:38 john Exp $
$Id: laser.c 1.8 1995/10/31 20:14:53 john Exp $
$Id: lighting.c 1.24 1995/11/15 02:46:08 john Exp $
MALLOC: Trying to allocate 0 bytes!
MALLOC: Trying to allocate >4MB (%d) Kbytes!
Out of memory! (%d+%d bytes)
$Id: menu.c 1.94 1996/02/02 20:36:20 john Exp $
map01.pcxmap02.pcxmap03.pcxship01.pcxship02.pcxmenu.pcxnoneDEMOA.STRDEMOB.STRDEMOC.STRCharon Volatile MinePluto Military BasePluto OutpostSecret Level #3Nereid Volatile MineTriton Storage DepotNeptune Storage DepotSecret Level #2Oberon ColonyOberon Iron MineOberon MineMiranda MineNone4None3Tethys Military BaseHyperion Methane MineEuropa Diamond MineGanymede Military BaseEuropa Mining ColonyCallisto Tower ColonyIo Sulpher MineSecret Level #1Mars Orbital StationMars ColonyMars Processing StationNone2None1Mercury Military LabMercury Solar LabVenus Nickel-Iron MineVenus Atmosphere LabLunar Military BaseLunar ScilabLunar Outpost%s %s%d. %s%spad%d.pcx
$Id: mglobal.c 1.15 1995/11/15 02:46:02 john Exp $
menu.pcxBASLUS-00037Unknownmglobal.c
$Id: mission.c 1.15 1995/11/16 12:52:49 john Exp $
psxchaosLEVEL%02d.RDLLEVELS%1d.RDLbriefing.texendreg.texpsx%d.rdlchaos%d.rdl
$Id: modem.c 1.34 1995/12/27 15:54:54 john Exp $
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
$Id: multi.c 1.21 1995/11/16 12:12:03 john Exp $
Unused8Unused7Unused6Unused5Unused4Unused3RedBlue%s.%s %s.%s %s %s.%s %s!%s %s %s!%s %s %s%s %s
$Id: multibot.c 1.11 1995/10/31 20:14:34 john Exp $
$Id: netmisc.c 1.7 1995/10/31 20:14:44 john Exp $
$Id: netseq.c 1.7 1995/10/31 20:14:46 john Exp $
$Id: newdemo.c 1.8 1995/10/31 20:15:10 john Exp $
$Id: object.c 1.33 1995/11/18 17:31:16 john Exp $
$Id: paging.c 1.37 1995/11/05 15:06:23 john Exp $.pstrb
$Id: physics.c 1.25 1995/11/20 01:35:35 john Exp $
$Id: playsave.c 1.10 1995/10/31 20:14:35 john Exp $
$Id: polyobj.c 1.15 1995/11/11 06:25:27 john Exp $Polygon_modelspolyobj.c
$Id: powerup.c 1.12 1995/12/27 11:06:13 john Exp $
%s %s %d%s!%s %d%s!%s %d %s!%s %s%s %s!
$Id: render.c 1.46 1995/11/18 17:31:26 john Exp $
$Id: robot.c 1.7 1995/10/31 20:14:54 john Exp $
$Id: scores.c 1.18 1995/11/05 22:04:14 john Exp $
%dBOB%d.%s%d-%dS%d-%dS%d-S%d%d-S%d

Config.pcx
$Id: songs.c 1.19 1996/01/22 15:17:30 john Exp $
\DESCENT\PIGBERT.XA;1\DESCENT\VANZ.XA;1
$Id: state.c 1.52 1996/02/02 20:35:39 john Exp $
DGSSBCDFGHJKLMNPQRSTVWXY*0123456789#%s%sDESCENTX%s%sDESCENT%c%d. %s%d
$Id: switch.c 1.10 1995/10/31 20:14:07 john Exp $
$Id: textc.c 1.14 1995/11/15 02:45:58 john Exp $
descent.tex
rbUnknowntextc.c
$Id: titles.c 1.33 1996/02/02 21:03:59 john Exp $
endreg.tex
briefing.tex
_t\D\DESCENT\MR_ED3.XA;1\DESCENT\MR_ED2.XA;1\DESCENT\MR_ED1.XA;1\DESCENT\WILBUR3.XA;1\DESCENT\WILBUR2.XA;1\DESCENT\WILBUR1.XA;1
rb.txb
buftitles.c
Unknown
END.STR
$Id: vclip.c 1.8 1995/11/18 17:30:16 john Exp $
$Id: wall.c 1.13 1995/12/01 09:13:24 john Exp $%s %s
$Id: weapon.c 1.12 1995/11/08 18:50:23 slagel Exp $

