Proto:Addams Family Values (SNES)

This page details one or more prototype versions of Addams Family Values (SNES).

A prototype of Addams Family Values, recovered from loose EPROM chips from an anonymous donor, was released by SNES Central via the VGHF on June 30, 2021. The prototype is in an even earlier state than the cancelled US Genesis prototype found a few months earlier.

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Notes

Debug Commands

Debug commands are available by default in this build, several of which are mapped to the shoulder buttons that went unused in the final game.

Debug Menu

Proto	Final

Press R while playing to enter the debug menu. Unique to this build are the Level, Zzap, and Audio Mode options, while Restore Energy, Display Conditions, and Infinite Energy are not present.

Continue Room Section Exit

It functions the same as the final game: select Continue to resume normally, or Exit to warp to the location set in Section and Room.

Level

Sets the Conditions (storyline flags). The 7 available selections should represent the 7 dungeons, but this has not yet been verified. Note that only Levels 1-3 are programmed. Levels 4-7 all point to empty subroutines. Also note that you must press A to apply the changes once you select a level with the D-Pad.

Reload Weapons

Exactly as it says, but you must already have the items in your inventory.

Zzap

Sets the damage level of Fester's lightning bolt attack. Values 001, 002, and 003 are for red, green, and blue Zzap, respectively.

Message

This is presumably meant to display a line of text like the Messages option in the final game, but it appears to be broken/unfinished. Selecting it will just reset the index to 000.

Debug Disable Collision

Press L while playing to toggle the 16-bit disable collision flag stored at RAM address 7E0A44 to walk though walls and NPCs/enemies.

Debug Diary

Press Y to open the Diary (map), even if it's not in the inventory. Note that this is the only method to access the map in this prototype, as trying to select it from the inventory gives an error message that the item can't be equipped.

Debug Cutscene Viewer

Press Select while playing to view a cutscene. It's hardcoded to display cutscene #$00 (the first cutscene of the mansion gates), but Pro Action Replay (PAR) code 81824C?. can be used to change the index, where "??" is a value in range $00-0B.

Item Differences

Proto	Final

(Note: the inventory screenshots above have been edited to remove the hand cursor and currently selected item name for easier side-by-side comparison.)

Proto	Final

Have Game Genie code EEA5-0F64 or Pro Action Replay (PAR) code 00C976FF activated on boot up to start the game with a full inventory.

Twig Key

Item index $03. This was turned into the Stone Twig Key in the final game. The palette for the icon and portrait was changed accordingly.

Wooden Key

Item index $05. It became the Stone Key in the final game, and its icon and portrait palettes updated just like the Twig Key.

Spider Key

Item index $06. Trying to display the portrait crashes the game. The graphics packet appears to be damaged fragments, possibly compressed incorrectly.

Cookies

Item indexes $08-0F. Portraits for the 4 different cookie types exist in this prototype and all but the Crumble Cookie portrait (green cookie) go unused. They were later deleted.

Portal Potion

Item index $11. No checks for this item have been found in the text scripts (event and map scripts still need to be checked). It has no effect when used, and its purpose is still a mystery. The portrait, which was deleted in the final version, is present but its palette is swapped with the Slimming Potion by accident.

Slimming Potion

Item index $12. The portrait palette got mixed up with the Portal Potion in this prototype as mentioned above.

Diary

Proto	Final

Item index $1B. It was later renamed to the Journal. Its icon and portrait of a tattered map was changed to a hardcover book. It can't be equipped/used with A as in the retail release.

Mystical Hourglass

Item index $26. This ended up being replaced by Shockwave. It has no effect when used. The instruction manual packaged with the retail game, which details several prototype elements, describes the Hourglass as follows: "Use to briefly freeze all attackers on screen."

Stone Button

Item index $2A. Its prototype icon received improvements.

Black Egg

Item index $2E. See the retail page for more info. It has no effect in this version of the game, either. Morobe doesn't even drop it in the final dungeon, meaning the portrait goes unused in this version, too.

(Source: JLukas (full inventory code))

Face Portraits and Misc. Portraits Differences

Proto:

Final:

• Only the prototype has battery portraits, see the section below.
• Pugsley's eyes and shirt color changed.
• A placeholder smiley face not found in the final game appears twice: index $3E (an unknown NPC or object) and index $51 (tombstone). Unused entries in the final game point to Gomez' portrait instead.
• The portraits not yet added in this prototype on the bottom row are, from left to right: tombstone, graveyard ghost, Strobia, ghost Morobe, Fester feeling weird, Shockwave, Cousin It.

Inventory Screen

The KEYS text isn't centered in the prototype.

Batteries

These portraits with IDs $30, $31, $32 and $33 don't exist in the final game. The instruction manual packaged with the retail game, which details several prototype elements, describes the batteries as follows:

"Battery (Level 2, 3 and 5)

Powers up Fester's electrical Zzap attack."

