Roll Away

Roll Away
Also known as: Kula World (EU), Kula Quest (JP) Developer: Game Design Sweden AB Publishers: SCEE (EU), Psygnosis (US), SCEI (JP) Platform: PlayStation Released in JP: May 27, 1999 Released in US: November 30, 1998 Released in EU: July 1998 This game has debugging material. This game has regional differences.

To do: Demo One Version 6 and 7 contain an early version of the game. PCPX-96121 is a standalone demo of KulaQuest with some unique levels. SLPM-80106 also contains an extended KulaQuest demo, this might be the same as above.

In Roll Away, you assume the role of a beach ball on a quest for fruit while avoiding the elements and various pointy objects. Notably one of the earlier games to make use of the DualShock rumble, allowing you to feel the ground break under your poor ball.

File Load Error

If the game can't load a file from the CD, this error screen appears.

Custom level loading via serial port

Entering the cheat Left, Up, Down, Right, Square, Triangle, Circle, X allows a custom level to be uploaded via a serial port of the PlayStation. Whether the serial port refers to the Link Cable port available on retail consoles or something that exists only on debug consoles is not confirmed. According to a developer interview, this was used during development to quickly try out level designs. While the code for this is present in the final build, it is unknown whether it actually still functions.

Regional Differences

Level Changes

European to US

Visiting every level is only possible on the Japanese version, due to Level 132. In the European version, the hidden exit that should be on this level, isn't. It was forgotten about and not placed. In the US version this was fixed so it does appear in the level... but the block it's on isn't reachable after the hidden exit is activated. The Japanese version solved this catastrophe completely by moving the hidden exit to Level 134 instead.

Adding the exit to the unreachable block is the only level difference between the European version and the Hidden Palace Jun 3 US Prototype.

Hidden Exit 9
Europe	US	Japan

The last arcade bonus level, Bonus30, also changed between regions. In the European version:

• The fingers are arranged in three rows in a 3-4-3 finger pattern.
• Only the inner two fingers of the middle row have collectibles.
• You start on the outside finger in the middle row.
• Unlike all other bonus levels, there's a fruit present, and it's on a block face which cycles between textures.

In the others:

• The fingers are arranged in three rows in a 2-3-2 pattern.
• Most fingers have collectibles on them.
• You start in the outside finger in the top row.
• The fruit has been removed and the face fixed.

Hidden Exit 9
Bonus30 - Europe	Bonus30 - US/Japan

Levels in "The Final" contain no fruit, or at least they shouldn't. This rogue apple on level 3 was subsequently removed in the North American and Japanese versions, rendering the blue transporter pointless.

The Final Level 3 - Europe	The Final Level 3 - US/Japan

US to Japan

The Japanese version added a completion percentage for picking up point items to each level - most changes in this section are cleanup to ensure 100% pickups in all levels is achievable.

For instance, an unreachable coin was removed from Level 102.

Level 102 - US	Level 102 - Japanese

The solid ice block on Level 131 had a face 'un-iced' and replaced by a force arrow. Bizarrely, this new force arrow is unreachable. An unreachable coin on the same block was also removed.

Level 131 - US	Level 131 - Japanese

A gem on Level 133 was made slightly less 'certain death' by plonking it on a rather more benign tile.

Level 133 - US	Level 133 - Japanese

The coins on the corners of the bottom level on Bonus Level 4 were removed. The US level has the option of collecting those coins or collecting the gems on the inside face of the cubes. Removal of the coins means there is no longer an either/or choice and 100% collection completion is possible.

Bonus 4 - US	Bonus 4 - Japanese

Bonus Level 16 was redesigned to remove the 'gem surrounded by spike traps' section.

Bonus 16 - US	Bonus 16 - Japanese

The four solid blocks at the ends of the cross on Bonus Level 17 had their lethagy pills and coins removed, replaced by a single gem on each.

Bonus 17 - US	Bonus 17 - Japanese

Bonus Level 26 had three gems removed. If you thought that was because they were inaccessible, you'd be correct.

Bonus 26 - US	Bonus 26 - Japanese

Coins? Deletion? Say it ain't so Bonus Level 28! Unfortunately, it is.

Bonus 28 - US	Bonus 28 - Japanese

Another inaccesible coin was removed from the underside of the exit block on Hidden Level 2.

Hidden 2 - US	Hidden 2 - Japanese

Breaking news! Hidden Level 6 kills accessible coin. Also taken out in the hit were two moving platforms. Witnesses state that these platforms made it easier to get to and from the coin, but weren't the only way.

Hidden 6 - US	Hidden 6 - Japanese

And finally, that pesky unvisitable Hidden Level 9 had a fruit removed, not that anybody could legitimately notice.

Hidden 9 - US	Hidden 9 - Japanese

Items

The lethargy pills are gray and white in the Japanese version. They're red and yellow in the others.

European/US	Japanese

The Exit square icon in the Japanese version was changed from an X to 出口.

European/US	Japanese

Features

Free Rotate Camera

Pressing Select in the Japanese version toggles the camera from its fixed position behind the ball to being freely rotated around the level, like a controllable version of the pause camera. On the other versions, this camera has to be enabled and disabled via a GameShark code.

 European Version |  US version
   800B9D3E 0001  | 800BA296 0001

Ball Designer

The Japanese version also allows you to pick which ball to use and to customise its colors between worlds. This feature isn't available in the US and European versions.

Lesson Level

The Japanese version adds a Lesson option to the main menu. This takes you to a training/test level which contains all of the obstacles and mechanics found in the game. This level is on the disc, but inaccessible in the other regions without GameShark codes.

Menus

Europe	US	Japan

• The Load Game option was moved to the main menu and the Scores option was moved into the Options menu in the Japanese version.
• The Japanese versions adds the Lesson option, which is an open level with various hazards.

US/Europe	Japan

• The Japanese version shows you what percentage of items you collected in a level.
• A sound effect upon completing a level was added in the Japanese version.
• The button prompt is different.

US/Europe	Japan

• The copyright info is always on-screen in the Japanese menus.
• The options were renamed.

US/Europe	Japan

• The CopyCat mode was shortened to Copy.

US/Europe	Japan

• The Japanese version lacks the option to adjust the screen or turn delay.
• CD was changed to BGM.

Ending

Each region not only received its own game name, but its own ending FMV too. Again, the Japanese version went above and beyond by having not one, but three ending FMVs. These are notable for being produced with the help of Polyphony Digital - yes, that Polyphony Digital.

Europe	US
Japan - normal	Japan - all fruits

The final Japanese FMV is for clearing "The Final". Other regions have no FMV for this event.