Nintendo World Cup (NES)
Nintendo World Cup |
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Also known as: Nekketsu Koukou Dodgeball Bu: Soccer Hen (JP), Nekketsu High School Dodgeball Club: Soccer Story (2020) This game has unused graphics. This game has a Data Crystal page |
To do: There's an undumped and possibly unreleased Rev 1 ROM in the 2020-07-24 leaked ROM archive. |
Nintendo World Cup is a simple soccer game where you're allowed to be aggressive with your opponents without repercussions and perform power shots (like the ones in Super Dodge Ball) that make scoring your goals much easier.
In Japan, this game was part of the Kunio-kun series (like River City Ransom). For the overseas releases, the game was rebranded as a generic sports game, though it's still rather obviously Kunio-kun. It was bundled with another Technos game, Super Spike V'Ball, as part of the NES Sports Set in North America, whereas Europe bundled it together with Tetris and Super Mario Bros. in an official Nintendo multicart.
In 2020, a straight English translation of the original Japanese version, completely separate from the earlier localization, was released by Arc System Works as part of the Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle collection for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
Contents
Debug Features
There is a common debug feature in a couple of Technos games. Usually all debug code is controlled by a memory flag, hardwritten at the end of the ROM at address $FFF6 in M6502 CPU address space. Various bits of this variable enable or disable various debug features.
Sample Version
Bit 7 of the debug variable (to set it, use Game Genie code EKNYVYAA) switches between normal and "SAMPLE VERSION", which enables some debug features. The code also works on the US and European releases, despite the game not showing the "SAMPLE VERSION" text on the title screen. The above code doesn't work with the version included with Super Spike V'Ball. During the game, hold Select on Controller 1 and press one of the following buttons:
- On Controller 1
- A: Win the current match immediately.
- B: Go to halftime. This works even if you're on the second half of a match.
- Up: Instantly lose the match.
- On Controller 2
- A / B / Right / Left: Takes control of the goalkeeper when the ball is near the goal.
Additionally, by pressing A on Controller 2 you can select the game stage at the level number screen, or select any enemy team at the "time out" screen.
Script Debug
Bit 5 of the debug variable (to set it, use the Game Genie code AXNYVYAA) enables script debugging mode. You can pause any text sequence in the game by pressing B on Controller 2 at any animation sequence.
B/W Mode
Bit 0 of the debug variable (to set it, use the Game Genie code PENYVYAA) enables B/W screen mode in the Japanese version.
Leftover Japanese Version Graphics
International releases of the game still have a few leftover graphics from the Japanese original:
Some Kanji are still present, as is some of Technos Japan's logo.
And both of these CHR banks contain tiles from the cutscenes and the ending of the original game.
Unused Player Characters
The international version features two unused player characters. They correspond to Masa and Gen'ei, the final two members of Team Nekketsu in the Japanese version, but their faces were also changed like the other characters, suggesting that they were meant to be playable at some point too and aren't just leftovers.
Regional Differences
To do: Add more info. This guide covers many things still missing from this page: [1] |
The Japanese version is titled Nekketsu Koukou Dodgeball Bu: Soccer Hen and is a sequel to Nekketsu Koukou Dodgeball Bu, which is the Japanese version of Super Dodge Ball. This game serves as a sequel of sorts, as the plot involves Kunio and the rest of the Nekketsu Dodge Ball team filling in for their school's soccer team after the actual members are unable to compete in the upcoming tournament due to food poisoning.
As with the previous Kunio games that were localized for the west, the game underwent extensive graphical changes in order to give it a broader appeal and wasn't marketed as a sequel to anything. This time Nintendo picked up the publishing rights for the international version and slapped their name on the title.
Title Screen
The original Japanese game was localized a second time for the Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle and is now officially titled "Nekketsu High School Dodgeball Club: Soccer Story".
Japan | US/Europe | Worldwide |
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General
The menu font, various graphics, player sprites, and sounds have been updated between the Japanese and international version.
The teams in the Japanese version consisted of high school students representing various groups such as fishermen, ninjas, yakuza and monks. The international version changed these teams to represent countries to go along with the World Cup theme.
Passwords are four digits in the Japanese version and are only shown after losing a match. On the international version, passwords are five digits and are shown after winning.
Intro
The Japanese version starts with a "Technos Japan Corp. Presents" screen, followed by an intro cutscene which sets up the premise of Tournament Mode. The international version just starts directly with the title screen without any intro.
After waiting 40 seconds on the Japanese title screen, the game loops back to the intro cinematics. The international version just remains at the title screen.
