Shatterhand

Shatterhand
Also known as: Tokkyuu Shirei Solbrain (JP) Developer: Natsume Publishers: Angel (JP), Jaleco (US/EU) Platform: NES Released in JP: October 26, 1991 Released in US: December 1991 Released in EU: November 19, 1992 This game has unused code. This game has hidden developer credits. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused graphics. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has regional differences.

To do: Regional differences and Shatterhand leftovers in Solbrain.

Shatterhand is what you get when you combine The Six Million Dollar Man with an '80s action movie cop. Who needs guns when your fists can topple skyscrapers?

Test Mode

Shatterhand has a test mode available that the developers didn't dummy out before release. To access it, at the "Press Start" screen, press A, A, A, A, B, B, B, B, A, B, A, B, A, B, A, B. This will enable several minor testing features. Press Select to switch between which option you would like to use, and press Start to choose.

BGM and Sound Test

Two separate categories, but they function exactly the same. A moves the counter up by one, B moves the counter down by one, Select plays the chosen music or sound, and Start exits the menu.

Boss Test

The other options in the menu allow you to fight against the intro boss and the other five bosses on the stage select. Once you defeat them, you will be taken back to the menu screen to fight another or tinker with the rest of the test mode.

Other Debug Text

The strings BANK TEST and CHR TEST can be found in the US ROM at 0x09EEA and 0x09F11, respectively. These are both set to appear at the same screen location as the BGM TEST and SOUND TEST strings on those tests' respective screens, which means they likely belonged to test screens that were removed from the final game. Only the BANK TEST string still exists in the Japanese version.

Leftover Bank/CHR Test Functionality?

Oddly enough, increasing or decreasing the value in the aforementioned BGM and sound tests will also cause the second half of the background pattern table to change, which can only be seen in an emulator with a pattern table viewer. It's possible that this is a leftover remnant of either the bank or CHR test, which would have allowed the developers to view the game's CHR banks.

Unused Logo

To do: IPS patch, perhaps?

Both the US and Japanese versions contain an unused, unfinished routine to display a Natsume logo at startup, though only the US version contains the actual logo graphics (the same as Chaos World, also released in 1991). It can be reenabled in the US version with the following patch:

1C552: 88, FF
1C564: A0, FF
1CCC1: 08
1FF98: A9, 0C, 20, 9D, C4, 20, 0A, 80, A5, 4C, C9, 60, D0, 04, A9, 11
1FFA8: 85, 02, 20, 09, C5, 4C, 1C, C1, E6, 4C, D0, 04, A9, 01, 85, 02, 60

Unused Text

Placeholder Text

Several bits of placeholder text can be found in the US ROM, which were likely displayed before their respective screens/sequences were completed.

At 0x98DC:

NATSUME LOGO

At 0x9E39:

ENDING
STAFF ROLL
LAST DEMO

Alternate Continue/End Text

The game contains two copies of the strings CONTINUE and END. The first set, located at 0x9A2E in the US ROM, is not actually used by the game, and is set to appear at a different screen location than the final text.

Developer Credits

The Japanese version contains some ASCII credit text with staff names (and possibly an early title) at 0x1FC79.

1991 NAGOYA NATSUME INC
METAL COMMANDO G1
PROGRAM  K.ISHIHARA
DESIGN  S.TANIGUCHI
DESIGN  N.MIZOGUCHI
DESIGN  S.MATSUURA
DESIGN  BIT
SOUND  H.IWATSUKI
MUSIC  I.MIZUTANI

Regional Differences

To do: Finish documenting the Shatterhand to Solbrain changes. More differences can be found in this video.

The Famicom version, was originally published by a company called Angel, a now-defunct subsidiary of Bandai which specialized in the publication of licensed titles, in Japan in 1991 as a licensed game for the Family Computer based on the live-action superhero series Super Rescue Solbrain (特救指令ソルブレイン, Tokkyū Shirei Soruburein). The differences are mainly cosmetic (changing graphics and plot) but there were also several substantial changes, such as which boss appeared in which area. The Famicom version follows the same storyline as the Solbrain TV series and features a different opening sequence from the one in Shatterhand. The graphics for most of the characters and items were changed as well.

Title Screen

Solbrain	Shatterhand

Levels

Solbrain	Shatterhand

Area C in Solbrain was changed from a submarine into a carnival themed level. The carnival level is much easier difficulty-wise than the replaced submarine level and features different music.

Bosses

Solbrain	Shatterhand

The boss of Area C in Shatterhand became the boss of Area B in Solbrain, and received a graphical facelift.

Solbrain	Shatterhand

The boss of Area B in Shatterhand became the boss of Area C in Solbrain, and received both graphical and AI changes. The two girls will now jump off the screen and try to land on the player, and no longer transform into a worm-like second form.

Ending

Solbrain	Shatterhand