Hatris (NES)

Hatris
Developer: Paragraph Publisher: Bullet-Proof Software Platform: NES Released internationally: November 12, 2024 (Tetris Forever) Released in JP: July 6, 1990 Released in US: April 1992 This game has unused code. This game has hidden developer credits. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused text. This game has regional differences. This game has a prerelease article This game has a Data Crystal page

Hatris is a puzzle-type game starring its creators, Alexey Pajitnov and the late Vladimir Pokhilko.

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Prerelease Info

Disabled Save Functionality

Both the Japanese and the US versions re-initialize the high-score table when the game resets, so your records will be lost. With Game Genie codes GAEKLKGK (for the US version) or GEXGPUGK (for the Japanese version), you can re-enable a routine which checks the SRAM memory for a particular text string ("AKIRA KOBAYASHI", present at 0x1C3D4 in the ROM) and do not reinitialize the high-score table if that string is present. As a result, you can save your high scores even when you reset the console.

Unfortunately, since the final PCB version does not have a battery-backed SRAM, this feature was disabled.

Typing Sound

Game Genie code XTEAUZAV re-enables a "text typing" sound while displaying credits in the Japanese version. In the final version, this sound was disabled and the credits are displayed silently.

Regional Differences

To do: More graphics changes

During the transition from the Japanese to the US version, the game received some significant changes.

Title

Japan	US

The BPS logo screen received a pretty major upgrade.

Japan	US

The Japanese title screen features Alexey Pajitnov running through a field carrying a stack of hats. The fence in the background also has the initials of the developers written on it. The US version changed this to something a bit more... sophisticated.

Menu

Japan	US

The "stage" vending machine and "shop" cabinet swapped positions in the US version. The painting/window was also moved to the left side.

Shop B

Both regional versions have two game modes. The first one is the default game mode, while the second one can be accessed with a cheat. At the title screen, hold Down, then press Start. For the Japanese version, "SHOP A" will change to "SHOP B". In the US version, there are no additional display options. Both versions display the game mode you played at the high-score table.

To do: differences between modes

BPS Orchestra

To do: Upload images. Also, are the character graphics still in the US ROM?

After the player clears ten rounds in the Japanese, an orchestra is shown playing a little ditty. This was taken out of the NES version.

Credits Cheat

At the title screen, hold Left + B + Select. This cheat exists in both versions, but is disabled in the US version because they removed the "Credits" themselves from the game. The US version simply ends with an extra message on the level completion screen and some extra animations.

Hat Graphics

Japan
US

From left to right:

• The cowboy hat was replaced by the baseball cap.
• The derby was made bigger.
• The crown was given a completely-different appearance.
• The wizard hat has one large "star" on the lower-right corner instead of two little ones.
• The feathered hat was replaced by a new version of the cowboy hat.

To do: More info follows...

Music

The original Japanese version featured a few songs that were curiously cut from the North American release. There is a jingle that plays when a stage has been cleared, a song for the BPS Orchestra (a cutscene that appears when a Shop is clear), and a theme for the credits that were subsequently omitted from the American release.

Unused Stuff (US)

While a lot of things were changed from Japan to America, there is some code and data from the Japanese version remaining in the US ROM.

To do: Add this.

Unused Stuff (Japan)

Early Battle Storm Graphics

Hatris	Battle Storm

Among other things, two whole CHR data banks from Battle Storm (another game by BPS) are present in the Japanese version. The only data used from this CHR dataset is the BPS logo, which never actually appears in Battle Storm.

There are almost no differences in the second CHR data bank, but the whole first CHR bank has slightly different sprites than the final version.

Unused Credits Text

The following text strings are also leftovers from Battle Storm. Both games utilize the same ending credits code and data, and as both games were developed by the same people most of the staff names are the same.

The strings below were intended for Battle Storm only, so the developers just disabled these strings from the Hatris staff script.

  SOUND EFFECTS         
  MAP DESIGN            

     TAKAHIRO KOSEKI    
    EDWARD S.P.ROGERS   
    TAKAHIRO KOSEKI     
    SHIN-ICHI KITAMI    

      HARUKO SUZUKI     

To do: More info follows...