Gun.Smoke (Arcade)

Gun.Smoke
Developer: Capcom Publishers: Capcom (INT), Romstar (NA) Platform: Arcade (custom) Released internationally: November 1985 Released in US: 1986 (Romstar) This game has unused areas. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused enemies. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused items. This game has unused music. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select. This game has regional differences. This game has revisional differences.

Capcom's Gun.Smoke is a scrolling shoot 'em up...sans spaceship? What's going on here?

Yes, this game is set in the Wild West, and that means shootin' everyone you come across. Based on the long-running TV show, but not really. Watch out for cow skulls!

Unused Graphics

	While there are around 50 special characters in the game's font, only 18 of them are used. The 32 other unique characters don't appear anywhere, even in the name entry screen. Notable symbols include a Hot Spring symbol and a small POW icon.
	Something particularly strange is in the text graphics ROM; an entirely unique, completely unused font! Note that this image was modified from how it's stored on the ROM; all tiles have been rotated 180°. It's unknown where this font would be used, and it doesn't match a font used in any of Capcom's games. The only clue as to what kind of game would use this font is the tank character in the 6th row.
	The name Takashi Aoki is stored in the object graphics ROM.
	A human skull with red eyes. Cow skulls appear in the game as a power-down item. This does not.
	An alternate design for the POW item. This appears in Savage Bees as a weapon power-up. It might have had a similar effect in this game.
	Despite being setting in the Wild West and all, there's a conspicuous absence of cacti. There are some in the object graphics ROM, but they never appear in-game. Odd, that.
	Graphics for an 11th boss! He wields two pistols, has a nifty hat, and looks very sleepy. Presumably he would appear in the cut 11th stage seen below.
	A boulder is found near the cut boss's graphics. Presumably the boss would hide behind it. There are two boss frames that are cut off at the torso; those could only be used if he was behind something.
	Three other boulder graphics can be found in the tileset. The boulders in the game appear as a background. Perhaps there was more involvement with the sprite priority planned.
	A cut short enemy, having many frames for walking, jumping, taking multiple hits and throwing bombs. While the final game does feature enemies that throw explosives, they throw dynamite, not black bombs.
	A cut bald enemy with an eyepatch, which has a striking resemblance to Sagat from the Street Fighter series! He's stored right next to Pig Joe and like him, he's able to throw sticks of dynamite. Although, the sprites seems to be very similar to the Bomber Enemy seen in the game. With the exception of the unique Death Animation, containing 5 frames instead of 4. Suggesting that either he was supposed to be Pig Joe's partner or just a harder version of the Bomber.
	Another cut smaller enemy, containing only frames for jumping and throwing knives while in the air. This could be the type enemy jumping constantly and be only vulnerable while standing on the ground. He's located in between Fat Man and Wingate Family, probably meant to appear in either of these bosses.
	A bomb thrown by the 1st cut enemy. In comparison to sticks of dynamite, the frames suggest that the bomb was meant to work more or less the same way.
	Breakable knife thrown by the second cut short enemy (different design to the ones thrown by Roy).
	A larger bullet type stored near Wingate Family (Most likely meant for Wintage Father). All of the Family Members shoot the basic round bullet type during the fight.
	Animations of GunMan enemy and his Native incarnation taken down with the splash. The Background Collision prevents them from getting anywhere near the water, so this goes unused.
	A Native version of the Bomber was intended to appear in Round 6. The regular one was used instead.
	Native enemy has frames for every action performed by GunMan. Including falling from height, which has no use in Round 6.
	Pig Joe has frames for walking, though he prefers jumping during the entire fight and only stops to immediately throw a couple sticks of dynamite.
	A different design of the bull, which uses a different color palette. It's located near the end of the tileset along with other Native versions of the enemies. Supposedly to replace the regular bulls in Round 6, which they don't appear in this stage at all.
	Wolf Chief jumping off his dead horse. In his round, there are two ambush segments where he's spectating. While the game does register the hit visually when player tries to shoot it, his horse can't be killed. And Wolf Chief himself fights without it at the end of the Stage.

(Translation: divingkataetheweirdo)

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Stage Select

A rudimentary stage select is in the game. Set the Slot A / Slot B credit settings to the appropriate value, then turn the Service Mode switch on when the copyright warning screen appears.