Tournament Mode
On the Japanese version, each match consists of two halves lasting 1:30 minutes each. On the international version it's 4 minutes per halftime.
The international version adds the option to play as any of the game's 13 teams, but it does so in a rather unusual matter, as the Tournament Mode in the Japanese version wasn't designed for multiple teams in mind. The faces of the team members will remain unchanged (unlike their CPU-controlled counterparts), but their palettes and power shots will be changed accordingly. Team USA is the only team with individual player stats and power shots, making them the equivalent of Team Nekketsu.
The international version is fixed to eight players. The Japanese version starts you out with six players, with more joining as you go on:
- Susumu (equivalent to the international version's Phil) joins after the second match.
- Atsushi (Fred) joins after the fourth match.
- Masa joins after the seventh match.
- Gen'ei joins after the eleventh match.
The Japanese version features different types of fields. The international version uses the grass field only.
Cutscenes
To do: Compare the cutscenes and the endings here. |
VS. Mode
The international version adds support for the NES Satellite and Four Score adapters, which increase the maximum number of players in Vs. Match Mode from 2 to 4.
A match lasts 2:30 minutes on Japanese, and 10 minutes in the international version.
Team and Player Stats
To do: Compare both versions' teams and player stats here. |
Audio Changes
The title theme was remade and is longer in the international version.
Japan | |
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International |
The pause sound effect was extended in the international version.
Japan | |
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International |
Graphical Changes
Japan | International |
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To do: Compare the two versions, one player (or maybe all players) per team. Compare the font, etc. |
Play Mechanics
Timer
The timer pauses when the ball goes out of bounds on the international version, as opposed to the Japanese timer which keeps going.
The international version shows PAUSE !! in place of the timer when pausing the game. The Japanese version does not have such an indicator that the game is paused.
Super Shots
The Japanese version features 14 usable super-shots (and 8 ones only the computer can use). The international version features 11 super-shots which are all usable.
There is no limit as to how many times you can use a super-shot in a match on the Japanese version. The international version added a limit of five super-shots per halftime.
To do: Compare both versions' super shots in a table here. |
Goal-Kick
The Japanese version allows you to approach the ball while the opponent team's goalkeeper prepares a goal-kick. The international version forces you out of the penalty area.
Bugfixes
When scoring a goal in the last two seconds, it won't count on the Japanese version. This was fixed in the international version which pauses the timer when the ball is not on the field.
When using the boomerang super shot on the Japanese version in such a way that the ball goes out of bounds but still hits the goal or the side of the goal, the ball may fly away and cause the game to be stuck until time runs out. This doesn't occur in the international version.
The Kunio-kun series
| |
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Arcade | Renegade |
NES | Renegade • River City Ransom • Nintendo World Cup • Downtown Nekketsu Koushin Kyoku • Downtown Special • Ike Ike! Nekketsu Hockey-Bu • Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge • Nekketsu Kakutou Densetsu • Kunio-kun no Nekketsu Soccer League • Nekketsu! Street Basket: Ganbare Dunk Heroes |
Game Boy | Double Dragon II • Nekketsu! Beach Volley dayo Kunio-kun |
SNES | River City Girls Zero |
Game Boy Advance | River City Ransom EX |
Nintendo DS | River City: Soccer Hooligans |
Nintendo 3DS | River City: Rival Showdown |
Windows | River City Girls |
Super Dodge Ball | |
Arcade | Super Dodge Ball |
NES | Super Dodge Ball |
SNES | Kunio-kun no Dodgeball da yo Zen'in Shuugou! |
Genesis | Nekketsu Koukou Dodgeball Bu: Soccer Hen MD |
TurboGrafx-16 | Nekketsu Koukou Dodgeball Bu: PC Bangai-hen • Nekketsu Koukou Dodgeball Bu: PC Soccer-hen |
Nintendo DS | Super Dodgeball Brawlers |
See Also | |
Renegade |
- Pages missing developer references
- Games developed by Technos Japan
- Pages missing publisher references
- Games published by Technos Japan
- Games published by Nintendo
- Games published by Arc System Works
- NES games
- Arcade games
- Pages missing date references
- Games released in 1990
- Games released in May
- Games released on May 18
- Games released in December
- Games with unused graphics
- Games with debugging functions
- Games with hidden level selects
- Games with regional differences
- Pages with a Data Crystal link
- To do
- Kunio-kun series
Cleanup > Pages missing date references
Cleanup > Pages missing developer references
Cleanup > Pages missing publisher references
Cleanup > To do
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