Level 2, 3 and 5 refer to the dungeons the batteries could be found in.

In this prototype, instead of finding batteries directly in dungeons as the instructions suggest, Morticia will give the red battery as a reward for returning the Black Rose, Skull Rattle or Headless Teddy. It's likely this was temporary programming and that the green battery was planned to be in exchange for the rattle and blue battery in exchange for the teddy bear, based on when the items can be obtained during the game. The orange battery is assumed to have been the initial battery when beginning, while the red, green and blue batteries are the upgrades and correspond with the 3 Zzap levels that can be set in the debug menu.

The final game abandons the entire battery idea and Fester's Zzap strength depends on his current HP instead. From the available evidence, it's easy to come to the conclusion that this change was made because having to spend any length of time using the weakest, shortest-range red lightning bolt is a frustrating experience. Fester would be stuck with it for several dungeons until the green battery could be obtained, and there's no guarantee that the player even finds the battery or item needed to be exchanged for it.

Cutscene Differences

$00

Proto	Final

The left gate has been mirrored, and the right gate has has shifted left. The text description is totally different. Also note in the final game the text is shifted down one line and the border uses a darker palette (these 2 changes apply to all the rest of the cutscenes, too.)

$01

Proto	Final
UNDER THE SMASHED PILLAR A HIDDEN STAIRCASE WINDS DOWN INTO THE DARKNESS.	UNDER THE SMASHED PILLAR A HIDDEN STAIRCASE WINDS DOWN INTO THE DARKNESS.

Minor text formatting change.

$02

Proto	Final

The single quote is missing its graphics tile in the prototype, or assigned incorrectly. Also, there's no period at the end of the text string.

$03

Proto	Final

A different background color. Again, punctuation is missing.

$04

Proto	Final

In the final game the stone tree has a cave entrance in the middle, and the entire tree and clouds were shifted to the right in order to add a boulder and wall to the picture. The prototype describes the scene as creepy.

$06

Proto	Final

A different background color surrounding the cloud. Also note the prototype uses the wrong text string (it's meant for cutscene $07). This off-by-one error also affects cutscenes $07, $08, and possibly $09. The correct text string is present in the ROM as follows:

Proto	Final
ONCE VOTED AS THE MOST GROSS PERSON TO HAVE EVER SAT ON A THRONE OF EUROPE, UNCLE FRITZ, MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS KING FRITZ THE DUMP TRUCK ACCIDENTALLY TOOK ONE OF GRANNYS SLIMMING POTIONS AND BECAME FRITZ THE RAKE PRACTICALLY OVERNIGHT.	ONCE VOTED THE MOST GROSS PERSON EVER, UNCLE FRITZ ACCIDENTALLY TOOK ONE OF GRANNY'S SLIMMING POTIONS AND BECAME FRITZ THE RAKE PRACTICALLY OVERNIGHT.

$07

Another off-by-one error. The mansion cutscene displays the pipe ready to burst text. The correct text string is present in the ROM as follows:

Proto	Final
HMMMMM.... YOU MUST BE SOMEWHERE INSIDE THE MANSION. BUT WHERE EXACTLY MORE TO THE POINT, WHICH WAY IS OUT	HMMMMM.... YOU MUST BE SOMEWHERE INSIDE THE MANSION. BUT WHERE EXACTLY? AND MORE TO THE POINT WHICH WAY IS OUT?

$08

Proto	Final
YOU PUT ALL YOUR FORCE BEHIND THE WHEEL, AND SLOWLY IT BEGINS TO TURN. RUST FLAKES FALL AROUND YOUR FEET AS YOU GRADUALLY OPEN THE VALVE HINTING AS YEARS OF DISUSE.	(?)

Another off-by-one error for the bursting pipe cutscene, using text assumed to be for cutscene $09. The correct text string is present in the ROM as follows:

Proto	Final
THIS PIPE IS READY TO BURST ANY SECOND!	THIS SECTION OF THE PIPE IS READY TO BURST ANY SECOND!

$09

Proto	Final
YOU HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS	A RUSH OF EXCITEMENT RUNS UP YOUR BACK AS YOU SEE THE FOUL SEWAGE TURNING THE ONCE CLEAN WATER INTO A GROSS BROWN SLUDGE.

It's unknown if the incorrect text string used for cutscene $08 was supposed to be used here. If so, it's unclear what cutscene the "You have a bad feeling about this" text is for.

$0A

This cutscene isn't in the final game. Its index $0A is used for the Congratulations ending in the retail version.

Other Differences

• The Congratulations ending cutscene is missing.
• Cutscene $0C is missing (Thing scuttles up the vine to safety).
• Cutscenes $0D-0F are missing (three bookcase switches in the final dungeon).