Slot B Coins/Credit	Slot A Coins/Credit	Stage
1 / 3 Credits	1 / 3 Credits	Stage 2
1 / 4 Credits	1 / 3 Credits	Stage 3
1 / 6 Credits	1 / 6 Credits	Stage 4
2 / 1 Credit	3 / 1 Credit	Stage 5
3 / 1 Credit	3 / 1 Credit	Stage 6
4 / 1 Credit	3 / 1 Credit	Stage 7
1 / 1 Credit	1 / 2 Credits	Stage 8
1 / 2 Credits	1 / 2 Credits	Stage 9
1 / 3 Credits	1 / 2 Credits	Stage 10
1 / 4 Credits	1 / 4 Credits	Ending

(Source: MAME "gunsmoke.c" driver file)

Unused Map

The map has been rotated to fit in the article.

An unused area is stored in the game's tile map starting at offset 5D40 and ending at 6938. This is probably where the cut boss would be fought.

This map can be seen in the game by modifying the RAM address E04F and set the value to 5F. This address controls the checkpoint position and requires to purposely lose a life to make it work.

However there seems to be no Background Collision implemented in this map whatsoever.

Otherwise, this is a fairly unremarkable level using the river archetype. The only structures of note are the two parallel bridges near the end of the stage.

Given how the tilemap matches the order of the levels in the game (except for Wolf Chief's Stage, being displayed as the last one), it can be assumed this map was meant to be Round 6, which ironically that's Wolf Chief's Round in the game.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Unused Music

Two tracks are unused.

ID#	Track	Notes
38		An unused boss track. Could have been used for either Stage 4 or 7, the only stages to share boss themes.
3D		This is the same length as the other stage clear tracks, so it might have been used for that.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Serial String

A hidden string can be found at 7E50 in each version. These strings also give an early title for the game.

Japan	World	NA Set 1	NA Set 2
85113 Gunman J == GSJ_03 ==	85113 Gunman N == GSE_03 ==	85113 Gunman A == GSR_03 ==	85113 Gunman A == GSA_03 ==

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Firefly Secret

Insert 16 credits and start the game. A Firefly worth 10,000 points will fly by near the start of the stage.

Regional Differences

Japan	World	North America

In a standard mid-80s Capcom game change, the number of letters per name was reduced from 8 to 3. The Romstar releases further alter the first two names from the World version's high score table.

Censorship

International	West Germany

In similar case to Commando, the game released in Germany has received graphical changes to the enemies and make them as robots while keeping the Western theme.

This version has most of the enemies (including the enemies absent from the game) having flashing eyes.

International	West Germany

International	West Germany

The second main change done in this version are the edited portraits of the bosses and make them look more robotized in detail.

As a result, some of the bosses' sprites were altered as well to match the edited design of the portrait.

International	West Germany

Ninja has his face covered in black with an eye blinking when he's throwing shurikens darts.

There appears to be leftover of his face while standing.

International	West Germany

Cutter has received a metal bar attached to his head.

International	West Germany

As a robot, Fat Man has a mechanical mouth and three eyes flashing red.

The color, which Fat Man didn't use in the original version.

International	West Germany

Wingate Sons have minor change to their eyes.

In compare to those two from the portrait, the edit seems to be based on the one on the left side.

International	West Germany

Wingate Father similar to Fat Man has a mechanical mouth.

Though, the frames where he's crawling look the same.

International	West Germany

Aside from these changes. Few other sprites were redrawn.

Pig Joe's jumping frame has been changed to not having mouth open, which results him spitting fireballs with his mouth closed.

Also, one of his frames when he's defeated has his arms edited and make the right hand less deformed.

International	West Germany

Wolf Chief's right arm was repositioned in different angle and doesn't hold his shotgun in Taking Hit frame.

Basically, it's the same sprite as one of the frames, when he's defeated.

International	West Germany

The Spear Throwing Native enemy has his right arm made to be a bit thicker.

With visible spear added in his hand to make it clear about which projectile he's about to throw.

Early	Final

In the Tileset of the German version of the game, there exist copies of the Power-Up graphics near the unused POW item.

In the International release, these tiles are completely blank.

While almost all of the Power-Ups look identical to the original counterpart. The boots giving movement speed Power-Up has early and less detailed design.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Revisional Differences

There are two revisions of the North American game. The following changes were made to Set 2:

• Copyright year changed from 1985 to 1986.
• The boss demonstration dipswitch was changed. It now controls the number of starting lives, and the demonstration never plays. If the dipswitch isn't flipped, the player will start with 5 lives instead of 3.
• The default high score was changed from 100000 to 110000.
• Stages 3 and 6 were swapped, making early progress in the game much more difficult.

(Source: MAME "gunsmoke.c" driver file)