Proto:The Legend of the Mystical Ninja/Stages 1 to 4

This is a sub-page of Proto:The Legend of the Mystical Ninja.

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Stage 1

Edo

NPCs and Objects

Prototype	Final

The women that appear in the village use a slightly dark color palette in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

The signs in every single location use shaded kanji in the prototype. The kanji in the final game are solid black.

Area 1

Prototype
Final

Right from the start, there are big changes between versions: Though identical in theme, the stage graphics were completely overhauled after the prototype. The drab environment from the prototype was livened up by saturating the palette and adding more greenery around the stage. New details like small clumps of dirt were placed in the road, and rocks were put in as added obstacles. The opening on the left side of the screen, which players might initially think was a pathway, was covered up with an extra roof.

Prototype
Final

Most of the components of the final background are already here, but each element (Mountain, buildings, fencing, etc.) was redrawn before release, and the structure of the background was completely redone. While in the prototype some of the buildings are drawn with perspective, all of the background elements in the final game are drawn straight-on.

Area 2

Prototype
Final

While the changes are mostly the same as in the first area, a few changes stand out. First, the unique double-tall barrel by the fortuneteller's shop was removed. Second, the travel agency building's design changed from a single story to a two-story building, and the entry curtain changed from purple to green. Third, both of the stores here (and other stores throughout this stage) have their entry curtains go all the way to the ground in the prototype, while in the final game the curtains are raised slightly.

Prototype
Final

The second area's background features the same changes as the first.

Area 3

Prototype
Final

Horohoro Temple is in better shape in the prototype; the final game adds more damage to the walls to better convey the temple's abandonment. Next to the temple in the prototype is a worn-down building, while in the final game it matches the other buildings in the area. Said building is a copy of Goemon's House in the prototype, but in the final game it's the first of the game's first-person mazes. The stalks of bamboo at the top of the area were also rearranged later. The entry curtains to the Diner and Part-time job buildings swapped colors, and the Diner's curtain was properly labelled.

At the bottom of the map, most of the roof and wooden fence graphics were replaced with new stone walls, broken up by roofs of a more reasonable size.

Prototype
Final

Both layers of bamboo were brightened up in the final version. The prototype has bamboo stalks that peek up from the bottom of the background, all of which were removed from the final BG.

Horohoro Temple

Objects & Enemies

Prototype	Final

The hitodama's spawning animation has an extra frame in the prototype that was removed to save space.

In the prototype, the skeletons in this section have an additional attack where they try to stab the player(s) if they get too close. Both the attack and the sprite were removed from the final version...

...as were these skulls, which aren't even used in the prototype. They seem to have been meant for a planned but scrapped death animation.

Layout & Backgrounds

Prototype	Final

The bamboo in the background is brighter in the prototype, while the clouds are duller.

Prototype	Final

This hidden cave area - the only one of its type in the prototype - has brown rockwork, which the final game changed to green. The chest of money was moved from the third spot to the second, and the pot with the heart inside was changed to a golden maneki-neko.

Ending

Prototype	Final

The background palette was changed to match up with stage 2, which takes place at sunset. The final game uses the prototype palette for Stage 7's ending.

Prototype	Final

All three endings had some element that was changed to save ROM and VRAM space. The barrel used in the cheapest ending originally used sixteen 8x8 tiles, and was drawn to tilt slightly under Goemon's weight. The effect was lost after the barrel was reduced to eight 8x8 tiles that are mirrored horizontally.

Prototype	Final

To squeeze the formerly 32 pixel-wide rower sprite into 24 pixels, two of the rower's surprise particles (Is there an actual term for these?) were deleted.

Prototype	Final

In the best ending, the top of the boat's smokestack was cut off, the bottom of the boat was changed from using two unique tiles to just one, and the woman's sprite was changed from using four 16x16 tiles to two 16x16 tiles that are then mirrored horizontally.

Prototype	Final

Ebisumaru's eyes were lowered a pixel, and his skin was lightened a tad.

Prototype
おえどのいちだいじときいては、ほおっておけない！ コバンネコおやぶんにあうために、いちろしこくへと たびだつゴエモンとエビスれであった。 だけど　こんなちょうしでほんとにだいじょうぶ？！	They couldn't resist when they heard that it's such a big deal in Edo! So, Goemon and Ebisumaru set on foot to Shikoku for the first time to meet the boss, Koban Neko. But would they really be fine with this condition?!
Final
おえどのいちだいじときいては　ほおっておけない！ コバンネコおやぶんにあうために　いちろ　しこくへ むかう　ゴエモンとエビスれであった。	They couldn't resist when they heard that it's such a big deal in Edo! So, Goemon and Ebisumaru headed to Shikoku for the first time to meet the boss, Koban Neko.

