Lunar Pool

Lunar Pool
Also known as: Lunar Ball (JP) Developer: Compile Publishers: Pony Canyon (JP), FCI (US/EU) Platform: NES Released in JP: December 5, 1985 Released in US: October 1987 Released in EU: 1991 This game has hidden development-related text. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select. This game has regional differences.

Lunar Pool is a Moon-themed pool variant with some weird-shaped boards...as well as the ability to turn off all friction, making the game pretty close to impossible.

Hidden Text

The string below is used by the Reset routine to check if the game was soft or hard reset:

JEMINI DAZO!!

"Jemini" is Takayuki Hirono, the game's programmer.

Easter Egg

Press Reset (×10), and at the game over screen you'll hear a different piece of music (Track 15 in the game's NSF).

Level Skip

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: Check the European version.

In the US version, press Reset (×58), then during gameplay press Select to skip the current round.

The Japanese version has the same level skip functionality, but it was used in the development stage as a debug feature. The released Japanese version checks for the "J" of the aforementioned "JEMINI DAZO!!" string and treats the game as a final version. If you change this letter with Game Genie code NYSVNEZK, the level skip routine will be re-enabled.

Regional Differences

To do: Upload the sounds to hear the difference

The ball collision sound effect is different as the pitch is about 1 semitone higher, half-shorter and has a different timbre in the international version.

Japan	US	Europe

The credits and Pony Canyon logo on the title screen were removed from Lunar Pool to make room for more copyright info, with the European version adding more. Plus there's a trademark symbol. Hooray!

Japan	US/Europe

The game menu windows were colorized for the international releases.

Japan	US/Europe

One of the specks of dirt on this tile is white in Lunar Ball. Don't you feel like a better person for learning that? I hope so.