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Roll Away

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Title Screen

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


DebugIcon.png This game has debugging material.
RegionIcon.png This game has regional differences.


Hmmm...
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

KulaFileError.png

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
KulaWorldLevel132.png RollAwayLevel132.png KulaQHidden9.png

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
KulaWorldBonus30Start.png RollAwayBonus30Start.png
KulaWorldBonus30Rows.png RollAwayBonus30Rows.png
KulaWorldBonus30Fruit.png

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

The Final Level 3 - Europe The Final Level 3 - US/Japan
KulaWorldFinal3.png RollAwayFinal3.png

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 achieveable.

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

Level 102 - US Level 102 - Japanese
RollAway102Coin.png KulaQ102Coin.png

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
RollAway131IceBlock.png KulaQ131IceBlock.png

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
RollAway133Gem.png KulaQ133Gem.png
RollAway133NewGem.png KulaQ133NewGem.png

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
RollAwayBonus4Coins.png KulaQBonus4Coins.png

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

Bonus 16 - US Bonus 16 - Japanese
RollAwayBonus16Redesign.png KulaQBonus16Redesign.png

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
RollAwayBonus17Pills.png KulaQBonus17Pills.png

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
RollAwayBonus26Gems.png KulaQBonus26Gems.png

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

Bonus 28 - US Bonus 28 - Japanese
RollAwayBonus28Coins.png KulaQBonus28Coins.png

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

Hidden 2 - US Hidden 2 - Japanese
RollAwayHidden2Coin.png KulaQHidden2Coin.png

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
RollAwayHidden6CoinPlatform.png KulaQHidden6CoinPlatform.png

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

Hidden 9 - US Hidden 9 - Japanese
RollAwayHidden9Fruit.png KulaQHidden9Fruit.png

Items

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

European/US Japanese
RollAwayPill.png KulaQPill.png

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

European/US Japanese
RollAwayExit.png KulaQExit.png

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

KulaQBallDesigner.png

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
KulaWorldTitle.png RollAwayTitle.png KulaQuestTitle.png
  • 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
RollAway LevelComplete.png KulaQuest LevelComplete.png
  • 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
RollAway 1Player.png KulaQuest 1Player.png
  • The copyright info is always on-screen in the Japanese menus.
  • The options were renamed.
US/Europe Japan
RollAway 2Player.png KulaQuest 2Player.png
  • The CopyCat mode was shortened to Copy.
US/Europe Japan
RollAway Options.png KulaQuest Options.png
  • 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.