Stage 2

Shikoku Island

Area 1 - Sanuki

Prototype
Final

Like the first stage, the stage theme is about there, but the graphics are decidedly not. The stage palette in the final game is brighter and with warmer colors to better match the sunset backgrounds. The island is relatively well-trimmed in the prototype, while in the final game the grass is overgrown and much more of an impediment to players.

Like in Stage 1, the travel agency's building went from one to two floors.

Prototype
Final

The purple sea and reddish-pinky sky of the prototype were changed to a reddish-brown ocean with a deep orange sky. The far-off mountains have a bit of detail to them in the prototype, while in the final game they're shadowy masses. The only graphic that didn't change was the setting sun, and even that was moved closer to the center.

Area 2 - Iyo 1

Prototype
Final

The open field vs. wild growth nature of the area is even more apparent here...

Prototype
Final

...and it's also the first instance of a significant layout change: The river on the right side of the area was moved further to the left in the final game, and the house close to the river was moved even closer.

Rooms

Prototype
General Store 2	Minka 3	Minka 4	Hamburger
Final
General Store 2	Minka 3	Minka 4	Diner 2

Realizing that this rural island was an odd place to put a faux McDonald's, they moved out and a diner moved in.

Prototype
Final

All background elements were redrawn -- notably, the grass fields that went across the entire background were cut down, with trees and shrubs taking their place -- and the background's palette was tinted red.

Area 3 - Iyo 2

Prototype
Final

It's a good thing that those cliff graphics were changed; they look more like a collection of rocks than proper cliff faces. The gates and lone rock that acts as obstacles aren't in the prototype's map. The final version adds a purple canopy to the front of the Dōgo Onsen building, changes the second house to a different design, and adds a hidden door to the left of the onsen that leads to another underground section.

Prototype	Final

There seems to be some confusion in the prototype as to what time of day it is. That's a very pink sky, and those are some dark mountains.

Area 4 - Awa(?)

Prototype	Final

The arcade building is to the left and in a fairly open field in the prototype, while in the final game it's more centered and flanked by mountains.

Prototype	Final

Same changes as before. These are only here for completeness' sake.

Area 5 - Tosa 1

Prototype
Final

The final layout is much more developed, with most of the fencing being replaced with stone walls, and all of the grass in the area being removed. Unique crate obstacles were added to the left side of the area, and the buildings on the right were moved closer together. As for the bridge, the final game changes the ugly gray shadow to a proper black and adds a palette cycling effect for the water below.

Rooms

Prototype
Minka 5	Diner 2
Final
Minka 5	Dojo

This is where the diner on this island was originally located. When they moved into the former burger place, a dojo took up the diner's old space.

Prototype
Final

The lovely orange-to-purple sunset was toned down to match the backgrounds in the rest of the stage. This background is copied from Stage 1, so the same differences can be seen here.

Area 6 - Tosa 2

Prototype
Final

The standard Stage 2 changes: More grass, more rocks, different tileset. The final layout cuts the number of wooden signs in this area in half.

Rooms

Prototype
Lottery	Minka 6	General Store 3	Whac-A-Mole	Minka 3	Inn
Final
Lottery	Minka 6	General Store 3	Part-time Job	Travel Diary	Inn

The part-time job office didn't exist in the prototype; instead, a stand-alone Whac-A-Mole game occupied the fifth building. Similarly, the travel diary building was originally a copy of the residence from Iyo 1.

Prototype
Final

Same changes. Move along.

Lantern Devil

Prototype
がはははは！ おまえも コバンネコのなかまだな わしと しょうぶするぜよ！	Gahahahaha! So you're one of Koban Neko's partners, eh. You'll have to beat me!
Final
がはははは！ おまえも コバンネコのなかまか？ おいどんと しょうぶするでごわす！	Gahahahaha! So you're one of Koban Neko's partners? You'll have to beat me!

Note that only the final version uses the pronoun おいどん (Oidon) and the word でごわす (De gowasu), which are associated with the Kagoshima Prefecture, with gowasu in particular being associated with sumo wrestlers.

Ending

Prototype
ひょっとこたいをたおしたゴエモンとエビスれは おたふくたいのきちにいるというおんなのこをたすけ るためにおたふくたいのいるあわじしまをめざして たびをつづけることになった。	(Translation)
Final
ひょっとこたいをたおした　ゴエモンとエビスれは おんなのこをさらう　おたふくたいをこらしめようと やつらのいる　あわじしままで，たびをつづける ことにした。	(Translation)

Prototype	Final

Koban Neko isn't properly concealed by the rooftop in the prototype due to a layering error.