%s %s%s %s!%s %s%s%s %i%s%s %i %s %d %s%s%s(null)%i%d%o%x
bu10:bu00:*$Id: bitpress.c 1.11 1995/11/15 19:31:04 john Exp $
Unknownmovie.c
\DESCENT\%s;1\%s;1
$Id: fixc.c 1.7 1995/11/20 22:17:36 john Exp $
%d%%d.%%0%dd
$Id: vecmatc.c 1.8 1995/09/13 17:43:37 john Exp $
rbUnknownpalette.c bmp%05d.tim
rbUnknowngrdev.c
ClutsFont ClutsKanjiCacheFonts
medium.fnt
small.fnt
rbUnknownfont.c
rbUnknowncanvas.c
\DESCENT\DESCENT.DA;1\DESCENT\DESCENT.HOG;1\DESCENT.HOG;1
$Id: interp.c 1.8 1995/11/10 23:18:31 john Exp $
$Id: instance.c 1.2 1995/06/07 12:56:55 john Exp

DESCENT.HOG

This file contains a lot of game text, development text, and some hidden messages (PSX Anarchy). There is a reference to a Beta v3.0 as well as cheats being enabled.

logo.pcx sblogo.pcx descent.pcxc descentj.pcx descent.vbx descent.vhx palette.256 medium.fnt small.fnt descent.tex descent.dat descent.dat map01.pcxt map02.pcx map03.pcx ship01.pcx 
ship02.pcx menu.pcx menu1.pcx menu2.pcx  endguy.pcx aster01.pcx brief01.pcx brief02.pcx brief03.pcx end01.pcx end02.pcx end03.pcx iplogo1.pcx jup01.pcx map.pcx mars01.pcx pad1.pcx pad2.pcx 
pad3.pcx pad4.pcx merc01.pcx moon01.pcx neptun01.pcx order01.pcx pluto01.pcx saturn01.pcxt scores.pcx stars.pcx statback.pcx uranus01.pcx venus01.pcx8 warning.pcx briefing.txb credits.txb 
ending.txb endreg.txb level01.txb level02.txb level03.txb level01.pst level02.pst level03.pst level04.pst level05.pst level06.pst level07.pst level08.pst level09.pst level10.pst 
level11.pst level12.pst level13.pst level14.pst level15.pst level16.pst level17.pst level18.pst level19.pst level20.pst level21.pst level22.pst level23.pst level24.pst level25.pst 
level26.pst level27.pst levels1.pst levels2.pst levels3.pst level01.psl level02.psl level03.psl level04.psl level05.psl level06.psl level07.psl level08.psl level09.psl level10.psl 
level11.psl level12.psl level13.psl level14.psl level15.psl level16.psl level17.psl level18.psl level19.psl level20.psl level21.psl level22.psl level23.psl level24.psl level25.psl 
level26.psl level27.psl levels1.psl levels2.psl levels3.psl chaos1.psl chaos1.pst chaos2.psl chaos2.pst chaos3.psl chaos3.pst chaos4.psl chaos4.pst chaos5.psl chaos5.pst psx1.psl psx1.pst 
psx2.psl psx2.pst psx3.psl psx3.pst psx4.psl psx4.pst psx5.psl psx5.pst
...
...
...
Quit Game
 
Options
 
Save Game
 
Cheats Enabled!!
 
All Keys!
 
Invulnerability
 
On
 
Off
...
...
...
Prepare for Descent
 
Full Rescue bonus:\t
 
Ship bonus:\t
 
Shield bonus:\t
 
Energy bonus:\t
 
Hostage bonus:\t
 
Skill Bonus:\t
 
Total Bonus:\t
 
Total Score:\t
 
Complete
...
...
...
Secret Level #3
 
\nBeta v3.0
...
...
...

Regional Differences

To do: More documentation.

Title Screen

JP	US

The Japanese version's title screen added the katakana title and removed copyright text. The Japanese version also uses the Start button to select menus, which was changed to X in the US version.

Movies

All lines were dubbed to Japanese in the Japanese version.

In-Game

Weapon Name

JP	JP Translation	US
レーザー	Laser	Laser Cannon
クワトロレーザー	Quattro Laser	Quad Laser
バルカン砲	Vulcan Cannon	Vulcan Cannon
拡散砲	Spread Cannon	Spreadfire Cannon
プラズマ砲	Plasma Cannon	Plasma Cannon
核融合砲	Nuclear Fusion Cannon	Fusion Cannon

Sub Weapon Name

JP	JP Translation	US
ショックミサイル	Shock Missile	Concussion Missile
追尾ミサイル	Homing Missile	Homing Missile
爆弾	Bomb	Proximity Bomb
拡散爆弾	Spread Bomb	Smart Missile
メガミサイル	Mega Missile	Mega Missile