Pat Riley Basketball

Pat Riley Basketball
Also known as: Super Real Basketball (JP/EU) Developer: Aicom Publisher: Sega Platform: Genesis Released in JP: March 2, 1990 Released in US: December 31, 1990 Released in EU: March 1991 This game has hidden development-related text. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has regional differences.

To do: The game uses a custom string format; figure it out and see if there are any other hidden strings (see also Takin' it to the Hoops, there's other similar basketball games too)

Pat Riley Basketball is a basketball game featuring... the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers...! Aside from that, the game doesn't actually include any NBA teams or players.

Japanese Version "Sound Test Mode & Animation Test Mode"

In the US and European versions, pressing A+B+C on the title screen opens up an options menu. This isn't present in the Japanese version. Instead, a much more basic (and much more geared toward debugging) menu is available, but not without hacking.

This menu takes the form of a combined sound test and animation test (combined into one screen). The code to jump into the menu, which parallels with the code to open the options menu in the US and European versions, is at ROM $535DA. (The code for the menu itself isn't unused per se; it's merely screen mode $10. This is the same as the options menu in the US and European versions.)

To open the menu, use the patch codes 0535D6:4E71 + 0535D8:4E71. With both codes applied, simply start a new game to open the menu.

For the sound test half, Up cycles between music ("BACK GRAUND MUSIC") and Down cycles between sound effects ("EFFECT NUMBER"). A plays music, B stops sound, and C plays sound effects.

For the animation test half, Left cycles between animation numbers ("UP ANIMATION NUMBER") and Right cycles between animation modes ("NOTHING"/"DIFFENCE"). A+Start plays the animation. The animation will play eight times, each time with slightly different parameters, and then you will be taken back to the title screen.

Start exits the menu and returns you to the Sega screen.

Furthermore, at ROM address $5328A is the following code:

ROM:0005328A                 move.b  2(a5),d0
ROM:0005328E                 andi.b  #%11100000,d0
ROM:00053292                 cmpi.b  #%11100000,d0
ROM:00053296                 move.b  3(a5),d0
ROM:0005329A                 btst    #7,d0
ROM:0005329E                 bne.w   loc_53414
ROM:000532A2                 bra.w   loc_5321E

This is the equivalent to the code that handles the button press that opens the options menu in the US and European versions. The two differences are:

• The key combination is A+C+Start, not A+B+C
• Pressing A+C+Start does nothing here

Unused Text

A series of error messages are stored below the ROM header.

BASS ERROR            
ADDRESS ERROR         
UNDIFFIND ERROR       
ZERO DEVIDE           
CHK COMMAND ERROR     
TRAP COMMAND ERROR    
PRIORITY ERROR        
TRACE EXECUTE         
A EMULATION CODE      
F EMULATION CODE      
SUB CPU COMMAND CODE  
FORMAT ERROR          
INITIALIZE INTRRUPUT  
SPRIACE ERROR         
NO USE INTRRUPUT ERROR
Oh ! NKOICHI TRAP CODE
ETC. ERROR            

Worth noting is the mention of "NKOICHI", which is likely composer Koichi Namiki. However, "SEBA-HIKO" (Hikoshi Hashimoto) is the only person credited for "SOUND" in this game.

Regional Differences

Title Screen

Japan/Europe	US

The title screen was completely redone. Just about the only similarity is the "Push/Press Start Button" text flashing on the title screen.

Teams

Most of the team names were changed between the Japanese and US/European releases.

Japan	US/Europe
Boston Bug	Boston Bashers
Dallas Wings	Dallas Wings
Denver Rocks	Denver Jammers
Detroit Jets	Detroit Jets
Houston Legs	Houston Rebels
L.A. Rainbows	L.A. Hoops
N.Y. Busters	N.Y. Busters
Seattle Rams	Seattle Bears