Stage 3

Onaruto Bridge

Prototype	Final

The peeking Otafuku guy has hands as part of his sprite, but in both the prototype and the final game, the hands use a separate graphic. The final game erases the extra hands. The second peeking frame was truncated to keep it within two 8x8 tiles.

Karakuri Amusement Park

Objects & Enemies

The prototype has graphics for a hopping jiangshi-like enemy that would attack with the old hop & chop. The enemy doesn't show up in the prototype, and its graphics were later removed from the game.

Layout & Backgrounds
While the stage graphics and layout have already been finalized, some buildings in the second and third areas lead to different rooms:

Rooms

Prototype
Whac-A-Mole	Aiming Shot	Game Center	Minka 8	General Store 4
Final
Travel Diary	Puzzle	Game Center	Minka 8	General Store 4

A Travel Diary building took the place of the standalone Whac-A-Mole game, and the Aiming Shot was replaced by a quiz show.

Rooms

Prototype
Horse Racing	E-awase	Minka 7	Puzzle	Gambling
Final
Horse Racing	E-awase	Minka 7	Part-time Job	Gambling

The third area is where the quiz show used to be. In the final game a Part-time Job agency took its place, which is also the new location for the replaced Aiming Shot and Whac-A-Mole games.

Akashi Kaikyō Bridge

Prototype	Final

The prototype has an extra sign at the start of the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge reading 淡路, Awaji. Both the sign and its corresponding shadow were removed from the final map.

The sign at the end of the bridge reading 播磨, Harima, was left in.

Ending

Prototype	Final

The prototype has a bit where Ebisumaru inflates like a balloon after eating too much. To prevent this joke from overshadowing the octopus attacking the Konami building in the background, this gag was moved to Stage 6's ending.

Prototype
おたふくたいのきちは　やまとのくににあるらしい からくりゆうえんちをあとにしたゴエモンとエビス は　のんびりしてるひまもなく？　やまとのくにを めざしてひたすすむのであった。	(Translation)
Final
おたふくたいのきちは　やまとのくににあるらしい からくりゆうえんちをでた　ゴエモンとエビスれは のんびりしているひまもなく？　やまとのくにを めざして　ひたすすむのであった。	(Translation)

Stage 4

Harima to Yamato

This area isn't normally accessible in the prototype -- after Stage 3, it jumps straight to Otafuku Base -- but it can be accessed by using the following Pro Action Replay (PAR) codes and starting a new game:
7E008203
7E008A00

Objects & Enemies

• There's an enemy in the prototype that only appears in Area 4: A hulking Otafuku soldier on sandals. He moves by bouncing around and takes 3 hits to defeat.

If the player gets too close, they'll be struck by a nasty uppercut.

With all of the trimming going on with enemy and object sprites between the prototype and final game, it's easy to see why this large sprite for a relatively unessential enemy was cut.

• The prototype also loads this guy in Area 4, but he doesn't appear anywhere in the stage and doesn't seem to have been coded in. The first two frames are missing a single 8x8 tile each.

• These flames are part of the bodysuit guy's tileset. Not clear if if they would be used by him or some unrelated object.

Area 1 - Harima 1

Prototype
Final

Once the stage loads, it's clear why this town was skipped in normal play: There's no background, none of the doors lead anywhere, and the collision is horribly scuffed. The best way to get around the stage is to walk around the outer perimeter of each area. The following codes can be used to warp to the top or bottom of the screen by jumping:
7E07AC51 (Top)
7E07AC91 (Bottom)

The tileset used in Harima is unique to Stage 4, while the final game reuses some of the graphics (Trees, rocks, grass) from Stage 2. The water by the shore isn't animated, and it isn't set up to be animated through palette cycling like the final game's water.

On to the layout: In the prototype, only the first building has a weather-worn roof, while the rest of the buildings are in fine shape. The final game uses the worn design for every building in the area. There are two extra doors in the prototype, and the final version pushes two of the buildings together.

Area 2 - Harima 2

Prototype
Final

Though most of the graphics used in the final game are recycled from Stage 2, the fence on the left side is new. The number of doors in the prototype matches the number of doors in the final game, but the buildings themselves were moved around, and two of the buildings fused together.

Area 3 - Settsu

Prototype	Final

Like Harima, Settsu' tileset is wholly unique in the prototype, while the final game reuses elements from other areas. Note that the prototype graphics are anything but special; the complete lack of depth on the bridge makes it look more like a dam than anything else. As should be expected by now, the water in the prototype isn't animated or even set up to be animated.

The final game extends this bridge sequence by two screens. The center bridge area contains the player's first encounter with the deer of Yamato.

Area 4 - Kawachi & Yamato

Prototype
Final

From this point on, both the prototype and the final game are reusing elements from Stage 2. The final game cuts the number of doors down from six to just one, opting to instead add more decorative elements and obstacles to this field. The wall of grass at the bottom of the screen was changed to a large stone wall.

Prototype
Final

The prototype puts all the greenery on the left side behind a fence, whereas the final game tears down the fence and lets nature run free like it owns the place.

The first exit doesn't actually link to anything in the prototype. In the final game, it leads to a rather ostentatious dojo. One of the houses was removed in favor of making the last northern exit look better.

Area 5 - Yamato 2

Prototype	Final

One of them houses done got blowed up.

Area 6 - Yamato 3

Prototype
Final

The final game adds another screen's worth of content to this area, including a much-appreciated inn at the center of the area.

Area 7 - Yamato 4

Prototype	Final

The entrance of the Otafuku base is fairly unimpressive in the prototype, appearing as a typical small house surrounded by mountains and trees. The final game makes the entrance take up the entire screen and uses unique graphics that match the interior of the base.

Otafuku Base

Objects & Enemies

• The final game adds a new enemy type to the third area: A bouncy Otafuku soldier. They just bounce in place, hoping that some unruly hero won't strike them with a pipe or the like. No such luck, though.
• The rolling Otafuku soldiers that appear in this area had their HP halved from 8 HP to 4 HP.

Prototype	Final

• A salmon-colored pixel was added to the center of Yae's head, and our dumb monkey brains end up interpreting that as a face.

Layout & Backgrounds

Prototype	Final

In the prototype, the background in the first room is drawn on Layer 2 instead of Layer 1. This causes an error where the message box is opaque rather than translucent.

Prototype	Final

A few of the connector tiles to the right of the first pole were changed for whatever reason.

Prototype	Final

The gray bricks are darker in the final game. The windows in the prototype are transparent, with the apparent idea that there would be another background behind it...which would be impossible with a Mode 7 background. The final background fills those windows in with a faux-background and also changes the shadows on the right wall.

The switch in this room isn't properly aligned with the box that's supposed to hold it; this is a common problem in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

The roof layer on top of the screen was darkened as well.

Both the prototype and final game have these areas with spiral pillars and rotating spikes. In the prototype the spikes also slowly roll downwards, while in the final game they stay in place.

Prototype	Final

Two rolling Otafuku were added to the end of the upside-down spike room.

Prototype	Final

In addition to having the same graphical and shadow changes as the first rotating room, the prototype is also missing one of the switch boxes...

...so the switch floats in mid-air. Still works, though.

Prototype	Final

Third verse, same as the second and first. The final game adds an enemy unique to this room: A hopping Otafuku soldier that bounces and ricochets off the walls.

Prototype	Final

The grates (windows?) are brighter in the final game, and a bunch of bolts were added to the support beams. The final version also fills in the space at the bottom, but it's not necessary - the HUD always obscures it in that section, even in the PAL version.

Prototype	Final

Same bar and bolt changes as the bottom section. The final game adds three jars to the right - one with a golden maneki-neko, and two more with koban coins.

A nastier change has to do with the passageway on the right. In the prototype, it just leads back to the previous rotating room, but in the final game, it takes the player all the way back to the start of the base!

Prototype	Final

In the prototype, when the slot machines are activated, the background flickers. The final game goes for a more pleasing-to-the-eye glowing effect.

Boss

The prototype is missing sound effects for the following actions:

• The energy ball bouncing on the ground and ceiling.
• The giant Otafuku head zooming in.
• The features of the giant Otafuku head falling to the ground and reassembling.
• The two halves of the Otafuku head falling to the floor after the boss is defeated.

Prototype	Final

Animated gears were added to the top and bottom of the screen to explain how the Otafuku statues in the background are able to move during the boss fight.

Prototype	Final
わたしはにんじゃ くのいちのヤエといます にせがねづくりのじけんで そうさをしていたら なぞの おたふくたいに つかまってしまい ようじゅつを かけられてしまいました たすけてくださって どうもありがとう	わたしはくのいちのヤエ にせがねづくりのじけんを そうさしていたら おたふくたいに つかまってしまったの あなたもなにか さがしているようね いがの ものしりじいを たずねるといいわ
(Translation)	(Translation)

After reaching the end of Yae's dialogue, the player(s) walk off to the left and the game immediately resets.

(Source: Original TCRF research)